My Acknowledgments and Parting Words

I have never intended to write this memoir, so I never kept any records on events that happened or buildings that took shape in Jalan Kampong Cina. I have to depend on my memories and rely on others for information. It became very frustrating when the relevant Government agencies are unable to throw any lights on your enquiries and giving you a wild goose chase by referring you from one section to another. Either the perple in charge are too lazy to search for the records or they are too ignorant. The worst was my enquiry regarding public utility implemented by the Government to Kuala Terengganu Town. I was referred to one senior administration officer who must have overheard of my intention, and before I could reach his desk he arrogantly snap at me. I just turn my back and walked off. This gave a very bad impression of the type of civil servants, even though it is now privatised..

Even the town folks whom I approached (if I don`t know them, I wouldn`t have done so), just gave me an empty stares and passed irritating remarks, as though I was trying to pry and claim their ancestral properties. But there are always someone who are helpful, especially Mr.Tan Kian Pheng who gave me the name and year of the sinking of her grandfather`s cargo ship and also the year of his grandfather`s demise;  and Ah Mek of CHEE SENG sundry shop, who kept a record of the great fire of 1983 and willingly shared with me. I owe them my appreciations.

I must also record my thanks and appreciations to Y. BHG. DATO` WEE CHENG HUAT and MR. GAN YEW CHEW for sharing their life stories with me, and also to MR. TOH HOCK CHIN and MR. TAN TENG CHAW and his brother, TENG HOON for permitting me to include their late fathers` stories in my memoirs.

To know the date of the completion of Pasar Kedai Payang, I had to go round and enquired from the stall owners, such as how long they had being operating, or when they started their business, or whether they are the original stall owners. From all those information, I can roughly deduce the year (though not the month) when the market was completed. So is the same with the constructions of Jalan Kampong Tiong and its glutton square.

Whenever I have the chance, I would stroll down Jalan Kampong Cina early in the morning, looking at the architectural beauties of the old buildings, feeling the cool breeze and calmness of  early morning Chinatown. It rejuvenate me and the feeling I have is beyond descriptions. As age is catching up, my memories might not be able to recall all and might have miss certain events. As all that I wrote are from my own memory and might differ from others. I pray that Kampong Cina will remain as it is for generations to come.