Kuala Sangga: The tiny village teaching Malaysia a big lesson in harmony

Nestled on a mangrove island, a 30-minute motorboat ride from the estuary of the Sepetang River in Perak, lies the Kuala Sangga fishing village. This village is an epitome of inter-religious harmony in Malaysia – a rarity in the country these days.

The site of the tiny century-old St. Anne Chapel here is unique: there isn’t even a single Christian in this ethnic Chinese village. Yet, the Buddhist community here charmingly maintains the chapel.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited this chapel with members from churches in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. Despite being Catholic, I had not known about this chapel. The experience was incredibly moving and enlightening.

We took the boat from Kuala Sepetang (Port Weld) to Kuala Sangga, which is only accessible from the river. After disembarking at a concrete jetty – a challenge for all of us – we strolled along a narrow bridge for about 30m, passing stilt houses along the shore with their backs facing a mangrove swamp. The entire village is linked by long concrete and wooden bridges. The village’s modest kopitiam is the first thing a visitor sees upon arrival.

On the eastern side, a few hundred metres from the jetty, stands the pristine St Anne’s chapel – a small concrete building sandwiched between a row of houses.

The distinctive beauty of the chapel well compensated for the unpleasant motorboat ride. A beautiful statue of St Anne, originally from St Anne’s Church in Bukit Mertajam, graces the entrance.

The 100-odd residents of this closely-knit Teochew community are mostly devotees of the Chinese temple in the village. But they cherish this chapel. There is no water or electricity supply here, but the enterprising villagers collect rainwater and use small generators to produce electricity. From my observation, these Buddhist villagers are passionate about looking after this Catholic chapel.

Most of the resident are ordinary folk engaged in various small business activities apart from fishing. Many others have left for the mainland, leaving a handful of simple folk on the island eking out a living and preserving their old way of life.

These folk may not be wealthy in material terms but they are rich in the human spirit. Ordinary people displaying extraordinary magnanimity in the way they respect a house of worship of another faith. What remarkable human beings! These exceptional individuals should be a role model for the nation.

Indeed, Kuala Sangga serves as a beacon of religious harmony in a country where ethnic and religious polarisation is now so commonplace, especially given how politicians play the race and religion card.

As a pragmatic optimist, I believe we can live in peace and harmony in Malaysia with respect for everyone’s ethnic heritage, religion, culture, and tradition. When I see the noble folk of Kuala Sannga, especially with Malaysia Day round the corner, it confirms my belief and I am proud to say I am Malaysian.

God bless the people of this tiny village – a shining star over the Malaysian landscape.