When Less Is More: 1 Malaysia

The "ERU" family was our most immediate neighbor in Kg Dalam Rhu, Tumpat where I grew up. The family was amongst 3 other Chinese families within our neighborhood. Abe Eru as we fondly called the head of this family operated a sundy-cum-coffee shop.

The couple had 5 children. We knew the children only by their Malay names. The eldest is a boy, goes by the name of Yusof. He converted and logically retained the name. The second child is a daughter. She goes by the name of Mek Jah (Khatijah). Next was Mek Nab (Zainab). She too converted and I believed retained her name. Fourth was a boy. He goes by the name "Leng". Later I discovered his name was Tiu Boon Ling. Back then, I thought it was a shortened name for Halim! The youngest was a girl. We knew her as Mek Yoh (Rokiah).

I used to play with Yusof as he was about 4 years my junior. My little brother and sisters would be closer to the other younger siblings who were about their ages.

When I left Tumpat in 1967, I would see less and less of them. But the Eru family remained family friends.

I balek kampong regularly even after making Selangor my home. It was on one such trip home that my late mother told me to help one of Abe Eru's sons. I was told that after the SPM result, Abe Eru's son left home to work as a welder in a shipyard in Singapore. His SPM result had strings of A's. With no contacts, he went off to Singapore.

We got him back. I brought him to KL, a first timer for a boy from Tumpat. I got him a job in the bank, stayed with me until he established friendship and rented a house. He is now a happily married bank personnel in a managerial position.

When my mother was in the hospital, I decided to contact the youngest daughter Mek Yoh to inform her mother Mek Eru. She is now 74. Her husband Abe Eru died 7 years ago.

They both came and stayed together with us in the hospital. I recalled telling her to go home as she was showing signs of fatigue. She refused and stayed on.