Kelantanese dialect seen as a unifying medium

TUMPAT: In Kelantan, it is not unusual to see people of various races speaking in the local dialect.

The Kelantanese lingo has helped the local Malay, Chinese, Indian and Thai communities to communicate better during their daily interactions.

It is also obvious, indeed, that the dialect has played a vital role in maintaining harmony among the people of different faiths.

Words like ‘kawe’ or ‘ambo’ (which mean ‘saya’ or ‘I’), ‘ghoyak’ (‘beritahu’ or inform), ‘make’ (‘makan’ or eat), ‘bakpo’ (‘kenapa’ or why), ‘tak dok gapo’ (‘tidak ada apa-apa’ or there’s nothing) and ‘bekwoh’ (‘kenduri’ or feast) can be heard everyday.

It is heartening to hear people from the Thai, Chinese and Indian communities speaking in the Kelantanese dialect with ease. In fact, at the Bunohan market in Tumpat, the Chinese vegetable seller speaks to his customers, who also include Thais, in the dialect.

Often, many outsiders mistake the local Thais for Malays, not only because they look similar but also due to the way they speak the local dialect fluently.

Kelantan Siamese Association deputy chairman Ea Chuan Ea Eng said almost all the 18,000 Siamese in the state spoke the local dialect well.

“When we speak (to others) in the Kelantanese dialect, we feel there are no barriers between us and feel close to each other. In fact, even among the Siamese community, we speak to each other in the dialect,” he told Bernama.

Acknowledging that the local dialect is the main medium uniting the various communities in the east coast state, Ea Chuan said it has helped him and his family members to forge close friendships with the Malays.

“I hope the peace and harmony that we enjoy will prevail for generations to come,” added the father-of-three.

Chinese traders operating at the Siti Khadijah market in Kota Bharu or the shops in the surrounding areas also speak the local dialect fluently.

Businessman Lau Chit Fang, 55, and his friends of various races have taken the initiative to create a couple of Facebook pages which they call ‘Kami Anak Malaysia’ (We are Malaysians) and ‘Rakan FB Kelantan’ (Kelantan FB Friends) as they want to preserve the harmony they are now enjoying.