Simon Soon
Itulah dia bendera merah
Orang Dubi sangat gembira
Mereka berseru tiada terkira
Memenat lawannya dengan amarah
Adalah pula suatu pasukan
Panji-panji putih ia dirikan
Bahasa Benggali giruh dinamakan
Merekalah fakir Halaq al-Manan
There it is! The red flag!
The Dhobies were very glad
Without a doubt, they were really shouting
Tiring their opponents with angry passion
A battalion was there as well
They hoisted their white flags
It was called a giruh in Bengali
And they were the fakirs of Halqah al-Mannan
- The Syair Tabut of Encik Ali, 1864.
The graphic above provides an easy to visualise overview on the two principal factions that fought against one another during the Penang Riots of 1867.
The colour of the flags, which were triangular in shape were Red and White, such flags are said to be in common use among Muslims. Votive flags of these colours are often found at keramats.
In 1925, Stirling notes that, 'in swearing in Malays, the Koran was placed on the candidate's head and with arms held aloft he repeated the following oath, "If I betray the secrets of this Society, may the Koran devour my entrails." A cup of blood from the drops taken from caandidatates' [pricked] fingers was sometimes mixed with milk, as emblematic of mother's milk and foster brotherhood.'
When a candidate had been initiated and taught the basic passwords, but interested to advance the ranks of the organisation. His advancement in the hierarchy of the organisation was demonstrated through his ability to fold a square of paper into different shapes. There were 5 different ways of folding the paper, each called by certain names.
A. Meja - Table
B. Baju - Coat
C. Seluar - Trousers
D. Sampah - Boat
E. Kasut - Shoes
When feasts were held, or a lawyer had to be engaged to defend a brother, each member had to pay 30 cents. In this way sums of $300-400 were collected, a portion being taken by the Headman and the remainder used to pay the lawyer, witnesses, travelling expenses, and at times to buy evidence.
Notes:
W.G. Stirling. 1925. 'The Red and White Flags Societies' Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, April 3:1, 57-61.
Goh ChanSing. 2014. 'Armenian Street: Secret Societies (Kongsi Gelap)' ChanSing Goh, http://gohchansing.blogspot.com/2014/10/armenian-street-secret-societies-kongsi.html
David Lunn, Julia Byl. (2017) ‘One story ends and another begins’. Indonesia and the Malay World 45:133, pages 391-420.
