The muhibbah factor: Reunited for the love of cendol and rojak in Kajang

BY LEE KHANG YI

The Malay Mail, Sunday April 24, 2016

Diners sit under a canopy of red latterns to enjoy their fried noodles and cool treats. — Pictures by Choo Choy May

KAJANG, April 24 — It has been said that the one thing that unites us Malaysians is our love for food. In Kajang, under a canopy of red lanterns at the 146-year-old Shen Sze See Yar Kajang temple, you will find everyone gathering for a simple meal of rojak, Maggi mee goreng or even mee rebus.

To finish off this simple but delectable meal, a cool bowl of cendol or air batu campur (ABC) to beat the crazy hot weather.

Boasting a legacy of 30 years, this eatery started out as a humble roadside stall run by the late Hameed Dawood who only peddled cendol. About 20 years ago, the temple offered him a space within their grounds.

The rojak features a milder tasting sauce but it comes with lots of vegetables, fritters and a hard boiled egg (left). The perfect pair: Delicious Maggi mee goreng and cool cendol kacang (right).

With the larger place, he decided to expand his offerings to include fried noodles, rojak and mee rebus. Hameed died about 16 years ago and the stall is now run by the second generation — Hameed’s eldest son Syed Abu Thahir, 34, and his son-in-law, Zabar Ali, 45. Hameed’s cendol legacy has also been passed down to his other two sons who have stalls in Sungai Tua and Sungai Jelok, all within the Kajang area.

According to Zabar, nobody is fussed about the stall being in a Chinese temple and it’s popularly known as Cendol Tokong. As he says, “Cina, Melayu dan India sudah lama datang kerana tempat bersih dan ada carpark.” (The Chinese, Malays and Indians have patronised this place for a long time as it is clean and there’s a carpark).

Syed Abu Thahir is in charge of making the cool cendol and ABC (left). Ask for the cendol special with everything in it (right).

Temper a scorching hot day with a bowl of their refreshing cendol. What makes it exceptional is the thick brown syrup they add to the shaved ice and coconut milk mixed with the soft cendol strands. The glossy syrup has a floral hint that makes it so irresistible when mixed with the coconut milk. A popular order is the cendolkacang with a spoonful of their soft cooked red beans.

If you’re looking for heavier dessert, ask for the cendol special which comes with everything mentioned plus a scoop of soft pulut or glutinous rice.

You can also sit in front of the stall to watch the shaved ice action.

The stall also serves ABC; finely-shaved ice doused with thick canned lychee syrup, rose syrup and a dash of evaporated milk to give it a touch of creaminess. Dig underneath the mound of shaved ice to discover orange-coloured jelly strands made in-house, soft cooked small red beans, peanuts and canned corn niblets. If you like, ask for the cendol strands to be added on top of your ABC.

Zabar Ali fries up the delicious noodles.

For a light meal, the must-eat is the excellent Maggi mee goreng fried by Zabar. The curly strands of noodles are perfectly cooked with an al dente texture that is absolutely delicious when paired with roughly cut potatoes, tomatoes, chillies, bean sprouts, shredded cabbage and fried bean curd slices. For a slight tangy taste, add a squeeze of calamansi lime juice over the noodles and dig in.

The rojak served here tends to have a milder creamy taste. You will find hard boiled eggs, a mixture of vegetables like cucumber and bean sprouts, fried bean curd puffs and fritters in the rojak. With the hot weather, one bowl of cendol is not enough so quench your thirst further with a glass of their lychee lemon drink, a mixture of thick lychee syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

From 4pm onwards, there is a dai chow that opens for business on the temple grounds. It’s a popular place for the Kajang residents who simply call it the “temple restaurant” and has about 40 years legacy. The draw here is their old school Hokkien fried noodles that uses homemade noodles with a chewier texture. Other recommended dishes include fried tang hoon or glass noodles and loh mee.

The front of the Shen Sze See Yar temple faces the riverbank.

History buffs will also enjoy visiting this temple that was originally founded in 1870 at Rekco (they moved to Kajang in 1892) that is linked to Sin Sze Si Ya Temple in KL, one of the oldest traditional temples in the city which was founded in 1864 by Kapitan Yap Ah Loy.

Lee Kim Sin who is the advisor for the Kajang temple and also the director of the Kajang Hulu Langat Heritage Centre shed some light on the origin of this temple which can be traced back to the Kapitan Sungai Ujung Seng Meng Lee.

Kapitan Yap Ah Loy thought of him as a mentor and when he died in 1860 during the war, his followers honoured him as a deity in the temples.

History buffs can trace the origins of this temple to Kapitan Yap Ah Loy and the popular Sin Sze Si Ya temple in KL.

The first temple was started in Rasah, Seremban. So far Lee has traced around 26 temples in Peninsular Malaysia founded by the tin mining community which feature the deity. These include temples as far north as Sungai Siput while down south, the furthest temple is located at Bukit Mor in Johore.

You can also find the temples on the east up to Gambang, Pahang. Located within the Kajang temple, there’s a small exhibition on the history of the temple.

Next door to the temple, you will find the Kajang Heritage Centre that traces the history of the development of Hulu Langat district which is operated by Lee. The place is open to the public every Saturday from 10am to 4pm. For an appointment, you can email leekimsin@gmail.com

Cendol Kajang, Tokong Shen Sze She Yar, Lot 22-23, Jalan Mendaling, Kajang. Open: 10am to 5.30pm. Closed every second Friday of the month.

Kajang perlukan 10 buah sekolah baharu

Elak kepadatan pelajar

Utusan Online, 23 April 2016 12:21 AM

Johan Abdul Aziz (tengah) dan Mat Jah Roslan (enam dari kiri) bergambar bersama Yang Dipertua PIBG sekolah-sekolah di Hulu Langat selepas merasmikan Majlis Aspirasi Yang Dipertua PIBG Daerah Hulu Langat di Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan Kajang, Selangor, baru-baru ini. UTUSAN/NOOR AZLINA JAAFAR

KAJANG 22 April – Sekurang-kurangnya sebanyak 10 buah sekolah perlu dibangunkan di sekitar kawasan ini bagi menampung kepadatan pelajar bagi satu-satu sekolah.

Pegawai Pendidikan Daerah Hulu Langat, Mat Jah Roslan berkata, langkah itu bagi menampung kepadatan pelajar di hampir semua sekolah di sekitar Hulu Langat.

“Tidak dinafikan sekolah sedia ada sekarang sudah banyak, tetapi kapasiti sesebuah sekolah tidak boleh menampung semua pelajar dalam satu-satu masa.

“Jumlah pelajar bagi sesebuah sekolah kini sudah mencecah hampir lebih 3,000 sehingga terpaksa dibahagikan kepada dua sesi pem­belajaran,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia dekat sini semalam.

Menurut Mat Jah, kepadatan yang berlaku sepatutnya dipecahkan kepada beberapa sekolah bergantung bagi memastikan keselesaan untuk proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran (P&P).

Yang turut hadir Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Semenyih, Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz dan Pre­siden Majlis Permuafakatan PIBG 1Selangor (MPPIBG1S), Datuk Seri Abd. Rahman Ali.

Sementara itu, Johan berkata, pihak terlibat sedia maklum dengan masalah yang berlaku dan langkah jangka panjang juga telah disusun.

Bagaimanapun katanya, ada beberapa sekolah baharu sudah dalam proses pembinaan dan ada yang masih di peringkat permohonan dan kelulusan daripada kerajaan.

“Kita akan tengok mana sekolah yang kritikal dan lebih memerlukan untuk disediakan di semua kawasan ini.

“Antaranya seperti di sekolah di Pelangi Semenyih, SMK(J)C Sungai Long dan SJKC Kajang 2 yang telah menerima peruntukan daripada kerajaan,” katanya lagi.

- See more at: http://www.utusan.com.my/berita/wilayah/kajang-perlukan-10-buah-sekolah-baharu-1.283797#sthash.B4NoxZNu.dpuf

Bazaar project in Kajang gets council’s nod

The Star, Saturday, 23 April 2016

KAJANG Municipal Council (MPKj) has approved the proposed Uptown Putra Kajang bazaar project in Taman Putra Kajang, but with conditions.

MPKj deputy president Zamani Ahmad Mansor said the bazaar operator had to follow rules set by the council before an operating licence could be issued.

“We are giving the operator three months to adhere to the rules, failing which, we will cancel the application,” he said after chairing the council’s full board meeting.

Among the rules are to submit the Temporary Building Permit plan and the Traffic Impact Assessment report and only 150 stalls are allowed at the bazaar.

Other rules include hiring garbage disposal contractors registered with MPKj, having Rela officers to control traffic and ensuring no business equipment is left behind overnight.

Zamani said the bazaar could operate only after three months when MPKj determined that the operator had adhered to the set conditions.

This was the second time Taman Kajang Impian residents protested against the bazaar since 2014.

“Back then, the operators set up the structure illegally and it was torn down by MPKj.

“This time, however, they have received conditional approval from the council,” said Taman Kajang Impian Islamic Residents Association president Azli Yusoff.

The residents had the same worries when the bazaar first opened in 2014.

Azli said the bazaar would cause traffic congestion.

“The Jalan Taman Kajang Impian stretch is usually congested between 8pm and 10pm, as there is a tuition centre and an Islamic religious school nearby.

“Buses would be parked there and parents would also be waiting in their cars for their children,” he said.

He foresees the congestion getting worse as there are not enough parking bays for bazaar visitors.

“We were informed that there will be parking lots available in the bazaar compound, but it will not be enough,” he said.

He added that the bazaar operator had obtained approval to run the business on Friday and Saturday nights, from 9pm to 2am.

“Right now it is only twice a week. But they might turn it into a nightly affair,” he said.

Residents object to development of crematorium in Kajang

The Star, Friday, 22 April 2016

BY FARAH FAZANNA ZULZAHA

MORE than 250 residents gathered at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Building in Shah Alam to protest against the proposed development of a crematorium and columbarium project in their Kajang neighbourhood.

The proposed project is located between Taman Jasmin and Tiara Residence.

Under the coalition Action Committee To Not Cremate Bodies Near Our Homes Campaign, the residents handed over a memorandum to Selangor Mentri Besar’s political secretary Shuhaimi Shafiei, yesterday.

The coalition comprises residents from Taman Jasmin, Taman Jasmin II, Selesa I-Resort, Damai Mewah Residence, Taman Permai, Taman Damai Indah, Tiara Residence and Surau Taman Jasmin.

They arrived in three buses, and held placards that read, “Don’t turn our neighbourhoods into a graveyard”, “We don’t want to live next to a graveyard”, and “Cancel cancel cancel”.

Tiara Residence Residents Association chairman Low Chee Cheong urged the state government to review the proposed project for residents’ benefit.

“The proposed project is located on a hill slope and is surrounded by residential houses, a surau and school,” he said.

He added that no consultation nor a public hearing had been done with the residents by the developer.

He also expressed concern on the effects of the project to the environment, social and the community.

“We are afraid that once the project starts, there will be risks of landslides and flood as the area is not suitable for development,” he said adding that the access road was also not suitable.

“The only access road is Jalan Jasmin 15 which will not be able to cope with the traffic if there are events held at the site,” he said.

He said there was an existing graveyard for Hindus, managed by a temple.

“The land belongs to the state. The temple is only managing it,” he said.

“The whole project will be on the 4.09ha land. Phase 1 will take over about 0.4ha of land.

“We only found out about the project through advertisements and through their website,” said Low.

Last surviving French missionary priest in Malaysia passes away

The Star, Thursday, 14 April 2016 | MYT 3:51 PM

FRENCH-BORN Catholic priest Rev Father Antoine Henriot MEP, from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, passed away on Wednesday. 

He was 92 and the priest spent his last days at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home in Cheras.

Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Reverend Julian Leow said a Requiem Mass would be held on Friday at 3pm at the Church of the Holy Family, Kajang followed by burial at the Kajang Christian Cemetery.

The Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew SJ said the late Fr Henriot was a vibrant priest who worked closely with the youth groups in the parishes he served over the last 60-odd years.

“It is a sad occasion for the Catholic and Christian community as he was the last surviving member of the French missionary team who came to then Malaya in the 1940s and remained in the country till their last breath to serve the faithful,” said Fr Lawrence.

Fr Henriot, who was born on Feb 13, 1924, in Montbeliardot, France, founded the Church of the Holy Family in Kajang.

He was ordained a priest in Paris, France, on June 29, 1947 and celebrated his 75th anniversary as a priest in 2007.

In 1948, he was posted to KwangSi, Nanning, China for his first overseas mission.

In 1954, he came to Malaysia and was posted to Seremban. 

Subsequently, he served at various parishes located in Mantin, Kuantan and Mentakab. 

In 1977, he was posted to the Holy Family Church in Kajang and his final posting on Feb 1, l99l was to the Church of the Good Shepherd, Setapak.

Seven baptised at Mass in prison

The Herald, Apr 04, 2016

While Catholics around the world were preparing to celebrate Easter, priests celebrated Mass in Kajang prison on March 10.

By Herbert John Gomez

While Catholics around the world were preparing to celebrate Easter, priests celebrated Mass in Kajang prison 
on March 10, with a tagline for their homily for the prison inmates, Jesus loves you in spite of your 
incarceration in prison and forgives you for your wrong doings as the Father is Merciful. 

Every year, the prison authorities grant permission for two Masses to be celebrated for the prisoners, one for Christmas (which is celebrated in the season of Advent) and another for Easter (which is celebrated during Lent). Collaboration with the prison authorities has been good and this is the fourth year the Catholic Prison Ministry has been organizing Mass in Kajang prison. 

This message of the priests moved many of the prison inmates to pray for repentance and for God’s mercy, for a conversion to renew their lives. Mass was celebrated at five different blocks in the prison. They included the men’s prison, men’s death row cell blocks and Drug Rehabilitation Centre while the ladies’ prison was specially prepared for Mass and the baptism ceremony. 

In the women’s prison, seven foreign nationals from Thailand, China, India and Morocco agreed to accept Jesus as their Saviour and for a conversion to renew their lives. They have been attending the Sunday pastoral care programmes and counselling sessions conducted by the Prison Ministry volunteers for the past few months to learn about Jesus through the sharing and interaction with the inmates. 

Prison Ministry spiritual chaplain, Fr Surain Durai Raj, celebrated Mass and the Sacrament of Baptism together with Fr Philip Chua who chose beautiful names for the newly baptized inmates, who accepted the names of Mary, Josephine, Catherine, Theresa, Agnes, Catherina and Margaret. 

The biggest challenge for the Ministry in getting inmates prepared for baptism in prison is the time constraint and the difficulties in making early preparations. A brief baptism course was conducted by both priests in the English, Chinese and Tamil languages before the ceremony. 

Their consent to embrace the Catholic faith and to receive baptism was formally carried out with a letter of consent from the individual inmates. 

The baptism ceremony was followed by the Sacrament of Confirmation and the celebration of the Eucharist where the baptised received Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time. The priests prayed for them and advised them to stay focused on Jesus and to draw strength from Him to move on. 

One of the baptized inmates expressed quietly, “My acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Saviour will mark an important step in my life.” 

It is a milestone for the Catholic Prison Ministry to note that on this occasion, a record number of seven persons were baptized. 

The Ministry volunteers will keep them in prayer and help them with their RCIA sessions and to make progress on their spiritual paths. 

In the meantime, Masses were also celebrated in the other blocks and cells. In the Death Row block, Fr Simon Labrooy commenced Mass with greetings from Archbishop Julian Leow. Many of the inmates still remembered when His Grace celebrated the Eucharist at Christmas. “You are not alone, for Jesus loves each one of you. We will pray for your wellbeing as you pray for your families back home,” he added. 

After Mass, the inmates exchanged the sign of peace with a warm hug to demonstrate their Christian love for one another with praises of Alleluia to the Lord. 

Speaking to 63 prison inmates at the Main Block, Fr Albet Ariokiasamy encouraged them to use their time in prison to get their lives back on track and to rehabilitate themselves spiritually. “Do not feel discouraged by the challenges faced while in prison, as some of the saints and apostles were also imprisoned for doing the right thing and preaching the Word of God,” he added. 

Prison inmates in the main Death Row Cell experienced a sense of hope and promise of a new life in Christ when Fr Edwin Peter spoke to them of Jesus who is always forgiving. “He loves each one of us to the point that He gave his life for us.” 

Fr Gregory Chan, too, shared with the inmates on Jesus’ love for sinners and how He cared for them when he celebrated the Eucharist at the Rawatan Permulihan Dadah (Drug Rehabilitation Centre) section. Mass is celebrated during the Easter and Christmas seasons in seven other prisons in Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan. Priests also visit the inmates monthly to hear confessions and for pastoral care duties. 

Currently, 25 priests and 182 volunteers (ladies and men) from the Catholic Prison Ministry Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese visit the prisons weekly for pastoral care programmess and spiritual counselling .

The Ministry has extended its services to the inmates in the prisons in the northern and southern states of Penang and Melaka/ Johore Diocese through their respective Prison Ministries.

Turk beats up lover who wanted to break up

The Star, Tuesday, 5 April 2016

KAJANG: A Turkish man allegedly assaulted his 51-year-old Malaysian lover after she told him she wanted to end their one-year relationship.

The 42-year-old suspect, who works as a cook at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, allegedly slapped and threatened his lover to “watch out” twice in the span of two months.

The bad-ending love drama started when the victim told the suspect to move out of their home in Kajang Perdana.

“He got angry and went to the victim’s place on March 10 at about 2.50pm. He started shouting vulgar words and eventually, started beating the woman’s 11-year-old son. She tried to stop him but was beaten as well,” Kajang Deputy OCPD Supt Abdul Ghani Mohamad Ji said.

He added that the incident was repeated about 12 days later.

“This time, he went to the house at about 11.30pm. According to the victim, the suspect had also threatened to kill her.

“Fearing for her life, she decided to lodge a report on Saturday afternoon. The man was arrested at the victim’s place several hours later,” Supt Abdul Ghani said, adding that the suspect tried to resist arrest.

The case is being investigated for criminal intimidation.

Full of pride for Kajang High School

The Star, Friday, 1 April 2016

STARMETRO’s story “Kajang school’s old boys on centennial mission” brought back  fond memories of the years I spent in my alma mater, Kajang High School (KHS). I belong to the Class of ‘71 and when I left KHS 45 years ago, little did I know that   25 years later, my son would have his secondary education in the same school I first  stepped into in 1967.

KHS, built on top of a slight hill, was the preferred school in the area, as parents found it the most attractive secondary school using English as the medium of instruction.

The school field, the staircases, the different classroom blocks, the assembly area, the library, the workshops for metal and woodwork, the canteen, the badminton and basketball courts are very much etched in our memories.

I have many fond memories of the teachers, my class and schoolmates and the events that help shape the character of the students.

In those years where few cars and buses were on the road and bicycles and bullock-carts were a common sight, KHS stood tall in the heart of Ulu Langat, producing some high academic achievers, top sportsmen, prominent government officials, politicians, ministers and even a governor throughout its illustrious history, surpassing even those elite schools in big towns and cities.

One of the better-known politicians who studied in KHS was the late Tan Sri Dr Tan Chee Khoon, a respected doctor and politician who championed the lot of the common folk in Parliament.

Another product of KHS was the late Tun Aziz Abdul Majid, governor of Malacca from 1971 to 1975, who was, incidentally, also born in Kajang.

I remember the many dedicated teachers and headmasters who taught in the school, who showed their commitment to educating us while also having the power to punish, instil discipline and maintain order.

I remember too my class and schoolmates, who in their unique ways contributed to make KHS what it is today.

Though all of us have aged, slowed down and mellowed over the years, with many becoming grandfathers, we still talk with enthusiasm and delight when we gather for reunions.

Many do not know that the original motto of KHS was actually in Latin, Labor Omnia Vincit meaning “Work conquers all” or “Hard work overcomes all difficulties”.

It was then the driving force in our endeavours to excel in sports and education, among others.

Labor Omnia Vincit was the battle-cry when we cheered our football, cricket and rugby teams as they played other schools for honours. KHS was also noted for producing a number of well-known state and national sportsmen.

The present motto is Berilmu, Berdispilin and Berjaya meaning “Knowledge and discipline empowers success”.

We hope the students will uphold the present motto with pride as we cheer you on to carve your future as well.

It was a school of distinction and excellence and no one was denied the opportunity to excel in sports or academic pursuits.

Many also do not know that KHS was earlier named Government English School Kajang and later renamed Kajang High School and then SMK Kajang, as it is known today.

In a number of recent gatherings of the Class of ‘71, we invited some surviving teachers who had played their role well during our years in KHS as an appreciation for their devotion, commitment and comradeship.

We sat down as buddies, no longer teachers or students, and reminisced the wonderful years that had gone by.

We wonder how time flies in the face of massive development in Kajang but the school still stands tall and majestic on the hilly slope.

It has not lost its shine all these decades since I left.

My classmates and I are in our early 60s and we have never forgotten our alma mater and the nice friends we crossed paths with when we walked through the corridors of KHS for five years.

Some even returned to serve as teachers and continue the legacy of our own former teachers.

Regardless of our religion, culture and ethnicity, we remained true and committed to our friendships and our rich diversity that KHS feverishly cultivated, fostered and upheld all these years.

Back then, we were not race conscious nor critical of one’s culture but we fostered unity and friendship and remained close till today.

We miss those bygone days when students of different races, religions and cultures come together as one.

KHS then was a place for racial integration and I hope it remains so today.

In the midst of massive transformation of Kajang since I left school,

KHS has transformed itself through different phases of development, continuing the legacy of the bygone era since its birth in 1919 to what it is today, a school with great potential at its doorstep, ready to play an active and meaningful role in churning out committed and disciplined students ready for transformation to employable men and women in the market place As an alumnus of the school and together with the many thousands, both young and old, who had walked through its corridors, we will gather for KHS’ centennial celebrations in 1919.

Kajang High School, we cheer you on till we gather for the 100th anniversary!

DR TAN ENG BEE

Kajang