SUNGAI Pelek is a small town in Selangor, about 70km from KL to the north, and about 50km from Seremban to the northeast. It is cut off from Negri Sembilan by Sungai Sepang, which is not actually a river; it is a tidal surge going inland for about 15km. The appearance of the river changes dramatically with the tides. 

The area here is defined by vast tracts of flat land, most of which were tidal basins built up by sediments, and the receding sea. Flooding was a constant problem until an extensive network of levees, bunds, sluices and canals was laid out along most of the coastline, from here up to Pulau Indah.

The name Sg Pelek explains the topographical character of this part of the country perfectly. It literally translates to Strange River.

Most of the time, the river is nothing more than a ditch. But back in the days before the flood mitigation measures were in place, whenever heavy rains coincided with the spring tides, the vast amount of water would surge along this seemingly insipid ditch, turning it into a surging torrent of destructive water, overflowing everywhere. The old folk still hold a healthy respect for that weird ability of the little ditch to turn into a raging monster, literally washing away their easy, laid back way of life, not to mention their possessions, and even their homes. It is the reason why the town is situated so far from the river – about a kilometre. 

Due to the unrelentingly flat nature of this coastal area, Sg Pelek has its unique weather pattern. Clouds build up frequently but the almost constant wind would blow them away; they would just pass on, even when they are low, dark and stormy, not releasing the rain because the clouds are not being forced into an updraft. So, for most of the year, this area experiences drought conditions, as compared to further inland. Combined with the condition of the soil after centuries of inundation by seawater, farming here requires a tenacious attitude. Well, as it turned out, there were people with such a spirit. 

The Selangor government, in the late 50s, encouraged the settlement of this area by selling off the land cheaply, in 2ha parcels – as many as 60,000, stretching all the way up to Morib.

Most of the early landowners struggled with the soil in order to grow cash crops, while waiting for their coffee plants and rubber trees to mature. Those with access to the bountiful mangroves went into the lucrative business of supplying to building contractors, or the making of charcoal and as firewood for the brick kilns. The charcoal business disappeared when the mangrove swamps were declared as reserves; the brick factories are still there, alongside the huge craters left from the excavating of clay. 

There were also many pig farms, most of them unlicensed, and unmonitored, hidden away in these private plots. The Nipah Virus outbreak in 1998, in Bukit Pelandok, on the other side of the river, dramatically changed that landscape. That bio-crisis killed more than 100 people, which, in turn, spurred a major cleanup of animal farming. 

This area was once a major producer of coffee beans, but falling prices forced the farmers to switch crops, to rubber trees. And with rubber prices suffering the same fate, the land soon turned dark green with oil palms. Currently, dragonfruit farms are sprouting out among the palm trees. 

Sg Pelek’s location near the coast so close to Sumatra made cross-strait trading – aboveboard or otherwise – inevitable. Similarly, with the movement of migrants. 

The population mix here is a template of Malaysia. The Chinese are in the town areas. It was the hardy, enterprising, and frugal Fuzhou people, or Hock Chew Chinese who started this community. They carved a living working the land, with a few making their fortunes trading in the essentials and commodities of the trade. The Malays are mostly of Javanese descent, and they live in their kebun surrounding a few kampung in the area. The Indians are the descendants of the indenture workers from South India who worked in the rubber plantations. There are also Orang Asli settlements, these natives moved from the flood-prone areas. 

Beneath the everyday ordinariness of Sg Pelek are the stories of its people. Theirs are the same as those of people everywhere, and also very different. Not really “pelek” but their own, nevertheless. And occasionally heartwarming and inspiring. – April 7, 2019.

* Mel Lee earned his way to an early retirement from his car magazine business, and moved to a small town with his wife in search of an eco-lifestyle. In their exploration of new places, backpacking on motorcycles or bicycles, they are looking for the extra in the ordinary.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.