Living in the tropics of Malaysia, I always struggled with the idea of Santa Claus, who is famed for his silent creeping into the homes of families to leave behind gifts (or coal) for children - despite his portly physique. Quite a feat, I say!
Naughty or nice, the North Pole-based, internationally renowned Saint Nick has certainly never come to my house.
But this Christmas, I am hoping that ‘Santa’ will listen to the wishes of this geriatric 23-year-old beyond the expected wishes for world peace and an end to all suffering.
My mother’s family were part of the wave of Bidayuh villages in the 1970s that was receptive to the persuasion of Christian missionaries, leaving behind their pagan ways for some of the various Abrahamic religions that seemed to offer them a better life.
On Waze, the village where my mother grew up is most easily identified by its church which was granted the name of a Peruvian saint. Situated about 43km away from the Kuching International Airport, it is nestled within the greenery and hilly terrain of Siburan.
Despite her sisters’ eventual return from Peninsular Malaysia, there is not much left there for my mother. Her main aspiration growing up was to leave the village to find greater success in the city. Both her parents died some aeons ago, with many relatives scattered across the globe.
My last trip home with my mother, who had moved to Kuala Lumpur in 1986 and led a small exodus of relatives from Kuching, took place 15 years ago when a grandaunt had passed away.
Nothing much to do
For the first time in four years, I returned to Kuching earlier this month to visit two of my aunts who have decided to return home for their retirement.
If I am honest, beyond the attraction of nature, durian season and reuniting with elderly relatives, there is not much to do in that neck of the woods.
For a start, line coverage remains an issue in many villages in the area. I can barely call out or read an email with my regular service provider.
Despite its relative distance from Kuching town, it is still much closer to the state capital than the rural outposts of Baram and Kapit, for example. Yet, most residents are stumped for options once exiting the urban centre.
Cable television piracy - aimed at providing some light entertainment - is prevalent, although the channels offered are similarly reliant on some state-sponsored channels.
It’s something you don’t think much about until you get there but its effects are evident - that while development is happening, it is crawling towards modernity too slowly to retain its younger residents. Not to mention, it would be hard to tell if it is still reaping the benefits of the most recent general election.
“That road got fixed a few weeks before the election,” a family friend said while pointing to a road suffering from slope failure.
Internet connectivity proved vital during the pandemic, for young people to access education and a wealth of resources available to them online.
Call for Fahmi Fadzil
If the Pakatan Harapan-led government truly wants to make ripples in the water that will last longer than a term in Putrajaya, it needs to start with the Communications and Digital Ministry.
The work of the Education Ministry in shifting existing cultures and nurturing future generations of Malaysians to think critically is a no-brainer.
However, without a concerted effort from both ministries, attempts to undo the damage of 60-odd years of spoon-feeding the rakyat state narratives through cable television would be futile.
Instead of seeing some “respected” individuals for what they truly are, it is can be frustrating to have honest conversations with relatives about the true nature of native customary land rights, dirty money, and development of the area in which they live - and it all boils down to a lack of exposure to the resources truly at hand to the rakyat.
If this was a conversation on call, it might be frustrating to have a call at all!
Despite what appears to be some initial trouble with the recently unveiled Pakej Perpaduan, it would be interesting to see what newly minted minister and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil, whose background would suggest himself be a good fit, to solve the many problems that plague our nation. Among them are scam cases, data leaks, and poor telecommunications infrastructure.
In the meantime, like generations before them, the youth are fleeing their hometowns for a better life in the cities, in recognition that living rurally cannot afford them the premium lifestyle many see on their small screens. What will Fahmi and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek do to reconnect the rural?
I guess what I really want for Christmas is for Santa to cut a deal with our favourite communications minister to secure better internet in those rural heartlands - for selfless and selfish reasons!
I just want to get on a call (with a stable connection!) with my elderly aunties sans headache this holiday season - and world peace!
In the wise words of John Lennon, Merry Crimble! - Mkini
ALENA NADIA is a member of the Malaysiakini Team.
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