“If you see what they’ve done to us, the kind of things they’ve done to Anwar, to Wan Azizah, to Nurul Izzah, to all our leaders in PKR. But we’re not here to exact revenge. We’re here to change Malaysia.
We are completely elated and extremely thankful, that despite the gerrymandering, despite the phantom voters that I personally discovered in Lembah Pantai, despite the movement of voters in and out of Lembah Pantai, despite the presence of Bukit Aman – we made it.
I feel tired, and I lost my voice from all the campaigning yesterday. I want to find my voice again, but in a way, I have found a different voice, a voice for Malaysians.
I’m ready to start work. I think we have a lot of work ahead of us. I think there’s a lot of things that needs to change. I’m really excited about the things we plan to do. Malaysia will change for the better.
“I can’t do business tomorrow because its the law that shops within 50m of a polling station have to be closed. No flags or banners can be hung within this radius as well.
But for the day after, I think it’s better to keep my shop closed.”
“I’m a firm believer that the stand of Malaysia comes from the combination of all the races. Even my own family is mixed – my wife is Chinese. And that has given me a broader perspective of the whole country in a way.
I am not of mixed parentage, yes even though my name (Raja Nong Chik) isn’t really a normal Malay name. Chik means that I’m the youngest, by the way.
I enjoy my family and personal time, I have quite a balanced life. I take care and do my exercises every morning with my wife by walking at the Taman Tun park, I have my friends around my age, my political life and my business. I am quite happy with my life and hope I can last as long as my father, who passed away at the age of 96.
My father’s secret to a long life is discipline. His philosophy is to keep healthy physically, don’t drink and smoke, concern yourself with work, work hard, and he was working right to the day that he passed away, at the age of 96.
‘Never give up’ has always been my philosophy in life. And Nelson Mandela is a figure that has inspired me the most. I admire him for fighting for justice and going through all the trials and tribulations in his life, and when he was in power, he knew when to surrender at the right time.
I leave it to voters to decide, I don’t get kecik hati if voters don’t choose me. I’m already 65 years old. If I don’t get chosen, its time for me to give it down to those of the younger generation.
Although if I could change anything in this world, it would be to instill in everyone values that you always read in books but never easy to implement. The values of building up your passion, serving the people, doing something that is different, and to be respected for that.
The struggle is to convince people not to blame on your representative for everything that has or has not happened.
Being in politics, some things doesn’t get done and you still have to go through the bureaucratic process. But when things get done and people are happy – that’s the self-actualization that I get”.
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“Saya membesar di KL dan Bangsar. Saya memang bergaul dengan semua bangsa. Saya percaya bahawa keistimewaan Malaysia datang daripada gabungan semua bangsa. Keluarga saya pun campur, isteri saya bangsa Cina. Dan itu telah memberi saya pandangan yang lebih luas tentang negara ini.
Saya bukan berdarah campuran, walaupun nama saya (Raja Nong Chik) bukan nama Melayu yang biasa. Chik bermaksud saya yang paling muda dalam keluarga.
Saya nikmati masa bersama keluarga dan saya mempunyai kehidupan yang seimbang. Saya jaga kesihatan diri dan buat senaman setiap hari bersama isteri saya dengan berjalan-jalan di taman di Taman Tun. Saya ada kawan-kawan di lingkungan umur saya, kehidupan politikal saya, dan bisnes saya. Saya gembira dengan kehidupan saya dan harap saya boleh panjang umur seperti ayah saya, yang meninggal dunia di usia 96 tahun.
Rahsia ayah saya yang berumur panjang adalah disiplin. Falsafahnya adalah untuk menjaga kesihatan fizikal, tidak minum atau merokok, sibukkan diri dengan kerja, berkerja keras – dan dia masih berkerja hingga ke hari terakhirnya, pada umur 96 tahun.
‘Jangan berputus asa’ adalah falsafah kehidupan saya. Dan Nelson Mandela inspirasi terbesar saya. Saya mengagumi dia kerana berjuang untuk keadilan dan melalui semua kesukaran dalam hidupnya. Apabila dia berkuasa, dia faham masa yang sesuai untuk menyerahkan diri.
Saya biarkan kepada pengundi untuk membuat keputusan, saya tak akan kecil hati jika pengundi tidak memilih saya. Saya sudah berumur 65 tahun. Jika saya tidak dipilih, adalah masanya untuk saya memberi peluang kepada generasi muda.
Jika saya boleh ubah apa-apa sahaja di dunia ini, ia adalah untuk menanam nilai-nilai murni di dalam semua orang, nilai yang selalu dibaca dalam buku tetapi sukar untuk dilaksanakan. Nilai untuk membina semangat, berkhidmat untuk rakyat, melakukan sesuatu yang lain dan dihormati kerananya.
Cabaran yang saya hadapi adalah untuk meyakini orang supaya tidak menyalahkan wakil anda untuk semua yang sudah atau akan berlaku.
Berada dalam politik, sesetengah perkara tidak dilaksanakan tetapi saya masih perlu melalui proses birokratik. Tetapi bila perkara itu dapat dilaksanakan dan rakyat rasa gembira, itulah kepuasan terhebat bagi saya.”
“Occasionally when we don’t bring Fluffy out with us, he would sulk when we get back and he won’t listen at all when we call him. He ignore, doesn’t bat an eye and act as a stranger. He wouldn’t come greet us at the door too. It’s only when he’s hungry, and comes to me for food, then he’s ok again”.
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“Pernah bila kami tak bawa Fluffy keluar bersama, dan kami pulang, dia akan merajuk dengan kami dan langsung tak endahkan kami bila kami panggil dia. Dia buat tak tahu, buat tak hairan, buat tak kenal. Dia langsung tak sambut kami pulang di pintu. Tapi bila dah lapar, dan datang dekat saya untuk makanan, masa tu dia ok dah”.
“Fluffy is used to riding with me on my motorcycle wherever I go – without needing any safety equipment. He started riding on my shoulder 3 years ago. I can just put him on top of my shoulder and he’ll be very relaxed and still. I always bring him when I ride back to my kampung (KL – Johor, KL-Ipoh/Taiping).
Fluffy has never fallen down, nor has he jumped.
Now I work as a despatch, so wherever I go, he follows too.
We plan to do a motorcycle trip together over land in Indonesia. We plan to ride across Sabah and Sarawak into Indonesia. 8,000km, 30 days.
When people see us together on the motorcycle people will always say he will fall down. If you say he’s gonna fall down, that becomes a prayer. So let’s wish for his safety instead.
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Fluffy ni senang nak bawa berjalan, dia tak banyak ragam. Bila penat, dia akan terus tidur je, dia tak akan kacau orang di sekeliling dia.
Fluffy dah biasa naik motor dengan saya, tanpa perlu alat keselamatan. Dia mula naik motor atas bahu saya 3 tahun lalu. Saya boleh letak je dia atas bahu dan dia akan duduk diam-diam dan relax. Saya selalu bawa dia balik kampung (KL- Johor, KL-Ipoh/Taiping)
Fluffy tak pernah jatuh atau lompat.
Sekarang saya kerja despatch, jadi dia akan ikut saya pergi mana-mana.
Kami pelan nak pergi trip motosikal bersama-sama di Indonesia, mula dari Sabah dan Sarawak. 8000kms, 30 hari. Bila orang tengok kami bersama di atas motosikal, mereka mesti kata Fluffy akan jatuh. Tapi kalau awak kata dia akan jatuh, itu macam doa. Jadi lebih baik kita doakan keselamatan dia.
– H̶u̶m̶a̶n̶s̶ Cats of Kuala Lumpur
Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa Edited and translated by Amalina Davis
(2/2) “I even lived in Saudi for two years in 1978, working as a mechanic for a rich Saudi ‘taiko’. I left my parents here in Malaysia, and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have returned home. I’m 68 years old now, so I’m just here spending the last days of my life here.
I am born and bred in the heart of KL, here in Lembah Pantai. It has developed a lot since the olden days. I used to live in a squatter house, but when the government wanted to build the NPE highway that passed through Pantai, they gave us this house as a replacement. It costed me RM42,000 for the house, but this was back around 2008. I like it here in Pantai because it is the middle of everything, in between KL and PJ. Once you’ve lived here, you wouldn’t want to move out – it’s so convenient!
Barisan and Keadilan are fighting for this place. Lembah Pantai has always been Barisan’s stronghold, but they lost it in 2008 to Keadilan. When Keadilan came in, Nurul Izzah had overwhelming support from the female voters. But from what I gather, since Keadilan came here, there has been not much progress or development.
The current Barisan candidate, Raja Nong Chik is a Pantai boy, through and through. I know him since we were boys, when we used to play and swim in the river at “Kampung Pancur”. If he does win, I think he can be trusted to take care of Lembah Pantai. Even when he didn’t win before, he would always contribute back to this place.”
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(2/2)“Dulu saya kerja atas kapal minyak, jadi saya banyak habiskan hidup saya dengan mengembara dunia melalui laut. Saya juga pernah tinggal di Saudi pada 1978 selama 2 tahun, saya jadi mekanik untuk taiko Saudi yang kaya. Saya tinggalkan ibu bapa saya di Malaysia, dan kalau bukan kerana mereka, mungkin saya tak akan pulang. Sekarang saya dah 68 tahun, jadi saya cuma mahu habiskan sisa hidup saya di sini.
Saya dilahirkan dan dibesarkan di ibu kota Kuala Lumpur, di Lembah Pantai ini. Banyak perkembangan yang berlaku di sini. Dulu saya pernah tinggal di rumah setinggan, tapi bila kerajaan nak bina lebuhraya NPE yang melalui Pantai, mereka tawarkan kami rumah ini sebagai ganti. Saya belanjakan RM42,000 untuk rumah ini, tapi ini harga masa 2008 dulu. Saya sukakan Pantai sebab lokasinya yang ditengah-tengah, antara KL dan PJ. Bila kamu dah duduk sini, kamu mungkin tak mahu pindah mana-mana dah – sebab sini sangat selesa.
Barisan dan Keadilan berebut nak tempat ini. Lembah Pantai dah lama jadi kubu kuat Barisan, tapi kalah dengan Keadilan pada tahun 2008. Bila Keadilan masuk, Nurul Izzah dapat sokongan hebat dari pengundi wanita. Tapi apa yang saya tahu, sejak Keadilan datang sini, tak banyak pun perkembangan yang dibuat.
Calon Barisan yang baru ini, Raja Nong Chik, dia budak Pantai. Saya kenal dia dari kecil, dulu kami selalu main dan mandi sungai di Kampung Pancur. Kalaulah dia menang, saya rasa dia boleh dipercayai untuk jaga kawasan Lembah Pantai ini. Masa dia kalah dulu pun, dia selalu buat sesuatu untuk tempat ini.”
– Humans of Kuala Lumpur
Photo taken at PPR Lembah Pantai
Photostory by Amalina Davis and Mushamir Mustafa Translated by Khairul Ridhwan
“It’s close to election times already, and usually by now we would have gotten the money. Since I am a retired single mother, with no dependents, I usually get about RM400 – RM450. That BR1M money is a lot for someone like me and it is quite helpful for my expenses.
My husband passed away a while ago, so I had to support my 5 children. I used to work in a kindergarten looking after children and doing house chores. It was quite far away that I had to take two busses. Before there were busses going there, I had to walk almost two hours one way.
Now, I live with my children here in this PPR (Program Perumahan Rakyat or Public Low Cost Housing). I’ve been here for almost 10 years now, and 3 out of my 5 children live here too. I like it here because I have lots of friends.”
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“Awak tahu mana pejabat BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia) paling dekat? Saya nak pergi sana untuk ambil duit BR1M. Pilihan raya pun dah dekat ni, sepatutnya kita boleh dapat dah duit tu. Saya ibu tunggal, tak ada tanggungungan, selalu saya dapat dalam RM400-RM450. Dengan BR1M yang macam tu, untuk orang macam saya, dapatlah membantu untuk menampung perbelanjaan saya.
Suami saya dah meninggal, jadi saya yang jaga 5 orang anak kami. Dulu saya kerja tadika, jaga budak-budak dan buat kerja-kerja rumah. Tapi tempat kerja tu jauh, saya kena naik 2 bas. Masa tak ada bas dulu, saya kena pergi jalan kaki, dalam 2 jam untuk sampai sana.
Sekarang, saya tinggal dengan anak-anak saya di PPR (Program Perumahan Rakyat) sini. Dah masuk 10 tahun kami di sini, dan 3 dari 5 orang anak saya masih tinggal di sini. Saya suka duduk sini sebab saya dapat ramai kawan.”
Seen at PPR Lembah Subang
Photostory by Amalina Davis Edited by Mushamir Mustafa Translated by Khairul Ridhwan
