HOW KAMPUNG MATA AIR GOT ITS NAME
A natural spring, originating from a bamboo tuber, has made the village popular, writes
IN the old days, villages usually derived their names from specific events, incidents or objects. For example, air (water) was commonly used to name villages like Kampung Air Dingin (Tumpat) or Kampung Air Ralik (Jeli).
Kampung Mata Air, however, was named after a natural spring.
People in the village in Pulai Chondong, about 20km from Machang, Kelantan, used to depend on Sungai Kelantan to get water for drinking, bathing and washing household items.
They had to go to the river daily to fill their containers with water, causing them to waste a lot of time getting their chores done.
Padi farmers, who spent long hours in the field, found the task time consuming and challenging.
Their woes, however, ended when they found a spring originating from a bamboo tuber near the riverbank.
That was how the village got its name.
Villager Tiong Loh Chuan, 70, said a farmer spotted the fountain when he wanted to fetch water from the river.
He informed others of his finding.
“They went to the bamboo tree and saw the natural spring.”
It was believed that the spring was a sight to behold, and many villagers would use its water to bathe and drink.
“It never dried up even during the dry season. During the rainy season, excess water would flow into the river,” said Tiong.
He said people from other villages came to Kampung Mata Air to see it.
Trader Hasnah Mat Nor, 60, said news about the spring spread and made the village popular not only among locals, but also outsiders.
“When we were in our teens, my friends and I used the spring water to bathe, especially during the dry spell. It was cool and soothing. During the dry spell, villagers would take turns bathing and washing clothes and dishes.”
However, she said, the spring was left unattended and became covered in thick undergrowth. She said villagers claimed that it could still function. They said if one were to stick a bamboo tuber into the spot where the spring used to be, water will flow into the nearby river.