Balik Kampong

~ Mom's Journal ~

Eid al-Fitri or Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a celebration by all Muslims across the world. It marks the end of fasting in the month of Ramadan. This year Hari Raya Aidilfitri falls on Friday, 1 Syawal of 1436H or 17^th July 2015. "Balik kampong" or home coming is a word synonym with people travelling home to be with and to celebrate the occasion with their parents and other family members.

A kampong house is normally quite spacious and has ample parking space to accommodate everyone returning home. In our case parking is from the front porch right to the back door where the open air or dry kitchen is located. The open air kitchen is where we normally boiled “ketupat”, “bakar lemang”, cooked “rendang ayam”, “rendang daging” and other delicious dishes for the Hari Raya celebration. The cookies are prepared beforehand. Our late mother would bake 10 to 20 types of cookies during weekends or after she came back from the office throughout the month of Ramadan. To ignore that heavenly smell of freshly baked cake and cookies when you are young and fasting proved to be quite challenging. But then again fasting is a test of faith and willpower.

The Kampong House

Arrival of family members

It has been a long while since we last “balik kampong”. In the normal tradition of celebrating Hari Raya, the first Hari Raya would normally starts with the Hari Raya prayer at the mosque. Thereafter visits to relatives and friends houses. There was no fancy electronic device then. Television programmes are not really attractive but some programmes are everlasting. The Dragon Ball series is one example.

A Dragon Ball pose

We also took advantage of the Hari Raya holidays to visit places in our home town. The Residen Hill Rest House remains a favourite. It is strategically located on the highest hill top. The winding road leads us to a beautiful Neo-classical design house of white and maroon colours. This house was built in 1922 for the first British Resident, Sir Hugh Clifford. It became the official residence for his successors. After independence, there was a time that it was left vacant for almost 20years. It was later converted to a government rest house. An interesting feature is the balcony. The Resident must have stood there in a baronial manner looking down at their conquest. History is to be preserved to remind us that our fore fathers fought relentlessly to give us an independent country and a sovereign nation!

The Residen Hill Rest House built in 1922

We took some photographs to remind us of the passing of time.

At the right end of the Rest House

A common architectural design in colonial building is the arched balustrade. It creates an aesthetic value while being functional at the same time. We could feel the fresh, cool and clean air as we sat in the living room. It was a relaxing atmosphere.

At the corridor adjoining the living room

We then wandered into the front lawn. The garden is planted with the common tropical garden plants. Landscaping is kept to the minimal. We found the mushroom structure to be a perfect place to sit and pose for photographs.

At the garden

After sometime, we left the Rest House and continue our trip to town. It brings us to Sungai Jelai or the Jelai River. From where we stand, to the left is the river and to the right is the row of shop houses of the old town centre.

Overlooking Sungai Jelai

There are many villages along the river. There used to be many boats plying the river in the 1960s. During Hari Raya people from the villages would come to town by boats or by train to visit friends and relatives or to watch movie at the “Paradise Theatre”, the only theatre in town. The railings around the theatre fronting the main road are the place for the boys to “bertenggek” or perched or hang out and wolf-whistled at girls walking along the main road. I think most people from Kuala Lipis have memories about this well-known meeting place. I remember on one Hari Raya day, the famous Hindustani film “Sangam” was on show.  It’s a tear-jerker story so many people came out from the theatre in broad daylight with red eyes!  Malu jugak lah... (yes, quite embarrassing).

Paradise Theatre closed in the 1990s

The festive air and celebrations bring much joy to everyone. Kuala Lipis, a sleepy town comes alive. The mode of transportation has much improved with highways and better road conditions. Nowadays the river is quiet and peaceful. Only if we are lucky we get to see a boat carrying passengers or goods along the river.

There used to be “Rumah Rakit” or Houses on the Rafts along the Jelai River. In 1971 the big flood caused the river to rise, higher than the place where we stand, and submerged part of the town centre. The houses on the rafts should be able to float as the river rises but it was a big, massive flood, the occupants must have been terrified and fled to safety. With more development and modern housing, those houses on the rafts have ceased to exist. The river bank is now covered with lush green bushes where nature has taken its course.

The river bank of Sungai Jelai

The bridge seen in the photograph was actually constructed in the late 1990s. It was built to link the old and the new town centres. The new town centre is built on the other side of the bridge of Sungai Jelai, it is towards the left side of the river. I used to wander what lies on the other side. Apparently there were only acres and hundreds of acres of jungle land. There is much opportunity for development. Meantime, at the old town centre, it is good to see that the steps going towards the jetty has been upgraded for better safety of the people who still need to travel by boat. It is also of historical value.

Photo from Arkib Negara : Sungai Jelai

Sungai Jelai : Year 2000

Another interesting place which we would stop to visit is the Pahang Club. It’s a throwback to the colonial past. It was built in 1907 and became temporary residence for Sir Hugh Clifford prior to the completion of his official residence in 1922.  Another piece of history said it was the first building built by the British in Kuala Lipis way back in 1867. It was said to be the place for happy hours for tin miners, planters and British administrators. Pahang has rich mineral resources like the gold mine in Raub and huge rubber and oil palm plantations. The long, cool verandahs of the Club must have been a comfortable place to sit, drink and exchange stories well into the nights. Later we also heard that it was also a place for socialite partying even after independence.

It was very much later towards 1980s that the Club was used for recreational activities by the locals. We can still find the snooker tables and badminton courts. Back then in 1960s my siblings and I were oblivious to the happenings at the Club as we were busy playing outdoor games like marbles or police and thieves, together with our Chinese, Indian and Bengali neighbours. There were 8, 9 or 10 of us in each family so we were a contented lot.

The Pahang Club built in 1907

At the main door

When we reached the Club, the door was closed but not locked. As we went into this rickety old wooden Club we treaded carefully to explore the dance floor. It must have been a witness to many events. The dancers would glide around the floor almost effortlessly to the sound of rhapsodic and melodic music. Their movements would be smooth and graceful.

A scene from the Waltz 1920s

This old rickety building seems to stand the test of time and history. Perhaps the Club would undergo restoration to accommodate the current social activities of the locals but at that point of time of our visit it appeared to have been abandoned. It only adds to the atmosphere of a fallen splendour.

Once upon a dance floor

Meantime, my children, children of an independent nation, posed happily in a carefree manner and with much enthusiasm. They have the freedom to walk into places that once belonged to an exclusive society.

Another place we would visit is the Kuala Lipis Government Office. Kuala Lipis was the capital of Pahang from 1898 to 1955. This prominent historical building is easily noticeable as one approaches Kuala Lipis. It was built on a hill top in 1919. It became the management centre for Pahang state. The Land Office is located in this complex. It is about 1km from the old town centre.

 Government office complex built in 1919

At the Land Office

If a person takes a bus ride from town to the office, the bus would stop at the bottom of a flight of stairs to go to the complex. Thereon one has to walk up the stairs for about 10minutes. It is quite a pleasant walk as the stairs are well spaced. As the office is quite close to town some people may choose to walk back to the old town centre after attending to their business at the office.

For my siblings and i, occasionally our late father who once worked at the Land Office would allow us to see him at the office. We would be thrilled to be able to do just that. We love to walk up the stairs and enter the beautiful building. Everyone seemed to be working quietly. There were stack of files on the tables and we could hear the sound of typewriters and the ringing sound of the old fashioned black colour dial system telephones. On the way home, we would stop by the canteen to buy “roti canai”. It was such a simple pleasure in life.

Good exercise

Almost there

At the corner of the Land Office

In 2012 the Land Office was moved to the new town centre leaving the old Land Office empty and deserted. It was strangely quiet and melancholic.

Abandoned steps

Wrapped in time

The new Land Office offers a contemporary architectural design which is a striking contrast to the old Land Office.

 The new Land Office

We move on with time. Our country has many capable leaders and administrators. We have a statesman by the name of Tun Muhammad Ghazali Shafie or his nickname “King Ghaz”. He was born in Kuala Lipis in 1922. King Ghaz was a diplomatic leader who was known nationally and internationally. Among his noble contributions are his roles in the formation of Malaysia and ASEAN.

Finally it’s time for everyone to “balik rumah” or go back home to their respective houses.

Zero Milestone

As we looked outside the window of our car, we see again the secondary jungles, the traditional villages and one particular area that we always make time to stop and rest, the “ Pusat Rekreasi Jeram Besu” or Besu Rapids Recreational Park. The rapids are reported to be both challenging and thrilling.

Jeram Besu is located on the trunk road between the towns of Raub and Kuala Lipis, about 25km from Kuala Lipis going towards Kuala Lumpur. As we step on the river bank, the Jeram Besu is a picture of tranquillity. It offers a natural landscape of small forest and young trees and we can hear the sound of chirping birds. The water flow smoothly in small waves as it sweeps over small rocks and boulders and under the canopy of trees. It continues to meander down streams as the current gain momentum.

At Jeram Besu Recreational Park

Canoeing and kayaking stuff

Jeram Besu is located on Sungai Lipis

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri everyone and Maaf Zahir dan Batin.