Green Parrot, Penang, Malaya.

By CHEAH ENG WEE
Excerpts lifted from his personal journal

When my father died on on New Year's Day of 1961, his passing was announced on the front page of the local Gazette as the passing of a great showman, a great loss to the local entertainment industry.

My dad Cheah Cheng Khoon had suddenly collapsed, grasping for breath while having his breakfast as usual at the corner coffee shop located opposite the Savoy Hotel in Hutton Lane, Penang, Malaysia.

He was rushed to the Penang General Hospital by his brother Cheng Pin who was living in outhouse beside the hotel.

Cheng Khoon was quicky fixed with the oxygen mask on arrival at the hospital while the doctor was summoned. But to the doctor's dismay, the oxygen tank which was meant to keep him alive was empty.

Mr.Cheah Cheng Khoon OBE, JP was born in 1906. He was a hotelier, restauranteur and was most well-known as a showman - a top notch businessman in the entertainment business. He was a pioneer of sorts when it comes to operating cabarets, nightclubs, cinemas and amusement parks.

He started going into business in Malacca in the late 1930s, painting signboards and banners.

Later when the Chinese wayangs or operas (Teochew, Cantonese and Hokkien Chinese operas) became popular, he saw a good business opportunity.

These operas were usually staged in the compounds of temples or in open spaces in villages, or even in makeshift roadside stages. Opera fans had to carry their own benches to watch these operas - and bring along their own umbrellas against the sun and rain.

Why not have a permanent stage in a theatre where all the travelling opera troupes could and perform? Fans can enjoy their operas in relative comfort and actually sit on chairs provided. So the City Parkof Malacca was born.

Most of the opera troupes were brought in from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and later, Thailand.

While the adults enjoyed the operas, Cheng Khoon brought imported "amusement machines" for the entertainment of the young - Dodge "Em Cars, the Carousal, the Ferris Wheel, and even a small roller coaster. Such amusement machines were almost unheard of, let alone seen, by locals. These were second-hand machines from Hong Kong and England. City Park did a roaring business.

There were also amusement game stalls in the park where you throw rubber balls or coins and win a prize when you hit the target. There were ballons and popcorns and lots of food stalls. City Park was a nightly carnival, provided wholesome fun for the entire family.

There were two cinema halls within City Park grounds for the movie fans.
If you had bought a movie ticket, you get free entrance into the park to enjoy all the other facilities while waiting for your movie to start. Or when your movie was over, the exit doors would open within the park, and you could enjoy a "horse-ride" on the carousal or have a screaming session with your gang on the Dodge 'Em Cars.

City Park in Malacca was said to have been designed by one Chew Eng Yam who was also believed to have designed the New World Park in Swatow Lane in Penang.

The cinemas within both parks were run by Shaw Brothers of HongKong which had by then established their cinemas and parks throughout the length and breadth of the country, like the BB Park in Jalan Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur and the Great World Park and later the New World Park in Penang.

The park business was subjected to a lot of shortcomings, not least the weather. Whenever it rained the park would be empty. There were also many gatecrashers which resulted in shortfalls in daily gate colletctions. Then there were the trouble-makers from gangs and triads. And the amusement machines were costly to maintain and repair and upkeep. Spare parts were not easily available.

And then Malacca was hit by what was called then "the greatest flood of the century" and City Park was one of the many businesses wiped out by what was referred to as the "great flood of the century."

I was told that Shaw Brothers took over the City Park of Malacca at the price of $40,000.

Cheng Khoon having got out of the business was offered to come to Penang to set up New World Park for Shaw Brothers. He only agreed to a one year contract with an option for an extension.

The New World Park was such a hit that it attracted patrons from the mainland and even from Kedah and Perlis.

The visitors from the north had to find accomodation for the night. And the 'prima donnas' of the Chinese wayangs needed accommodation. So did the boxers, wrestlers, singers who were performing at the New World Park.

So Cheng Khoon opened the Savoy Hotel in Hutton Lane (which is now known as New Savoy Hotel) behind the park to cater for them.

The park saw a lot of big stage performers playing cantonese and teowchew operas and the wrestling ring had names like KING KONG, SPIDERMAN, KID PANCHO,BLACK WIDOW.

These wrestlers were professionals mainly from abroad and they travelled together to perform in major towns. Wrestler "King Kong" was from Russia and his popularity spread throughout Malaya because of his size . He weighed about 400 lbs.

He tried to recruit me and train me to be a wrestler like him but I declined. His huge size was enough to scare any small boy. I used to watch him eat. It was normal for him to finish off a whole chicken plus a big steak for dinner.

Big crowds would wait at the gate of the New World Park every night to watch the wrestlers make their grand entrance. Should a wrestler meet hos "opponent" they would be growling and bad-mouthing each other. All this was a big show to boost ticket sales.

As the two wrestlers were staying at the same hotel (Savoy Hotel) they would have to come from different directions and big crowds would follow King Kong from the hotel as he walked to the entrance and another crowd would follow the opponent from the other end of the street. The crowd would go crazy when the two met at the park entrance.

Tom Saunders a prominent journalist with 'The Straits Echo' was the the MC (Master of Ceremony) and timekeeper. He was an elite among the then community and well respected by the visiting foreigners too.

Boxing matches were held in between wrestling and basketball matches.

There was also a revue hall where aspiring singers had a chance to croon and be spotted by talent scouts. For some, this might be the start to a career as a nightclub singer or a recording artiste.

At the revue hall, patrons were normally seated two to a table and were served light fizzy bottle drinks. It was good entertainment as the latest songs were belted out, mainly Mandarin songs but one Malay song which became very popular was 'Burong Kakak Tua'.

Most of our older generation might remember this song and could sing it too! There were singing contests held periodically and I was one of the contestants. I never won. And I thought I could sing. But it was really fun.

There were crazy and ridiculous imitations of Elvis Presley (or "Mao Wong" as the Chinese locals called him). Elvis was so popular in Penang in the 1950s. And the contestants would swing their hips and gyrate until everything, well almost everything, dropped.

Penang was then a booming trading centre strategically located in between India-China trade route. People from all over the world - Chinese, Indians, Portuguese, Arabians, Dutch, Danes, and French used Penang for their spice and opium trade.

Rubber and tin were top commodities. People were making big money from rubber and tin and needed entertainment.

Savoy Hotel was doing great business catering to the local ners and planters and traders and also those from mainland Perlis, Kedah and Perak. Some also came from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

The single room was priced at $2.50 per night with an extra charge of 50 cents for a fan. The double room was going for $4.00 per night with fan.

The elite and dignitaries patronised the E & O Hotel at Farquhar Street but most of the action was focused on the New World Park and the Savoy Hotel.

We used to see local VIPs enjoying themselves at the park , and watched them being interviewed by newspaper reporters. Among those interviewed were the big movie stars, famous Chinese opera actors and actresses, wrestlers, boxers and singers mostly from abroad and staying in the Savoy Hotel which was then already quite well known outside our shores.

December 8,1941 saw the Japanese invasion of Malaya at the onset of the 2nd world war.

Life was disrupted . People from George Town ran to the hills and Ayer Itam was the favourite destination.

The Japanese were bombing the George Town and also targetted the Butterworth airfield.

Suddenly Penang was swarmed by Japanese in full military uniform and everyone was scared. People were taken from their homes without any warning and never returned.

Executions were done in the open to put people in fear. It was generally believed that bombs were dropped on the'Goddess of Mercy' temple in Pitt Street but they never exploded. The had since credited with having a "lot of power" and influence on the worshippers. The considered the temple very "ong" or lucky. The temple is still standing and very popular among worshippers today.

During the Japanese Occupation, the Savoy Hotel placed under Japanese control. The Japanese Army seized control and set up their operations centre here. They also took over the New World Park located opposite the hotel.

Cheng Khoon was reduced to serving the Japanese military but he was in a position of some advantage.

Rice ,sugar, flour were available to him and he took the opportunity to distribute these food essentials to those in need.

He also made used of the flour at his disposal to set up a small bakery to make bread and gave these to the needy.

Streams of people would line up for the bread everyday. People were deprived of this basic food at the time when food, all kinds of food, was in short supply. Most food essentials were rationed.

It was in 1945 when the Japanese surrendered and the British came back that Malaya started rebuilding. The people welcomed the British and the Allied troops and Cheng Khoon made a comeback to the entertainment industry.

He started the City Lights Cabaret in Leith Street and later the Green Parrot Nightclub located at the end of what is now Gurney Drive in Penang. It was the most popular night spot after the war. The roundabout in front of the Sunrise Tower now is where the Green Parrot used to be.