Beneath the buah cherry tree (5)

The typical idyllic scene in an older part of Suburbia – a kedai kopi (coffee shop or in reality, just a stall) beneath a Malaysian ‘buah cherry’ tree. The customers sit al fresco enjoying their coffee or tea, some nasi lemak, roti canai or kueh, and their favourite hobby, casual conversation.

Muthu: gau char*, Leong, pagi ‘mad, special hari ini. Menantu panggang!

* well and early (Chinese morning greeting)

Ahmad: Aiyah Muthu, you mean menu panggang.

Muthu: I mean what I said – menantu panggang.

Leong (to Ahmad): He’s referring to someone currently being given a roasting by the people who were once said to be hidup segan, mati tak mahu.

Ahmad: You mean that the White Prince?

Leong: None other than he who wants to be whiter than white.

Muthu: After all that bloody roasting, he needs more bleaching powder to be white again.

Leong: The shark fin lovers having spelled blood, ripped into him, saying that his actions had been a form of myopic racial sentiments, meant to create self inflated heroism to exaggerate a community’s insecurities. Bloody big words that had me reaching for the dictionary continuously.

And because they are shark fin lovers, they also popped in the warning that such racist actions have no market in the globalised era - nothing like a plug for trade, combining the time-honoured shark fin lovers' inclination to mix business with 'pleasure'.

Muthu: I heard they accused him of instigating such sentiments, if not as a distraction, to gain political mileage. But they said that only in Mandarin, and not during in English or Bahasa.

Leong: There’s a limit to what shark fin lovers could say and in what language, even though the boss of the White Prince has given his OK for the bashing.

Ahmad: What about his ‘friend’, the one who had tried to whitewash the White Putra’s comments?

Leong (smiling): He was equally washed-out as well.

Muthu (smiling): Whitewash - washout - knew you shark fin lovers were born laundry men.

Leong (laughing): Good one, Muthu. More than 20 speakers hammered him. Good therapy for those usual losers in this sort of game. But a combination of the Royal Prince’s current standing, his boss’ own uneasy position and the OK to conduct the bashing, internal party rivalry and a need to minimise friction in the Club, gave those who were once hidup segan mati tak mahu the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the jaguh this time.

Muthu: First, they took delight in the White Prince’s claimed heavy financial loss when he offloaded his shares. They even said ‘Serve you right! Your loss is justified!’ Pretty petty, isn’t that, Leong?

Leong: Yeah lah, that is, if he really lost anything at all. But as I said, it’s once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so semua hentam saja. Tomorrow the special hunting or roasting licence would probably be withdrawn. But they were also pissed that he claimed for altruistic reason to deliberately make a loss so as to deny the 'nons' any purchase of the shares. Whether it was bullshit or not, by stating that he piled on more of the racist sentiments.

Muthu: Eventually they roasted the tok ampu courtier, for having too cosy a relationship with the Prince.

Leong: Yah man, they even insulted him with the sarcastic 'hope' he didn’t lend the Prince any money. I think that bloke’s position in the party is now dicey. His party compatriots see him as a traitor. For him, it's papa time.

Ahmad: This is serious criticism, man. What about the Putra's old man? You think he’s going to stand for this?

Leong: Those shark fin lovers played safe, by reminding everyone that those who were once hidup segan mati tak mahu had been constantly faithful to the old man’s side, especially during the 1987 and 1998 party crises. They said they had never taken advantage, but instead stood steadfastly with primus inter pares. They realise how far a step they may take when it comes to Princes, especially those of the 'soil'.

Ahmad: Aiyoh, Leong, what is this primus inter pares talk, man.

Muthu: Prime ribs panggang?

Ahmad: Muthu, nice try, but just bring out the usual teh tarik, kopi-o and roti panggang with kaya. And what about the tosei lovers?

Muthu (smirking): Ayoyo, Must I Come too?

Ahmad (laughing): U Must Not Object lah!


The Cherry Tree Chronicles:
(1) Beneath the buah cherry tree
(2) Beneath the buah cherry tree (2)
(3) Beneath the buah cherry tree (3)
(4) Beneath the buah cherry tree (4)