Nasi Lauk yang tak pernah kamu rasa !

你从来没吃过的咖哩饭! Nasi Lauk that you have not taste!



When I watch the video, it is so familiar. I have been in Kelantan for many years. Nasi Lauk, Nasi Dagang, Nasi kerabu......the familiar breakfast, that have been unified the taste buds of Kelantan people for many generations....

There is no barrier, race or religion.

Nasi Lauk, the breakfast of Kelantan.....it break the barrier....

The touching story of the short movie remind us about the son's love to the mother,not only that, the bond of various races in Kelantan since ancient time, the love of various races to the Kelantanese Malay mother, Negeri Kelantan.

The Malay mother become the mother of his son's friends, like Kelantan become the homeland of many races since ancient time...

During this Chinese new year, not only remember family bond, but let us also remember the racial harmony in the country

I experienced my real Malay culture in Kelantan, it was not only cultural shock in the early 70s, it was also the difficulty in learning the Kelantanese Malay dialect. I stay in a Kampong house owned by a Chinese sundry shop owner with a Malay name, Che Mamat. My neighbor were Kelantan Malay families. I ate Kelantan Malay food each day. I fast during the fasting month sometime, when the warong was not opened.

When I left Kelantan, it was with the warmth of the Kelantanese culture, the experience of racial harmony that is difficult for me to forget in life. I am now able to hear the tempo of their voices, listening to the Kelantanese Malay, the beauty of the Kelantan culture. The culture become part of me, so familiar....

I look back at Penang, and as I walk along Pitt Street, what happen to Penang?....it was once the street of racial harmony.

I remember the story of Nasi Kandar, it is different from Nasi Lauk. Nasi Lauk remain as simple and humble as in ancient time, the breakfast of fishermen, the breakfast of Kelantan, the breakfast of normal people from Kelantan, still in warong and kopitiam.....

Look at Nasi Kandar, it had changed. It become so expensive, it is climbing up its economic success story. It has become untouchable by the normal people, as the price is going up. It no longer in the old kopitiam or mamak stalls. It is now in the shop house and restaurants. May be it is their success story. But it has lost touch of Penang's taste, it is no longer taste like the old nasi kandar, when they still use kandar to carry their food. It no longer fit as harmony food of Penang...it become arrogant....it is no longer locally make( mainly made by foreign workers)....it lost its heritage, the living heritage food loved by all Penang people. I used to remember, my father was so fond of Nasi Kandar, he can practically eat it daily if financially allow...it was not a mamak food, it was not Indian food, it was Penang food, Malaysian food.....it was our food...

Nasi Kandar was once the pride of Penang, like Nasi lauk the pride of Kelantan...not today.... but it has lost its charm.....it is so commercial now...

I still love Nasi Lauk, it is so asli(original).....food of my second home....but I still remember the Nasi Kandar that my father love...