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I dialed
his office number and spoke,
Assalam-o-Alaikum! May I talk to
Capt. M.J. Sayeed.
Walaikum
Assalam. I am M.J. Sayeed speaking
Sir we
would highly appreciate you to spare
some time for us. We wish to take
your interview for “MARINER”.
And he
kindly agreed. It was pleasant sunny
afternoon of 21st August when we
arrived “COMPASS” his residence
situated in Defence. He and his wife
were very considerate and they also
very kindly extended their
hospitality.
QUESTION:
Sir, Any
sweet memories of your childhood,
cadetship and your service at sea?
ANSWER:
I
remember playing in beautiful
Bagh-e-Aam and diving in Hymayath
swimming pool, enjoying Taa Tari
Kheema parathaas and faluda. I have
very happy memories of childhood.
I
remember one evening standing
outside the gate of our home. Some
time in the year 1932 when I was in
class 6th I was waiting for a
friend. A bearded man in a long rope
and a beard, holding tusbee called
out to me, Oh son! Show me your
hand, I answered back that I did not
believe in fortune forecasting. He
repeated show hands and get good
luck and I repeated not my believe,
I still remember his parting words
‘Oh Boy! Never mind, before you lies
water, more water, years after years
at sea, the seven oceans.
8th
December 1938 was my eighteenth
birthday and it was also my
“DUFFERIN” passing out day. I with
grace of Almighty Allah stood first
in all subjects and I obtained
Bombay Port Trust Scholarship.
Cadetship during those days was very
tough. Senior officers used to call
we cadets Khellasis. Partly fun and
partly not good I have a memory that
how white British wanted to harm
cadets in any way they could, so one
of their aim was to give working
tasks in a manner that we could not
coupe up and quit jobs which were
already given after very tough
competition and scrutiny. I was
given task of chipping underneath a
structure. I had rigged stage and I
was getting down to bring chipping
goggles. Captain saw me getting down
from stage and asked me Khellasi
Sayeed where are you going? I said,
sir, I am going to bring chipping
goggles. He rudely said No goggles
for you Khellasi Sayeed. You are not
going to get goggles and you will do
chipping like this. Unfortunately in
a sense he succeeded and a spot of
rust together with paint embedded in
my left eye. My eye started burning
and tears not stopping. It was so
bad inflammation that I could not
tolerate it and I got into a small
boat wearing boiler suit. I had not
much money but I had a nice watch
was given to me by one of my
father’s friends. I went to Doctor.
He said, you are in trouble boy. Let
us see what can I do for you. I laid
down on stretcher and he brought
something close to my eye and I
heard a click. He shouted that Boy’s
eye has been saved. He in fact used
a magnet to drag the rust spot out
from my eye. He was so generous that
he even did not take any fees.
I also
remember 1945 and my voyage in
Scindia’s Haj Line ship “Englistan.
When ship arrived Jeddah and ship’s
crew list was handed over to port
authorities, by the grace of God,
wonders of wonders, the Saudi
Government Port Authority somehow
observed that I was the only Muslim
on board. I remember being called by
Master with whom a representative of
King Abdul Aziz Ibne Saud was
sitting. I was informed that I was
invited by authorities to perform
Haj as guest of kindom and on
completion of Haj-Rites I must
present myself at Monarch’s baithuk
I thank God that in the enclosure of
holly Ka’aba I was present to
witness Ibne Saud together with
emissaries of other Muslim countries
to change the ghillaf-e-Ka’aba,
perform the ghussul of Ka’aba. I was
able to enter the holly Qa’aba and
to say my prayers inside, in all
four directions
QUESTION:
Sir,
what inspired you quit sailing?
ANSWER:
I
remember my friend Dhyan Singh
Mungat trudging from ship to ship in
Alexandra, Victoria and Prince docks
of Bombay port trying to persuade
ship’s officers to join the union,
IMNOA (Indian Merchant Navy Officers
Association.. During my sailing I
had become member of IMNOA. On my
return from London with Master (FG)
certificate I went to Hyderabad and
after vacation I returned to Bombay
and took the post of organizing
secretary of IMNOA. We changed the
name of IMNOA to MUI (Maritime Union
of India). I suggested to Mungat
that MUI should present to
government of India a proposal for
setting up a nautical School and on
Oct 21, 1947 in Maritime Union
Nautical School commenced classes
for 2nd mate and 1st mat exams. We
worked hard and Govt of India
realized that a Nautical and
Engineering College must be set up,
and the College was set up in Azad
Meidan. We were greatly involved in
making the success of our college.
I
applied for sponsor ship to do my
extra master mariner certificate,
instead another marine engineer was
selected. I decided to resign in
protest
Had to
join sea once again to earn some
money and to do extra Master on my
own. My dear wife stood by me and
supported me. I do not hesitate to
state that the extra master mariner
adventure was very much a joint
venture which my dear wife Zarina
and I took on as a challenge. On
10th Nov 1952, I passed extra master
part one exam. I continued for extra
master part two.
On 24th
July 1953, I passed my examination
of extra master part two. I
coincidently met Mr. Ismail of Pan
Islamic Steam Ship Company in
England who told me that company was
negotiating the purchase of
passenger ship to be delivered at
Geneva. I was appointed Master of SS
Sfina Nusrat and I sailed to
Karachi. During the years 1953-1956
I was at sea as Master of SS
Safina-e-Nusrat. I read an
advertisement for the post of Harbor
Master and Deputy Conservator for
the post of Chittagong. I applied
for the job and was selected by
Federal Public Service Commission
after that I permanently settled at
ashore.
QUESTION:
Behind
every successful man there is a hand
of woman. Your wife is a dedicated
educationist. Can you kindly
describe how you both got married
and good memories of your marriage
life?
ANSWER:
It was
my good fortune that my dear friend
Maniben Kara took me to a beautiful
home “Rockdale” perched high on
Arabian Sea water front on Wednesday
2nd February 1948.
I saw a
pretty girl in dark blue gharara,
singing merrily to the song bird
koel. By grace of Allah, some time
later she agreed to marry me. I
spoke to Amman (my mother) who
agreed that Maniben Kara would go
with me to Rockdale and make a
formal proposal to dear Zareena’s
sister Gohar. Professor Moulvi
(later Principal of D.J Science
College Karachi) kindly agreed and
on October 30, 1948 we got married.
Thanks God, we have enjoyed very
happy life. We have four lovely
daughters all of them married and
enjoying their family lives.
Zareena
was having ambition of starting
school for children and when were in
Chittagong she got this opportunity.
She started her RIVER-SIDE School
and it became very popular and there
was ever increasing demand. Zareena
a dedicated educationist and one who
was convinced of importance of
education of early years of
childhood inaugurated her second
school HILL-SIDE school. These
schools are still functioning
jointly as HILLSIDE Schools and
providing efficient education to the
children of Chittagong.
QUESTION:
You have
worked as Marine Superintendent and
Commercial Manager of National
Shipping Corporation from 1963 up to
1969. Any memories of your service
with NSC?
ANSWER:
We
purchased few ships for National
Shipping Corporation on NSF
(Norwegian Sale Form). The important
formalities of this sale form are
study of log abstracts of all
voyages ship has so far performed
and also physical inspection of the
ship in dry dock which included
inspection of tail shafts. Our
Financial Controller used to call
tail shaft.
As DUMCHI of ship
Mrs.
Zareena Said gave comments regarding
his service with NSC that there was
work, hardwork and extra hardwork.
People used to work around clock to
promote national shipping company.
Admiral Rashee Mr. Osaf Mr. Soli
Sethna and my husband Capt. M.J.
Sayeed used to work very often for
eighteen hours a day. One night when
he came back from office he was so
tired and exhausted that he could
not take shower properly but next
morning he was again in office. On
evening son of Admiral Rasheed
(Managing Director of NSC) was sick
and his wife was calling him and
kept on promising but it was
midnight when he could rush to see
his son.
Capt.
Sayeed Said, within four years and
three months NSC fleet included 31
owned ships and sixty ships on
voyage charter for bulk trade,
indeed NSC shares stood at 490% PLUS
at Karachi Stock Exchange.
QUESTION:
Sir,
would you like to highlight your
joining as Managing Director of
Neptune Orient Line, Any memories
during your stay in Singapore and
what lesson we can learn from the
exemplary development of Singapore?
ANSWER:
I
remember in April 1969 Singapore
government becoming aware of growth
of NSC asked for an individual from
NSC to go to Singapore and present a
feasibility study of setting a
shipping company. I remember writing
the feasibility under the beautiful
spread of tall trees sitting on a
bench in Singapore’s Botanical
Guardens. My feasibility report was
accepted and I was also appointed
Managing Director of the new
shipping company. NOL chapter has
all details what followed during
years 1969 through 1973 report. I
handed over NOL responsibilities to
young generation and I was selected
by UNCTD/IMCO as Shipping Expert for
Arab Transport Maritime Academy
Alexandria. I worked there until
1976. Capt. Zakaullah was also
working with Arab Maritime Academy.
It was a call from Mr. Monroe of
John J.McMullen, maritime consultant
of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in
response to my application for a
position General Manager/Advisor for
the newly formed company. I worked
with ADNOC upto December 1981. May
1976 through December 1981 by the
grace of God net prophet after
providing for depreciation was US$
82 million. Mr. Y.C. Chang had built
Pacific Shipping Line. PIL ships
call frequently Karachi. I have
completed already 18 years as PIL
Representative in Karachi.
Mrs.
Zareena highlighted, we had
wonderful stay in Singapore. We used
to live in big bungalow house. But
it is not the buildings it is people
we remember. The people are very
friendly and caring. I remember that
we were flying towards Japan for
delivery of new ship. We stopped
over Hong Kong. There was heavy rain
in Hong Kong. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew
(Prime Minister of Singapore) asked
his staff to bring quickly umbrella
for Capt. Sayeed and said that our
shipping man must not get wet. We
were invited to a big dinner party.
The hosts were knowing that we are
Muslims. No poke and no liquor was
served on our table.
It is
merit and education behind the
development of Singapore. In
Singapore they have stressed on
education. Primary education is
compulsory in Singapore. We had a
gardener. His son used to go to same
school where ours used to go. There
was no fees. To join junior college
there is very tough competition. Our
second daughter acquired very high
marks and she was fortunate to be
selected for admission in junior
college. There was only merit no
matter candidate student belongs to
whom it. That year son of Prime
Minister Mr. Goh Chog Tong was not
selected in junior college because
did not get good grade in
examination. It was entirely
education. With the education,
improved by leaps and bounds in
information technology, look at the
use of computers, there were
computers used. Sayeed and I are
among fortunate ones who were
educated. But what about other
millions in our country who have
talent but no opportunity for them
to get education.
QUESTION:
Continuing your stay in Singapore,
when you went to Singapore, in fact
our country exported shipping
expertise but now a days we are
importing this expertise from other
countries?
ANSWER:
I will
stick to only shipping, Answering
your question, we have to go back
long way because our policy makers
themselves did not have foresight.
Foresight is not good enough. The
correct word I should use is VISION.
I strongly emphasize on vision what
you should aim for. Again as my
grand daughter says “NO BIG DEAL
NANA”. We should consider our moral
responsibilities as a human being.
We are on this earth as human being
and we are getting so many benefits.
It is our moral responsibility to
consciously escalate our knowledge
as a continuous process. That is
what we are supposed to do. First
word of our holy Quran is IQRA and
our prophet advised us 1423 years
age to achieve knowledge even though
we have to go to China. Why our
leaders did not take interest in
promotion of literacy in our
country. Because our leaders were
scared that enlightened public
opinion will not tolerate them to
waste public funds building palaces,
unnecessarily traveling abroad and
other mischief’s.
When
people witness their leaders,
elected representatives, judges,
bearcats as modest, honest, educated
and hard working citizens, they will
give whole hearted support as a
matter of common sense.
QUESTION:
Sir,
would you like to give any message
for readers of MARINER?
ANSWER:
Like any
other profession we must continue to
escalate and improve to best as we
can do. It is possible for
individual to that in spite of
restrictions and draw backs we are
talking about Singapore, everybody
there is accountable. I mean as I
repeat that I am admirer or China
and Mao Ze Tung. In China those
leaders were not different from
other Chinese people even in dress
and rigs. In fact there were
occasions you could not
differentiate be tween leaders and
commoners. It is not difficult for
us to do that because in fact Islam
preaches for it. It is not only a
religion! No Sir, Islam is much more
than that. It is way of life. For
every individual it is not that how
he behaves to God or how behaves to
his family our religion emphasizes
how to behave in the society and how
to behave to mankind. There is no
geographical limitation if for
individual regarding his liabilities
to the society. They geographical
boarders are not created by the God
to differentiate between humankind
values. These are man made and in
fact whole world belongs to every
human.
In the
end I would like to say that
Seafaring is a wonderful profession
but you have to be fully absorbed in
it. It is considered as your duty,
cultural obligation that in
seafaring you must continue to
accelerate and to continue despite
of all the drawbacks.
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