 An oasis within an
island
The main road that leads
into the village of Kampung Seronok is called Jalan Sinaran, which, translated
from Malay, means 'Road of Radiance'.
The narrow dusty tarmac
path may seem like a typical Malaysian rural thoroughfare. But upon entering
the road and reaching the end of its passage, the visitor is suddenly faced
with a lush open world of pastoral charm and warmth which is also typical
of Malaysia's rustic richness. Unfortunately, however, this is a side of
the Malaysian world not usually seen and appreciated by outsiders, especially
tourists.
A lush, open palm-fringed avenue
greets the visitors to Kampung Seronok.
Kampung Seronok ('kampung'
is the Malay word for 'village') lies just beyond the edge of Penang island's
industrial and commercial melee; a short drive away from the international
airport and the adjacent hi-tech industrial zone on the island's south.
The village is so wonderfully
ensconced from urban eyes, lying along a quiet lazy artery that snakes its
way elusively from the modern metropolis that much of Penang has now become.
Until a couple of years
ago, the village prided in being seen as a model of efficient country living
in modern Malaysia. It has won numerous awards and national recognitions
for being a model village in the region; traditional and simple, yet relevant
in these times.
The village has, until
recently, been operating excursions for outsiders and tourists to visit and
understand the lifestyle and culture of the traditional Malay kampung. It
stood as a pride of the pastoral Malay, offering an insight into the beauty
of a rustic Byronic romance coexisting with the satisfaction of modern comforts.
 The houses in Kampung
Seronok are set amid green open spaces and in the shadows of tall swaying
palm trees. Sedan cars and four-wheel drive vehicles are parked in compounds
where chickens scuttle around, while children laugh and play in the
neighbourhood's small roads.
A well-maintained compound of a house.
Notice the chickens walking around freely.
Many houses are fitted
or rebuilt with modern amenities - satellite televisions, microwave ovens,
high-speed personal computes, et al. The houses are however traditionally
unfenced, and the spirit of neighbourliness and community is as deeply entrenched
as when the village came into being decades ago.
According to widely accepted
records, the village got its name in the early 1940s when English engineer
D.W. Grehan watched the kampung folks' merrymaking and celebrations during
the days shortly before the Japanese surrendered their colonial hold on
peninsular Malaya. 'Seronok', roughly translated into English, means 'to
enjoy'. Hence the name 'Village of Enjoyment'.
With such deep-seated heritage,
the people of the village, including the youngsters, are rooted to live in
the neighbourhood they have known all their lives.
One such person is 73-year
old Haji Yussof Bin Abdullah, a former labourer who resides in the same simple
house he moved into when he first settled in the village more than fifty
years ago.
Haji Yussof points out
that many inevitable changes have occurred in the area, in spite of its historic
agrarian atmosphere, over the last few decades.
"Last time, people here
were tapping rubber trees. We used to get as much as three ringgit for a
few pail-loads of rubber fluid. Now, the rubber trees are still around, but
who wants to tap them? Our youngsters would much rather work in the factories
or open businesses in town," he says.
 In fact, Haji Yussof asserts,
the spirit of gotong-royong, a practice of community cleaning of the
neighbourhood, has dwindled. "People now come back from work and watch TV.
Gone are the days when the whole village used to get together to maintain
and clean the environment."
There are also no more
wells left in the village. In previous years, village folks could drink
groundwater straight from their wells - a practice that is sadly unimaginable
in the present environment.
Haji Yussof also laments
the inescapable effects of inflation. It now costs the villagers about two
ringgit to take a bus to the George Town Jetty. "In the 1950s, it cost me
only 4 sen," he says.
 But elders like Haji Yussof
take heart from the knowledge that the youngsters of the village are cognisant
and proud of their traditions and culture. The large impressive white-washed
mosque in Kampung Seronok, established by Syed Muhammad Syafie who became
the imam there during the early years, is frequented by many youths who learn
about the religion and customs of the race.
A The mosque at Kampung Seronok is
the community's fulcrum for instilling
old values and remembering traditions.
Pleasant, soft-spoken and
gentle, the people here still lack the relative coarseness in behaviour that
many inhabitants of the rat-race urban world possess.
 And that is certainly
a heartening notion for a corner of the island that has experienced tremendous
urban development over the last fifteen years. Kampung Seronok is likely
to cherish the significance, beauty and values of its heritage for a long
while to come.
Written by
Himanshu Bhatt |
