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| Saturday, November 21, 2009, 08.37 AM | |||||
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Home » FeatureStory
We came knocking at the doors of Mambang Di Awan (Fairy In The Clouds). It was an old tin mining town that has a single chapter of some prosperous mercantile days. Today the tired sleepy hollow is shrouded by a halcyon atmosphere. About 40 to 50 years ago, this was one of those places that stamped its mark in the State of Perak which was one of the world’s largest producers of tin ore. Today, Mambang Di Awan reposes lazily under the tropical sun and perhaps resting on its laurels that it once was a town of repute. No Noise Here Mambang Di Awan’s only claim to fame now is the groundnut factory that is famous nationwide – Nyan Yin Groundnuts. Its thumbs-up logo is instantly recognised around the country and beyond the borders. An afternoon foray into the town brings the visitor up and down its undulating road. There’s a huge, elongated sign that welcomes strangers in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin and Tamil. Obviously the sign reflects the town’s multi-linguistic policy. There are still traces of its former core activity. Small abandoned mining pools surrounded by overgrown bushes and coconut trees on the town’s perimeters project a pastoral façade. There are hardly any man-made noises that usually herald the advent of a bustling town. Mambang Di Awan stands heads and shoulders above nearby places like Tanjung Tualang, Manjung, Temoh and Chenderiang with its clear blue skies and pollution-free air. Just kilometres away are a handful of villages like Kampung Talam, Kampung Mendeling, Kampung Ayer Hitam Labu, Kampung Sungai Lesong, Kampung Semambu and Kampung Sungai Keruh. Strangers Not Welcomed Those who are slightly familiar with Mambang Di Awan’s history claim that this tiny town hasn’t always been friendly to strangers and outsiders. Years ago, my dad accidentally wandered into Mambang Di Awan and returned home with the tale that this was one of the least friendly places he had ever been. He complained that Mambang folks kept staring at him. Now two decades later, we found that nothing much has changed because two-thirds of the patrons at the town restaurant lifted their heads and gave us the once-over when we walked in for a late afternoon dim sum session. I finally experienced what Billy the Kid went through when he walked into a bar back in the Wild, Wild West days, except in my case, my name ain’t Billy and I ain’t no kid. Most of the restaurant clientele were middle-aged Chinese residents dressed in shorts and singlets. One or two had tattoos on the arms and any plan to give an intense look on my part was greatly discouraged. Quietly Growing The early years of the 21st Century have changed the landscape of the town. Much of its outlying areas are now growing residential estates. This was revealed on its exit road leading to nearby Kampar. Names like Taman Sejahtera Jaya, Taman Mambang, Taman Sejahtera Utama and Taman Sejahtera Indah filled up an entire road sign. That Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman campus on the outskirts of Kampar town has something to do with the renewed growth of Mambang Di Awan would be a good guess. This hick town is only about 10 minutes drive from Kampar. In fact, you can even commute between the two towns by motorcycle. Cycling is not recommended unless it is a leisure activity carried out in daylight. Some Malaysians actually prefer to live in towns like Mambang Di Awan because it is one of those places that is so close to a bigger town and yet suffer none of its commercial ills like noise and air pollution. Your hard-earned money is probably safe in Mambang because the cost of living is likely to be about two-thirds of what it would be in other major towns. Nice Imagination According to records, the name of the place is attributed to a colonial British officer George Maxwell, who reported that a “mambang” or fairy had descended from Gunung Bujang Melaka and was residing within its boundaries. However, the origins would more likely be traced to a group of tin mine workers who, after a long and tiring day, rested under some trees and saw what they thought was a fairy wandering among the clouds. The Bahasa equivalent of such an extraordinary experience can be translated into “mambang di awan” or fairy in the clouds. Its original name was Batang Tonggang but local residents probably felt Mambang Di Awan sounded much better. Thus, the name was changed in due course. My family and I couldn’t agree more with the wise decision.
 
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