Cerita Kedaikopi #41-15/02/2000@ BINTANG WALK...
My elders used to mention about those 'joget' days at BB Park(Bukit Bintang Park) in the late 60's and 70's.In mid-80's to 90's; my peers were talking about big shopping complexes at BB Plaza,Sungei Wang ,Lot 10 and Star Hill.Now,my kids are talking about Bintang Walk!Bukit is lost to the 20th century.Anyway,there is no more 'bukit' there,all the 'bukit' has been replaced by multi-storey "hills" made of concrete.No wonder KL is getting hotter.
When a friend of mine,a coffee aficionados, invited me for a cup of ice blended coffee,I straight away accepted the invitation.The Bintang Walk really looked great that night.The place was fully lighted,the crowd moving in full force in either directions,the restaurants full of customers and I felt ten years younger;-What more could I ask?
As we sipped our coffee watching the KL world goes by....
Friend: I love this place-we are really in the 21st century!Remember the millennium' night?
Me: Yes,it looks beautiful at night-what more with so many beautiful young people hanging around.I think I am too old to be drinking coffee here.Friend: Who says we are old?.It is all in the minds-we are as young as we think we are.Now,I don't have to go to London or Paris to enjoy roadside cafe' anymore.We now have our very own Carnaby St of London and Champ Elyse'es of Paris!We also have our own Harrods and Gallery Laffayette!
Me: That really scares me.Just look at the way these people dress and behave-a new culture is taking place here.I just wonder whether I am witnessing the end or the beginning..Friend: We had our own time before-remember our the bell bottom days and the Beatles hair style?
Me: You are right about the dress,but I am worried about the young people behaviour!Just look at these young men with pink-coloured hairs with rings on their noses and ears and how they behave!Friend:Young people are always like that.We had our own time,yet we are doing all right now.We grew up,didn't we?
Me: I hope so...Friend: Eh,let's enjoy our coffee and forget about all that.It is a beautiful night and let's enjoy ourselves.You look sad-that made me worried.
Me: Yes,I am.BB is THE shopping street of KL.Before the economic recession of 1997,a bumi group owned JW Marriot,Star Hill,and Lot 10.Now these properties are gone to non-bumi.I am sad-kita ni menang sorak, kampung tergadai!Friend: Why you worry?That is his business. What do we own??Anyway,when he was rich,does he care about people like us?
Me: Well,that's besides the point.How can we be proud of KL if bumi property ownership is getting less and less ....for all you know,by 2020,Malays only own Kampung Baru!Friend: I heard the banks and the government had salvaged a few others,may be they forget about this piece in the Golden Traingle.
Me:May be,but this piece is too good to miss!I will go all out to save this Malay property flagship! Maruah,my friend,maruah.Friend: You are getting too serious.Would you like another cup of coffee,say an Americano?
Me: Yes,make it a tall and really 'keras' one.I hope it will drown my sorrow and tampered my sensitivity. To have internal peace,it is better to see nothing and to hear nothing..Friend: This place reminds me of Scotts Rd. in Singapore.There were a few roadside cafes' in the 80's.Every time I go there,I never miss Delifrance. Now,they are every where in KL and other towns.I think we have better cafes than Singapore.
Me: If Singaporeans were to hear this,they will immediately do something to ensure *they* are always ahead of us.What do they call that spirit-kiasu??By the way,there is one road in LA where you can see the footprints of Hollywood stars.May be we should have one at Bintang Walk.But I don't see any film stars here to-night. May be the "Bintang" does not have any correlation with film stars at all...
Friend: You are getting to serious.Let's talk about books -your passion and mine...
Me: Well,I managed to read a few,bla bla bla....
(may be another story)By mid-night when we left the place,my memory reminded me of my first trip to Singapore in 1978.On the way back to Johor Bharu,looking from Selat Tebrau,I felt a kind of helpless and sadness. Originally, it was Temasik, owned by Malays.Then it changed to Singapore.Now it is all gone...
We have all the TALL buildings along Jalan Bukit Bintang,however a Malay like me will not be able to WALK TALL there anymore .My grand children in the year 2020 will only know this place as Bintang Walk-a grand shopping mall with sidewalk cafes- with whatever culture may be at that time.I hope it is not going to be A Binatang Walk.
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