6/12/09 SG. BEDIL....KUIH-KUIH.....

Once, probably the first in my life time, at the age of, I believe four or five years old (in 1964-5), my grand mum took me down to Kuching from Simunjan. We visited her younger brother, Suhaili's family, who stayed at Muara Sg. Bedil just next to the Astana. We boarded a motor launch name (if not mistaken) Kian Tung, probably a 30-50GRT coastal vessel, at a fee of RM5/per adult (kids are free or minimum fee). In good weather condition, it took us about half day to travel down the vast long winding Batang Sadong to the Muara, then have a rest at Sebangan (with free lunch), a small fishing village at Muara Sadong, waiting for the tide, before we run past the Muara Samarahan, then entering Muara Tebas. The whole journey probably takes abpout 36-48 hours. Those are those old days, and now it took me only 90 minutes to drive back to my Kampung!

(2) I remember well this my first trip down to Kuching because of various incidents, firstly because I was almost drawn while swimming across the Sg Bedil Stream. My second auntie save my life, or else I would have chance to write all these. Later we 'masak-masak', of which in my recent visit to Solo, Indonesia, I saw the type of plant (a legume) we used to 'masak-masak' and it seem that this plant (I still figuring the name)is good to solve the 'kembung and cacing' problem of the cattle and goat.

(3) Secondly, every morning I would look out the window and or door, watching some kids, with something in the basket on their heads or across their shoulder, shouting 'kuih...kuih, kuih paw, pulut panggang, bingka, tape...and so on', those days, those kids bare footed with 'look dirty and untidy clothes'...helping out their parents to earn a living. After this visit in fact, I offered my grad mum to help out just exactly the same 'at our KTS Sawmill' in Simunjan. I believe, my visit to Sg. Bedil triggered my business interest!

(4) In one evening I was treated to a movie at the currently Capitol(?) Cinema next to the Brooke Dock Yard with my step grand father. I put on 'kanji dobi short, with tug in short sleeve kemeja, and first time 'selipar jepun''. Feel like Epit in Lat Kartun of the Kampung Boy!, and I still remember, the movie title is Sabaruddin Tukang Kasut, and the lead actor was Abdullah Chik, and, while having peanut with 'ikan bilis' all through the movie, my step grand father keep advising me to work hard, and always remembering the poor, but must remain honest in all my deed, just as that 'Abdullah Chik' character in the movie. Those advice, still hovering in my ears, and keep me determine of 'being poor and be with the poor' till today.

(5) Sg Bedil, Kuching....for the last 45 years, the memory kept in my mind, and for the last seven years, I've been seated here, seeing this place across my Office, and now, I'm struggliong to think on what could I do to make sure all those 1960s 'disadvantages' could be 'eliminated' from these Tupong-Bintawa corridor! Same goes with Igan, Mukah, Gedong Simunjan, and Beladin, Pusa which I've visited in my hard kids life with my dad and step grand pa. It seem now that, at this age, at this position, all these places are haunting me, making me unable to sleep well.

(6) Now that I'm working hard to study the early development of Mecca and Madinah, from a desert, a place of no-where, Abraham, and then Muhammad built them into a place of 'peace, unity, and prosperity'. God, friends, help me with the ideas. Let work for the good of the Malays, I'm dam worried, these places would breed hooligan Malays in the future, and I'm worried they 'may shiiiit'on our graveyard if we do nothing now.

(7) I believe a proper Neighborhood Plan, which I would called a Plan should be developed for these areas. A Neighborhood that could give 'Pride, Opportunity, and Security' for all. Be mindful, these are among the first settlements built even before the arrival of Brooke. Proper development of these Places must bring back the 'Historical Values' of the places but with some 'commercial adjustment' to make them more relevant to the future.

(8) Our people here, the old, the nostalgic generation, the young, the less educated whom probably were left to be with the older population, while the better educated have move out but still have strong influence over the left over population. What would be their inspiration? What would make them be happy to accept our 'Plan'? What would make them confident of their future in the 'Plan'?

(9) While the Government having shallow pocket to deal with these people wants, then we are left with the potential developers who want to see the IRR of the Projects.

(10) I tried to see how in the old Ismail day of redevelopment and expansion of Mecca as the best strategy which focus on the Mosque (Kaabah) as the Center Piece of Peace and Unity, followed by the Public Place as the key fabric of Social activities and the Bazaar or Shopping Mall as the Place of Economic exchange. The settlements are pedestrian friendly, with lines of green and 'smaller courtyard' within smaller cluster of homes. The Sarawak River at the forefront, is the Nile of Egypt, that would give strength for further commercialization of the 'first line river bank scenic complexes'. The lines of roads and lanes being planned and develop as those canals along the old Nile in the Yusuf era! Those would give the 'scenic river Cruise' along these rejuvenated settlements.

(11) With such a concept, I believe, the old, the 'disadvantage young', the better young, the community as the whole would have 'a dream neighborhood', they would have better place to meet Him, they have better places to keep eyes on their very youngs, they have a place to earn...and most important, they are still there, not too far from their past, their heritage! I hope, I have got the answer. And may He allow me to meet Him in Mecca to see that Plan is worth struggling. SubhannAllah, InsyaAllah.

Kuching, Sarawak
22 Dec., 2009