Chapter 1 : The Kampung Life

It all began when the 6 of us, Melissa, Shima, Vivien, Frederick, Brendan and Kean Jie ditched the city life and ventured into the kampung for a day, to learn and experience the kampung life. Packed our bags with cameras and sketch books, we travelled up north from Cheras to Kampung Dusun Tua of Hulu Langat. Upon reaching Kampung Dusun Tua, we travelled on foot to enhance our experience of the kampung life. To breathe and smell the invigorating air away from the city and to bask under the sunlight. More importantly, it has given us more opportunity to meet and talk to the locals.

Photo showing the few of us enjoying the peaceful environment of the kampong as we "hunt" for an interesting Malay House

Background

Watercolour illustration of Kampung Dusun Tua

Map of Kampung Dusun Tua

As suggested by its Malay name, Dusun Tua is the one of the oldest Malay village, approximately 100 years old settlement located in Hulu Langat, Selangor. Dusun Tua means old orchard. It is a rural vicinity although being located within Hulu Langat which is a suburban sub-district. This place is well known for the Dusun Tua National Youth Skills Institute, Dusun Tua Hot Spring, Sungai Congkak waterfall, not to mention that it used to be an extremely fertile orchard that bore delicious local fruits such as mangosteens, rambutans, bananasand durians, to name a few.

A picture of fresh rambutans ( not ready to be eaten yet :P)  

Photo of flowers 

Photo of local fruit 

Photo depicting the wide green field found in Kampung Dusun Tua

Cute little plants all over the place

Dusun Tua comprises of 3 Tamans and roughly 7 Kampungs with 2 hot springs. There are significant differences between Taman and Kampung. Kampung land belongs to the owner which usually leads to the siblings or relatives of the owner building their houses close to one another on the plot of land owned. Therefore, the houses in a kampong is also different from one another due to the freedom and choice of the owner to choose whether to upgrade his or her house or to retain its design as when it is inherited from their ancestors. Taman on the other hand is sometimes owned by the developer or the government which explains the original design of the houses being identical to each other.

one of the residential taman

Taman owned by a family of villagers with various plants surrounding the house

Back door of  a Traditional Malay House

Front yard of a traditional Malay house 

Local Folklore

The villagers believe the existence of ‘orang bunian’ in Dusun Tua Village. ‘Orang bunian’ are supernatural beings in Malay folklore, invisible to most humans except those with spiritual sight. It means "hidden people" or "whistling people". Their appearance is nearly identical to humans dressed in ancient Southeast Asian style. They are sometimes said to lack a philtrum, but are always extremely beautiful. The ‘bunian’ usually inhabit the deep forests or high mountains, far from human contact, but they are also known to live near human communities, and are even said to share the same houses as human families.

Before the villagers move in, Dusun Tua was a deep forest and belonged to the ‘bunian’. As with other mythical beings in Malay folklore, ‘bunian’ often have supernatural powers, and must be appeased with certain rituals and customs before humans are allowed to trespass areas which they inhabit. Villagers with spiritual sight will talk to them and fulfill their wish in exchange to live there. Their social structure is similar to humans in the ancient Malay Peninsula, with families, clans, and royalty.

They are sometimes blamed when children get lost or when someone gets lost in the wilderness.  Stories are recounted of missing children who were taken away by them cannot be found by any of the villagers or polices. When the missing children show up after days or months, they claimed that they went to the ‘bunians’ house and had feast together.

 Community

The first group of villagers mostly came from Negeri Sembilan while the current residents are their 3^rd or 4^th descendants. The villagers used to plant paddy and fruits to earn as living and as food source. They also catch fishes at nearby river. However, they start to change their occupations and leave these customs behind. Now, only the older villagers carry out some small planting but meat is usually bought from the nearby market.

According to Pak Cik Hisham, the villagers always stick together and help each other out through a process known as ‘gotong-royong’. For example, most of the traditional Malay houses here were built by the owner himself with the help of other villagers, hence increasing the speed of construction. The other villagers helped by moving the materials into the site and also aid the owner in the process of construction. These houses are built in between 1940 to 1960 by the older generation. The period of constructing a traditional Malay House usually ranges between 2 to 3 months, depending on the weather, cost and quality of work.

Picture of our team interviewing one of the villager of Kampung Dusun Tua as he explained to us his home

Also, Tok Penghulu Ghazali mentioned that Encik Azmi and Puan Roslaini own two of the oldest traditional malay house in Dusun Tua.

Younger generations of the local villagers started moving out due to working opportunities in cities while foreigners started moving in. The villagers now consist of Malays, Orang Asli, Bangladeshis and Filipinos. Back then, the general occupation of Dusun Tua villagers were rubber tappers, plantation workers or owners and farmers. The plantation workers commonly planted fruits while huge amounts of paddy were grown by the farmers. Additionally, some villagers waded into the jungle to look for ‘kayu Gaharu’, a precious wood.

However, farming is no longer carried out and paddy field no longer exists in Dusun Tua due to irrigation problems. The irrigation system was ruined by flood and as a result the crops couldn’t survive with the water system jeopardized. Plus, the younger generations no longer have the interest be farmers and to soak themselves in the paddy field as their ancestors did.

Remainings of old irrigation system

Administration System

Bilik Gerakan UPU Dusun Tua

Dusun Tua is preceded by individuals known as Penghulu which is more commonly known as village headman. There are usually 3 to 4 Penghulu being in charged in Dusun Tua with the possibility that they each of them have respective political ideologies and might be supporters of different political party. Lying beneath the Penghulu are their assistants abbreviated as JKKK and read as Jawatankuasa Kemajuan Keselamatan Kampung in Malay language. JKKK usually comprise of 15 members. Due to the importance of the role played, the election of the Penghulu is definitely a fundamental and crucial procedure. The Penghulu is elected according to his background, number of supporters and selection from Wakil Rakyat, also known as representatives of the people.

Dusun Tua is currently administered by 2 village headmen, each from different political party. One village headman is a PAS Supporter which is the opposition while the other is a BN supporter which is the government. PAS is an abbreviation of Pan-Islamic Malaysian Party while BN stands for Barisan Nasional or National Front. Our visit there enabled us to have an interview with one of the Penghulu named Encik Ghazali who has been holding the post for 5 years.

Photo of the Penghulu of Kampung Dusun Tua

Nonetheless, aided by the JKKK or Village Development and Security committee, both village headmen cooperate and coordinate well for the wellbeing of the village folks. The village headmen will commonly step foot to another settlement known as Batu 14 where they will receive particular updates.

Upon returning to the village, notices are printed and pinned onto the notice boards. Further gathering of the entire village residents is conducted in a community hall so as to ensure that the message is well conveyed. Gatherings like this are usually done for the purpose of carrying a community work or more commonly known as gotong- royong in Malay language which proves that the village folks here are somewhat socially active and cooperative. Besides various types of houses, there are also several public buildings in Dusun Tua such as the Masjid Al Muttaqin, surau and community hall.

The Penghulu plays the role as a counsellor or problem solver. He is the one that the villagers sought after especially when it comes to issues relating to infrastructure and amenities. Apart from that, he will be the one responsible for the annual zakat collection, known as charity tax imposed on affordable Muslims so as to help the underprivileged.

Photo of UCSI students listening to the Penghulu's explanation

Threats

Dusun Tua settlement no longer abounds in authentic Malay traditional house as plenty of renovations had taken place whereby most of the residents only reused their respective plots of lands to build a modern new home by demolishing the original structure sited on the particular piece of land.  This is because modern houses are not only aesthetically pleasing but comfortable as well, which is an evidence that the village is now occupied by the younger generations who inherited both the lands and houses from their ancestors. Besides, building a new home on an inherited land located in a rural area helps them to save plenty of cost as compared to buying a new home in either the suburbs or urban areas. This also leads to the great depletion in genuine traditional Malay house.

Modernize residential house within Kampung Dusun Tua

Modernized house in Kampung Dusun Tua

Luxurious house is also found in Kampung Dusun Tua

Photo showing construction process of a residential house in Kampung Dusun Tua

Natural disaster such as flood occurs at least once a year, usually during December, in this village due to the heavy rainfall. Rescue boats will be send out to minimize the damage.

Photo showing a measuring tool for water level

Photo showing how the villagers measure the river water level

Besides, the houses here often catch on fire due to electricity and highly flammable built material, wood. Other threats like theft and robbery also occur here. Trespassing and break-ins have become more frequent ever since the villagers stop conducting voluntary patrolling at night. To worsen things, the number of illegal immigrants in this area has increased ever since then as the remote location of this village will reduce the tendency of police checks.

Amenities

Present in Dusun Tua are public buildings which also serve as places for gathering. For instance, the surau, mosque and the community hall. There is also a bus stop beyond the bridge with buses stopping by every 30 minutes, convenient enough for the village folks who are having transportation problems but still have to travel somewhere. Also, there is a religious Islamic School, a primary school which is accessible via the road leading through Pangsun and last but not least, a secondary school situated within Batu 14, a settlement not located within but close to Dusun Tua.

A photo of a "Sekolah Agama" 

However, the disadvantage is that there are no hospitals or fire stations located nearby. The nearest hospital and fire station are located in Kajang. Dusun Tua does not have big restaurants but there are food and drink stalls present in this settlement that are operated by the villagers themselves. There is a stall selling ‘Roti John’ and another selling ‘Ais Kacang’.

Photo of a hawker stall situated along the road

An existing shelter for Ice Kacang and dining along the road to Kampung Batu 17

Celebrations

Like other Muslims, the villagers celebrate ‘Hari Raya Aidilfitri’ after one month of fasting. The one month period of fasting is known as ‘Bulan Ramadhan’. ‘Hari Raya Aidilfitri’ is celebrated to mark the end of ‘Ramadhan’ and this is when the village is at its liveliest state, with kids playing various types of fireworks, with most of the villagers wearing beautiful new cloths and with most of the houses being decorated on both the interior and exterior. Besides that, they do celebrate ‘Hari Raya Korban/ Haji’. This is when the livestock such as cows and goats are sacrificed, occasionally even up to 20 or 30 of them. Again, a particular portion of these sacrificed livestock are donated to the poor. A gotong-royong or communal work is also carried out during the sacrifaction of the livestock. After the sacrifaction ceremony, villagers often feast together during lunch, similar to a big family reunion.

Interview

In Kampung Batu 17 which is one of the kampungs located within Dusun Tua, we met with a very friendly landlady known as Mak Cik Narimah Zainan. At the age of 59, she definitely looks healthy, cheerful and lively. Although small in size and simple in structure, her house can be considered as an exemplary traditional Malay House with no extensive renovation on the structure although there are signs of repair works, thus preserving its authenticity. Beautification and aesthetical quality is fulfilled through the beautiful furniture and household appliances considering their neat arrangement. Most of the children in the village would address her house as ‘Rumah Nenek’.

Front Elevation of a traditional Malay House

Entrance of a Traditional Malay House

Photo of the living space of the malay house, depicting the mak cik showing us the rooms in the house

Kitchen/ cooking area of a traditional malay house

Photo showing the space below the traditional Malay house being used as storage area

Photo showing how the house is raised by concrete columns

Local fruit trees planted behind the malay house

Extended toilet built at the back of the house

Side elevation of the traditional Malay house

Chickens are found running freely around the house

Rough sketches of the elevations of the traditional Malay House

Rough sketch of the floor plan of the malay house

Upon interviewing her, we found out that the repair and upgrading works were carried out by a Chinese contractor. The upgrading works are minor and only ranges from creating additional partitions and extensions of certain rooms. Also, Mak Cik Narimah has been living in this house ever since she was a child. The house was a hand down from her grandmother to her mother and then to her. Her house is approximately 50 years old. She is currently living with her daughter and a pet cat, named Debak.

Photo showing the steps leading to the main entrance of the traditional Malay house

Cat seems to be peacefully enjoying the environment of the kampong

Mak Cik Narimah has 2 children, a son and a daughter, which is pretty unique in a Malay family tree as most Malay families would have the tradition of having plenty of children. Her daughter is still a spinster. Her son on the other hand, a newly wed however chose to live in the city of Kuala Lumpur due to personal conveniences, especially when it comes to living nearby to his workplace. She was from Negeri Sembilan but migrated to Kampung Batu 17 of Dusun Tua when her grandmother did so. She had been living here since then. Although Mak Cik Narimah originated from Negeri Sembilan, she found her true love in Hulu Langat and got married to him. Also, her father used to work as a gardener.

According to Mak Cik Narimah, the public transportation in has improved by leaps and bounds as compared to during her younger days. Working in Kajang and having her working hours beginning from 9 in the morning, she has no choice but to board the 6 a.m bus as buses only come by every 2 hours. Fortunately, there are buses stopping by this area every 30 minutes now. Also, this village is rich in shoot spikes/ pucuk paku and tapioca/ pucuk ubi.

Additionally, there is a river located nearby her house which she claimed that it used to be rich in Kepah or commonly known as clams besides having plenty of white fishes/ ikan putih and cat fishes/ ikan sembilang. Back then, daily resources were readily available for free, ranging from fruits, vegetable and protein supplies, thus boosting the quality of kampung life, especially for those who are underprivileged. With her children fully grown up and being independent, the latter is a free woman. She is a sociable person and gets along well with her neighbours. Her daily routine ranges from doing some gardening, housekeeping, cooking, sewing and watching television as a form of entertainment.

Last but not least, Mak Cik stated that this house means a lot to her, bringing plenty of wonderful memories and reminiscence. It’s an asset that she will be holding on to as long as she lives and she will probably hand it down to her daughter who would then hand down to their future generations. For now, she is preparing for the upcoming ‘Hari Raya Aidilfitri’ celebration by beginning with the decoration and cleaning of the house as all of her family members would have their annual reunion here. Though old, it is indeed an extremely beautiful and meaningful place to call home even after 50 years.

a group photo of us together with the kind Mak Cik Narimah

A memorable photo of us with Mak Cik Narimah. We would like to take this opportunity to thank her for sharing with us her life experience, even though we have only met for a few moment. She has indeed shown us the meaning of kindness and trust. Thank you so much, Mak Cik.

More photos of Kampung Dusun Tua and let us appreciate the beauty of kampung.

Photo of us leaving the kampung :(

the journey back 

the interesting shadow play from the trees

view of Kampung Dusun Tua

View of road exiting Kampung Batu 17

View of road exiting Kampung Batu 17

and the cat says, thats all folks. for now. :)