Rustic charm in heart of Melaka
A village largely left untouched since the 1920s, Kampung Morten still retains its identity, writes
IT IS raining heavily when the Uber driver, a chatty fellow, drops us off at the fountain outside of Kampung Morten in the heart of the historic city of Melaka. It takes a while for us to find the famous fountain, the meeting point of the Kampung Morten Cultural and Heritage Guided Walk, as it is located on the far side of the village.
My guide Shaukani Abbas is already waiting for us at a food stall near the fountain. Our tour is supposed to start at 5pm but due to the relentless rain, we decide to sit it out. But half an hour later, we’re still stuck at the stall, where Shaukani offers plan B.
If it continues to rain for another 10 minutes, we’ll have to come back the next day. As if Mother Nature hears our silent plea for the rain to stop, it finally does 10 minutes later.
As we prepare for the tour, a jovial Canadian couple and two locals from Penang ask if they can join us on our walk. Of course, they can! After all, the more the merrier, no?
The sun is out, there is a rainbow and water puddles on the street reflect the beautiful wooden and brick houses in Kampung Morten. The Melaka River across the street flows steadily, carrying with it fallen branches and dead leaves. Passengers on the river cruise wave as they move past us.
Enclosed by tall buildings and luxury hotels, Kampung Morten is a tiny Malay village, an anachronism that has survived the passing years.
Ironically, with the rapid urbanisation project in Melaka, the village is largely left untouched since the ‘20s. But instead of old village houses connected with stilts, there are now tarred roads. Like Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur, Kampung Morten still preserves its rustic charm and identity.
HISTORY
Back in the day, when the near by market in Kampung Jawa was forced to make way for a development, its residents sought a place to call home. It was by chance that they came across a swampy plot filled with nipah and mangrove forest and decided to make it their home. But there was a problem: The Hindu Mohammad Endowment Board wanted 10,000 Straits Dollar for the land.
So, the village head Othman and his brother-in-law Demang Abdul Ghani approached the British Land Commissioner Frederick Joseph Morten to secure a loan and subdivided the land into 100 plots.
To thank Morten for his assistance, the villagers named the village after him. As nearby villages changed their names to Malay, Kampung Morten retains its name to pay tribute to the man who helped established their village.
But Othman’s role and contribution to the village have not gone unrecognised. The Melaka State Government honoured him by naming the main street surrounding the village as Persiaran Datuk Othman.
Today, a walk in Kampung Morten is similar to what you would expect in the past, except for better roads and more modernlooking houses.
The population of the village is 900, with 96 houses on the 96-hectare land. In July 2002, the village was gazetted as a Residential Area under the Preservation and Conservation of Cultural Heritage Enactment 1988.
WALKABOUT
Much of the tradition and custom are still retained till today. It’s a delight to watch children playing on the once-narrow streets, cycling past neighbours’ houses, calling out to their friends. Older children who have just got back from religious school join their friends.
Hands on each other’s shoulders, they are not shy to say hello to strangers. A boy comes up to us and shouts “selamat datang” (welcome).
Our first stop is the Herbs Garden Md Jas Jalani. Local herbs and fruit trees grow in abundance around the house. Shaukani introduces to us the various herbs used in curries andsavoury dishes.
I bite into the tart green fruit of the belimbing buluh (similar to star fruit) tree. Next, we marvel at the fresh Vietnamese mint that grows beautifully beside the belimbing buluh tree. As my hand brushes among the plant, I can’t help but salivate at the thought of the piping hot assam laksa and assam pedas.
Continuing the 90-minute tour, we stop at Rumah Merdeka, a house decked in the Jalur Gemilang that flutters in the wind. The Melaka flag is also on each side of the roof of the house.
Before entering the house or the living museum as our guide puts it, we are briefed on the custom before entering a Malay house. It is an eye-opener for the international tourists and a good reminder for locals on the do’s and don’ts of Malay customs.
Upon entering the house, we are greeted by a chatty woman named Aminah Abu Bakar, who was born and raised in the house.
According to Mak Cik Aminah, as she is fondly called, her mother always reminded her children to be thankful for a peaceful