A TRANSCENDING JOURNEY OF A PLANTER THROUGH THE YEARS

Tranquility of the Estate

Gopala Krishnan V Ranganathan fondly recalls the “pay day” trips he made in tow with his father, as some of his earliest memories living in an estate, but what he really reminisces is the feeling of being the son of a “Tuan”. “I remember very vividly my childhood days, playing with the other children under the whitewashed verandah of our bungalow,” said Gopala who added that his father’s supervisory position in the plantation meant access to huge compounds and assistance from drivers and domestic help. “One can get use to the fame and grandiose of life on a plantation,” jests Gopala.

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Strangely, while others may be repelled by the remoteness of an estate, it was the tranquility of living in one that became the quintessential reason for Gopala’s entry into the plantation scene. “In many ways, it was easy for me to become a Planter because I had always lived on a plantation,” explained Gopala who said that city-dwellers may find the serendipity a little overwhelming.  Although his being a Planter was more of an accident rather than something he had planned, Gopala cherishes his decision to get “down and dirty” and has no regrets walking in the footsteps his father.

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Journey to Senior Manager 

Gopala Krishnan completed his primary and secondary schooling respectively at the Holy Methodist Primary and later Secondary School in Teluk Intan Perak. He then went on to complete his South Australian Matriculation at Taylor’s College but decided not to proceed with the plans to go Australia, as it was difficult gaining entry at that time. Instead, he took up a job as a clerk in an audit firm where he picked up accounting knowledge, soon to prove a coveted asset for Planters.

It was not long before Tan Sri Dato Dr K R Somasundram, Chairman of the National Land Finance Cooperative Society Limited (NLFCS) handpicked him for a chief clerk post in Bahau, where Ladang Baru became his first “port of call” in an illustrious plantation career spanning four decades. In 1986 Gopala was promoted to a Cadet Planter for Belata River Estate, now popularly known as Lembah Beringin.  Over a decade, and after several postings to various estates in Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, Gopala was promoted to a Manager in 1997 and thereafter to Senior Manager in 2008.

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Wearing Several Hats

Gopala shared that the knowledge in accounting was invaluable, greatly helping in his day to day tasks and was the mettle that gave him the impetus to move up the ranks in his career. “Knowledge in costing is crucial in running an estate, but it is not the only skill that one has to be good at,” stressed Gopala who illustrated that managers had to don several “hats”. “A manager is an administrator, a technical advisor, a mechanic and at times a counsellor to personal and domestic disputes,” he said emphasising that one is a Jack of many trades and preferably a master of them all.

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Ironically, it is the engagement with people that endeared Gopala to the job, stressing that one’s willingness to walk in the shoes of another is vital on a plantation. “Only ten percent of the workforce today is local. The vast majority of workers are foreign, and therefore it is important to understand their motivations so that we are able to engage them in a win-win work culture,” explained Gopala who manages a 3000-acre palm oil plantation in Sungai Siput Perak.  “Ladang Sungai Siput is what I would term middle-sized. I have an assistant manager and four conductors, and we manage 150 workers comprising harvesters, weeders, forklift operators and the likes,” added Gopala who stressed that tactfulness is crucial when managing workers. 

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Accountability 

“You can’t just instruct someone; rather we invest time and effort in explaining and sometimes re-explaining the roles and responsibilities to the workers. The scenario today is very different from that in the yesteryears, as my father would attest where planters were intrepid and passionate about what they did and how they did it. Unlike a factory line that you can halt when you have a workforce shortage; ripened oil palm needs to be harvested before its quality drops. The fruit is not going to wait while I look for new workers. Thus, it is important to cherish and develop staff.”

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Shifts within the plantation sphere have also changed the dynamics of planting. “Although mechanisation is a welcomed resource, the process of mechanising requires skill and knowledge,” said Gopala who explained that for the outputs of mechanisation to be optimum, the inputs need to be accurate. This can prove challenging, because once a figure is tabulated, the system runs and the outcomes however it may be, has to be dealt with. “This creates a facet of accountability which managers have to be trained to be adept with.”

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Adapting to Change 

Alterations to legislation also impact the sector. “Policies are essential for the overall wellbeing of the industry, but it also means that methods have to be adapted for new ways of thinking to prevail. Gopala cites that fundamental activities such as weeding required new approaches when measures that govern the strength of weed killers used were enforced. “The key to effective plantation management is to always be open to continuous improvement.  As for me, I have always had a one up,” enthused Gopala who confessed that he is blessed to have his father to bounce ideas off. “I celebrate my 65th birthday this year, and that is as long an experience my father has had in the plantation industry. So, need I say more?”

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Guidance from Father 

Gopala shared that the guidance from his father, V.Ranganathan, was instrumental to the development and expansion of his career. “My father turns 97 this year and he still walks two to three kilometres a day. The discipline and the sharpness instilled in him by the colonial fathers define much of his outlook in life,” said Gopala.  “When I was a child, if my father was in the kitchen, I would be in the living room. He was stern and strict and it would be well to my advantage to stay at arm’s length,” jests Gopala.  As fate would have it, Gopala’s latest posting to Ladang Sungai Siput happens to be the very plantation his father retired from in 1980. 

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“There is so much I have learned from him that I have put into practice since I entered the profession, especially in matters relating to managing people,” said Gopala adding that in turn, his father looks to him for updates on the latest issues that affect the industry. “Working together has brought us closer over the years,” said Gopala who was keen to share that besides having his father as a point of reference, the Incorporated Society of Planters  (ISP) has also played a pivotal role in the development of both their careers, noting the fact that his father is ISP’s longest living member.

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The ISP lifeline

“For a Planter, the ISP is a lifeline. I have benefited so much from the short courses, seminars, conferences and technical programmes organised by the Society,” said Gopala highlighting that these platforms allowed him to stay abreast and meet other Planters to exchange information and solutions. He further described the Planter community as a close-knit brotherhood that cared for the welfare of the Nation’s plantation industry as well as the wellbeing of the people within the industry.

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Gopala joined ISP as a member in 1986 and was recently reelected as the Chairman of the Perak Lower Branch. “It is the onus of the manager in the estate to encourage their staff to join the ISP. In whichever estate I manage, I download the forms, sign them and ask my staff to join ISP. The Technical Education Scheme (TES) availed by the ISP is an internationally-recognised qualification, and a much sought after qualification by employers,” added Gopala who stressed that the high standards of the certification has and continues to uplift the proficiency of Planters in Malaysia and the world over. “Every manager should encourage, support and provide the resources for their staff to acquire the qualification.” 

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Alongside his passion for planting, Gopala is also an active member of the community, whose various charitable involvement have led him to receive the Darjah Ahli Mahkota Perak (A.M.P) honorary award conferred by the Sultan of Perak in 2006. As much as there are differences in the way a plantation is governed over a century, there are still many similarities. “A tree will always grow upright,” enthused Gopala citing that the values that determined the success of the Planter forefathers still greatly determines the yields of today. 

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“You cannot force a son to walk in the footsteps of his father who is a Planter. It is really a question of personal preference. However, there must be a strong underlying passion,” said Gopala explaining that plantations are in remote areas, far from the luxuries of the city. “There are no malls, no entertainment outlets and sometimes no phone connection,” said Gopala adding that if one is not accustomed to a quiet life, the stillness could prove quite deafening.

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Article commissioned by

CayD Communications.

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