Just
as she did in the past two months since we embarked on the My Johor Stories
in Downtown Johor Baru project, Charmayne N. updated me on the list of
participants who will join our Heritage Walk and Book Reading session arranged
for Saturday, March 18.
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Participants with Teochew Opera Actor at the
JB Chinese Heritage Museum
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Charmayne,
fondly known as Charm, is a member of Team BrandCulture PR Marketing and
Communications who graciously provides support to My Johor Stories.
From
the participant list, we could tell from their names that this was a mixed
group of local Malay and Chinese with some Koreans. When I saw that there were
two participants named “Sam” – one Chinese and the other, Korean (and to avoid
any embarrassment!) – I reminded Charm to please help me identify who was who.
Just
two days ahead of Saturday, I was very encouraged to receive a last-minute
registration from two Malay ladies to join my Book Reading session, hosted at
the DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Baru.
I
later learnt that Suhaili Sarman registered to join the Reading session (and
brought her friend who was visiting from Penang) when she saw the event poster
posted on Facebook. She recalled reading My Johor Stories books when she stayed
at the Ponderosa Golf and Country Club, a resort among the hotels and resorts
here who agreed with me that people liked to stay in a place with a story.
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A brief introduction to the Chinese
contribution to the development
of early Johor from an info poster
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Meanwhile,
several guests invited to my Book Reading session who confirmed their presence
included Secretary of the JB Kwong Siew (Cantonese) Association, Cheng Chee
Tong, and Grace Chiam of BrandCulture PR Marketing and Communications.
BrandCulture
supports My Johor Stories in Downtown JB by preparing the digital posts for
Instagram and Facebook, as well as the cool videos and attractive posters for
each month’s activities.
I thought
it would be good for Grace to have a first-hand experience of the casual, fun
and meaningful interactions during our Book Reading sessions.
While
the theme for March was about Teochew Heritage, I wished to let Mr Cheng of the
JB Kwong Siew Association, have a glimpse of what My Johor Stories was doing in
the community.
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The early arrivals was by
boat, sailing in from the
Straits along Sungai Segget
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Mindful
of the long, long day ahead, I prepared myself mentally and physically for
Saturday, March 18.
As
you may know, I have been working in partnership with the Drum Up JB
shows since their first shows opened in January 2023. And it so happened that they
arranged their next two shows at 2pm and 8pm, also on March 18, the same day as
my Heritage Walk and Book Reading session.
As
their matinee show clashed with my 2pm Book Reading session, I could only be at
the Permaisuri Zarith Sofiah Opera House to join them for their 8pm Drum Show.
On
that sunny Saturday morning, my day started with meeting the participants who assembled
at the lobby of the JB Chinese Heritage Museum for a 10am start of our Heritage
Walk.
I
introduced our videographer, Chong Han Sun of JB Twenty-Twenty, to David Yee of
the JB Chinese Heritage Museum, who was ready to issue our entrance tickets.
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Teochew Opera provided live
entertainment to the local
Chinese community made up
of a majority of Teochew people
|
As
each participant received their identification sticker along with entrance
ticket, I was pleased to meet with a Korean family, Sam and Jenny, with their
8-year-old daughter, Sunny.
Incidentally,
for the past Heritage Walks in January and February, we had young participants
along, so I was delighted to have Sunny with us this March.
I
was very encouraged from the very start of our Walk because when I asked the
group a general knowledge question – Sunny replied spontaneously – and with the
right answer!
[Later
that day, at the interactive part of my Book Reading session, it was Sunny’s
hand which shot up first when I asked participants to share their own Johor
story!]
From
the group made up of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Korean participants (there was
another Korean couple, Paul and Esther Kim), I was particularly pleased that
Tengku Tarmizi Bin Tengku Aziz of the Sultan Ismail Library, who was with us in
the January and February Heritage Walks, was here again in March.
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Sam Park, wife Jenny and
Sunny with Teochew
Opera actor
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Our
Walk started within the JB Chinese Heritage Museum that featured exhibits which
chartered in chronological order, the Chinese contribution to the economic,
social, cultural and educational development in Johor.
With
the Teochew, the dominant Chinese dialect group who settled here along with the
Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka and Hainan people, they left a vast legacy of Teochew
culture and heritage here.
It
gave me great pleasure to share with participants, historical references of the
strong relationship between the Chinese immigrants and the Johor royal family
that started in 1844 when the Chinese accepted the invitation of the Johor
ruler to open up new land to cultivate pepper and gambier in this state.
I
also discussed how Chinese planters worked in the kangchu system and that
these economic crops earned its place of honour in this state. As a result, the
pepper and gambier motif (featured throughout the city and state) was adopted
as a Johor icon.
The
museum also preserved information on the powerful Ngee Heng Kongsi and
prominent Teochew leaders like Tan Hiok Nee and Lim Ah Siang, as well as Wong
Ah Fook, a Johor pioneer of Cantonese origin.
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Our group gathered in front
of Ah Ma Teochew Kuih,
Jalan Trus, Johor Baru
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The
Ngee Heng Kongsi and Chinese leaders in Johor have been honoured for their
contributions with roads named after them, as in Jalan Ngee Heng, Jalan Tan
Hiok Nee, Jalan Ah Siang and Jalan Wong Ah Fook.
The
legacy of Teochew culture and heritage is well preserved in Johor with the
practice of Teochew Opera entertainment and a wide variety of Teochew food.
Participants
then had the pleasure of a close encounter with a Teochew Opera actor for a
photo session. My friend, Madam Heng, was dressed in full costume and make-up, in
the role of a scholar that was traditionally performed by a female actor.
Meanwhile,
I had placed an advance order for a
traditional steamed Teochew kueh, filled with glutinous rice, groundnuts and
dried prawns, from Ah Ma Teochew Kuih.
A comfortable walk from Jalan Ibrahim brought us to this Muslim-friendly
café located at Jalan Trus for a brief introduction to its menu of familiar Teochew
favourites. [They have another outlet in Taman Eko-Botanic, Iskandar Puteri
with more outlets opening soon in the city suburbs.]
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Collecting our order of Teochew kueh
for each participant to taste
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From its menu, I highlighted popular items like char kway teow or
stir-fried flat rice noodles flavoured with cockles and dark sauce, rice
porridge served with side dishes, braised chicken with braised tofu and egg, as
well as a yam paste dessert, or-nee.
This cosy café was crowded on a Saturday morning but that was all right
as we were only visiting their three-wheeler stall parked outside, that presented
a variety of Teochew kueh and other popular local kueh for takeaways.
When the participants had received their takeaway packs of Teochew kueh,
we made our way up Jalan Trus to the Johor Old Temple. [Earlier on, we saw a
replica of its ancient doors, displayed in the JB Chinese Heritage Museum.]
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The Chinese rendition of Johor
was engraved on this ancient bell
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While we walked along Jalan Trus, I shared with the group that this same
road was also known as Johor Baru’s Street of Harmony because the places of
worship for the early community in Johor, were literally located along the same
route.
They understood well because some participants had parked their cars at
the open carpark close to Galleria Kotaraya and to reach the JB Chinese
Heritage Museum, they had walked pass the Masjid India that was located at the
corner where Jalan Dhoby meets with Jalan Duke.
As we stopped at the junction to cross the street, we saw the Arulmigu Raja Mariamman Devasthanam, Hindu
Temple where Jalan Trus meets Jalan Ungku Puan, while the Gudwara Sahib Sikh
Temple was next to it on Jalan Trus.
Johor Baru’s Street of Harmony was among the stories featured in my 2017
MPH Non-Fiction Bestseller, My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich
Heritage.
In olden days China, the Chinese dialect groups traditionally lived and
married within their own dialect group and very seldom were they able to speak
or understand other dialects.
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The end of our Heritage Walk: Teochew Heritage
at Jalan Ngee Heng, Johor Baru
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The Chinese diaspora in South East Asia however, brought various dialect
groups to settle in the Malay states and Indonesian islands and this compelled
the Chinese to live and work together – and inter-married – within their
multi-cultural community.
When Chinese immigrants settled here, they also brought along their
brand of vice and justice which resulted in a period of anarchy.
In his wisdom, the benevolent ruler presented the Chinese with a piece
of land at Jalan Trus to unite them with a common place of worship.
As a tribute to the Johor ruler, the Johor Old Temple uniquely bears the
name of the state. A group of prominent Chinese leaders, led by Tan Hiok Nee,
built the original Johor Old Temple.
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A casual, fun and interactive time with this
participative group at the Book Reading session
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This temple earned its reputation as the Temple of Unity as it houses
the deities worshipped by the five main dialect groups – the Teochew, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka and Hainan – who have made Johor their home.
We visited the temple’s inner sanctuary as well as the outer courtyard
to see the sedan chairs used to bear the deities on their annual tour of the
city in the temple tradition of the Johor Chingay.
More artefacts in the new extension at the rear included the old wells
and ancient brass bell which bears the rendition of Johor’s name, engraved in
Chinese characters.
After we exited the Temple, a further walk on Jalan Trus led to Jalan
Ngee Heng where the early churches were located at nearby Jalan Gereja and
Jalan Gertak Merah, that mark the opposite end of our Street of Harmony.
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Sunny volunteered to share
her interesting and amusing
Johor story with us
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This Heritage Walk aptly ended on Jalan Ngee Heng where the image of
three early Chinese leaders – Tan Hiok
Nee, Lim Ah Siang and Wong Ah Fook – looked down upon us from a mural painted on the wall of a pre-war
shophouse.
To benefit visitors exploring this historical street, a street gallery
located opposite the DoubleTree by Hilton JB, provided brief info on these
Chinese pioneers, posted in English Malay and Chinese languages.
After
a short break, I was on Level 11 of DoubleTree by Hilton JB by 1.30pm to
prepare for the start of my Book Reading session arranged in a function room.
I
was delighted that almost all participants from the Walk that morning joined
the Book Reading session along with three more registered participants and
invited guests.
While
my Reading session was in progress, I observed that a (masked!) man had slipped
in to join the group.
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Dr Bak sharing his Johor story with us
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During
our interactive time together, he had much to share on his own Johor story and
finally introduced himself as Bak, (he said, as in Bak Kut Teh!) I later learnt
that he was Dr Bak Jia How, a lecturer with Southern University College.
[I
was pleased to meet with Dr Bak who, along with Mr Cheng, represented the JB
Kwong Siew (Cantonese) Association. As Cantonese Heritage was the theme for the
next My Johor Stories in Downtown JB activities, I was delighted to connect
with Dr Bak who was the curator of the JB Kwong Siew Heritage Gallery.]
One
of the best outcomes of my Heritage Walks and Book Reading sessions must be how
the participants felt ready to share their own Johor stories, clear proof that
everyone has their own story to tell.
Over
refreshments, participants got to know each other better and shared fond
memories of the JB they know and love as they recalled how Downtown JB came
alive for them again with My Johor Stories.
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All smiles from this group at the
Book Reading session: Teochew Heritage
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For
your own exciting experience of My Johor Stories in Downtown Johor Baru,
come join the next and final Heritage Walk: Cantonese Heritage on Saturday, April 15 from 10am to 12pm with the Book Reading session
from 2pm to 4.30pm held at the GBW Hotel Johor Baru.
Participation
in each event is by registration, priced at only RM50 per person to receive a
limited edition My Johor Stories tote bag, one book of My Johor
Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now and an exclusive My Johor Stories
souvenir bookmark.
The
activities arranged for My Johor Stories in Downtown Johor Baru is an
initiative under the Downtown Johor Baru Grants Programme: Arts, Heritage and
Culture, a collaboration between Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA)
and Think City, supported by Majlis Bandaraya Johor Baru (MBJB).
Focusing
on the heritage core of Johor Baru, the grants programme aims to support
community-based initiatives to reactivate Downtown Johor Baru. For more info,
Tel: +6016 727 5537.
