Down memory lane, again!

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are all gathered here today to commemorate the union of 2 love-birds of the 70s , of my uncle and auntie, Dato and Datin M S Murthi. What better way to re-live the past then to go through some old photos. Memories and experiences stay longer in our memory bank than our material gains in life. Let us all go back in time now and later come back to the future!

The ballad of Dato and Datin starts with the story of a young girl who grew up in Bukit Mertajam. This is probably one of the earliest images of Datin. Unless of course, the organizers decide to conveniently sneak out the photo which was mandatory those days, a photo of a half naked 6month- old lying on the belly! This is a family shot of in Penang Hills.

The next picture carries a story. Out of the blue, when they were staying in Kulim, apparently when Amachee was away with some work, Tata (Datin’s father) decided to get her dressed, comb her hair, placing a ribbon on her hair and decided to immortalize his handiwork on this black and white photo in a studio.

And the young girl has transformed into a beautiful swan, not that she was an ugly duckling before. For the youngsters amongst our audience, the big contraption on top of the cupboard is called a Short-Wave radio which could put pick up any signal from any part of the world, probably beyond our solar system. And the device beside it is a gramophone record player where the vinyl discs were played. These devices have come a long way since those days to our current mobile MP3 players. Not everybody walks around with a camera those days to capture the Kodak moment like now when even a small child owns a phone-camera like a Japanese tourist, clicking away and deleting as they please. In those days, a camera was rare commodity and was hard to come by. So, when a camera is available, like in a wedding, everyone will get the maximum out of it- looking their best, posing at their best angle! This photo was taken in 1963; Attei poses in a saree in private, wearing it for the first time. 

And another photo with the extended family… Seated at the extreme right is Pati who lived to a ripe age 2 years short of a century.

Datin did her initial studies in Convent Bukit Mertajam and she went on to Malacca High School. She became a KLite when she graduated from Lembah Pantai. After teaching in many schools and earning a reputation as a fierce teacher, she joined Dato’s law practice and the rest is history. Today, I think Mama will be handicapped without Atteh by his side.

Dato M.S. Murthi started his schooling in so many schools that he can easily make it to Guiness Book of World Records for the number of schools attended by a person. This snap shot was taken in 1955 in Ramakrishna Tamil School in Penang where Mama was a Standard 6 student. The master in the centre is Mr Manickam Mudaliar, a disciplinarian who used to walk around with a cane! Most of his later schools have all closed down like Lutheran School and Guru Nanak School.

Here, the groundwork for his legal battle is laid here. Mama was the Secretary of his school Debating Society. 2 people in this photo became lawyers – 1 is Mama and the other person in this picture was the last Chief Justice of Malaysia, Tun Abdul Hamid.

Here Marathon Man MS Murthi is seen running comfortably during college days while looking sharp and posing for the camera. Apparently, his friends were mocking him and telling him that he could not finish the race.The race took him from college to Damansara Estate, Bangsar Estate and Lake Gardens and back. Just to prove a point to his friends, being the determined man that he is, he not only completed the race but also clinched the 11th position in a group of 80, just missing the medal by a single position!

1970- A year after May 13, 1969. Under close police supervision, University Malaya convocation was carried out. Those days, the convocation ceremony was televised live on TV Malaysia. Mama‘s mission impossible was finally achieved i.e. graduating for University, not being on TV!

Then came the engagement…

And the preparations for the big day came….

And the big day itself,  As you can all see that there is colour in their lives now, of Mr & Mrs M.S. Murthi. In the next few slides, we can see the happy couple posing with the equally excited friends and relatives.

Being a strict disciplinarian himself, the Army suited him just fine. Here, he manages to catch a glimpse of action in the jungle.

With his dedication, Captain M.S. Murthi becomes Major M.S. Murthi.

After marriage, life becomes complete with an addition to the family. Here, the proud parents are celebrating Nalina’s 1^st birthday in Seremban. As Mama adores little children, what more if it is his own flesh and blood? I remember once, Nalina missed her school bus. When the school bus stopped in front of his Klang home, nobody got down. Mama panicked! He jumped into his Volvo (so did I) zoomed past traffic lights and T-junctions looking for Nalina.  He spotted her about a mile from her school walking back home. He dumped the car at the side of the road and ran across to the other side and hugged her loving daughter!

Another important event in the life of Mama and Attei is the Admission to the Bar (of the non-alcoholic type). I remember hearing a funny incident when he attended his ceremonial College dinner. The College was expecting Samantha to be a girl, and then there he was Samantha Murthi, a mustachioed He-Man!

Another event to remember, Nalina’s ear piercing ceremony.

On 9.9.1999, the Murthi family witnessed the Royal Wedding of the family. 9th September is also Datin’s birthday.

And the love birds of the 70s assume the role of Tata and Pati and they seem to enjoy it very much!

We, the nephews, nieces and relatives wish the couple good health and many more happy years ahead!
N.B. Million thanks to Gunalan Adithya and N. Suganthi for those excellent slides!