Revitalisation of Kampung Cina
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President with Datuk Bandar Kuala Lumpur |
Some of the audience at the opening ceremony |
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Ms Jaya Menon of American Express presenting prizes to a winner
from the "Competition for Secondary Schools"
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Winners of the Heritage Hunt
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Backstage during the wayang kulit performance
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Preparing for the Chinese opera performance
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Enjoying Tok Dalang's wayang kulit performance
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The audience at the Chinese opera
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On Saturday 30 October 1999, Tan Sri Dato' Seri (Dr) Ahmad Sarji bin
Abdul Hamid launched the Badan Warisan Malaysia's second annual Heritage
Day at No 2 Jalan Stonor. The theme was Our Heritage on Stage and
expressed the integration of architecture and the performing arts.
This project was made possible by a grant from the American Express Foundation.
The continuing support of Nestlé (M) Bhd to the Heritage Day activities
is also very much appreciated and other donors who sponsored prizes and
beverages.
More than five hundred adults, youth and children enjoyed the wayang
kulit gedek, Chinese opera, Songs from the Stage, creative poetry reading
and Heritage Hunt. Some of the notable guests included Datuk Bandar of
Kuala Lumpur, Tan Sri Dato' Kamaruzzaman bin Sharif, the British High
Commissioner, HE Graham Fry and his wife Toyoko, the New Zealand High
Commissioner, HE Sarah Dennis, Counsellor of the Canadian High Commission,
Leslie James, the Director of the British Council, Ted Edmundson and his
wife Diane, the Manager of Public Affairs, American Express (M) Sdn Bhd,
Ms Jaya Menon and representatives of various secondary schools.
The Troubadour Teachers, a group of students from Maktab Peguruan Ilmu
Khas (MPIK), read poetry from Shakespeare, Shirley Lim, Ain Tasyrifah
Wan, Ee Tiang Hong, and ee cummings. The group comprised Lobo, Sze-Yang,
Sue, Azmi and Thanbeer, with Adli on electric guitar. Meanwhile, teams
for the Heritage Hunt were wending their way through the crowd in pursuit
of answers to their clues.
The Opera Section of the Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association led
by Mr Ronald Poon, in collaboration with Mdm Choy Him Heong presented
scenes from five Chinese operas. As was the tradition with roving Chinese
opera troupes of old, the Association set its stage outdoors and recreated
the busy atmosphere with stalls. Vendors sold sweets and wares, a calligrapher
demonstrated his art and participants were invited to try on opera make-up
and costumes and to view activities backstage.
Wayang kulit gedek was performed by Tok Dalang Abdul Majid Noh, a well-"Showmaster"
from Kedah, under the Rumah Ibu of the Rumah Penghulu. He explained that
this form of wayang kulit originated in Kedah and is heavily Thai influenced,
rather than Indian. The Tok Dalang also gave well-attended puppet-making
lessons. His performance was characterised by a playful banter, much to
the delight of the audience who were free to view the "shadow play"
on the screen or to watch the master and his musicians behind the screen.
The Merak Players entertained with a medley of old favourites by P. Ramlee,
Rogers and Hammerstein and others in the mock-Tudor building. The trio
comprised Chacko Vadaketh and Tom Abang Saufi on vocals and Saidah Rastam
at the keyboard. The lyrics of the most popular number, entitled Who
Will Save Those Wonderful Buldings (to the tune of Who Will Buy
from Oliver!) were written by Chacko and other Sahabat members
to celebrate the merger of the former Sahabat Warisan Malaysia and the
Badan Warisan Malaysia a few years ago.
The success of an undertaking such as Heritage Day depends on the volunteers.
Many thanks to the organising committee who started work on this event
in April: Ajeet Ahluwalia, the Chairman, Lim Huck Chin, Julie Lau, Rowena
Saura, Pamela Whitaker, Nga Johnson, Barbara Camus, Dr Chandran Jeshurun
and Pin Teh. A big thank you to the fourty volunteers who gave freely
of their time and energy to ensure the smooth functioning of all activities
on the day including the teachers and students of MPIK.
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Who will save those wonderful buildings
(To the tune of 'Who Will Buy' from Oliver!)
Who will save those wonderful buildings
Such facades you never will see
Who will rescue them from decaying
And keep them for posterity
So we can view them at our leisure
To destroy them would be wrong
They should be hailed as national treasures
To last our whole lives long
Who'll preserve your history for you
Join BADAN and show that you care
WARISAN! we don't want to lose it
Your heritage depends on you |
