Living far away from home, yearning for local food

GEORGE TOWN: He was one of the firefighters in action during the infamous 1983 fire which broke out on the 43rd floor of the then under-construction Komtar tower.

“Our Nibong Tebal crew was the last team to be summoned to help fight the fire. On our journey to Komtar, we could see the fire from as far as Prai in the mainland,” recalled Tan Tee Seang, 64.

“When we arrived at the ferry terminal, the ferry was waiting. It was reserved for our boarding,” he said.

Once his team arrived at Komtar, he said they were instructed to help carry fire extinguishers and race up to the higher floors.

“While dousing the huge flames, there were two explosions, one after another. All of us ran helter-skelter for cover. We had to do a headcount to check that every one of us is safe,” said Tan, who was a fireman in Nibong Tebal from 1980 to 1984. He was later relocated to the Perak Road fire station from 1984 to 1988.

These days, his life is far less dramatic though he has another burning passion: food.

Tan, who has been living in New Zealand for the past 35 years, said he missed Penang street food the most. In fact, he once launched a food catering business to promote Malaysian flavours to the local community in New Zealand.

Based in Auckland, Tan recalled the joy of indulging in Malaysian food.

“You can never beat the feeling of tucking into your favourite nasi kandar, surrounded by Malaysians from all walks of life who also enjoy the same food,” said Tan, who returns to Penang every two years to reconnect with relatives and friends.

The first thing he would do without fail is to visit the hawker stalls and savour the nasi kandar.

“In 1988, I went on leave to go to New Zealand to help my family there. This led to an extended stay and eventually I migrated there,” said Tan, who has two children aged 39 and 40.

“On special occasions sometimes, I would display the Jalur Gemilang proudly outside my place to proclaim my love for my homeland,” he said, urging fellow Malaysians to cherish their unity and unique diversity this Malaysia Day.