Kota Baharu - They say it is easy to fall in love and this runs true for 39-year-old Harry Mulder and wife Annamieke, a year his junior.
However this time, this Dutch couple fell for their "adopted" country, Malaysia.
Four years after setting foot in this country, the Mulders decided to stay longer and had constructed homestay chalets at a location which local villagers named "Pasir Belanda" in Kampung Banggol, Jalan Pantai Cahaya Bulan here.
Harry and Annamieke can speak Bahasa Malaysia fluently and now they are learning to communicate with the locals in the Kelantanese dialect as well.
Hence, it is no surprise when this writer and her journalist friends were entertained in Bahasa Malaysia during their visit to Pasir Belanda, located some 20 km from here, recently.
Former British Soldier
Anne said before settling down in Kelantan in 2005, she and her husband had stayed in Pulau Pinang for two years.
After falling in love with Malaysia‘s natural beauty, Harry decided to venture into the tourism industry by building and operating homestay chalets.
They began to look for an ideal spot and after arriving for a vacation in Kelantan, the couple met and befriended a former British soldier who had been staying in Kota Baharu since the end of the Second World War.
The man brought the Dutch couple to Kampung Banggol where they came across a spot which they liked. It turned out to be the ideal location that they had been looking for the construction of the homestay chalets.
Datuk Biles
Anne said the owner of the house that they have been staying in Kampung Banggol was known as Datuk Biles who the villagers called as "Datuk Bilis".
He died five years ago.
After the surrender of Japan at the end of World War Two, Biles did not return to Britain but had stayed at Kampung Banggol where he purchased a parcel of land and built a Malay traditional-style house.
Despite staying at the village for more than 40 years, Biles remained a bachelor. Before he died, Biles bequeathed his house and land to a his assistant, who is a local resident.
This resident leased out the house and surrounding land to the Dutch couple and their children. In the past two and half years, the Mulders built five chalets near the house.
Happy In Their Adopted Country
Harry and Annamieke as well as their children Jesse, 8, and Abel, 2 1/2, are happy and comfortable with the way of life in the village.
The two boys have no qualms interacting with the other village children despite attending classes at an international school in Kota Baharu. Most of the times, they were seen horsing around with their kampung friends.
And quite often too, they would simply "disappear" from home, to play with their favourite tyre swing, hung from a rambutan tree located in the compound of a neighbour‘s house.
"After four years of staying in Malaysia, I feel we are very comfortable living here. Once a year, Anne and me will go back to Holland. Come every Hari Raya, we have yet to be satisfied with the celebration here.
"Anne will be busy like other housewives here, she will order new clothes to wear for our visit to the neighbours‘ houses to celebrate the occasion," said Harry.
The villagers are at ease with the presence of this family from the town of Zwolle in northern Holland. Anne, for example, when showing the journalists around the village, would stop and talk to every villager she met.
The former teacher also conducts English language lessons for the village‘s children.
On numerous occasions, Harry asks a local resident, coconut harvester 70-year-old Mohd Zin Jusoh, to perform shows with his monkey for tourists at the chalet.
Peace And Calm In Kampung Banggol
The serene atmosphere at Pasir Belanda in Kampung Banggol makes the village an ideal spot for those looking for a sanctuary to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
Each of the air-conditioned chalets is equipped with a bathroom. Tourists can also relax by having boat rides at the lake located behind the chalets.
They can also rent bicycles to move around the village. The homestay package is available at RM130.00-RM150.00 for two days and one night.
Business For Villagers
The presence of the Dutch couple‘s chalets also provides business opportunities for the villagers.
On Harry‘s encouragement, Robayah Hassan, 50, also ventures into the homestay business.
Robayah said her house is also available for the homestay package if Harry is not able to meet bookings made by tourists.
She also provides traditional and local food dishes for the visitors.
Several cottage industries had also sprouted out near the Pasir Belanda chalets. Among them are a batik business -- Syarikat Bateras Design owned by Zahari Daud, 46, and a kite-making workshop operated by 60-year-old Shafiee Jusoh.
Source: www.bernama.com (25 Agustus 2007)
