I had the best view from my room back in hostel..... tat's the peaceful leprosy centre from my room....Today, I read my The Star Weekender "Reduce to Rubble” written by Shoba Mano, As mentioned in the article, Uncle Ratan passed away early this year, and this really gives me a spam of heartfelt as I know this uncle.... Not that well, but in my memory, I know as the multi-lingual cheerful uncle which rode his “Kap Chai” around the settlement, the first time, I met him, he spoke with me in Canto…. It gives me hell of shocked…. Deep down in my heart, I was telling myself, luckily I didn’t badmouth anybody in Canto, or else he’ll understand what I said…. Hahaha…. He was the man that offered the settlement "Balai Raya" with badminton court and ping pong ball facilities to us. He was the man that introduces Leprosy Settlement to me. Uncle Ratan is one of the person in-charge of the Leprosy Settlement..... He looks after the place.......... So, he knows many many things......
Sometimes you should not trust you ear so much till you see it with your own eyes..... This proverb is suitable for people who have heard bout the Sungai Buloh Leprosy Settlement but never set a foot in it. Please do believe half of the story. Story such as the ugly, deformed people will still infect you with the leprosy virus and this people can’t walk and will beg u to give them money and feed them, the stigma goes on and on.... these are all BULL SHIT!!!!!! Uncle Ratan looks so healthy and still goes around with his “Kap Chai”. And some Leprosy patients have their own beautiful flowers farms and they are earning income independently.
Sometimes you should not trust you ear so much till you see it with your own eyes..... This proverb is suitable for people who have heard bout the Sungai Buloh Leprosy Settlement but never set a foot in it. Please do believe half of the story. Story such as the ugly, deformed people will still infect you with the leprosy virus and this people can’t walk and will beg u to give them money and feed them, the stigma goes on and on.... these are all BULL SHIT!!!!!! Uncle Ratan looks so healthy and still goes around with his “Kap Chai”. And some Leprosy patients have their own beautiful flowers farms and they are earning income independently.
The blend of nature and man-made history.....
I’m one of the pioneer students of Physio College who moves into the newly-built hostel and college of KSKB, which situated in Sungai Buloh, and right below my hostel is the Sungai Buloh Leprosy Settlement. I just love the place. You want to know why, because that is where the Physio students spent their time as there are just not enough place for few thousands students in the hostel to play sport and have gathering without others people keep nosing at our business. The Sungai Buloh Leprosy Settlement provides us the one and only basketball court, badminton court, ping pong tables, jogging track.... and last but not least.... the beautiful scenery with hills of beautiful trees as our back drop... and non-polluted fresh air as the oxygen supply. And the only thing we need to do is just climb down the slop of the hill, trespass a nursery and then, VOILA…. Drop by and drink cooling yet cheap coconut drink….. Yummy… and then…. Roll our basketball……
Today, this Leprosy Centre is only left in my memory......
And today, the demolishment of the settlement has done, I just feel is definitely waste of money and also the person who decide to demolish the settlement has jus insulted and history-maker site and ended a history of the brave Malaysians who no matter what happened to them, they still move on with their life, and successfully bring out the stigma from them and set their own identity in this small community. This also make Malaysia has poorer sense of preserving our own legacy and identity. WHERE IS THE SEMANGAT MALAYSIA BOLEH in this issue?????? Malaysian today who has not experience the past, will not understand the importance of certain things in advancing their future. So, MALAYSIA BOLEH is only useful in international arena???? That’s rather ironic to hear…..
“Use your eyes, when your ears only can understand 50%”
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI just want to expressed my comment regarding Sungai Buloh Leprosy Settlement. What I know today this place to be dreadful place, when an influx of immigrant turned and stayed there(I believe that they are among illegal immigrant). I don't want to talk with emotional, maybe some people have rhetorical history value for this place. The most important to me this place must be developed and stop the crime and make this location to be good and peace. Some time historical building or monument also must to demolish or shit to another place when we want make development. We must look forward. Lastly, I want asked how to prevent crime at this place without develop this place?.
ReplyDeleteGood post you have there
ReplyDelete[although I may be 2 years too late =)]
I agree with you that the place needs to be maintained, not destroyed. Even if they want to, wait till every single patient that have lived in it has passed on =P It just holds too many dear memories for them to let go ya? And they have no where else to go. Although the place is rundown, the community there is very tightly close knitted. I am conducting a general study of Pusat Kawalan Kusta Negara and it is a little sad that the residents get tensed up when my group did a study on a building, afraid that we may take it away from them just as they did with the prison, bath house, etc.... (they actually asked if we'll robohkan juga the building.
sad sad...
ps: kasura, according to locals, some of the immigrants that are there are also leprosy patients as sungai buloh is the 2nd largest leprosy centre in the world so patients comes from all parts of Malaysia when they were diagnosed with leprosy, local or not. and what I find an eyesore is the construction progress of UiTM by construction workers with their huge cranes & lorries... spoils the peace... Development must be done ethically as well or we'll slowly lose our humanity...
Thw big question whos inviting the immigrant and who lease thw house?
ReplyDeletewe are not talking about immigrant who sufferes leprosy...but healtjy immigrant who come reside hiddenly in the house, work there and also rob old artifact
Hello to all: And why the development of Hospital Sungai Sungai Buloh, the Uitm, the KSKB and other new construction were not carried-out in other place which is also belongs to PKKN's land. The said piece of land, 600 acres formerly known as 'Ladang Kelapa Sawit Kusta' are not properly planned by the Government for use in the future. A sad story for Malaysian heritage lover...the beautiful hilly lands are sold for only RM 3 Juta to be converted as housing and leasure place for the rich and foreiners - The Sierramas and Valencia.
ReplyDelete