What's The Difference?

One of SeaDemon's post on multiculturalism reminded me of my old pals and how i felt the same way as he did.

Being a son to a sergeant, i spent my 17 yrs of schooling from kindergarden to form 5 in Terendak Camp, Malacca. Around the late 80s to early 90s, the number of chinese servicemen were dwindling or should i say almost extinct, therefore my neighbours were mainly malays, a few indians, ibans, dayaks, kadazans and many others from East Malaysia. Heck my best friends were almost all bumiputras.

And one chinese friend, Damien, the son of a Commando, Col Yap. We were the same, can't speak any good chinese except for some 'hokkien' and damn fluent in Bahasa Malaysia. Had a few malay girl friends (cinta monyet) and whenever i'm talking on the phone, i could easily pass of as a malay.

During those times we didn't feel any racial differences. We did almost everything together. After schools before our evening extra curriculars i would go over to Nazri Mat Rojin's house for lunch with his mom and sis(cute but 2 yrs older). Then weekends i would be at Taman Peruna with Rosdi Baba and Zaini Hashim 'hunting' for birds with our 'kacip' and 'lastiks'.

And during school breaks, Suhaimi Saat would occasionally put up 1 or 2 nights at my house as his parents were in Terengganu while he's living in 'Asrama Putra' and it was a struggle to get seats in those interstate buses. I would also occasionally crash over at Nurulhasmadi and Arian Syazwara's dorm, eating their army rations and 'tong-tong' cigarettes.

Infact Suhaimi and his mum convinced me to go for the ATMA's interview, even got for me and organized my entry forms. The interview was held in Kuantan's Bt 10 Air Base and i stayed overnight at Suhaimi's house in Kemaman, Chukai. The mum drove us there the next day. Even though Suhaimi dropped out after the 1st yr, his mum still calls me every year during CNY to wish me and my mum and would drop the question of when am i getting married. I've got to pay her a visit and stuff myself with 'kopok lekor'.

Back to my schooling years, at that time, around the area of Sungai Udang and Simpang Terendak in particular, SM Kem Terendak was the only school for Secondary Upper(until form 5) in the vicinity. And SMJK (C) Sg Udang located just after Simpang Terendak heading towards Masjid Tanah, at the Bertam Ulu junction, had only until Secondary Lower (Form 3). Therefore most of the chinese students from Kg Baru Sg Udang would have to enroll into SM Kem Terendak after their SRP. I could still remember, in form 4, me and the gangs have to take the school bus, while the new chinese guys, being 'anak taukeh kebun sayur' had their motorcycles. They were very quiet because they could only speak chinese (cantonese), an alien language for Damien and I.

But still somehow rather, the two group became friends, Ee Loon, Calvin, Antony Savarimuthu, Thiam and Ah Tam, their malay were always humourous and best of all, i learned how to ride bikes with clutches. Video arcade sneak-ins for 'street fighter II', snooker at the Sg Udg's Parti Gerakan MCA, 'Chap Puek Kias' (18 boys) & 'Low Kuan (21) gang fights. And at Ee Loon's funeral, everybody came to pay their last respect (road accident on his bike at Tg Keling's Junct). How we would gather at Irwan's house to watch Terminator II and porns when Brig Jen (Rtd) Dato Abidin was not around. Fried our own chicken drummets at Jeremiah Sunderaj Peter's house and kick his cowardly poodle around. The auntie next door would always send us her special putumayam & chicken varuable, while grandma would distribute her special Penang Nyonya's Otak-otak to the neighbourhood.

Those were the days when we had no differences, no racial issues except for CNY's 'ang pow's and Hari Raya's 'green pows'. We didn't care, it was not important, infact it didn't matter at all. Heck, i didn't even know what was 'non-bumiputra' until i questioned the ad on non-bumi rates of the Mahkota Hotel apartments where Damien's dad bought one unit. Peace be the good old days.