Six missionaries were assigned to the area. Two of them, James Rowe and Neil Crockett, were able to preach for one year in Kuala Lumpur, but the other four unfortunately were only allowed to stay one month, and they served in Penang. Why their stay was so short is a story in itself.

Missionaries in Kuala Lumpur

Early in 1951 the ship Steel King chugged into the port of Penang from New York with six missionaries aboard. At Penang the immigration officials inspected the passports of Brothers Crockett and Rowe and stamped them for a one-year stay in Malaya. However, when they checked the passports of the other four missionaries, it suddenly dawned on them how many missionaries of Jehovah’s Witnesses were entering the country. They told the missionaries that newly passed regulations would not allow foreign Witnesses to stay in the country. However, since the passports of Brothers Crockett and Rowe had already been stamped for a one-year stay, they were permitted to remain, but the other four were granted only a one-month stay in Penang, after which they were to leave the country and were reassigned to Thailand.

Alfred and Thelma Wicke with Lloyd Barry, right, who was serving as zone overseer in August 1956. In the background is the old Chinese school used for meetings in Penang