The fading history of Kg Sungai Buloh

 

(From left) Aziz Yunus, Nor Yusin and Mustakim Muhammad are among the few people in Kampung Sungai Buloh who know the village’s history.

PETALING JAYA: Young Aziz Yunus did not know much about life other than going to school and playing with his friends inside a new village set up in Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan, during the Malayan Emergency in 1948.

Between the ages of two and seven, he knew he would likely have to sleep with a growling stomach on most days, except for the one day in the year when all villagers gather to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Aziz Yunus.

Aziz, now 78, said he still remembers how the village was lit up by torches made from coconut shells, with the aroma of ketupat and rendang wafting through the air.

“We were poor, but at least we were poor together. We were united in our struggle,” he told FMT.

Aziz said the villagers were willing to sacrifice what little money they had to make sure the festive spirit burned bright despite the dire conditions they lived under.

Now running a store selling drinks and steamed buns in Durian Tipus, Aziz said he still longs for the communal life that used to make Hari Raya celebrations so memorable.

“Nowadays it is not as merry. I have on many occasions sat here and relived the many nostalgic memories I have of the old days. We will never be able to recreate that feeling. It is long gone.”

Mustakim Muhammad points to where the new village was built during British rule.

History of Kampung Sungai Buloh

Now known as Kampung Sungai Buloh, the settlement is home to some 994 residents and includes 187 hectares of paddy fields.

Mustakim Muhammad.

Village head Mustakim Muhammad said the new village was built by the British army in the late 1940s to keep people in the surrounding areas safe from the communists.

This forced resettlement was part of a military plan devised by British General Sir Harold Briggs with the aim of cutting off the Malayan National Liberation Army’s support in the rural region.

Aziz, the fourth of 10 siblings, was two years old when he and his family were moved from a nearby kampung to a plot of land that was only around 10 acres wide, 20 times smaller than the size of Kampung Sungai Buloh today.

“There were 10 police officers and 30 special constables guarding the place. We couldn’t get out of our houses before 7am, and we had to get back inside at 6pm. Nobody dared to be late,” he said.

Aside from living in constant fear, Aziz said they also struggled to find food. On most days, they were resigned to a diet of potatoes, bananas and sweet potatoes to fill their stomachs, he said.

Nor Yusin.

However, Nor Yusin, who moved into the settlement aged nine, said the villagers became creative in finding sources of protein. He said some of them planted paddy while others would go to nearby rivers to fish.

“Times were tough, but we embraced our struggles. We could catch a lot of fish in half an hour at the river. We didn’t need to buy vegetables either, as we were able to pluck kangkung and edible ferns off the ground.”

When bullets flew

Both Nor Yusin and Aziz recalled several skirmishes between the British army and the communists. To this day, the terrifying sound of gunshots still rings loud in their ears, they said.

Aziz recounted how the British officers ordered every household to dig a shelter under their stilt homes into which they could retreat in the event of a shootout between the police and the communists.

“It must have happened at least three times. It was very sudden. Someone would strike the gong, and we would just jump into the hole without knowing what was going on.”

Nor Yusin also related an incident in which the communists killed three Orang Asli guards stationed at one of the six entrances to the settlement.

“My mum would shout, ‘Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Someone’s shooting.’ We would go down to hide in the hole and would get drenched whenever it rained.”

The 83-year-old retiree also recounted the trek he and his classmates had to make just to get to school, which involved cutting through the jungle bare-footed at in the morning.

“There were a lot of ants that would bite our feet. We never wore any shoes. Those who couldn’t take the pain would constantly try to brush them off their legs,” he said.

Most of the residents of Kampung Sungai Buloh work as farmers in its 87-hectare-wide paddy fields.

Fading story

The Kampung Sungai Buloh story is now at risk of fading away completely, with only a handful of people such as Aziz and Nor Yusin still around to recount the events that took place during the emergency.

What resides only in the memory will eventually fade away, said Mustakim.

“The youth of today will not know the history of this village unless they interact with the elderly. Unless it is reduced to writing, the village’s history will be lost forever.”

A downcast Nor Yusin told of the loneliness he feels as one of the few left who still remember how Kampung Sungai Buloh used to be.

“All of my friends from the original village have died. One of them just passed away a few days ago. I’m the only one left.” - FMT