Once a leprosy settlement, this spot in Sungai Buloh buzzes with cheer as residents and visitors gather for the festivities.
Laughter drifts through the air as tables overflow with food. The sound of applause follows a series of spirited performances, all part of the community’s early Chinese New Year celebrations.
On most days, the settlement is quiet and contemplative. On this day, however, it buzzes with activity as visitors from outside stream in to celebrate alongside its long-time residents.
Organised by Persatuan Shenpen Malaysia, and assisted by the Care & Share Society, their activities include a New Year reunion meal, and distribution of everyday supplies and red packets.
Care & Share Society president Tan Ean Nee told FMT Lifestyle that Chinese New Year celebrations have been held here for the past 10 years.
“On Chinese New Year’s Eve, our society prepares festive dishes for every Chinese resident in the wards, so that even as families elsewhere are reuniting, the elderly here feel remembered, cared for, and not alone,” Tan added.
The Sungai Buloh Leprosy Settlement, also known as the Valley of Hope, was established in the 1930s by the British administration as a response to the rising number of leprosy cases in the country.
Isolated from the outside world because of their condition, patients built a close-knit community of their own, living quietly while receiving medical care. At its peak, the settlement was home to about 2,000 residents and sprawled across 230 hectares.
Today, the early Chinese New Year celebrations at the settlement are lively, with residents putting on performances, and a Tibetan lama present to give blessings. This was not always the case: in the past, celebrations were far smaller in scale, as fear and stigma kept others from entering.
It was only in the 1970s that the community gradually opened up to the outside world, with religious organisations of various faiths visiting during major celebrations.
“Because of this community’s unique history and background, we are grateful to those willing to come here and build connections with our residents,” said Tan.
“Over the past decade, we have seen the community become more vibrant, and the elderly residents living more meaningful lives. This brings us great joy.”
Settlement resident Vincent Yeoh Soon Hwa said Chinese New Year was always an exciting time. Over the years, however, the number of residents has declined, making their festivities quieter.
Born in Riau, Indonesia, he arrived at the Valley in 1961, where he received treatment for seven years. He never left.
“I didn’t have many good childhood memories of Chinese New Year. My mother restricted me from playing with other children because of what I had,” Yeoh said. “But when I came here, it was different. I could make friends.”
He remembered feeling deeply moved by how married couples in the settlement would invite single residents to join their reunion dinners, ensuring no one was alone that night.
Yeoh and his friends worked part-time jobs during the festive season, growing and selling flowers, and helping the elderly clean their chalets.
Cleaning a single chalet typically earned them about RM6, which Yeoh and his friends shared. To them, this payment was a treasure.
Yeoh’s fondest festive memories are of decorating his quarters in Ward 88 with dragon and phoenix ornaments, then placing a long table laden with peanuts, cookies and bottles of orange soda in the middle of the space.
He and his friends even made their own kuih kapit with ingredients purchased from the women’s ward.
“There were no firecrackers, and nobody came with red packets. It was just children from different wards visiting each other to exchange New Year greetings.
“We’d sit together, eating and chatting. That simple gathering was full of festive cheer,” Yeoh recalled wistfully.
As residents and visitors gather this year, the festivities at the Valley of Hope are a touching reminder that community is not defined by circumstance, but by the willingness to welcome, share and care for one another.
Once shaped by isolation and stigma, today the settlement is alive with chatter, shared meals and meaningful smiles. - FMT
For more information on the Valley of Hope, visit their website.
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