A Chinese, he lived amongst Malays for most of his life, and he and his friends thought nothing about eating in each other’s homes, studying together at school and playing together in the evenings to while the time away.
“Among my siblings, I was the only one sent to a national school. From Standard One to Form Five, my friends were all Malays and I was the only Chinese among them.”
“My friendships have remained strong even to this day. In my schoolmates’ WhatsApp group, I’m the only Chinese and the rest are Malays. It’s not a problem,” he told FMT.
He said the strong bond he has with his schoolmates has allowed them to push aside prejudiced views that few unfortunately spout today.
“I would like to give my children a chance to experience what I did in the past. Although I may work in Kuala Lumpur now, every time I return to my hometown, I take my children to the Malay kampung where my friends still live.
“They are always welcoming and, on my part, I am always excited and impatient to meet them.”
He looks back fondly at the old days and says visiting his childhood friends always helps him forget the troubles of today.
He is saddened however that friendships like these are hard to come by especially among those of the younger generation today.
“I myself would never have expected to be this close to them. When some passed away, my family and I visited to pay our respects,” he said.
Chyr, chef and owner of Restoran Sri Karak in Petaling Jaya, said that the success of his business today is due to the life lessons he learnt under the care of his Malay godmother.
“My family has a restaurant in Karak, but it’s a Chinese restaurant. When I first learnt to cook tempoyak, I asked my late godmother if the flavours fell short of expectations and how it could be improved.”
“So, I learnt a lot from her and I have since used the same recipe for the past 16 years I have been in the restaurant business.”
Among Sri Karak’s popular dishes are the curry noodles, which happens to be Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali’s favourite.
He added, “I know many Malay personalities, including celebrities and politicians. Some of them are my regular customers.”
Cheng has no qualms about maintaining his friendships, despite the existing racial divide that sometimes shows its ugly side in the country.
“During Hari Raya Puasa, I take my kids and family to spend time with my friends. I want to give my children the chance to experience the ‘muhibbah’ spirit with friends of other races, rather than just sticking to themselves.”
“In the same manner, my friends celebrate Chinese New Year with us.
“It is not possible for future generations to experience the unity that my Malay friends and I had once upon a time,” he says with some sadness.
In the meantime, he is doing what little he can to be more inclusive of other races. That’s why Sri Karak is halal despite being a restaurant specialising in Chinese cuisine.
And going by the number of Malay customers he has, Chyr’s on the right track.
Restoran Sri Karak
17, Jalan 52/8
Sekysen 52
46200 Petaling Jaya
Selangor