Back in Penang
(This was written back in 2018 when I returned home from London, but I only published it recently)
Like every other true blue Penangite, I'm proud of my hometown’s rich blend of history, heritage and culture that is quite unique to itself. As George Town was the first city ever established in the modern history of Malaysia, its physical and intangible remnants of the past are something which I would like to see preserved and passed down to the next generations like how the previous generations before did for me. There are countless stories worth preserving, and many of those are personal and deeply intertwined with our daily lives. Some may see it as a nostalgic reminiscent of the past but these memories are precious because they essentially shaped and gave meaning to our identity as a Penangite.
Such stories are like those of the trishaw rides that my family used to take after an evening of grocery shopping at Gama Supermarket - the first departmental store in Penang at the north end of Dato Keramat Road (which is still standing strong today after experiencing two economic downturns in its lifetime!). As a small child, I remembered how my mom would be haggling with the trishaw rider for the best fare for a journey that was less than a kilometre away from my home. After a deal is met (usually around RM3 to RM4), we would promptly hop on the trishaw, squeezing on the narrow PVC covered seat with our bags of groceries gathered around our feet.
The rickety ride home on the trishaw would be the best part of the evening for me. The ringing of the trishaw bell as we cut into the traffic boldly among the moving cars, crashing into gusts of the breeze as the trishaw rider swiftly navigated along the busy road, and the deft manoeuvring of the trishaw at sharp corners which is perfectly safe if we hang on tightly to the side of our seats. Now, this is the kind of story I would love to tell because it was part of my life growing up here in George Town, Penang. Sadly, it is also a story of the past as most local children today would not have the pleasure of such an experience anymore. Or to even understand what is the fuss about now that (almost) every family would have a car (or two) at home which are more comfortable and safer than the slow and presumably reckless trishaw ride.
Today, the increasing number of vehicles and traffic has rendered trishaws an unfeasible mode of public transportation for the locals. Its function has now been reduced to being a form of tourism attraction.
So this is where I would like to put my thoughts out there.
Chances are, memories of Penang in the minds of tourists would likely be about the beautiful murals in George Town's chapped walls. At least, this is what their photographs would remind them in a few decades down the road. It would be a shame if the essence of life, history, heritage and culture of George Town is sidelined merely for the hyped-up photo opportunities. While in no way I am condemning the way holidaymakers are enjoying their time here in Penang, I remain cautious on what sort of identity Penang is shaping itself into in return for profit-making. What sort of pride would the next generation of Penangites have in future? Or it shouldn't be any of my concerns anymore?