Vicky Tjio
Faridah Bin Md Sudi
Juliana was promoted to the position of stenographer afterwards. Apart from the typing pool ladies, she
was frequently called to do secretarial work when one of the secretaries went on leave. Vicky was sent to
training first and then she was to teach the rest on the use of the computer when BP started bringing in
computers. She recorded her lessons on a cassette tape, which was later used for training her colleagues.
It was stressful for her though as computers were not as user friendly at that time. The computers were
useful for typing letter and memos but not for typing of stencils, masters and purchase orders, which
required carbon copies, so they still had to rely on the good old faithful typewriter. There was a room
especially for the four computers in BP, which they had to take turns to use.
However, the unit’s raison d’etre dissipated with the arrival of the internet in the 1990s, which vastly
improved telecommunications technology made connectivity instant, cheap and available to everyone.
Until today, their most memorable experience was during the days of the typing pool. They felt a strong
sense of belonging that has lasted till today, and they remained close like sisters. This is a good example of
how BP is not only a company, but a family, where strong relationships are fostered between co-workers,
regardless of race, language or religion.
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