KUALA LUMPUR: It is a little known fact that the majestic National Monument was once bombed by communists on Aug 26, 1975, causing severe damage to the historical monument.
Following the attack, the National Monument underwent restoration, starting in 1977.
The monument was the brainchild of Malaysia’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, who wanted to commemorate those who fell in battle defending the country’s sovereignty.
After nearly 46 years, the four sculptors who worked on the restoration project — Christopher Bartley Carney, 74, a former Institut Teknologi Mara (ITM) (now Universiti Teknologi MARA) lecturer, and ITM Faculty of Creative Arts alumni Abdul Mansoor Ibrahim, 71, Abdul Mukti Jantan, 73, and Zolkeply Maulana, 69 — reunited once again to reflect on the memories of their collaborative efforts.
Abdul Mukti said the project, which took approximately a year and a week to complete, required creativity, patience, and perseverance because they had to restore hundreds of severely damaged fragments of the monument.
“There were parts that had holes and needed to be repaired by reshaping them using clay, transformed into moulds and plaster of Paris that were sent to the foundry at the Lembaga Kraftangan Mara in Terengganu to create bronze casts.
“After the bronze cast was made, the welding process was carried out, followed by the intricate chasing technique to create textures such as veins on the statue.
“This technique required skill so that the finished piece does not show any scratches,” he said when met at the monument here yesterday.
Abdul Mukti, who now lives in Los Angeles, the United States, said that besides dealing with unpredictable weather conditions at the monument site, their primary workplace, he and his colleagues also received threatening letters.
“At that time, there were constant dangers, including communist threats. Hence, the Pasukan Polis Hutan (now General Operations Force) conducted patrols regularly to ensure our safety while working, as some tasks extended into the night.
“Even in danger, our love for completing the work surpassed any fear. We did it with honour and pride. When something was destroyed by the communists, we rebuilt it from scratch. We persevered, and others had no chance,” he added.
Meanwhile, Zolkeply shared that he was proud of being involved in the restoration of the National Monument as it was motivated by his late father, a member of the VAT69 Commando unit.
“When my father knew that I was involved in the restoration, he made a surprise visit with his friends to see it for himself. I was deeply touched and excited. He fought in the jungles, and I ‘fought’ to restore the National Monument damaged by his enemies,” he added.
Meanwhile, Carney said he had many fond memories from his participation in restoring the National Monument as it is significant part of the country’s history.
“This is what makes my relationship with the Tugu Negara so special and this is the most important job I have ever been involved in,” Carney added, who currently lives in Port Huon, Tasmania.
Besides visiting their old campus in Shah Alam, Selangor, the four ‘heroes’ were invited by the Tuanku Nur Zahirah Art Gallery (GESTURZ) for a discussion session with students and lecturers on Oct 18. — BERNAMA
