KUALA LUMPUR – Cooking is often associated with women, but working the kitchen is becoming more popular among men today.
For some, the absence of sisters in the family induces boys to be more diligent in the kitchen.
This is the situation faced by a political science senior lecturer of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Dr Jamaie Hamil, 56, who now makes cooking a hobby and a leisure activity.
According to him, the cooking ability came naturally because all eight of his siblings are male.
“I am the eighth child and all my siblings are boys. So no matter what, we had to learn to cook to eat.
“From there, indirectly, I and the other siblings learnt to cook. Since then, my interest in cooking has grown by itself,” he told Getaran, recently.
More interestingly, the Tanjong Karang, Selangor native revealed that he was first invited to cook at a wedding kenduri (feast) in his teens.
"At the age of 16, usually young people do other things, but I was also invited to cook at a wedding feast. I always helped the cook in the village at the time.
“Then when I am married and working, cooking is a side activity that I do with the community in my housing estate and village. If there is a feast, I am invited to be the head chef. Usually, I receive invitations only on weekends but not always,” he said.
Through the activity, Jamaie said, he was indirectly able to learn how to cook other tribes' dishes.
“I learned with people who are experienced in multi-ethnic cuisine. There are Banjar, Malay, Minang and Javanese.
"From there, I continue my interest in cooking for my own needs, the surrounding community and those in need," he said.
The interest also prompted him to start a YouTube channel under the name DR.Maie which now has nearly 500 subscribers.
While many are racing to start YouTube channels to chase popularity, it’s different for the father-of-three.
Jamaie said he started the channel almost a year ago as a repository to store videos of his cooking activities.
“I do it not just for glamour. No. While cooking on the weekends, that’s when I will make a video, take pictures and then save them.
"I think YouTube is a place to store the experience and can be learned by those who are interested," he said.
He added that each culinary content that he shared has its uniqueness to attract audiences.
“My cooking content on YouTube also starts from the basics to the simple, 'mega' and feasting.
"To make the video look interesting, I add a little bit of history, where the cuisine came from," he said.
At the same time, Jamaie said, family and friends have always encouraged him to start the YouTube channel.
“Of course, my wife and children are supportive of me saving the cooking experience on YouTube. The children also gave a lot of ideas and help with editing.
“Then there were friends in the neighbourhood and relatives in the village who knew I could cook. They suggest signing up to YouTube. Instead of letting the experience go by, I keep them there for memories and for others to learn,” he said.
Despite his interest, knowledge remained a priority as he pursued his ambition to be a lecturer.
Jamie started his career as a tutor at UKM in April 1993 before being absorbed as a permanent lecturer in the Department of Political Science, seven years later.
To date, Jamaie, who is also a political analyst, has produced hundreds of academic publications for the reference of students and the new generation. – The Vibes, April 5, 2022
* This article first appeared in The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister publication Getaran
