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ARTERI is delighted to present a new series for Document, Decoding Serdang, in which Tan Zi Hao, a local of the Serdang new village (now called Seri Kembangan), charts his personal relationship with this township. – Ed.
I’ve been in Serdang since I was a toddler.
Serdang didn’t spare much democracy in aesthetic sensation. The basic spatial structure was either moulded by the past colonist or the insensitive modern developers. It is called forced architectural identity, also a malady of creativity. But it hasn’t been an issue; artists Perng Fey and Wing are both creative persons from Serdang. This was pretty new to me two years ago, I was delighted.
It used to be an arable land for star fruits, later the town ventured into shoe industry. From something edible to something rubbery, and it achieved a rather jejune recognition – biggest shoe manufacturer in Malaysia. Serdang pun Boleh.
I’ve been shy since I was a toddler.
When my family shifted from Pudu, I remember how much joy I had running around with my sister when I saw the ultra-white walls and the empty space. I broke lose of all culturally-rooted-psychological-constraints and ran in frenzy. So did my sister. It is a Chinese belief that such was auspicious sign – I was like a feng-shui barometer for the new house. But it would be a different scenario now if the walls are given to me – the whimsy itch to turn it into a contemporary art space.
“Art space ah? No income lah, how to support the family? Not practical…” This is what my father will say, but;
I’ve been impractical since I was a toddler.
According to a newspaper article, Serdang is the biggest Chinese town in Malaysia. But Serdang isn’t famous for its ethnically measured expanse, (nor star fruits, nor shoes) but food. This is Serdang’s current identity so to speak. Those travel from afar to dine here are likely to be led to town by the highway signboard that says ‘Seri Kembangan’ before reaching the bustling main road where restaurants are. They sit in those solid rows of shop houses that bear a trace of the past.
The shop house is an integrated space, cohering business and life. They work there, eat there and probably sleep there too. Day and night. Is this Chinese? Practical, business-minded, ‘survival’ being the paramount priority?
A typical house in Serdang probably hangs a mirror right above the Chinese-motif oriented grille – to terrify ghosts as they witness their own horrid. Viewing from outside, you see nothing but the door and grille. Having this double-layered entrance (door and grille) is a brilliant play with the level of light. When a gate is shut, you can see from inside out but not vice versa. This architectural method to maintain privacy was inherited from colonial shop houses.
From the outside, on a cloudier day, you could look in at a generic Chinese domestic setting – a red altar, a tv and some furniture, of course. You might too, perchance, spot an elderly group playing mahjong. Their smile with excitement and the curved lines on their faces are marked with time.
When I’ve been in Serdang, I notice these things. The woods, zinc, mailboxes, burning joss sticks, altars, mirrors… all falling into perfect composition; a standard, well composed medley in red, brown, grey; As well as the insecurity and scepticism in life, through the double-layered door, through their swearing in coarish Hakka, through the ill-mannered defensive old folks and the self-centeredness of the residents. I found it mysterious. Amusing.
I’ve been in Serdang since I was a toddler, but I have not lived in Serdang.
~
Tan Zi Hao is currently completing his studies at a local university. Working primarily with the community in Serdang (known presently as Seri Kembangan), he runs a young people’s drama collective Logamaya (http://aoa-logamaya.blogspot.com/) and a children art education project Projek Semai (http://projeksemai.blogspot.com/).
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you make me want to visit
ilann, let’s go! there’s a nice fish head beehoon soup stall near where the neon light fabricators are :)
LOOOVE TO! Can Zi Hao join us???
ilann, u shld look out for the various yongtaufu stalls too, hidden among those narrow newvillage lanes. and one KwongChou restaurant, famous for its ‘Paper wrapped chicken’.
zihao, you forgot to include Chuyuan and 1948 artspace.
and how does it feel like, growing up seeing the edge of KL slowy extending and emcopassing serdang now?
i often wonder how do people staying at the various kampung and new villages surrounding the edge of KL, with KL tower and KLCC at the center, tne beacon, feel and see the center?
how do they relate to it, traveling from the ‘edge’ to work, shop, even going to galleries? does one feel the lack of culture, creativity, cutting edge, urban coolness?
ah such old fashion margin and center dichotomy.
hi all.
do come, I will join if I don’t have class, haven’t got my schedule yet though, still on hols.
if you’re coming for lunch, the Yong Tau Fu stall is a good option, they have those usual ‘snacks’ with Hakka Chak Yuk and Vinegar Pig Trotter. Further out is the Fatty Chicken Rice, they serve ordinary but delicious chicken rice, they also have Kampung Chicken rice. Serdang has a lot of pan mee stalls too, with very nice belacan plus ikan bilis. You can also get the famous May Keng (Pudu Lam Mee) in Serdang, their new branch.
for dinner, there’s a restaurant famous for its original claypot Lao Shu Fen recipe, in Serdang Raya, calledYoke Heng. Or you may try the ikan bakar in Soon Lee. If you want ‘healthier’ ikan, try Salt Baked Fish(rare!).
it won’t be too expensive compared to the price in KL, but hey, you can actually get your stomach fill with a RM 2-3 wantan mee here. I go there for dinner when I spent a lot printing my assignments.
saubin, the paper wrapped chicken used to be good, but it’s getting expensive and the taste hasn’t been consistent now :(
yea, I didn’t miss out 1948 and Chu Yuan, I will write about that later because I have much to say, I was really happy when I first read Zedeck’s article on 1948 in kakiseni. Too bad it lost a space now. Let’s leave that for the next post.
Those are interesting questions, when 1948 was looking for a new space, I thought about similar issues as they hope to get a New Village wooden house. The ‘heritage’ of New Village is simple; wood, zinc, red altar, joss sticks and mailboxes. I wonder how long can this chapter of visual history remains. The extending urban culture is encroaching the heritage…but I don’t want to be too cynical with such crisis, modernisation is definitely necessary. What I can do now is to document it, and also find links of transformation between time, see how the visual attributes of today can reflect an obscure past.
I think Serdang is a cool town to hang out. KL wasn’t that cool, too rigid and dry. it is a kind of kampung coolness maybe.
wah Zi Hao, all these talk abt food makes me also want to come join you all. Ilann, can ah?
FYI- I’m the one who sat next to you just now lah.. just after talking to you, all my memories of Serdang came rushing back..
:-)
CAN!!!!!!!!
Simon, Arteri’s first ‘Kampung Visit’?
Zi Hao, your writing reminded me of Margaret Bong’s short film many years ago called ‘Red Drawing’ if i remember correctly. Have you seen it?
This boy lives with his grandma who is a caretaker of a temple. At an art class at school the teacher asks them to draw, draw a flower like this, a tree like this etc. The boy starts drawing appearing to just scribble red all over his paper till the whole paper is covered in red. The teacher gets angry, boy punished. Then the teacher goes to visit the grandma and realises that the boy’s world IS ‘red’, that he was drawing his environment.
I thought it was a really poignant, poetic short film about home and also about perception.
hehehe… okay guys! let the planning begin!
this sunday for lunch?
hey, sorry I can’t make it this Sunday. what about next weekend (16/17 May)? which part of Serdang you guys are familiar with – to meet up?
ilann: never heard of the movie, do you know where I can get it?
I love that this article spawned a mass food hunt! which of course I am in on depending on when the dates figure themselves out :)
But I also really enjoyed this post. It is so nice to read. It reminds me of some type of artist’s mapping piece. Thanks so much Zi Hao.
ah zihao…
you pegi makan tak ajak orang pun…
lol..would love to be embraced by the new village atmosphere, tour Serdang 09 k…