Ipoh Echo July 1st-15th, 2008
http://www.ipohecho.com.my/ (issue 53)
When I was a little boy I had the choice of staying between the two of my beloved grand-parents. One was at Talang, a small home village just about three miles north of the town of Kuala Kangsar. The other was at Padang Rengas which was the home of my other grand-parents on my father's side. At times I used to be chided by one family or the other if I should overstay myself in one home especially during the festivals like Hari Rayas or during the long school terminal holidays. The discrimination, I thought, was logical to me. Kuala Kangsar was a coming-up town. It had already some big buildings like the Malay College, the Clifford School and of course the Istana Iskandariah at Bukit Chandan albeit its old version. Of course, there was already the Mesjid Ubudiah and others. One building of only wood and of zinc roofing I remember well to this days was the Empire Theater so much patronized by many of us kids for a "Tarzan" or "Laurel & Hardy" slap-stick comedian movies at 30 cents back seat, 20 cents middle area and 10 cents at the very front seats per one show!
Padang Rengas at that time was a very rural quiet kampong. The only consolation was that it was the home of the Tohmaharaja Indera's clans and siblings. Tohmaharaja Indera was my grandfather. At Talang it was always almost interesting especially at the prospect of going to town with Nek (Nenek - my great grandmother) to shop for Hari Raya or for other visits. In those days it was almost impossible to find plying taxis as we do today but we were very happy that the LANCAs were plying around in the town.
As the history went, the Jinriksha or Lanca as we mostly called them in due course started in China or Japan. If I remember my Japanese well when I was in the Nihon-Go Gakko the lanca used to be called by the Westerners as the Jinrikshaw. In the Kanji characters Jin signifies man; riki means strength while sha is a vehicle or cart thus the "man labour cart" - so the Lanca! The Lanca was a very unique man-made innovation. It has a seat for two on a shaft attached to two huge wheels on both sides. The wheels may be four to five meters high each. The seat had a collapsible canvass cover in cases of inclemental weather. The cart had also a front cover. The front cover was very popular with the young Muslim maidens on a shopping out by themselves or with friends and generally to keep themselves off from the prying male human eyes! The cart had a foot rest floor; a small area to keep one's small shopping items. I enjoyed accompanying Nek to the town for her marketing but more specially for Nek's preparations for Hari Raya. For this purpose Nek would require the services of two of our regular lanca men "Panjang" and "Pendek" as we called them referring to their statures but Nek, always courteous, would at times address them as Taukeh, may be to the chagrin of our two friends! Of course, Nek did not know the real concept and significance if a Chinese man is addressed as Taukeh when he is doing only manual jobs. While riding on the lanca with Nek she would always warn me not to be too restless while the cart was being pulled because that would inbalance our lanca-men in doing the tasks! Nek would generally take half a day for our shopping and marketing for our Hari Raya. It was unlike today when one could find all kinds of goods under one roof as in a supermarket. Nek had to go to as many shops to pick the best prices despite the fact that she too had her regular shops but then Hari Raya was always different! When we returned home the two lancas were laden with our purchases with bagfuls of rice and flour, sugar, milk, coffee, and cooking oil and kerosene and all the barang-barang dapor needful for Hari Raya for which Nek only paid a total amount of about $10.00 to $12.00! Our lanca trips to and from Talang and Kuala Kangsar did not cost Nek more than a dollar. One way trip by the lancas would take them between 45 minutes to a little more depending on the weight carried by them. Some of the items purchased could at least last three weeks or the full month before Nek and the others would go for another round of one month's ration. Nyang Abas, Nek's spouse (my great grandfather) was a retired Penghulu and in time I got to know that our Nyang Abas's pension was only THIRTY TWO dollars per mensem! Over the many years I was in and out, as it were, of Talang, the lanca people and their riskshas seemed to have decreased in number. On a number of times accompanying Nek going avisiting to our relatives in Kota Lama Kiri, 3 miles south of Kuala Kangsar I remembered noticing an almost dilapidated shack with a big number of some rickshaw pullers gathering among themselves smoking away with their weird looking pipes and I used to see also a number of the rickshaws going under repair or just going to dust! For a long time these people were very needful to a number of people wanting their services. As a people they were very hardy and really hardworking although they would only keep to themselves! Maybe now they knew their days were numbered. The memory of the rickshaws or lancas was very nostalgic to me to this day. To this day we wondered where these people came from and from what provinces in China; their clans; their dialects they spoke or why they immigrated themselves here to this country.... It would be good to know the history of our past heritage. When I was later a young teenager I used to follow my Tok (my Padang Rengas grandfather) to Ipoh. Ipoh then was already a thriving town being in the midst of the richest mining field in the world and my grandfather was buying for himself a new Morris Eight after disposing off his old Morris Cowley and my grandfather paid only Eight Hundred Dollars for his new car at the Ipoh Motors which still stands to-day, I understand! But it was then some sixty years ago. It was intriguing to observe the number of motor vehicles in Ipoh already at that time. There were all sorts of cars plying over the whole town and some of them running as taxis but I could not see any sight of the Lancas anymore except for some stray remnants! Trying to improve myself of the various brands or makes of the many cars around there, there were of course the Morris Minor and Morris Eight imported from England and there were the Austin Seven and Austin Eight also from the U.K. Then we had the Overland Whippet exported from the USA and we also had a Fiat Orlando from Italy! The Japanese and Korean cars only came into the pictures almost half a century later!
In my later days I overheard the yarn about some of the modern millionnaires dealing in the motor businesses today who could be the descendants of some of the earlier immigrant people who eked themselves out for a living pulling the Jinkishas. Millioniare Boon Siew started his life and beginning as a small bicycle repairer! Today Boon Siew is well known name all over this region who owns the Honda Empire.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Our Dusun Durian
MUSIM DURIAN DI KAMPONG Cerita 1 (27.07.07)( Sebutan “dusun kita” dalam tulisan ini bermaksud dusun keluarga asalkami Datin Seri Shamsiah di seberang sungai)Semalam sedang aku melihat program TV, Man ( Yah ) datang cuba mengajak aku ke dusun “kita” kerana katanya nak diadakan Doa Arwah di dusun pada malam itu. Malam itu? Bila aku tanya sesiapa akan datang ke majlis, katanya “ramai!” tetapi tak tahu sesiapa orang yang disegani akan datang !Yang tentunya “Ustaz Shadat” akan datang untuk membaca do’a arwah. “ Willy-Nilly”, kata phrase dalam bahasa Inggeris , aku rasa nak turut hadir di majlis itu sungguhpun kesihatan aku terlampau mengganggu untuk ikut sama tetapi oleh kerana, kononnya, majlis ini majlis membaca doa selamat untuk Shamsiah (Allah Yarham ) dan juga Ohm (anak ku yang juga sudah tiada) aku pasang niat akan hadir yang akan bermula, kata Man, selepas Solat I’sya , kira-kira jam 9.30 malam. Aku menunggu Lahn balik daripada sesuatu diluar kampong yang beliau cuma sampai balik hampir jam 9.30 malam itu! Aku dihantar oleh Ju dengan kereta Myvi kecil kami hingga ke laman rumah Halimah (kenalan dan sepupu jauh Shamsiah) dan Man sudah menunggu dengan motornya untuk membawa aku ke dusun terus. Seksanya untuk menaikki motor kerana tubuh badan ku sudah tegang sakit tua! Alhamdulilah dari jauh laman dangau (pondok) sudah nampak terang daripada jangkaan aku kerana sudah dipasang lampu torchlight besar batteri! Aku lihat begitu ramai dihalaman dangau , tidak kurang daripada 30 orang dewasa , yang baru sudah makan dan juga yang sedang menjamu selera mereka! Di atas lepor dangau “tetamu khas” kita (Ustaz Shadat dan anak-anaknya ! ) juga sedang menjamu selera mereka.! Aku tanya Lahn dan diberitahu mereka yang ada pada malam itu adalah “budak-budak kampong” yang menjaga dusun di musim durian disekitar dusun kita dan juga penjaga-penjaga kebun durian disekitarnya! (Man menjaga dusun kita) Membaca do’a pun sudah selesai cuma berehat-berehat selepas makan. Nampaknya Lahn begitu mesra dan ramah dengan mereka atau “gengnya”(almaklum sudah jadi orang kampong (begitulah hendaknya!)Aku terkejut pada jamuan tersebut seorang dua daripada mereka sedang membakar BBQ kambing , sebahagian daripada jamuan malam itu, selain daripada nasi minyak, gulai daging kambing, dan daging panggang bbq kambing; itu sahaja! Pada diri aku lazat makan malam itu. Secara berseloroh bila aku bertanya siapa tukang masak mereka pada malam itu mreka mula tunjuk menunjuk sesame sendiri masing-masing menyebut nama si-anu si-anu ; semua tidak mahu mengakui diri hingga ramai mengatakan “Pak Razak!” Memang sedap sungguh masak “Pak Razak”utamanya gulai kambing malam itu. Tukang masaknya yang sebenarnya memanglah Pak Razak dan gengnya.Selepas beberapa waktu secara bergurau aku bertanya kepada Pak Razak mana manisan selepas makan; mana kudap-kudapan kampong Buaia, masing-masing gelak ketawa dan menyatakan “Tahun depan!!!”. Bila aku terus bergurau “apa program selepas ini, siapa penyanyi dan band siapa” mereka juga semua mejawab “ Tahun depan!!Aku selidiki daripada Man jamuan malam itu adalah sumbangan kutipan daripada semua ala kadar antara $10.00 hingga $20.00 masing-masing siapa yan mampu! Jumlah kutipan untuk jamuan pada malam itu dikatakan lebih kurang $300.00. Daging kambing sebelah potongan badan kambing itu sahaja berharga $100.00 ! Tetap jamuan malam itu begitu berselera dan alam sekitarnya juga begitu nyaman. Rasaku semua orang telah rasa puas hati dengan majlis “makan malam” itu. Semua bercadang dimusim tahun depan akan diadakan jamuan seperti malam itu lagi; Insyaha allah!Sebelum aku dibawa balik aku dapat memerhatikan bahawa tukang bakar BBQ masih lagi membakar dagingnya sementara yang lain sedang membukus habuan lauk-lauk dan daging paggang dan juga nasi minyak dalam bungkus plastic untuk mereka balik ke rumah untuk mereka yang menuggu dan yang dikasihi. It was a “great night” for me. Malangnya melainkan aku dan Razlan dan Ju yang ada dirumah seorangpun tuan-punya nama tanah dusun kita TIDAk datang atau tidak ada balik pada musim durian tahun ini. Bebal rasa hatiku! Keadaannya zaman “ubanisation” sudah mula mengikis nilai-nilai murni zaman silam; sudah banyak yang mula akan hapus atau luput. Selalu aku dengar sebutan diantara mereka yang mengatakan “dibandar kames pun sudah banyak durian djual. Murah dan tak payah balik kampong!” Entahlah aku akan tak tahu lagi. Umur aku dan zaman akhirku sudah agak sudah sampai”Sebelum aku menutup ruangan ini aku diberitahu Razlan tidak balik malam ini kerana memburu landak( atau bersukan atau ke membunuh atau ke menimbak binatang yang tak berdosa!) Itulah gembira dan seronoknya tinggal dikampong!Aku akan menurunkan diruangan lain cerita menjaga kebun durian dimasa remajaku Insya AllahCatitan: jam 11.30 malam
Posted by TOH MAHARAJA
Posted by TOH MAHARAJA
Pantai Putri and the Royal Visit...
I am now back home after full two weeks at the Pantai Puteri Medical Centre as you know and came back home to my dear kampong only last 9th June , past week or so ago. I am not fully recovered yet. I feel I may take another month or so to be part of my normal self again. As you you know I am such a restless person thus I am trying on my computer writing to you again!
If you are attending the Kelab meeting at any time soon please extend my most grateful thanks to all my dear friends who came to visit me at the hospital. Tan Sri Azizuddin visited me very early when I was in a very crucial and critical condition that I could barely say a word to him but to sign off to say “sorry” to him from afar. He fully accepted my situation. I remember those others who came a visiting…Dato’ Syed Azman and his Datin , Dato’ Ahmad Ismail, Dr Ameen(?) , our dear Secretary Haris and family, my great friend Dato Mohamad Hamzah who together with Razalli, our artiste, brought me a very valuable gift on behalf of the Club that of a “robotic” hospital bed! (I heard it cost the Kelab almost a fortune!)!! But I feel that I will NOT be that bed-ridden as long as I can, Insya Allah!
But one of the greatest gifts in all these many years of my life was the “surprise” visit of our beloved Tuanku Raja Azlan and Tuanku Bainun to me at the hospital. A day or two earlier I heard rumours of the impending visit but I totally ignored about it. Who was I to be so visited? I am just an ordinary kampong boy. I was told that those in the know did not want it confirmed to me earlier for fear of “upsetting” me. NO way , Dato’ Ariff , I l never would! Only earlier that afternoon when I saw four or five chairs being set up in my room, I thought the family was arranging for a makan for us at dinner time until I was informed that Tuanku and Tuanku Bainun would be arriving a-visiting me at the hospital and the room clock showed that it will be in about another 45 minutes or so! I knew it was all agog outside; the doctors, nurses and staffs trying to make the hospital cleaner when it is already more than clean!
Waiting for the Tuankus I was already seated on my “relaxed” plastic reclining chair by the hospital bed and both the Tuankus were to be seated on both sides of me!. Tuanku entered seemingly cheerily and and asked me, I think in jest, “what are you doing here?” The two doctors took up this matter up to Tuanku. While doing so I mentiond to Tuanku that the doctors were looking after me well and Tuanku quipped “They are doctors and they have to be good!”
My chit-chat with both the Tuankus took a full 40 minutes! Can you believe it? The chats were nothing serious. Tuanku Azlan queried about my age again and compared my age with our Tun Bendahara’s age! Of course, our Tun is about 4 or 5 years senior, I am 83. Then Tuanku asked me about my College contemporaries and I rattled off…late Sultan Idris, late Sultan Selangor, Tuanku Jaafar Yang Dipertuan Besar ,Negeri Sembilan (my Head Boy ) his brother Tunku Abdullah ( a big corporat - my classmate), Hamzah Abu Samah once a Minister (another class-mate ) and then Tuanku added a few names himself to confirm or not! Then we rambled away over other matters like my sporting days and I gladly mentioned to Tuanku that once I was a good hockey player and perhaps wanting to check on me Tuanku asked me what position I played and spontaneously I replied that I was a “right winger” which in fact I was. I said further to Tuanku that I was once “quite a nippy hockey player”. After a few seconds of silence came again from Tuanku “apa lagi cerita?‘ So I had to continue build up something to talk about to Tuanku and Tuanku and I talked about Scouting in which we both were solidly ingrained even to-day! Tuanku was a 2nd Patrol Leader during his days!!! I apologized to Tuanku that I have not been to Tuanku’s Birthday Celebrations these few years. Tuanku understood my conditions but I told Tuanku I never missed watching the ritual ceremonies. I myself have gone through the rigid ritual when I was given myself the gelaran Orang Besar as Toh Maharaja Indera. I settled with Tuanku that the Istiadat is almost sacred when the recipients were accompanied by the Nobat unlike almost all other datoship ceremonies when such pingats are just serahan by Tuanku! Tuanku added that the accompaniment of the nobat is really keturunan and it will continue to be so! I said I fully concurred with Tuanku specially with the non-Muslim observers at such rituals showing the strength of the adat istiadat dalam kewujudan kesultanan Raja-Raja Melayu. ….”Apa lagi cerita?...we talked about the “political” situations in the State but it was Tuanku more than me voicing his feeling of the uneasiness among the rakyat! Tuanku enquired from me about my time at leisure at home. I mentioned to Tuanku I helped support Ju in her efforts to alleviate the problems of the “Ibu Tunggals” in Kampong Buaia and around. Tuanku and Tuanku Bainun complimented Ju on her efforts. Ju also mentioned her efforts encouraging the Ibu Tunggals to be on their feet through various government agencies in which Ju is getting a good support other than the very supportive NGO’s i.e , the RCs of Ipoh , KK and Kelab Bakti. Hearing about this topic both the Tuankus appeared to have perked their ears especially Tuanku Bainun! Ju was very fluent in her discourse with both the Tuankus. We mentioned to Tuanku that our own family has just started our very own a small agro-project planting SERAI on my own land around the house and when I mentioned it is only 5 acres, just a small attempt as an example to the Ibu Tunggal, Tuanku exclaimed that it is BIG! Then “apa lagi cerita?” and I was almost out of topic now but I mentioned about my interest in writing and now I have my own blog but the blog is only for the family and the inner clans. I mentioned to Tuanku that one of my “articles” was picked to be published in the Ipoh Echo No 47 about me and my brothers when we were young kids in the kampong and enjoying our very happy lifes. Tuanku was impressed and goaded me on! (KBGKs , come and visit my new kampong set-up and try look up my article in the Ipoh Echo series 47 although it is only on a small scale in Ipoh and for its surrounding districts).
My four anak-anak i.e Ida, Lahn. Ju and Shima ++ Rais smartly in samping after Jumaat were at hand to give me a booster when I fell out over some points. Both Ida and Ju attended to Tuanku Bainun who was so very sweet, homely and friendly. However, Shima panicked a bit informing me afterwards that she was so struck by Tuanku's charms that she was speechless! Ya-Ya , Ida's teenager daughter was “assigned" to take some photos at the “session" but last minute lost her courage and so we lost a treasure box of pictures! When the Tuankus left our Sultan Azlan left some words to my anak-anak i.e never ever allow your father to be lonely. He said your father is still OK!
Ida escorted both our beloved Rulers to their car. What a day for the family! Thank you Tuanku!
Dato' Seri Yang Rashdi bin Maasom
Kampung Buaia
Note :
(Sadly missed by the family. Dato' Seri Yang Rashdi passed away on 3 Jul, 2008 at 2.05am. Alfatihah)
If you are attending the Kelab meeting at any time soon please extend my most grateful thanks to all my dear friends who came to visit me at the hospital. Tan Sri Azizuddin visited me very early when I was in a very crucial and critical condition that I could barely say a word to him but to sign off to say “sorry” to him from afar. He fully accepted my situation. I remember those others who came a visiting…Dato’ Syed Azman and his Datin , Dato’ Ahmad Ismail, Dr Ameen(?) , our dear Secretary Haris and family, my great friend Dato Mohamad Hamzah who together with Razalli, our artiste, brought me a very valuable gift on behalf of the Club that of a “robotic” hospital bed! (I heard it cost the Kelab almost a fortune!)!! But I feel that I will NOT be that bed-ridden as long as I can, Insya Allah!
But one of the greatest gifts in all these many years of my life was the “surprise” visit of our beloved Tuanku Raja Azlan and Tuanku Bainun to me at the hospital. A day or two earlier I heard rumours of the impending visit but I totally ignored about it. Who was I to be so visited? I am just an ordinary kampong boy. I was told that those in the know did not want it confirmed to me earlier for fear of “upsetting” me. NO way , Dato’ Ariff , I l never would! Only earlier that afternoon when I saw four or five chairs being set up in my room, I thought the family was arranging for a makan for us at dinner time until I was informed that Tuanku and Tuanku Bainun would be arriving a-visiting me at the hospital and the room clock showed that it will be in about another 45 minutes or so! I knew it was all agog outside; the doctors, nurses and staffs trying to make the hospital cleaner when it is already more than clean!
Waiting for the Tuankus I was already seated on my “relaxed” plastic reclining chair by the hospital bed and both the Tuankus were to be seated on both sides of me!. Tuanku entered seemingly cheerily and and asked me, I think in jest, “what are you doing here?” The two doctors took up this matter up to Tuanku. While doing so I mentiond to Tuanku that the doctors were looking after me well and Tuanku quipped “They are doctors and they have to be good!”
My chit-chat with both the Tuankus took a full 40 minutes! Can you believe it? The chats were nothing serious. Tuanku Azlan queried about my age again and compared my age with our Tun Bendahara’s age! Of course, our Tun is about 4 or 5 years senior, I am 83. Then Tuanku asked me about my College contemporaries and I rattled off…late Sultan Idris, late Sultan Selangor, Tuanku Jaafar Yang Dipertuan Besar ,Negeri Sembilan (my Head Boy ) his brother Tunku Abdullah ( a big corporat - my classmate), Hamzah Abu Samah once a Minister (another class-mate ) and then Tuanku added a few names himself to confirm or not! Then we rambled away over other matters like my sporting days and I gladly mentioned to Tuanku that once I was a good hockey player and perhaps wanting to check on me Tuanku asked me what position I played and spontaneously I replied that I was a “right winger” which in fact I was. I said further to Tuanku that I was once “quite a nippy hockey player”. After a few seconds of silence came again from Tuanku “apa lagi cerita?‘ So I had to continue build up something to talk about to Tuanku and Tuanku and I talked about Scouting in which we both were solidly ingrained even to-day! Tuanku was a 2nd Patrol Leader during his days!!! I apologized to Tuanku that I have not been to Tuanku’s Birthday Celebrations these few years. Tuanku understood my conditions but I told Tuanku I never missed watching the ritual ceremonies. I myself have gone through the rigid ritual when I was given myself the gelaran Orang Besar as Toh Maharaja Indera. I settled with Tuanku that the Istiadat is almost sacred when the recipients were accompanied by the Nobat unlike almost all other datoship ceremonies when such pingats are just serahan by Tuanku! Tuanku added that the accompaniment of the nobat is really keturunan and it will continue to be so! I said I fully concurred with Tuanku specially with the non-Muslim observers at such rituals showing the strength of the adat istiadat dalam kewujudan kesultanan Raja-Raja Melayu. ….”Apa lagi cerita?...we talked about the “political” situations in the State but it was Tuanku more than me voicing his feeling of the uneasiness among the rakyat! Tuanku enquired from me about my time at leisure at home. I mentioned to Tuanku I helped support Ju in her efforts to alleviate the problems of the “Ibu Tunggals” in Kampong Buaia and around. Tuanku and Tuanku Bainun complimented Ju on her efforts. Ju also mentioned her efforts encouraging the Ibu Tunggals to be on their feet through various government agencies in which Ju is getting a good support other than the very supportive NGO’s i.e , the RCs of Ipoh , KK and Kelab Bakti. Hearing about this topic both the Tuankus appeared to have perked their ears especially Tuanku Bainun! Ju was very fluent in her discourse with both the Tuankus. We mentioned to Tuanku that our own family has just started our very own a small agro-project planting SERAI on my own land around the house and when I mentioned it is only 5 acres, just a small attempt as an example to the Ibu Tunggal, Tuanku exclaimed that it is BIG! Then “apa lagi cerita?” and I was almost out of topic now but I mentioned about my interest in writing and now I have my own blog but the blog is only for the family and the inner clans. I mentioned to Tuanku that one of my “articles” was picked to be published in the Ipoh Echo No 47 about me and my brothers when we were young kids in the kampong and enjoying our very happy lifes. Tuanku was impressed and goaded me on! (KBGKs , come and visit my new kampong set-up and try look up my article in the Ipoh Echo series 47 although it is only on a small scale in Ipoh and for its surrounding districts).
My four anak-anak i.e Ida, Lahn. Ju and Shima ++ Rais smartly in samping after Jumaat were at hand to give me a booster when I fell out over some points. Both Ida and Ju attended to Tuanku Bainun who was so very sweet, homely and friendly. However, Shima panicked a bit informing me afterwards that she was so struck by Tuanku's charms that she was speechless! Ya-Ya , Ida's teenager daughter was “assigned" to take some photos at the “session" but last minute lost her courage and so we lost a treasure box of pictures! When the Tuankus left our Sultan Azlan left some words to my anak-anak i.e never ever allow your father to be lonely. He said your father is still OK!
Ida escorted both our beloved Rulers to their car. What a day for the family! Thank you Tuanku!
Dato' Seri Yang Rashdi bin Maasom
Kampung Buaia
Note :
(Sadly missed by the family. Dato' Seri Yang Rashdi passed away on 3 Jul, 2008 at 2.05am. Alfatihah)
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