BY: CHRISTOPHER FERNANDEZ
Suhairi Sani (not his real name) is 46 years old, and together with his wife and three kids, they always make it a point to go back to their hometown or ‘balik kampung’ which is near Temerloh in the Malaysian state of Pahang.
Suhairi is not alone in this journey he makes, which is to drive from the hustle and bustle of the city of Kuala Lumpur, with his family in tow, through the Karak Highway into the verdant green jungles and flora and fauna of the Malaysian countryside.
There are many Malaysians who trudge this path, some of them performing this routine every week, while others during festive holidays or during school break or when there are extended public holidays
A quintessentially Malaysian experience
In what is considered in essence to be a quintessentially Malaysian experience, people of all walks of life, race and religion trace their roots and humble beginnings in villages or ‘kampungs’ all over the country.
There is this strong link or connection with their villages where they hail from, and what usually transpires is that after a lifetime of studying, working and living in big cities, many who originate from the villages return to live out their lives in their hometowns.
This is a cyclical phenomenon, and it should not surprise anyone that the bond between Malaysians and their villages is a scenario that may be difficult to understand as they are caught between two worlds – the village and the city.
A fine and equal balance for Malaysians
For many Malaysians, this straddling between city and village is a fine balancing act which they juggle to perfection as they feel the need to be in the village to receive respite and to renew and re-invigorate themselves from city stress and pressures.
This has led to a certain kind of dual living and lifestyle for many Malaysians as they shuttle between two homes, two destinations and, most likely and possibly, living two lives to further enhance the meaning and purpose of life.
This is to say that, there are foreigners, visitors and tourists, who find this hovering between two habitats, city living and village life, fascinating and something of an exciting and interesting path to take whenever possible.
Such a spirit must be cultured and kept alive
Whatever happens in the coming years and decades, Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese or Indians, must strive to preserve this culture, capture it for posterity’s sake, and ensure it does not die off.
The older generation must strive to handover this truly Malaysian heritage to the younger generation as a lasting legacy which kindles precious moments and treasured memories for those following after to savour and maintain.
The various government ministries, departments and agencies must work in concert and liaise with each other to assist and help Malaysians to preserve what can be described as a unique way of life.
**Christopher Fernandez bemoans the fact he was born in the town of Kuala Lumpur and has no countryside hometown but hopes to adopt a ‘kampung’ to forge links away from the Klang Valley
-THE MALAYSIA VOICE
(The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher)
