Malaysia
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All rights reserved DSinAsia 2006-2008, except otherwise indicated
Page creation 06/01/2008, revision 13/04/2008
Mr Wong has seen the first DS arrive in
Malaysia, and he maintained them. He kept
one for him, too, a 1974 DS23 Pallas,
almost new.
Malaysia, and he maintained them. He kept
one for him, too, a 1974 DS23 Pallas,
almost new.
We visited Mr Wong one foggy day in July,
2007, in his workshop in the suburbs of
Kuala Lumpur. At 75 years old, this is the
place he feels good in, hands full of grease.
He nevertheless accepted to make a pause
to recall his beginnings as a mechanic:
"It was in the '50s, I was a young man and I
found my way inside the British Air Army
base, where they maintained their cars
during the week-ends. That's where I learnt."
He remembers the Tractions existing in what
was called then the Malaya State (before
independance in 1957), and the first DS.
Very early on he catches the Citroen virus,
and specializes himself in their maintenance:
"There used to be perhaps as many as thirty
DS in Malaysia, in the '70s. Several
belonged to government people, at least six
or seven as far as I can remember. The
French embassy also had one, a wagon
version, the only one in the country."
Mr Wong kept preciously one of these DS, a
1974 DS23 Pallas he purchased that same
year, almost new, from the family of the then
Deputy Minister for Transports. He kindly
accepted to start it for us, a smile on his
face as soon as the engine purred, and
quickly returned to where he belongs: in his
workshop, hands full of grease.
2007, in his workshop in the suburbs of
Kuala Lumpur. At 75 years old, this is the
place he feels good in, hands full of grease.
He nevertheless accepted to make a pause
to recall his beginnings as a mechanic:
"It was in the '50s, I was a young man and I
found my way inside the British Air Army
base, where they maintained their cars
during the week-ends. That's where I learnt."
He remembers the Tractions existing in what
was called then the Malaya State (before
independance in 1957), and the first DS.
Very early on he catches the Citroen virus,
and specializes himself in their maintenance:
"There used to be perhaps as many as thirty
DS in Malaysia, in the '70s. Several
belonged to government people, at least six
or seven as far as I can remember. The
French embassy also had one, a wagon
version, the only one in the country."
Mr Wong kept preciously one of these DS, a
1974 DS23 Pallas he purchased that same
year, almost new, from the family of the then
Deputy Minister for Transports. He kindly
accepted to start it for us, a smile on his
face as soon as the engine purred, and
quickly returned to where he belongs: in his
workshop, hands full of grease.
Top: the impressive air conditioning installation, in the
trunk.
Left: Mr Wong built himself the apparatus to fill the
hydraulic spheres.
Bottom: Mr Wong's workshop, "Sin Motors", in the
suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.
trunk.
Left: Mr Wong built himself the apparatus to fill the
hydraulic spheres.
Bottom: Mr Wong's workshop, "Sin Motors", in the
suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.
Mr Wong ("the Citroen guru"), along
with Surjit, are the heroes of an
article about the DS in a local
newspaper, the New Sunday Times,
last January 20th, 2008 (click to
enlarge)
with Surjit, are the heroes of an
article about the DS in a local
newspaper, the New Sunday Times,
last January 20th, 2008 (click to
enlarge)