ANN/THE STAR – “One bowl of porridge!”, shouted one customer.
Another called out, “Yong tau foo with noodles!” Yet another ordered, “Char koay teow with see ham (cockles).” Situated at the entrance of Pasir Pinji village in Ipoh, Malaysia, business at this well-known food stall is roaring. Aside from the delicious meal, customers liked the calm ambiance created by the large leafy trees. The trees must have been there for more than a half-century based on the size of their trunks and deep roots. If trees could talk, they would tell us about Pasir Pinji’s turbulent history.
Hundreds of innocent Chinese people were forcefully transferred to the area during the ‘emergency’. The bulk of them were farmers working their property in Ipoh’s neighbouring highlands or forests.
Many of them were given very little notice to relocate. In their hurry, they could only carry the minimal necessities. They were forced to evacuate their houses as well as all the rewards of their work, including the blossoming mango and durian trees, as well as the livestock they had meticulously grown. Those who refused to relocate would have their homes demolished and their wells poisoned. The new resettlement area was given the nice-sounding name of Pasir Pinji New Village. However, it was neither new nor a village.
Surrounded by a double layer of barbed wire and patrolled round the clock by armed guards, it was more like a concentration camp. The residents had to face daily curfews and rations as well as surveillance and many other restrictions.
Subjected to fear and anxiety constantly, the villagers were denied some of the most basic rights of a human being. The deprivations and difficulties suffered by them caused severe strain on their mental and physical health.
The ‘emergency’ period was a dark and dangerous time in the nation’s tumultuous history. One of the villagers, 85-year-old Poon, related how his family was forced to move to Pasir Pinji village.
Suspected to be a communist sympathiser, his father was rounded up during one of the operations by the British soldiers. Knowing how dire the consequences would be, Poon’s father dashed into the dense and tall “elephant” grass to hide. The British soldiers gave chase. However, the soldiers failed to locate him.
The next day, the British returned with their guard dogs. Hearing the sound of the barking dogs approaching, Poon’s father had no choice but to jump into a nearby tin mining lake and swim underwater to escape them. Thankfully, the lotus plants helped to provide cover and protection for his father.
In the new villages, the residents had to find their own building materials and build the houses with their own bare hands. The houses had attap roofs and wooden walls.
Today, the village is a thriving place, full of eateries and shops. Sadly, the new residents and patrons visiting Pasir Pinji today seem to care more for the food than its rich history.
