Eksplorasi Batu Pahat: Journey to the South

One of the things I really enjoy is travelling. Especially travelling by motorcycle. Because when you are on a motorcycle, you not only get to see the sights but you really blend into the surroundings to a greater degree. The sounds, the smells and the feel of places that you pass are a few things you don't get as much of when you whizz past in a sealed, air-conditioned automobile cabin. So I like to go around the place on a motorbike. Granted that this is not exactly a very safe activity (esp on Malaysian roads nowadays) but then there are just some risks in life that you've got to accept and accommodate. Makes life worth living.

Last Monday I visited Senggarang, an outlying pekan (little town) between Batu Pahat and Pontian. The plan was originally to reach Rengit, in the southern corner of Batu Pahat district, but as it was getting dark by the time I pulled into Senggarang, it was quite obvious that that was about as far as I was going to cover that day.

The 22km road south to Senggarang is dotted with numerous villages, oil palm estates and new housing projects. Traffic was fairly light on the characteristic single-lane Federal trunk road, which allowed for cruising at moderate speed. Villagers were just starting the hustle and bustle of preparing dinner, sometimes over wood-fire kitchens. Schoolchildren were coming home at the end of the afternoon session, shouting and playing with each other as they walked or cycled at the side of the road. A light evening breeze stirred the fronds of coconut and oil palm trees that lined the road as the sun set to the west. It was quite a rustic rural panorama indeed.

Senggarang is a small dusty town clustered around the main road from Batu Pahat to Kukup via Pontian. Route 7, if I'm not mistaken. During the Second World War this was the site of a skirmish as the British forces, retreating from Batu Pahat, tried to hold up the Japanese advance along a defensive line centred on Kluang and stretching to the west coast here. Partly to give the motorcycle a break before the ride home, I called a halt and entered a crumbling old coffee shop for some famous "Senggarang kopi".

From the veranda of the coffee shop, I was also able to observe the comings and goings taking place around me. At the next table, a group of elderly men chattered away loudly and relaxedly in Hokkien. Typical coffeeshop banter. Across the street, a group of youths were clustered around some public phones - some giggling, some playing simple games, others simply chatting to each other. In a nearby bus stop, some bedraggled townsfolk were languidly awaiting the Coastal Omnibus to take them up the road to Batu Pahat, presumably for some shopping and nightlife. Calmness and serenity were in the air.

Lights and lamp posts flickered into life as night drew its cloak around the little town. Finishing my drink, I left the coffeeshop and took a walk down the main street in town, returning to my bike along the other side. There was a store with plenty of knick-knacks at the edge of the town, and there I got myself a neat little straw hat for RM2 (29p).

The journey home was largely uneventful, mainly making sure I did not end up under some speeding bus or lorry in the failing light. There is a particularly winding 5km stretch of the road between Banang Jaya and the village of Koris, and I had a rather enjoyable challenge navigating that at just over 90km/h. I reached home safely at 7.40pm to a warm dinner.

Besides seeing more of the wonderful world we find ourselves in, travel gives a unique, pleasurable sense of perspective. Knowing that in many ways life keeps going on and on everywhere, just as it has to and has done since time immemorial, helps to overcome sadness, heal unseen wounds and surmount the many challenges life throws in our way each day.

A Man, A Kancil and A Waja.

Sometimes life is like this:

A man has been driving a Perodua Kancil* for many years. After some time, he manages to gather enough money to get himself a Proton Waja. He goes to the showroom and requests a test drive. Enthralled by the way the car handles, he decides to place an order. But the salesman he places the order with turns out to be a fraudster. Our friend loses his money and is reduced to driving the Kancil yet again. He has to take some time to get over his loss.



*Proton and Perodua are trademarks of their respective companies.

First 3 weeks of holiday

Almost hard to believe that 3 weeks have flown by since the day of my trip back to Malaysia. Many friends are beginning to come home as well, or have already arrived back.

Let's see ... since I got back I've mainly been staying at home, revisiting the nooks and crannies of Batu Pahat my hometown. Also been meeting up with the guys for futsal and mamak sessions, and also spent a week in KL visiting relatives and friends.

Had a trip down memory lane last week with two events. One was meeting up with Payatt at MidValley. Was great to catch up on the old times and to see that he's doing well in UiTM now. The other event was a trip back to college! Managed to meet almost all former teachers and current seniors (our juniors), besides collecting the very nice new A-Level certificate that has silver braids on them.

Also been playing a historical wargame, The Operational Art of War (Volume II). This is a comparatively old (1998) game that covers real and simulated conflicts during the period 1956-2000 (Volume I, which I used to play, covers 1939-1956 and as may be expected includes mostly World War 2 scenarios). The idea behind this game is to marshal operational resources like infantry, armor and aircraft to achieve objectives that are set according to the scenario. Terrain conditions and political restrictions also need to be considered in planning strategy. Among the real conflicts that can be played in Volume II are the Suez Crisis 1956, the Six Day War, Yom Kippur War, Tet Offensive and the first Gulf War (Coalition forces v Iraq). Some very interesting simulated-conflict scenarios are an American invasion of Cuba, 1962; Soviet invasion of northern China, the Third World War in Europe and an Indian invasion of Pakistan, 2000.

The graphics for this game are not exactly great and this is not a first-person game, which means you deploy units over a set map to achieve a goal, not take out your enemy in person, CS-style. But what I like about the game is its sense of realism, in that a player has to develop a coordinated strategy, maximising the potential of available air, land and sea units to achieve the set objectives. There are also political imperatives that correspond to the actual situation; for example if the Israeli player attempts to take Damascus in the 1973 scenario (which they well could in the actual war) there will be intervention by Soviet airborne units that tip the balance towards the Arab side. An interesting possibility occurs in the simulated India-Pakistan scenario which is all-out nuclear exchange resulting in a total defeat for both sides. This occurs if forces from either side capture the regional capitals of the adversary.

The game attempts to recreate, based on a variety of military sources, the balance of forces as it actually existed at the time. The attention to detail is also meticulous, with corresponding advantages for correct manipulation of the terrain. Consequently it gives the player an idea of the military and strategic difficulties that were actually faced by the commanders at the time.

Recommended for students of the Modern History course (1945-1991) who are interested in the many complex conflicts of the Cold War period, and have some time to kill (since the average scenario takes about 6 hours of gameplay to resolve). =)

Cinta seorang pengembara

Dedicated to you, my friends, and for the one who likes stories

Many years ago, in a small rustic village near Labis, lived Ah Chye*. Ah Chye's family was poor and lowly-educated. The household eked out a hand-to-mouth existance by rearing poultry and growing vegetables.

Nevertheless, Ah Chye was a highly diligent young man. He studied hard at night by the light of a kerosene lamp, besides helping out his parents during the daytime. He thus sharpened his natural intelligence through hard work and did well in his MCE (Malaysian Certificate of Education, forerunner of the SPM) examinations.

Chye was accepted into teacher training college at Johor Bahru on the basis of his commendable MCE results. Those were the days when the teaching profession still commanded much respect. Chye's parents shed tears of joy. At last their son would be able to achieve professional qualification and break the chains of poverty that had shackled the family for so long.

Chye's sharpness of mind and hardworking nature were more than sufficient to see him through his Maktab years, and he qualified as a Mathematics teacher. He went on to teach in a secondary school at Mersing, drawing a respectable salary from which he duly apportioned a share to be sent back to his parents every month. Chye always spent his money frugally, remembering his humble beginnings and his ageing parents in the village. Soon he had also saved enough for the downpayment of a small Japanese motor-car.

Every school holiday, Chye would return to his family in Labis. His return was always big news in the little village. He was one of the first sons of that village to venture out into the professional world and the village folk were justly proud of him. Lagipun no one in the village had previously owned a motor-car. Chye never forgot his roots or became carried away with pride. He always treated everyone with much respect, especially the older folk in the village.

Then one day, Chye met Julie, who was newly assigned to teach at the same school. For Chye, it was love at first sight. He found Julie to be a very sweet, intelligent and caring young lady. Lagipun gayanya agak comel dan menawan. But because Chye was shy by nature, he kept his feelings secret for many months, whilst remaining good friends with Julie. Then one day, Chye felt able to muster enough courage to confess to Julie.

But Julie did not like him back. At least, not in that way. "His country looks are not as handsome as some other gentlemen I have met," thought Julie. Besides, Chye was too stingy, she thought. Julie did not know that this was because of Chye's difficult upbringing and his many responsibilities back home. Rasanye tak cukup hensem-lah. So Julie turned him down. "Sorry, I am not ready for commitment. I think we should be just friends," she said.

Poor Chye was devastated by this rejection. He really believed that Julie was the right one for him and had looked forward to a happy life together with her. Chye fell into deep depression. Bak kata pepatah, tido tak lena, makan tak lalu, mandi tak basah. His close friend, Boon, told him to get over it but this was much easier said than done.

Chye found it difficult to get Julie out of his mind. During the school holidays, whenever his mind was free it would find itself occupied by thoughts of her. He could not imagine what his future would be without her. One day, Chye could take it no longer. He went into his room and slashed his wrists.

However, Boon happened to come up to Chye's room in the nick of time and hurriedly called an ambulance. Chye was in critical condition for three days and the doctors despaired of his life. His parents came up to the hospital to visit him. They were overcome with grief at this tragic turn of events. It was difficult to believe that the son on whom they had pinned their hopes could come to this.

After many days, owing to Boon's timely intervention, Chye survived and returned to a stable condition. He left behind not only the clutches of Death but also his great love for Julie. He was deeply remorseful for having caused his parents and true friends so much worry and heartache. Both he and Julie transferred to different districts shortly after the incident.

Epilogue

Today, many years down the road, Chye has found himself a loving, charming and tender wife from Penang, with whom he has had three children. Well into their fifties, they are inseperable nowadays. As for Julie, she married a man who later turned out to be abusive and alcoholic towards her and their two children. Her husband now drifts in and out of work, and Julie is now slightly psychotic from the burden of having to fend for the entire household and also put up with her husband's vulgar behaviour.

Komen Tok Dalang

Although names have been changed, this is based on a true story that happened to people I know personally, dan ini bukanlah cerita rekaan semata-mata. Having read this story it would be nice if we could reflect on what would have happened had Chye succeeded in taking his life. Wouldn't it have been such a waste of young talent and a devastating blow to the people around him? If so, how often do we allow "love" and "feelings of love" to interfere with our pursuit of other things that matter in life? What are the things that really matter in life, and how high should love rank among them? How does the Epilogue affect your answer?

Fikirkanlah sejenak. Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback where appropriate, and should you prefer to respond in confidence please also feel free to do so by emailing me/tegur kat MSN at kingulnar2000@hotmail.com. To those who have bothered, thank you for reading.



*Names of people and places have been changed to protect privacy. This is an original work and all rights are reserved.