That is what Chu Hew Yin, a resident of Titi in Negeri Sembilan, believes. And that is precisely why the 82-year-old has published three books about the town’s history.
For the unfamiliar, Titi is located in the Jelebu district of Negeri Sembilan. Walking into the town feels like walking into a different – yet endearing – dimension where time moves at a much slower pace.
Shops line both sides of Titi’s main street and here, locals stop to buy snacks or catch up with friends.
“I love Titi very much,” Chu told FMT. Born and bred in Titi, he spent most of his life running his father’s traditional Chinese medical hall here.
Even so, writing has always been his passion.
He published his first book on Titi in 2008, a monumental task that took him more than 10 years to complete. The second book was published in 2017, and the third in 2022.
The books are filled with the residents’ tales, in fact over 50 of them whom he personally interviewed.
Chu, who contributes articles to local Chinese newspapers and foreign magazines, said that all the fact-checking of the town’s history was achieved during these interviews.
His curiosity about Titi took root at a young age. “I was very interested to ask the [the older people] about Titi’s stories. They also liked to tell me everything,” he shared.
And these are their stories.
The beginnings
According to Chu, it is believed that Titi was founded in 1838 by a group of Hakka migrants from China.
In the following years, a man named Siow obtained a large plot of land, bringing in workers from China to help him develop it. It is also believed that tin and gold was mined in Titi once.
The name Titi, Chu added, is believed to come from the Malay word ‘titi’, meaning small bridge, and refers to the bridge that connects Titi with Hosapa village.
A brutal massacre
Many of Titi’s senior residents still vividly remember the brutal massacre of over 1,400 people there on March 18, 1942.
According to Chu, the Japanese soldiers were misinformed that they were Chinese communists.
“[They] burned all the houses, including a primary school and tin [mining] company,” he added. After the mass killings, the Japanese rounded up the young people who they suspected were communists.
According to Chu, several residents appealed to the soldiers to release the young people as they were innocent. And thankfully, the soldiers did.
Saved by a fever
Chu himself narrowly escaped being massacred thanks to a bout of fever. The Chinese physician who attended to him advised that he stay at his father’s medical hall instead of returning home, where the massacre took place.
Thankfully, his parents listened to the doctor’s advice. “Because of my sickness, of my fever, [it] saved my life,” he added.
But although his life was spared, Chu said many of his relatives were killed. “It’s very, very pitiful. The Chinese people will never forget. They will never forget.”
Despite the harrowing incident, Chu said that the residents continued to work hard to earn a living.
He said his books on Titi were important, particularly for the younger generation, so they could understand how hardworking their forefathers were and how important it was to carry on that legacy.
Sadly, many of them have left Titi for greener pastures, he said.
Building a bridge
To residents of Titi, Chu is known as the local scribe, and people often ask him to pen their stories.
So, does he plan to write more books? He chuckled softly, admitting that it’s “very hard”.
And yet, what he has written serves as a bridge that connects the past to the future – a bridge, just like the name of his beloved Titi.
His wishes for the future of Titi are simple: “Hopefully, the young people can come back and develop tourist attractions,” he said, adding that he also hoped that tourists, after leaving the town, will tell others about it.
Chu’s books are written in Chinese and priced at RM35 each. While volume 1 is no longer available, volumes 2 and 3 can be purchased at his shop.
Kiong Chung Trading Co.
90, Jalan Besar
Titi, Jelebu
71650 Negeri Sembilan
Business hours: 8.00am to 2.00pm daily
Contact Chu Hew Yin at 017-622 8291 if you would like to have the books couriered to you.