Kampong Days

I proudly declare that I am still a Kampong boy. In fact, I love talking about my Kampong days so much that it sometimes upsets my children. There was so much fun living in the boondocks with nary a care in the world. I spent about 20 years in Kampong Pandan. I was born and finished my Form Five there although we moved house twice. The house that I was born in faced what is now the Cochrane Road School. It was a jungle then with some Malays living there in small huts. We used to play hide and seek there. Neighbours were a motley group of Chinese , Eurasians, Malays, Indians and Punjabis. What a time we had running into each others house from the front through the back. No fences seperated our houses, a hedge or two but no fences. Festivals were big affairs with all neighbours streaming in the whole day with our mums' dishing out tasty hot food and cakes. Malay friends walked in, ate and drank with us. Never heard of 'halal' or 'haram' then. In fact, my Malay neighbour even had two dogs called 'Blackie and Whitie'. Good banter would follow every visit and we made sure that we would return each visit. Life was good then.
How things have changed. What has become of us now? I live in USJ, Subang Jaya. It is a crowded neighbourhood. And all neighbours have been walled in. Luckily, I still get to greet my Malay neighbours with a 'Hello' of 'Hi'. But that is about it. No further communication. Their kids do not know mine. They lead a life of their own. We fear to invite them to our house for any function and be told that they cannot because we do not serve halal food. It hurts us when we are told such. It is made worse when Ulamas declare that public Rumah Buka's should be banned because it may intrude on Islam. God help us! Who are these idiots who tell us what to do or not do?
My sister studied in a Convent School in Peel Road and many of her classmates who were Malays recited the 'Hail Mary' and the 'Our Father' daily in the morning. Some even attended Mass and took Scripture for Form 5 and passed with flying colours. Ask Dr. Mahathir's wife. They have all done well for themselves and are good Muslims still. None have gone wrong. If anything, they understand and respect other religions better. But we have become too polarised. Just look at the government departments, the multinationals. The former is full of Malays and the latter, Chinese. Going for lunch is going with your own kind. Look at the new breed of kindergartens that cater for a particular religion. The children covered from head to foot must be imbibed with religion at a young age otherwise they will not get God's salvation, they say. Sorry, but what they are going to become are narrow minded, ultra radicals who will take to the streets and burn down buildings all for the sake of religion.
At least I had experienced the days when all races could mix freely without any fear of being penalised for every small thing. I feel a tinge of sadness for the new generation of Malaysians who have not.