Good Old Jack.

I was saddened to hear from my ex Account Clerk that Old Jack Mantell @ Johari Abdullah passed away in Besut on 01.01.2016. He was 94. Alhfateehah.

Jack Mantell was the last British Manager of Guthrie Export Sdn Bhd Port Klang, a subsidiary Company of Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd. He was and ex World War 11 British Navy personnel and a young British Police Officer in Federation of Malaya, pre Merdeka. He told me he survived the Communists insurgent and at one scary incident he had to hide in the shop’s attic at Air Itam Perak for days. 

  

On August 1977 when I was seconded to GESB Port Klang to start off a new project, I reported to Old Jack. His service was extended to become Consultant of the new project that we both handled. He fully retired in 1980 when we had completed and fully commissioned the Palm Oil storage Installation.

Old Jack returned and retired in Besut and operated two oceans going fishing fleet. Being a foreigner, all his properties in Kelantan were named under his wife. Somehow the undertakings failed because there were so many politicking at sea, the catch were sold to the Thais at sea. The return was bad and he had to sell off the fleet. That’s what he told me when I visited him. His life took a downturn, however he sustained. I was sad to see him with roll tobacco cigarette instead of his favorite Rothman.

His life turned around when the British Government found him in Besut. He got back all his service pensions and gratuities. On top of that the money left by his late father for him was hibernating in a British Bank all these years was returned to him, the legitimate ownership. That’s what I heard and I never met or visited him since. Honestly I am very happy for him and syukur alhamdullillah, Allah had been very kind to him. One thing I remember about him, he will pick up even a small screw as he walked along and he told me that this screw may be of good use, one fine day. Old Jack would never enter a Restaurant without inspecting the kitchen first. He demonstrated his skill to me at the age of 55 that he could come down from a 50 feet height storage tank with a single rope. He scared the hell out of me.

I heard he walked down memory lane to Port Klang a few years back but I did not manage to rendezvous with Old Jack. His old Company Bungalow is still standing along the Persiaran Raja Musa on the Klang/ Port Klang Road. That’s a memory of him whenever I pass along.

May Almighty Allah bless his soul and gather along with the almukminin.