Syphilis
There’s no sickness those days because they never mix people, they will only go for the same person. If it’s you he only goes with you all the time, if it’s she it’s only with she. Those days they don’t have the word “syphilis” and all that.
Later, about a few years’ time, then they got syphilis, because man taking drugs and all that, then dirty you know. So, these prostitutes try to run out from [avoid] these people. The doctor said, if he’s too heavy drinker, if he has a face that’s not really healthy, if he seems like weak but the urge is a lot, and the teeth looks a bit dark, and it’s a bit smelly, then don’t take. Easy to get syphilis. Ya, don’t try to get a man like this you know.
That time there’s only one doctor in Kampung Jawa, one Chinese doctor. No other doctor in other places that [treat] this disease, syphilis. If any man gets this [disease], they will go to the doctor, saying that when they pee blood will come out, pus come out, you know. So that time, Kampung Jawa divide, this part this people, this part this people, if syphilis, people will go that place. They will put a signboard, “Syphilis will go this side, we don’t want”.
Kampung Jawa is also famous for its cheap clothes. Clothes, school uniforms, school shoes. It doesn’t mean that “Kampung Jawa” means it’s a prostitute place. So these men all trying to go there, [people think they] are going to buy clothes, don’t know that [the men] are going to prostitutes.
That time, in the early 70s, there was only one famous prostitute place in Melaka. Hotels doesn’t do prostitute. Cheap hotel, RM30-RM50, yes la. In Bunga Raya there are 3 shops that are prostitute shops, people go by the back door. Beside Lido theatre there is a tailor’s shop: that part on top.
Pokok Kelapa (Coconut Island)
Coconut Island is behind the panggung wayang [Savoy]. Behind the theatre there are small houses with planks. That place only for people drinking, enjoy this pondan-pondan all they enjoy, by doing all the bad things la, enjoying going together, kissing and all that, like that, that place is for that kind of person.