THE FLYING DUTCHMAN: MYTH AND SCIENCE

The mystery of the Flying Dutchman is a blend of 17th-century maritime folklore, tragic historical reality, and a fascinating trick of light. While popularized by Pirates of the Caribbean, the "true" mystery lies in how a legend from the 1600s survived to be documented by a future King of England.

1. The Origin: A Captain's Blasphemy

The legend typically centers on a Dutch East India Company (VOC) captain—often named Hendrik van der Decken. In 1641, while trying to round the Cape of Good Hope (then known as the "Cape of Storms"), his ship was met with a ferocious gale.

• The Curse: According to legend, Van der Decken went mad with defiance. As his crew begged him to turn back, he lashed himself to the wheel and swore he would round the Cape "even if it takes until Doomsday."
• The Result: A divine voice (or an angel) supposedly appeared, condemning the ship to sail for eternity, never able to make port, and bringing doom to any who witnessed it.

2. The Real-Life "Dutchman"

Historians believe the myth may be based on Captain Bernard Fokke, a 17th-century VOC captain famous for his unnaturally fast voyages between the Netherlands and Java. He was so fast that his rivals whispered he must have made a pact with the Devil to catch "spectral winds."

3. Famous Sightings: The "Royal" Witness

Unlike many ghost stories, the Flying Dutchman has been "logged" by credible witnesses:

• King George V (1881): Perhaps the most famous sighting. While serving as a midshipman on the HMS Bacchante off the coast of Australia, the future King and 12 other crew members saw a "strange red light" in the shape of a phantom ship.
• The Omen: Eerily, the sailor who first spotted the ship fell from the mast and died later that day, cementing the Dutchman’s reputation as a harbinger of death.
• WWII Sightings: Nazi Admiral Karl Dönitz reported that U-boat crews saw a spectral ship in the Suez Canal and near the Cape, describing it as a vessel that vanished the moment they approached.

4. The Scientific Solution: Fata Morgana

Most scientists believe the "mystery" is actually a complex optical illusion called a Fata Morgana.

• How it works: When cold air near the water is trapped under a layer of warm air (a temperature inversion), it acts like a lens.
• The Illusion: This "lens" bends light around the curvature of the Earth, projecting the image of a ship that is actually far below the horizon.
• The "Ghostly" Effect: The image is often distorted, elongated, or appears to be floating in the air (hence "Flying" Dutchman). Because the mirage depends on a specific viewing angle, it can "vanish" instantly as soon as a ship moves closer.

5. Summary of the Mystery

Element	Myth	Science/History
The Ship	A rotting, spectral galleon with glowing sails.	A Fata Morgana mirage of a real ship beyond the horizon.
The Captain	A cursed man who defied God.	Bernard Fokke, a real captain with "impossible" speed records.
The Location	The Cape of Good Hope.	A region where cold and warm air currents frequently collide.

Google Gemini AI

17 January 2026: 10.09 a.m

1915: THE SINKING OF LUSITANIA

RMS Lusitania (History Hit)

The sinking of the RMS Lusitania on May 7, 1915, was one of the most significant and controversial events of World War I. A British luxury ocean liner owned by the Cunard Line, it was torpedoed by a German U-boat, resulting in a massive loss of life that shifted global public opinion and set the stage for the United States' eventual entry into the war.

1. The Incident

The Lusitania was nearing the end of its voyage from New York to Liverpool when it was attacked off the southern coast of Ireland, near the Old Head of Kinsale.

• The Attack: At 2:10 PM, the German submarine U-20, commanded by Captain Walther Schwieger, fired a single torpedo. It struck the ship’s starboard side.
• The Second Explosion: Almost immediately after the torpedo strike, a second, much larger explosion occurred. This second blast remains a subject of historical debate; theories suggest it was caused by ignited coal dust, a boiler explosion, or the ship's secret cargo of munitions.
• Rapid Descent: The ship listed so severely that many lifeboats could not be launched. It sank in just 18 minutes—a stark contrast to the Titanic, which took nearly three hours.

2. Casualties

The disaster resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people out of the 1,959 on board.

• American Impact: Among the dead were 128 Americans, including prominent figures like multimillionaire Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt and theater producer Charles Frohman.
• Public Outrage: The high civilian death toll, particularly of women and children, led to international condemnation of Germany's "barbaric" tactics.

3. The Controversy: "A Legitimate Target?"

Germany defended the sinking by claiming the Lusitania was not a mere passenger ship.They argued it was:

• Carrying Munitions: The ship was indeed carrying approximately 173 tons of war materiel, including rifle cartridges and shrapnel shells, which Germany used to justify the attack under the laws of war.
• Warned in Advance: Before the ship sailed, the German Embassy had placed advertisements in New York newspapers warning passengers that any vessel flying the British flag was liable to destruction in the war zone.

4. Historical Significance

While the sinking did not bring the United States into the war immediately (the U.S. remained neutral until 1917), its impact was profound:

• Diplomatic Crisis: President Woodrow Wilson sent a series of stern notes to Germany, demanding an end to unrestricted submarine warfare. Fearing U.S. intervention, Germany temporarily restricted its U-boat attacks on passenger ships.
• Propaganda Tool: The British and Americans used the image of the sinking ship and drowning mothers in recruitment posters to demonize Germany.
• Shift in Warfare: The event marked the end of "gentlemanly" naval rules (where ships were warned and evacuated before being sunk) and the beginning of total warfare.

Reference:

1. History Hit: 10 Facts About The Sinking of RMN Lusitania.
2. Wikipedia : Sinking of the RMN Lusitania
3. 1914-1918 Online : Lusitania, Sinking of

Google Gemini AI

17 January 2026: 9.39 p.m

1975: ASSASSINATION OF THE PERAK CHIEF POLICE OFFICER

Khoo Chong Kong (Wikipedia)

The assassination of the Perak Chief Police Officer (CPO), Tan Sri Khoo Chong Kong, on November 13, 1975, was one of the most brazen acts of violence during the Second Malayan Emergency.

It followed the 1974 assassination of IGP Abdul Rahman Hashim and was part of a systematic campaign by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) to target high-ranking police and Special Branch officers.

The Incident

• The Ambush: At approximately 12:15 PM, Khoo was being driven to lunch from his office at the Perak Police Headquarters.
• The Disguise: Two assassins, dressed in white school uniforms to blend into the midday crowd, were waiting on a motorcycle at the traffic light junction of Jalan Anderson and Fair Park in Ipoh.
• The Attack: As the official car (a Volvo 244) stopped at the red light, the gunmen pulled alongside and opened fire. Khoo was hit multiple times, including in the face and neck.
• Casualties: Khoo Chong Kong: Succumbed to his injuries 28 hours later at the Ipoh General Hospital. Sergeant Yeung Peng Chong:His driver and bodyguard, who attempted to return fire, was killed at the scene.

Key Historical Details

Category	Details
The Perpetrators	Lim Woon Chong and Ng Foo Nam, members of the MCP's mobile assassination squad. They were captured later and hanged at Pudu Jail in 1980.
Significance	Khoo was a high-profile Chinese Malaysian police officer. His assassination was intended to prove that the MCP did not spare Chinese "collaborators" and to intimidate other Chinese officers in the Special Branch.
The Aftermath	His funeral in Ipoh was attended by 20,000 people, including Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak. It remains one of the largest funeral processions in the city's history.
Succession	He was succeeded by Tan Sri Yuen Yuet Leng, a legendary Special Branch officer who played a pivotal role in the eventual 1989 Peace Accord.

Legacy and Memory

• Street Names: To honor his sacrifice, Jalan Khoo Chong Kong in Ipoh and another street in Kajang, Selangor, were named after him.
• Museum Display: The Darul Ridzuan Museum in Ipoh houses an exhibition titled "Between 2 Emergencies," which features the actual bullet-riddled car he was in, as well as his blood-stained uniform.

Khoo is remembered today as a symbol of loyalty that transcended ethnic lines during a time of extreme ideological conflict.

Reference / Further readings:

1. Wikipedia : Khoo Chong Kong
2. The Rakyat Post : The Shadow of Courage: A Malaysian Chinese Police Chief's Legacy on an Ipoh Street. 

Google Gemini AI

17 January 2026: 8.42 p.m

1974: MALAYSIAN IGP ASSASSINATION

On June 7, 1974, Malaysia’s third Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Hashim, was assassinated in broad daylight in Kuala Lumpur. This event remains one of the most high-profile political assassinations in Malaysian history.

The Incident

• Time & Location: The attack occurred around 8:00 AM at the junction of Jalan Tun Perak and Lorong Weld (now Jalan Raja Chulan), near the Lee Yan Lian Building.
• The Ambush: Two gunmen opened fire on the IGP’s official car, a blue Mercedes-Benz, as he was being driven from his home in Jalan Kia Peng to the federal police headquarters at Bukit Aman.
• Casualties: Out of 11 shots fired, 7 hit Abdul Rahman in the shoulder, chest, and thigh. He died on the way to the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital at the age of 51. His driver, Sergeant Omar Pane, survived with a minor injury to the neck.

Key Context & Theories

The murder took place during the Second Malayan Emergency (1968–1989), a period of renewed communist insurgency.

Category	Details
Official Stance	The government blamed the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). It was widely believed to be a "surgical strike" by communist hitmen to demoralize the security forces.
The Perpetrators	Two men, Lim Woon Chong and Ng Foo Nam, were later implicated. While they were hanged in 1980 for the 1975 murder of Perak's Chief Police Officer, they were never tried for the IGP’s assassination.
Alternative Theories	To this day, some (including the IGP's son, Najib Rahman) question the official narrative. Speculation has ranged from internal police rivalry to a plot to stop the IGP from exposing high-level corruption.

Legacy

• Succession: He was succeeded by Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar, who became the youngest IGP in Malaysian history at age 35 and served for 20 years.
• Recognition: Despite his sacrifice, the case is technically considered "unsolved" by some family members because no one was ever convicted specifically for his murder. In recent years, there have been calls to rename a street in Kuala Lumpur in his honor.

Further Readings:

1. Gempak.com: 6 Unsolved Crimes in Malaysia That Continue to Puzzle Authorities & Capture Public Attention
2. Wikipedia : Abdul Rahman Hashim
3. Free Malaysia Today : 46 years on, Who Killed IGP Abdul Rahman?

Google Gemini AI

17 January 2026: 8.29 p.m