Election 2008 – Rawang

Gan Pei Nei

Saturday in Rawang was kinda quiet… maybe there is some sense of change in the air. Went to my old primary school… Sinaran Budi wit my sister and mother. As I am walking along to cast my vote… I remember running around this school… playing all kinds of unique Malaysian games (i.e. galah panjang, police & thief, marbles, top, kite, konda kondi etc)… making so many good friends… some of them still keep in touch till today. There were no race or money issues then… no segregation… no politics… it was fun to be in school. Some of my best teachers were Indians, Malays and Chinese. Sinaran Budi built a reputation for the most secular school in Selangor then for racial integration. We also had the best results for government exams together with San Yuk Chinese School.

So then… walking into the old classroom… the old block up on the hill… everything seems so small and narrow now. Its here in the same classroom…. I attended my Standard 3 lessons. This will be the very same room I will be making a political statement. Seeing so many familiar faces in Rawang … esp old timers… brings back a sense of nostalgia and sadness. Everyone had this new look about them… a new face. It all went peacefully tho… as if even the ruling party voters wanted some change. I can sense frustrations for the local issues we face in Rawang and admit a lot of work is yet to come for PKR, esp Gan Pei Nei.

We lost our golden era in Rawang… 70s and 80s. Those were the days when everyone knew EVERYONE in Rawang. The market, library, football fields, APMC club and the illegal video arcades had so many fond memories. We had better comradeship among various races, creeds and beliefs then. I suppose Rawang has changed a lot since... changed in the era of globalization and the ever moving job seekers. The youngsters (many of them my good friends) moved to KL and Singapore. Once or twice a year… the pilgrimage back to Rawang brings back so many of the children of a lost era … but that is also slowly dying. More old timers are moving out too… loosing the battle to stay independent in Rawang (a haven for gritty hard working people then).

This brings back the issues we face these days in Rawang and the amount of damage Tan See Hang and BN brought to this great town. So much new development and damaging changes in Rawang brought destruction to its identity and sense of belonging. Unplanned development also brings about more destruction to the environment and carnage to the great quintessential charm of this city. No more public libraries, parks or public places to meet and mingle among the local folks.

More and more shoplots that are not only esthetically ugly… but also damaging to the very fabric of social interaction. When we plan cities for human beings, we must take into account not only the economic aspect but the social, environmental and spiritual well being of its people. Of course we need these shops, nasi kandar restaurants, supermarkets and banks… but not right in the city centre. The city centre should have a place to meet… like a piazza or a park. There is nothing in this town that builds a common interaction ground among its people.

Rawang had a bygone era of neo-classical bond among its people. There were the APMC club, the football fields, LIONS club, library, coffee shops, churches, temples etc where people met and migled. Seriously, even in schools we had this great interaction among students and teachers. Our tamans had residential clubs and rukun tentangga... all this vanished when BN and Tan See Hang decided to blind the people with these horrible development. The damage might not be overcome... but a lesson for the upcoming candidate... u need to bring back the glory of the old days... and thats tough. Rawang boleh... :-)