The battle of greens and blues…

“Let us have our dinner out? Too lazy to cook!” said I to hubby Sunday evening, just now.

“All right! But where to?” said he.

“How about the ikan bakar (grilled fish) stall, towards the Changkat Jering toll?”

“Okay then. Get yourself ready!”

We were off on our way, the old road towards Simpang Empat, Taiping from Parit Buntar. Serenity. Peace. Then slowly, the atmosphere shifts its gear. Suddenly, the air was electrifying!

Colours everwhere. Vibrant flags. Green and white encircling. Occasionally, light turquoise blue. Then, dark blues with patches of red and symbols of the keris (malay weaponry). Dancing in the breeze. Hoards of people everywhere. Vehicles. Of various shapes and sizes.

Police personel were everywhere too. Left right, back and in front of us. Seemed like they already set camp months before. Blue trucks, red trucks. High end motorbikes and patrol cars. Like they have all swamped to the small town from elsewhere around the peninsula. I smiled to myself when my eyes chanced upon a police van with the words “Mobile Police Station” written on its side. I grew up at police stations in areas of the north, when my father worked as a police constable in the 60’s right to the 80’s. And all along, I have never seen a mobile police station unit as the like.

“It would have been fun if we had the opportunity to live in one like that!” I was saying to myself.

I was very much amused at the posters on display.

From the dark blue team, “Oppositions make use of children!” appeared on one, with pictures of children holding up placards saying, “Say NO! To I.S.A”.

From their opponents, “U.*.*.O…Ever since before, now and forever…always the same! BRIBERY!!” a dollar sign in place of the letter ‘S” for the equivalent word in the malay language.

“There it is! The stall,” I pointed my thumb, watching my hubby driving the car so patiently.

We parked at the side of the road, beside a police patrol car, written with the words ‘Crime Investigation Team, Kuala Krai’. Kuala Krai, Kelantan, the east coast state?

“Why come all the way from Kuala Krai?” I said, puzzled.

“Beats me!” said my hubby, his steps already reaching a glass container filled with fish placed under mounds of ice.

“You have jenahak?” hubby asked.

“No, bro! Only sea bass,” said a young man manning the stall.

“Grilled?”

“Afraid not, for today! Too busy. How about ‘tiga rasa’?”

Hubby lifted his eyebrows to me.

“Seems we are out of luck this time. But, never mind! It is okay with me,” I said, moving to the serving tables.

At the other table, next to where we were sitting, a group of young men were waiting for their menu.

We could not help overhearing.

“It is quite a challenge this time,” said one of the young men.

“Why do you say so?” said another, his jacket emblazoned in green and a white circle at the centre.

“Too much money has been thrown around. That does not include bicycles gven away for free, big packets of rice, batik sarongs and what nots!” said the first young man.

“Don’t you worry! The people right now are a whole lot smarter than of the yesteryears. They take whatever that is given. But when it comes to voting for their rights, they know what they want!” said another one of them sitting beside the first one.

“Never mind. It means we have to work even harder. Whatever, let us eat first. Refuel ourselves. Before we set out to intensify our efforts, out there!” the young man with the symbol on his jacket said, just as soon as their platters arrived.

My hubby and I could not help smiling to each other as we listened to these bravehearts, amongst the future leaders of our nation.

Talking about colours, green has always been my favourite, even since I was little. Very soothing, very refreshing…

Green. Always and forever…How about you?