Living Standard

This write up is just from my own imagination. I have no record nor do I have statistics. My views here are just my private views based on my observation, rightly or wrongly, and my experience when moving about in Lipat Kajang as far back as a couple of months ago. However I stand corrected if my views differs from those in Lipat Kajang or the relatives of Lipat Kajang folks, discounting views from people who have no roots in Lipat Kajang.

There is no really poor people living in Lipat Kajang, neither are there really rich people. The poor may seem poor by national standard but by the kampong standard they are just below the ‘wealth’ line; bearing in mind that the ’wealth’ of Lipat Kajang folks is really based on (in my humble opinion) whether they can eat the next meal with a dish of fish and/or chicken (they normally rear chicken but meat is rare) and probably a vege or an ulam (edible raw young leaves or boiled young leaves or plant parts) with a sambal (a concoction/mixture usually hot with chilli). The ‘wealth’ standard of transport is a motorcycle, the ‘wealth amenities are electricity supply, piped water and probably a telephone (either hard line or a hand phone). The ‘wealth’ set of furniture is a soft bed (raised or on the floor), a cheap dining room set and a cheap lounge set and probably a coloured TV (old or new does not matter). The ‘wealth’ standard of education is either one of the household has gone to school in the kampong or just to lower secondary school in town or if they are not ‘educated’ then heir children are ‘educated’. Why I use those as the standard, because its what the people are used to and they have been comfortable in that situation for a long time. Those may differ from the national standards, where they might have used different sets of criteria and maybe a higher ‘comfort level’.

The houses in the kampong are comfortable houses (unlike when I was a small boy when the houses were only comfortable by the standard in those days), mostly wooden house raised above the ground, built about 40 or so years ago and presently these houses are most left in a state of disrepair but with people still living in them, sometime including the present generation living together with the older generation (or what are left of them). But many of the houses are now larger, built about 20 - 30 odd years ago still made of wood (wood was cheap in those days) but instead of wooden pillars they use concrete pillars. And then the newer houses are mostly of bricks and mortar, built on the ground (with no pillars) and well painted externally and internally, though internally they may be furnished very much like the older houses. And the people living in them are younger, probably more educated. Now a days houses in the kampong are getting bigger, outsiders who bought land in the kampong are now building mansion (by kampong standard) with garage meant for 2 or 3 cars and maybe one (or two) may even have swimming pools.

How do the people make a living? At the top of the class are those pensioners who have returned back to the kampong or those who have retired (pensioned off ) in the kampong, mostly of them were working as school teachers. Then there are the original kampong folks who had properties in kampong, either inherited, or they themselves bough from their hard earned savings. Then there are those who made good by doing small businesses and living on some savings. The next level would be the parents who have children working away from the kampong and who regularly sends money to up keep the parents. The next level are those doing small businesses like selling goods (either theirs or someone elses) at the weekly market (mind you these weekly markets are not really weekly because these open air markets are daily stuff almost except that they are held in different places in the Administrative District. The traders just follow a schedule and sell their wares in them). Most of these traders (fom Lipat Kajang) are the women folks. I addition the above folks may have small holdings of rubber or oil palms, from which they earn regular income depending on the market price of those commodities. Some may earn as much as RM1,000.00 a month from such commodities (RM3.3 = USD 1.0). RM 1,000.00 a month is a good (in fact very good) income if you live in a kampong like Lipat Kajang. To the best of my knowledge, no one in the kampong goes hungry for the lack of food.

By any mean, a visitor to the kampong may find the kampong depressing but to the local the lives and the standard if living they are having now is comfortable. Don’t compare say with the standard in Selangor or Perak where the people may lead a different way of life in a different environment..

I must admit that there may be one or two in Lipat Kajang who live on the pity of the local folks or even living on Government Welfare. But the number is not worth mentioning. Its worth mentioning though that there are people who may have savings up to RM100,000.00 in their saving accounts (in what ever forms).





Lipat Kajang people (or decendents) are encouraged to participate& contribute (Orang Lipat Kajang, atau keturunan, di jemput memberi sumbangan idea)