X COUNTRY RUN - SEKOLAH SRI KUALA LUMPUR

(Sweet memories of a history teacher - Pak Abu)

Coincidentally (March 24, 2016) I passed through the MARDI agricultural area. I don't know how I got 'lost' there. I have never even entered an agricultural area that has existed for ages. Its name sounds familiar. And I also remembered some of my friends who used to work here. When I was young, of course.

I didn't even think that this MARDI area was a beautiful 'village' area. And I want to 'advise' my friends who miss the village atmosphere, to spend their 'sunday' to go to MARDI. There are lush trees, there are blue lakes, and even the workers I met were also like village people. I mean about their 'courtesy'. And the atmosphere in one of the canteens in MARDI (not far from the lake) is also like a village atmosphere. The food items sold there are also at very reasonable prices. That's delicious. Especially the goat goulash!...

What I want to tell is not MARDI's story. The story of the canteen at MARDI isn't either. What caught my attention was the cross-country running that took place there when I passed through the area. I don't know which school ran cross country when I was there. I'm sure it must be a school for the children of the rich. And the school in question is not from the Serdang or Kajang area. They come from far away because there are dozens of buses that bring children here. It means coming from Kuala Lumpur or Subang Jaya. Definitely a private school. The school of the rich.

This kind of atmosphere certainly amuses me, an old man who spent part of my life working with children (regardless of race, religion and skin color). How happy I was and my feelings are to see these children who are in the range of ten years running happily as if nothing is bothering them compared to their parents who have to think about how to get money to finance their schooling which is definitely in quite a large amount.

I sat in a chair near the blue lake while breathing the pleasant air of the quiet morning. In addition to that, I also watched the line of children running. All races. Malays, Chinese, Indians, and there are also other races. They both run and laugh without thinking that they are of different race and religion. Surely they will help each other if in the course of their running later someone has an accident. I am sure that they will help each other.

I feel really happy this morning. There are too many things that make this 'old man' happy. But the most gratifying thing is seeing the understanding and camaraderie of Malaysian 'children' from all races united, having fun in a cross-country run. There may also be a situation where 'children' who behave like this are encouraged by the teachers of this school who encourage their students to behave like this. Something that was clearly 'shown' in front of my eyes was the attitude of the teachers who did not seem to show racism towards one another. The one with the veil seems kind of friendly with the one without the veil. Those with fair skin do not show awkwardness in getting along with those with tanned skin. Perhaps it seems that such a harmonious situation exists because the top leadership of this school wants such a situation. It seems so.

It seems that what the general public always says is true. If you have been a teacher, you will always be a teacher. Very happy to be called a 'Teacher'. The children running in front of me didn't know that I used to run like they ran. And the teachers who were there also did not know that I was also like them once upon a time watching the children run in the cross-country run (X-Country).

I feel really happy that morning. There were too many things that make this old man happy. But the most gratifying thing is seeing the understanding and camaraderie of Malaysian 'children' from all races united, having fun in a cross-country run. There may also be a situation where 'children' who behave like this are encouraged by the teachers of this school who encourage their students to behave like this. Something that was clearly 'shown' in front of my eyes was the attitude of the teachers who did not seem to show racism towards one another. The one with the veil seems to be kind of friendly with the one without the veil. Those with fair skin do not show awkwardness in getting along with those with tanned skin. Perhaps it seems that such a harmonious situation exists because the top leadership of this school wants such a situation. It seems so.

It seems that what the general public always says is true. If you have been a teacher, you will always be a teacher. Very happy to be called 'Teacher'. The children running in front of me didn't know that I used to run like they ran. And the teachers who were there also did not know that I was also like them once upon a time watching the children run in the cross-country run (X-Country).

I can imagine how Chan Siew, Malik, Sahrifuddin, Foo Chor, Krishnan, Subba Singh (all barefoot) around the early 60s ran across the countryside through Malay College, Kuala Kangsar Hospital, straight to the Basong area and back to school (Clifford School, Kuala Kangsar). It's been a long time since this 'episode' happened but it's still vivid in my mind. The only thing that has something in common with the children running in front of my eyes is that our laughter and laughter used to be similar to the laughter and laughter of the children running in front of me. At that time we also did not recognize skin color.

That fine morning I spent time on the shore of MARDI Lake was full of history and nostalgic memories. I'm waiting for the last contestant to pass just to 'satisfy and make happy' my heart and feelings that have been empty for a long time. Until the last participant, I noticed that there was no racial boundary between the students who were Malaysian children.

I only hope that the teachers who educate these children will continue to instill a sense of brotherhood between the races in Malaysia so that the true meaning of the Malaysian nation will exist one day. Demonize the outside elements who try to cloud the race relations in this beloved country.

abuhassanadam

(Pak Abu)

18 January 2025