49th from 79

Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. Mas-u was in her usual striking shirt while I try to capture the moment. Motionless hermit crab versus roaring wind and…rough sea.

It is through those waters (Strait of Malacca, that is) Malaya first visited by Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho in 15th Century, subsequently (more than just visiting by) the Portuguese in 16th, Dutch in 17th and British in 18th century. By then the British already established themselves in Indian and Canton (Guangzhou) China, eager to expend their trade and colonial monopoly in this region. Early development would start from three main trading ports: Penang, Melaka and Singapore where Arab, Chinese, Indian and people from other parts of archipelago mingled and flourished.


Thanks to the monsoon season, traders would come and go for six month at a time. Well, came they might but some eventually found a place here. The perfect example would be the Baba-Nyonya or Peranakan descendents of Melaka, Penang, Singapore and some Javanese island. I wondered, looking at those Southern lion-head, what make them stay?

The beauty of sea and monsoon, however, could not hold the ever intrigue people for long. Eventually they would venture deep into the forest. Tin mines, for example, would lure the like of Raja Abdullah to send a survey convoy (which most of them died of malaria) to Ampang. Thereafter, Capitan Cina Yap Ah Loy, together with thousands of miner contributes to the blooming of early Kuala Lumpur. KL is probably only town surviving conflicts and gang fights erupted over the control of tin mining business. It is a sheer example of a nation built with effort of everybody, regardless their initial motives might be.

But KL, now, is often over rated. It is pretty annoyed when every single tourist guide books would have the Twin Towers (KLCC) cover page. Some rakyat like me failed to understand the importance of the construction hype like that. Maybe the Malaysian Tourism Board would say otherwise? People from thousand of miles away take their early queue to observation bridge: something I am still trying to do. I went up to KL Tower, anyway, and took some pictures of KLCC and its surrounding suburbs.

Twin tower, awkwardly stood amidst Kampung Baru with highways stretch between them, seemingly created a vague zone of modern and traditional living side by side. But don’t feel sorry for them, living in “village”. They are probably already were, or at least millionaire in the making. Malaysia is a place where money rules, everything will be ready to give away: forest, coral, huts, kampung or not. Of course, there are no real poor people in Malaysia. No body will starve to death, only jealous over new cell phone model. If you know what I meant, it is somewhere behind those mountain range I finally found peace of mind. Close to heaven but not quite far from devils.

Occasionally some low-rise apartment or condominium sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain, providing enough space for human but not their vehicles. I can proudly tell my Singaporean cousins that imposing Certificate of Entitlement (COE) of 5 or 10 years is absolutely unnecessary here. We renew road taxes, and bought new cars. Here, everyone can drive: from college students, working OLs to home making mother. Many blame it on the poor public transport system which is quite true, but no thanks to zero-RM down payment and financial aids stretch for as far as 9 years. Now, who needs car-pooling?


Back to the colonial age, tin mine is merely a good (second or third) start. Some people busy making money and busy living, some other continues their adventure and exploration. Moving up north to Kuala Kangsar, Mad Ridley successfully planted the first rubber tree. As he kept slipping seeds into the jackets of unwilling farmers, Malaya finally ready for the era of rubber estates.

This indirectly contributes to the mass import of Indian laborers in order to expand the rubber industry. Years later we get to witness devotees flooding temple, showing their vows by carrying kavadi, or gruesomely have their cheek pieced with spikes. It is a trans-state of mortal and immortal, like the melting pot of Malaysian.


Ironically nowadays, the beaches of west coast are less attractive compare to those of Tioman, Perhentian and Redang of east coast. Even for us the rich history backgrounds are somehow overlooked, not worth visiting. After all it is the crystal clear sea water that we are looking for. Not the similar reason why Japanese 18th Division first landed in Malaya soil at Kota Bharu on 8 December, 1941?

Malaysia as you sees today, is what made of yesterday. We are moving forward without giving enough attention to the past. I find it difficult to express the complexity and irony of us modernizing while trying to keep pieces of traditional selves. There is a gap of young and old that if we failed to fill, will create a new generation with false-identity, makes up of little bit of Hollywood movie, Japanese comic, Korean drama, Taiwanese live-show and perhaps some others. Perhaps we focus too much on Central Market that we’ve missed some fantastic architecture in the vicinity and emulate it.


It is always about getting the right people to do the right job. Not trying to be a politician but skimming through local newspaper you will ask the similar question: What will happen in next 49 years? After 49 years, is this what we (or they) wished for? Yes and no, I guess. Everyone has their own, different wishes. But for tomorrow, I would wish for a movie in KLCC and after that, going down under to get my regular kedai runcit biscuits. I will try to strike for the balance, always.


Happy 49th, Malaysia!