A HALF-CENTURY JOURNEY OVER CAPTIVATING TERRAINS

Well-earned Opportunities 

Hollis Awell was born in 1945 in Stunggang, Sarawak. He is the third of ten siblings, and hails from the indigenous Iban tribe.  His late father served as a civil servant and the family moved frequently. 

“I was raised in towns, and therefore I missed out on the rural environment of an Iban long house,”said Awell who added that his sojourn as a Planter very well made up for that.  “I went to school at St Columbus in Miri, and I was very active in the Boy Scouts. I was one of the few Sarawakians who were awarded the Queen’s Scout Badge in 1962.  I completed my Senior Cambridge in 1963 and received a scholarship to study Business Administration from the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC).”

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When he graduated, Awell was taken in as a junior executive by the Borneo Development Corporation, a subsidiary of CDC. He explained that on one of his visits to Kuching, Mr Pearson, the CDC head of personnel based in Singapore, had asked him, “Hollis, you have such an active outdoor life. Would you like to be a Cadet Planter?” To this question, Awell posed another, “What is the pay, Sir?”  Awell shared that Pearson’s answer was the starting point of his planting career. 

“Pearson told me that when I completed my cadetship in three years, and upon being confirmed, I could earn up to RM1,500,” enthused Awell, who said that at that time, that was far more promising than the RM650 starting salary he was drawing as a diploma graduate. 

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Shades of Plantation Life

“I accepted the offer and I was seconded to Kulai Oil Palm Estate (KOPE) in Johor. My time as a cadet was interesting. Cadet Planters were branded “Creepers”. Creepers were expected to take instructions and not ask questions,” said Awell who illustrated incidences he found “strange”. 

“One afternoon, I rode past the Manager’s bungalow. The next day I was summoned, only to be told that in future, I would need to get off my bike and push it past the house, lest I wake Ma’am who was having her forty winks,” shared Awell.  He went on to clarify that whilst the Mat Salleh bosses expected very strict compliance, they were generous with their knowledge and fair in their remuneration. “This played a crucial role in moulding me to become a resolute and resilient Planter.”

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The Art and Science of Planting

Awell was seconded to Bentong in Pahang after his cadetship where he encountered stranger occurrences. “When I moved into my residence, I was reminded that I should move from room to room to sleep at night. I was then told that the bungalow was haunted by the spirit of a Planter who was shot during the Emergency,” said Awell who went on to emphasise that life in the Plantations was riddled with very real life-threatening challenges.

Awell added that he enjoyed the challenges that came his way, and in the succeeding years, spent many harsh but worthwhile hours learning all he could about the art and science of planting.

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In 1970, Awell was posted to BAL Estates in Tawau, Sabah where he expanded his knowledge and skills in other crops such as cocoa, rubber, coconut and coffee. “The regiments of life in an estate began at five in the morning when everyone gathered at the office for musters. After the roll call, the supervisory staff oversaw the work in the plantation from 6am to 12noon.

There was an hour break and we continued with office tasks until 4pm, after which we facilitated for the estate staff to participate in social activities. To encourage participation, the administrative team joined in the activities as well,” said Awell who was keen to highlight that this symbiotic relationship created a close and trusting family environment. “We arranged various games such as football, hockey, rugby, tennis and badminton. I took up rugby and represented the Tawau District which won the Sabah Rugby Challenge Trophy for two successive years,” added Awell.  

It was also here in Tawau that Awell met his wife, Irene Wong, with whom he has two sons.

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Traversing the Plantation Terrain

In 1974, Awell was transferred to Sarawak Oil Palm Estate (SOP) and was tasked to manage the Lambir Division.  “One does not merely drive up to an estate.  Frequently, we need to traverse challenging terrains. At that time, there were no sealed roads to access SOP. We equipped ourselves with water and kuaci (sunflower seeds) as we made our way along the meandering coastal road,”said Awell who explained that the kuaci was what they ate as they waited out the high tides. 

“It took us from 8am to 5pm to complete the fifty kilometer journey. It only takes half an hour now, but back then, it was far from easy,” he said.

East Malaysia, as Awell explains, is steeped in tradition and culture. “I am an Iban, and the Ibans felt that I had to accord them preferential treatment. It took me a great deal of effort to inculcate discipline whilst tactfully respecting the adat (customs and traditions) of the locals,” said Awell, whose responsibility in Sarawak amongst others, was to recruit and train young Sarawakians.

“During my tenure with SOP, I was tasked to source out new land for sustainable future development,” said Awell who shared that this eventually took shape in the surveying and opening of a 40,000-hectare site that makes up the Suai Plantations which comprise the Galasah, Telabit and Pinang Estates. “Today, we use Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) equipment, but back then, we used our trusty compass and other archaic devices,” said Awell.  

Awell left SOP five months shy of the retirement age and joined Wawasan Sedar Sdn. Bhd. as a General Operations Manager in 2000. He served Wawasan Sedar for two years and then left to become a visiting advisor to the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (SALCRA).

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“Many things have changed over the years. Wages for one have seen much positive development. When I was in Kulai, we paid RM3.20 per day for male workers and RM2.80 for female workers. For young workers we paid RM1.80 per day. Workers today are paid at least RM30.00 per day, and alongside this, we provide for their day-to-day needs,” explained Awell. Other developments, stressed Awell, may not be so positive. 

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“Our plantations have had for many decades relied on foreign labour. In Sarawak, the work force is predominantly from Indonesia. In the last ten to fifteen years, Indonesia has opened many new plantations and as a result, the Indonesian workers have gone home to work in their own country,”said Awell who highlighted the irony of the situation. 

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“Apparently, Indonesians who have worked at Malaysian plantations are sought after because of their skills and knowledge,” added Awell. “In addition to workforce issues, there is also a great deal that needs to be done if we are to stay abreast in the plantation sector,” said Awell who applauds the commendable role the ISP has played and continue to play in this respect.

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The ISP Influence

“I became an ISP member in 1966 when I was with KOPE, but prior to 1974, there wasn’t an ISP branch office in Kuching, because there weren’t sufficient members. In the 70s, the ISP membership was mainly from the executive staff of SOP and the Sarawak Land Development Board. During this time, meetings and branch activities were few and far apart,” said Awell.  He further explained that in the 80s, the Sarawak Government embarked on a policy of land development which attracted investment from outside Sarawak as well as encouraged Sarawak players to increase their land banks. 

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“As a result, the ISP membership grew, and we were able to hold meetings and conduct activities,”added Awell who was elected Chairman in 1979-1980 and again in 1992-1993. As the branch was physically located in Miri, it proved challenging for members from other areas to attend and participate in the activities. “Transport was a concern and communication an issue. There weren’t mobile phones then and we had to communicate via ATUR.

Therefore, I proposed for the ISP Board of Directors to open two other ISP branches. Thankfully, the proposal was accepted,” said Awell. Thereafter, the Sarawak Branch in Miri came to be known as the North Sarawak branch, and the two new branches are the South Sarawak (Kuching) branch and the Central Sarawak branch in Sibu.

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“Apart from activities, I am keen to encourage members to take on the education opportunities afforded by ISP. The Licentiate (LISP) and Associate (AISP) diplomas are qualifications held in high regard by the professional community, notwithstanding the monetary incentive one receives with the passing of each subject,” emphasised Awell. 

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“I am always fond of the 58 young Planters I took under my wing to groom and mentor. They have turned out to be fine Planters, two of them are now millionaires and the rest hold senior positions in their respective companies. And yes, they are all ISP members,” said Awell who holds the view that it should be mandatory for executive staff at all plantations to be ISP members.

He is also insistent that ISP membership should be opened to non-executive staff to enable them to embrace the century-old establishment’s benefits.

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Grateful Recognition

In 2015, at the 8th International Planters Conference, Awell was one of the two recipients of the Fellow of the Incorporated Society of Planters (FISP) award. The citation lists among others, Awell’s contributions in introducing Green Stacking and Zero Burning in land clearing and Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) mulching on new and young plantings.

Also cited were his efforts in introducing terracing on slopes of over 8 degrees gradient, a significant contribution which attracted much interest from industry stalwarts. Awell is credited with his role in assisting distinguished entomologist Dr Syed Abdul Rahman in the releasing of weevil insects in Sarawak, an ‘assisted pollination’ technique that has saved millions for the plantation industry.

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Awell, 74, is now retired and divides his time between Puchong in Peninsular Malaysia where his son lives, and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah which is his wife’s hometown, and his own residence in Kuching, Sarawak. “I went through a heart bypass ten years ago and I savour every moment in life.”

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Article commissioned by

CayD Communications.

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