...of roots, twigs and branches

When one gets on in age, there is a certain curiosity which tantamounts to an itch to dig into one's roots. Yours sincerely ( Y S ) has to regret that the digging was not done when his parents, especially his father, was still alive and kicking. But those days you couldn't speak to your father, especially mine. You only answered his very occasional questions. Beyond that, Y S and siblings had to go through their intermediary - Mum.

Father was a China born "pendatang" (immigrant) and he was a "China man" to the core - chauvinistic, sexist, Kuomintang supporting, chain-smoking, reserved and very short short-fused. But, he was a very responsible, diligent (He took only four days leave a year, i.e. during the Chinese Lunar New year.), honest and a good provider.

Being a Confucian scholar , he was a very talented calligrapher. In his free time, with his favourite " Craven A " cigarette in between his lips, he could produce captivating Chinese black and white paint brush paintings of picturesque scenery of his native homelands. Paintings of tall mountains, fisher folks on bamboo rafts and the flora and fauna of his village. We used to laugh at his painting of the tall mountains because the art and craft " cikgu " in school taught us to draw triangular mountains until the day I visited Quilin and Li Jiang. I SAW THE MOUNTAINS FATHER USED TO DRAW !!! Father was killed by "Craven A" ( It was 2 packets of 20 sticks each a day) when he developed throat cancer. He fought it with his teeth and nails till his dying days.

"Sons of the Yellow Emperor" by Lynn Pan is a book that helps you to dig for your Chinese roots. I read this book many years ago. Rereading the book now soothes my hurtful soul when some of my fellow Malaysians who have had shamefully discarded their ethnicity to somehow call themselves Malays, all for material gains, then conveniently called you "pendatang."

The book restores your dignity and let you stand tall among other Malaysians as the son of a "pendatang." A "pendatang" who sailed to this blessed land with a one-way ticket, two change of clothes ( blue shorts with gunny string as belt, "Pagoda" round-collar t-shirts and "Fung keong" canvas shoes) and worked as an indentured labourer for a year to pay for the passage. A "pendatang" who received no "subsidy " or "bantuan" or "10% rebate on the house he bought" but used his God-given China man diligence, integrity, thrift and ingenuity to thrive and prosper, and brought up the six of us. Never in my life have I felt more Chinese than at this time of History.

Being the first in my village to study in a National School (Mum incurred the chagrin of the local Chinese school "Siow Chan" (Headmaster) for enrolling me in a national school and was branded "anti- Hwa Siow" (Chinese School) ; having only three miserable Chinese classmates throughout my school life; being forced to study "Pengetahuan Agama Islam" ( Including "Tauhid" and "Fekah') ; having mastered the Malay language (orally and written) , culture and religion; having scored A for Bahasa Melayu in the Oversea School Certificate and also A for Malay Literature in my Higher School Certificate and straight A s for all the Bahasa Malaysia Language and Literature courses in University and Teacher Training College; being able to public speak in a school assembly of more than a thousand pupils; having taught scores of students using Bahasa Malaysia; having crowds of Malay friends etc. I always consider myself a true Malaysian.

This is an Encyclopedia Of the Chinese Overseas also by Lynn Pan. It traces the Chinese whereabouts all over the world, how they got there and how they have been accepted or rejected by the local populace. Several pages were written on the Chinese in Malaysia.

The Chinese diaspora stretches all over the world. The Chinese have become tycoons in Hong Kong and America; coolies in Peru and South Africa, gold seekers in California and Australia, traders in Manila and Singapore, restaurateurs in Paris and Manhattan, triads in San Francisco and Bangkok .................

These two books are like balm for your hurtful soul.