Bridge of invasion - and independence
IT was 1942. A group of heavily armed men came swimming across the Muda River, which divides Penang and Kedah. They were on coconut trees that served as floats.
Their mission: to kill the British soldiers guarding the bridge across the river. The attackers were Japanese Army soldiers taking part in the invasion of Malaysia.
Yahaya Jusin, now 78, was only about 50m away when the Japanese attack happened.
Now a retired teacher, Yahaya was only five years old when World War II reached his kampung in Bumbung Lima, Kepala Batas, in 1942.
“We lived just 50m from the British bunker and the bridge. I remember the sound of many gunshots and everyone was terrified,” he recalled.
His parents had recounted the tale of the fight for the bridge to him countless times and “war is not something you would forget”.
The British army, he said, blew up the midsection of the bridge to stop the enemy’s advance, but they swam across and forced the British into a retreat.
“The Japanese repaired the bridge with wooden beams and their tanks and lorries came across from Kedah. They chased away all the nearby villagers. We were not allowed to live near the bridge. Security was tight around it,” Yahaya recalled.
His family moved away and settled down farther inland for 40 years but a few years ago, Yahaya went back to his ancestral land in Bumbung Lima with his 55- yearold wife.
At the entrance gate to his home is a flagpole and every year as National Day approaches, Yahaya never fails to fly the Jalur Gemilang, which is visible from the road.
“Young people don’t know how precious Merdeka is. Though I was young, I remembered the sight of Japanese and British armies fighting for what had been our village bridge across Muda River.
“We didn’t have the power to defend ourselves so all we could do was run,” he reminisced.
After the war, the 100m long bridge was reconstructed in concrete and steel.
The project was completed in 1957. When Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman officiated the upgraded bridge that year, he named it Jambatan Merdeka.
“We called it Titi Sungai Muda before Tunku opened the new bridge. All the old villagers were happy with the new name, especially when we remembered how the two armies fought for it,” Yahaya said.
A village located beside the bridge also took the name and was called Kampung Jambatan Merdeka.
In 2008, to cater to increased traffic, another bridge of similar design was built to the east of the first bridge. Although they look similar, the first bridge still retains the old steel structures.
Others have tapped into the bridge’s historical value and architectural form to promote their businesses.
Muhammad Yadiy Ridzuan, 17, who operates his parent’s Mee Udang Titi Merdeka riverside restaurant – opened just three months ago – said customers come from different states to admire the bridge from his restaurant.
“The beautiful scenery of the bridge going over the calm river attracts tourists from states such as Perlis, Perak and Selangor.
“We are also glad that by opening our restaurant, we can help our villagers find work and eventually help boost the village’s economy,” said Muhammad Yadiy, whose restaurant is open daily from noon to midnight.
He hopes the authorities will preserve and enhance heritage sites around the bridge, such as the British bunker, which now lies neglected.