Malays are capable of standing on their own

A two-day vacation in the heart of Kampung Baru shows this writer just how resourceful and enterprising Malays can be.

COMMENT

I decided to take my kids on a surprise trip last weekend. Having had enough of shopping malls every other weekend, I thought it would be nice to do something different.

That was when I found a little boutique hotel hidden in the heart of Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Claiming itself to be a wholesome kampong experience, I was at first quite sceptical because if my research proved me right, the hotel was owned by a Malay individual, operated by Malay folks and surrounded by Malay houses.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not looking down on Malays but recent developments in our country seem to paint Malays as a struggling race, forever dependent on invisible hands to lift them out of poverty. This has led me to perceive Malays as somewhat incapable of taking care of themselves. Frankly, I was reluctant to jeopardise my weekend getaway for an experience that could very likely lack in quality.

But then I realised – an experience is an experience, be it a good one or a risky one. So I made an online booking, dragged my boy from his PS4 and my girl from her MTV, and together, we found our way to the heart of the Malay community in the city centre, not knowing that what awaited me would be far from what I had expected.

My first impression of the place wasn’t good. It was Zohor and there were groups of people making their way for prayers at Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru, situated just a few kampung houses away. The men were in their jubbah; the ladies in their long hijab; the little ones in their little kopiahs, dressed like little ustazs. To be honest, I felt a little out of place. But hey, it was too late to change my mind, so I walked right into the hotel lobby.

Having stayed at luxurious hotels as well as budget hotels catering mainly to backpackers, I lowered my expectations for this one. However, I was very much impressed at the simplicity yet very personal deco – oil lamps, bunga cempaka, coloured glass frames, old wooden window panels and doors as artwork. But the best feature about this hotel was the service.

The Malay lady who welcomed us had a huge smile on her face and spoke very good English. Within minutes of our conversation, another lady in a floral headscarf served us tall glasses of juice. And a little later, a pakcik at the reception said hello and struck up a conversation with us. It all felt very genuine and friendly – somehow it didn’t feel like I was visiting the place for the first time. I have to admit that no five-star hotel reception that I’ve experienced in the past even came close.

During our stay there, my kids and I walked down almost every street and alley in the area, passing many pakciks and makciks selling foodstuff by the roadside. Needless to say, there were smiles and happy greetings aplenty. At times my kids and I stopped just for a chitchat. What was amazing was that they were all so warm and friendly even when we did not buy anything – so much so that we ended-up buying stuff we did not even intend to earlier.

I remember this one elderly pakcik selling religious items by the street corner. Every time we walked past his stall, his smile was ever so inviting yet he never loudly promoted his products nor attempted to bait his customers like other more aggressive traders. Finally, his smile won me over, and I crossed the road and purchased a few tasbih and sejadah.

Then there was this fantastic nasi kukus and ayam percik place in Jalan Raja Alang that was flooded with people every time we passed it – the food was amazing and the service, friendly. The orders came in quick and the waiters were quite attentive. My kids and I put in three orders of nasi kukus, ayam percik, sticky rice with mango and coconut ice cream with pulut pandan plus our drinks and the bill was a measly RM37. Astonishing!

There were so many other restaurants and stores around the place, all doing brisk business. In addition to the fabulous people we met along the way, our two-day trip really turned out to be a wonderful experience. Most importantly, it proved to me that Malays were a capable community, with the tenacity to accomplish great things just like everybody else.

The thing is, the Malays have their own way of doing things. Their warmth and hospitality as well as their sense of trust and kindness mean they do not necessarily have to imitate the ways of others to accomplish greatness. Unfortunately, people like Ismail Sabri (the Father of Low Yat 2) and the government fail to realise this, hence going further in tainting the image of Malays.

For what it’s worth, I learnt a valuable lesson last weekend: “Just because someone offers you crutches, doesn’t make you disabled. It is only when you accept those crutches, do you inflict a disability upon yourself.”