A Journey Back To Kuala Kangsar
[www.asiahype.com]
by
AI
Shahbuddin
Kuala
Kangsar's (or KK as it is known) blatant beauty is attributed to three
things: the architecture, the river and the history behind it. An
unpretentious town, whose quiet charm nonetheless managed to attract
the production crew of "Anna And The King".
I
could not think of any reasons not to love Kuala Kangsar. But then
my utmost fondness of the small little town could have easily made
me biased. Over the years, my respect for this small little town,
for all its untouched beauty and strong history, has never withered.
My 'kampung' as I commonly refer it as, has so much heritage surrounding
its small little area, that sometimes it makes me feel as though living
in KL seems like a bad decision.
The air that permeates the small little town is certainly fresher
than many of the prominent parks in Kuala Lumpur. And the town is
very laid back. There are no traffic jams, no parking problems. While
there are annoying drivers roaming around (name me a place where there
aren't) in the middle of its small town centre, you tend to forgive
them. After all, most of these local drivers are so used to driving
at their own pace, taking their own sweet time because unlike big
city folk like me, these people know what relaxing is all about.
Adding to its beauty is the Perak River. It flows steadily alongside
a prime residential area called called Bukit Chandan. It is here that
the unblemished beauty of the town becomes clear. The panoramic view
of the river can be seen from the balcony of the Bukit Chandan Rest
House, where many people would not miss the chance to sit and watch
the serenity of the evening sun while sipping a glass of teh tarik
(I am not sure if the rest house serves beer now, it used to though).
A few years back a wooden bridge was built on this part of the river
for the French-based movie Indochine. And last year, the same river
was featured in 21st century Fox flick- "Anna and the King".
Besides the river, Bukit Chandan is blessed with astounding pre-war
architecture. On its hill lie majestically some of the most prominent
pre-war buildings in the country - the Ubuddiah Mosque and the Istana
Iskandariah. Adorned with magnificent golden dome and minarets, the
former was built in 1913 (opened in 1917). The latter was built in
1932 and has become the official residence of the Sultan of Perak
to this date.
Another pre-war palace in Bukit Chandan is the Istana Hulu, which
is a perfect blend of colonial influence and Malay architecture. This
old palace was built in 1903 during the reign of Sultan Idris Mursyidul
Shah Azam, the 28th Sultan of Perak and since 1954, it has been taken
over by the Education Ministry and was subsequently turned into the
Istana Kota National School and in 1970, the Raja Perempuan Muzwin
School. Pretty much abandoned these days, it briefly became the centre
of attraction last year when it was selected for a scene for "Anna
and the King".
Besides Bukit Chandan, pre-war buildings have adorned other parts
of the town. Some of the finest Malay traditional houses in the country
can be seen here and there. Structurally big, these wooden houses
have roofs that are decorated with impressive skirtings.
The colonial influence can be seen in The Malay College Kuala Kangsar
(MCKK), built in 1905, which bred some of the most prominent political
leaders in the country.
The
Famous Kueh Pau
KK
has a small town centre. Like most small towns in Perak, the town
centre is adorned with pre-war Chinese shop houses and kopitiams.
One of them, "Kedai Ah Loke" has a long history of its popular 'Kueh
Pau'. Ah Loke's Pau menu includes the ever-scrumptious 'Pau Daging',
'Pau Kaya' and 'Pau Ayam'. His buns are so popular with the locals
that they're sold out by mid-evening.
Operating
since before the war, the shop had always been popular with MCKK students
then. So popular even some its former students like the HRH Sultan
of Pahang, still crave for the Pau every now and then. The ruler is
known to have brought the Pau whenever he travels overseas, stacking
hundreds of them in neatly wrapped boxes. Besides its Pau, Ah Loke
also has an equally delicious dish called "Micitot" which stands for
mince meat on toast. Its hainanese fried meehon is pretty good too.
A few doors away from Ah Loke, is the oldest laundry in town.
While
Ah Loke's delicious Pau menu was popular MCKK students, the Idris
Club, was a well-known watering hole for their teachers and local
nobility in the town.
The
late English author, Anthony Burgess, a former teacher of MCKK himself,
used to spend his evening after teaching, drinking beer and playing
the piano at the club. The author of books such as the "Tiger of Malaya",
once indicated that at one point in his life he had decided to change
his name, convert to Islam and lived peacefully here. He never did,
only to return to England after his brief stint in KK.
Like Burgess, I have never actually stayed here long. My stay was
short-lived when my family decided to move to Ipoh when I was six.
And since then I only visited the town every now and then, mostly
on school holidays and Hari Raya. As a kid, I used to come here with
my late mother almost every school holiday, staying at her favourite
sister's house, and after she died in 1976, I still visited the town
but have never stayed there overnight.
The
teenagers of KK
It
is in this little town that my parents, all my aunts, uncles (a total
of 17 from both sides) and my larger-than-life close relatives, grew
up as teenagers in 50s.
Kuala Kangsar in the 50s was like the serial Peyton Place - the rich
seemed to rule the town and everyone was connected with everybody,
somehow or rather. It was here that sparkling sporty MGs roamed around
the town, the teenagers trying out the latest 'yankee' pants, ardent
fans of Hindustani movie adopting hindustani names (my mother used
to have one herself), fell in love with P.Ramlee and swarmed to watch
James Dean, Kasma Booty and Audrey Hepburn in the fan-only 'Rex' cinema.
It was also here that they had their first date, got married and had
kids.
Today KK is a lot more quiet. Most of the teenagers are no longer
there having either moved out to bigger towns, where they have air-conditioned
cinemas or have long died. A handful of them like an aunt of mine
are still there.
Proof of a person's bond with their home town must surely be the act
of returning when they are ready to laid to rest. The Royal Mausoleum,
situated next to the Ubuddiah Mosque, is where my late mother, all
eight of her siblings, my grandfathers and grandmothers and other
close relatives are buried. (Perhaps I will be buried here one day,
unless I die in airplane crash like JFK Jr or I'm eaten alive by a
python in the Titiwangsa jungle. And this gives far more reasons to
be sentimental).
I
once said to a friend of mine that these days, I only go back to Kuala
Kangsar for three reasons: Hari Raya, funerals and Ah Loke's Pau.
Since Hari Raya only comes once a year, I have realised that I have
been back for more funerals than for any other reasons.
Perhaps that is the only thing that I dislike about Kuala Kangsar.
The fact that it is place to bid farewell to the people I
had strongly associated my life with.
As
for Ah Loke's Kueh Pau, I still go there to have my pau every now
and then or simply snatch a few at my father's house in Ipoh before
they were packed for the Pahang ruler.