GEORGE TOWN – An urban legend in Batu Lanchang has it that Chinese gang fights occurring along Perak Road in Jelutong during the late sixties were so rampant that even frogs in the area picked up the practice.
Apparently, two frogs of different colours waged “war”, apparently at the swamp that is today the Jalan Perak Market food court, for several hours, much to the amazement and fear of the locals as they saw it as a bad omen.
The locals saw the incident as a portent of the racial riots that broke out in Kuala Lumpur soon after on May 13, 1969.
This is just one of the many stories told by the older generation of Batu Lanchang, as its state assemblyman, Ong Ah Teong, went on a quest to uncover the history and heritage of his constituency.
It all began in 2018 when Ong, who was newly elected then, wanted to discover how the name of his constituency came about.
He found no definitive leads after doing his research online, in libraries, and at University Sains Malaysia. Taking to the streets with a team of five, Ong then toured the streets and successfully gathered stories from senior citizens who had lived in the area previously known as Batu Lancang for decades.
The interviews were recorded and penned into his newly launched book, Batu Lancang in the Olden Days.
“The reason why I wanted this book published is so people know the history and way of life of the residents of Batu Lanchang 50 to 60 years ago. It is something valuable we can pass down to the next generation.
“It took the team a year to trace the history of the area by interviewing the elderly because they have so many stories that are important to document.
“However, Covid-19 hit after we completed it in 2019 and wanted to launch it, which is why we are doing a small launch,” he said during the ceremony recently.
Among other stories in the 34-page bilingual comic-style book include how farmers of different ethnic groups would chat while waiting to get water from the public tap, Laksa Day preparations for the Malay community on Fridays, and Chinese housewives working night shifts at Penang’s taukua (soybean curd) capital in Jalan Perak.
So far, Ong said, 5,000 copies have been printed for free distribution, with a reprint being considered if there is a demand for more copies.
Copies of the book have also been distributed to seven schools within the vicinity, including SK Jalan Hamilton, SMJK Heng Ee, SK Convent Green Lane, SJK (C) Jelutong, SJK (C) Kheng Tean, SMK Jelutong, Kolej Tingkatan 6, SML Convent Green Lane, and SK Jelutong Barat.
Ong said local associations interested in the books can contact his service centre to pick them up.
For those interested in watching the recorded interviews, readers are encouraged to scan the QR code at the back of the book to access the videos. – The Vibes, November 28, 2021
