Sibu Tales : Days of Bell Bottoms and A Go Go Belts

My fashionable school juniors and  teacher.

Hong Kong Stars and their impact

It was very interesting. The era of bell bottoms, pop songs, timber boom and outward migration in Sibu.

It was the 70;s and the government had introduced curfews to curb movements of anti government elements and guerrillas. Yes in those days, they were not even called people or activities. They were called "elements". Some were event called jungle "rats".

While the rural areas were continuously under survellance with helicopters flying in and out of Sibu, and British and Gurkha soldiers making their presence felt in Sarawak, the youths were not spared another influence - that of international fashion.

Due to the sale of pop magazines, and shows of movies in the cinemas,the imagination of the youths (baby boomers) was fired and "caught" by the interantional fashion scene. The Hong Kong stars made their impact and every one young guy with some cash in his pocket wore what David Chiang wore. Every guy wanted to be macho like Chen Kwang Tai.

Tailors in Sibu made frantic attempts to copy the fashion. But then tailoring was cheap in those days. Trousers were cut and made for less than 20 ringgit.

The school authorities were not amused by the flared bell bottoms. School boys were told to go home and have their trouser legs straighted.

Principals during assmeblings announced, "The bell bottoms must go. The A Go Go belt must go. And Long Hair too."