Talking Cock

Dear Friends,

I am partially Hainanese and my childhood years were mostly with my maternal grandma, who originated from Hainan Island, China. After my father's passing when I was seven, I spent weekdays at my 'Popo's house and would only return to my mum on the weekends.

Those were polar days. The old house was situated in a 'Hainanese enclave' in Old Town, Petaling Jaya. All the neighbours were Hainanese. We all spoke Hainanese. If I was screamed at by my 'Popo', the entire neighbourhood would know the transgressions I have committed because they understood.

One of the things that I grew up with was having chickens raised at the backyard. 'Popo' would purchase them as little chicks from the market and ingest them with corn feed and dried pounded bread until they were big enough to be our 'feed' on the dining table.

Until today, I still have the image in my head on the slaughtered chicken, blood dripping until it laid there motionless and lifeless. Then , it would be put through a 'hotbath' process in boiling hot water for the feathers to be stripped. All these for a luscious meal of 'HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE'.

The chicken is prepared in traditional Hainanese methods which involve the boiling of the entire chicken in a stock, reusing the broth over and over. This stock is not used for rice preparation, which instead involves chicken stock created specifically for that purpose, producing an oily flavourful rice. The Hainanese prefer using older and plumper birds to maximise the amount of oil extracted, thus creating a more flavourful dish. The bird is dipped in ice after cooking to produce a jelly-like skin finishing. The dish is usually served with several dips, including chilli sauce and pounded ginger. It is common in Hainan Island to also offer a third sauce involving oyster sauce mixed with garlic, while dark soy sauce is more commonly served in Malaysia and Singapore.

I also remember moisturising my hands making those chicken rice balls better known in Hainanese as 'Pui Cin'. My 'Popo' told me during her China times, the rice was originally shaped into balls because it needed to be kept warm from the time it was cooked (often earlier in the day) until mealtime. Eating 'Pui Cin' at my 'Popo's house was more a novelty than anything else.

In the newspaper this week, our beloved Tourism Minister was quoted as saying, "Chilli Crab is Malaysian. Hainanese Chicken Rice is Malaysian. We have to lay claim to our food”, unquote. She was clearly upset that 'OUR' food was being claimed by others, in this case Singapore. Needless to say how the Indonesians were upset when they claimed that Malaysia 'hijacked' their Bali Pendet dance. A little "do what you want others to do unto you" here?

Some points for consideration here, Auntie Yen. Did you know?

* Hainanese Chicken Rice is the 'national' dish of Singapore. During my former travels abroad for international trade shows, the Singapore trade delegation would always serve it as a delicacy during their 'Singapore Night' dinners. On the contrary with our 'Malaysian Night' dinners, we would be serving 'Satay' and other local Malaysian delicacies that I know are 'Truly Malaysian'.

* Hainanese Chicken Rice is also one of the few local dishes served on board Singapore Airlines flights. I have flown umpteen times with Malaysia Airlines and not once have I experienced 'flying chicks' in the Malaysian air.

* There are more Hainanese owned coffee shops and restaurants in Purvis Street and Seah Street, Singapore that serves the Chicken Rice compared to any other streets in Malaysia. But, in terms of our Ramadhan Bazaars, we win hands down. Singapore can't even come near.

Our learned Minister should forget her strategies of going about labelling 'Malaysian' dishes like the Hainanese Chicken Rice after identifying them. Hainanese Chicken Rice is 'discovered' to be a Singaporean original. We Malaysians should continue preaching about how good our 'Satays' or 'Lemangs' are and leave the Hainanese Chicken Rice to the respective 'ownership'.

Since we are at this topic of wanting to draw the line of what is others and what is ours; I would appreciate if measures are drawn to keep 'our people' from being 'their people'. In recent months, an honourable Singapore school, the ST. NICHOLAS GIRLS SCHOOL came to offer secondary education places, to deserving students where my daughter was studying. I am proud that Charmaine was chosen to be accessed as a deserving student. Being 'my' daughter, I reckoned she should be closer to me. The choice was made to pay for her education at a local private school here instead of earmarking her to receive 'free education' in Singapore. Which means; I was also declining the allowance that was to be given to Charmaine, by the Singapore government for living expenses should the offer be accepted (I am not going to regret this now :D). The draining of Malaysian brains by our smart intelligent neighbours should be managed, instead of who actually 'owns' the Hainanese Chicken Rice.

By the way, I heard the CEO of Singapore Airlines is actually Malaysian. So is their Traffic Chief in the Police Force. And also, the many heads at their Government Investment Corporation (GIC). Now, we should be claiming all that instead of all these 'TALKING COCK"!

Oops, I meant the adult male bird.