Now that I learned about marking the boundary of the lands by painting distinct markers on the trees through Dinesh’s team of Orang Asli, I need to be certain that the co-owners of the land shared with Grandmother agree. In particular, there is Lot D—a 3.1-acre plot shared between Grandmother, her brother Haji Din, and Mak Long Farah (the daughter of the late Tok Bongsu, Grandmother’s youngest brother). I need to seek their consensus on what to do with the land. The agreement with Grandmother only covers her portion, which is one-third of the whole lot. However, there is no physical demarcation of that one-third; the entire land is shared undivided. Therefore, if I want to mark the boundary, I have to paint the perimeter of the entire Lot D. That leaves me with two options: either work on the whole of Lot D, or try to mark out which specific one-third belongs to Grandmother. This second option is very difficult because, naturally, everyone would prefer to claim the more productive section. Hence, I decided to discuss an agreement with Haji Din and Mak Long Farah to manage their portions as well.
Father, Mother, and I traveled to Port Dickson, where Haji Din lives. I brought my little niece, Sofia, along so we could visit the nearby beach afterward. My brother Husin joined us as well. Haji Din lives with his wife, Uwan Ngah—a lovely woman who, unfortunately, now lives with dementia and no longer recognizes people. I remember how every time I met her when I was younger, she would hug me and kiss my cheek with so much love, telling me to get married quickly so she could meet my wife. With her current condition, those days have passed. They now have an Indonesian helper who assists with Uwan Ngah’s daily care.
Mother knows best. Before arriving, we stopped to buy dishes to bring to Haji Din’s house. She knew that given his advanced age and his wife’s health, it would be difficult for him to entertain us as usual. Eating together is an essential part of Malay culture, so she bought a generous spread. Haji Din is deeply respected by Mother because he has always prioritized the children’s education and careers—an unconventional trait compared to many elder men of his generation. Indeed, every time I meet Haji Din, he asks about my work abroad, a topic I love sharing with him. He truly enjoys listening to his grandchildren’s stories.
When we arrived, it was time for the Zuhur prayer. Haji Din was about to lead the prayer with his wife who, despite her dementia, instinctively followed him as makmum. Meanwhile, Mother set the dining table with the food we brought until it was full. We sat down for lunch, caught up on everyone’s well-being, and chatted about my work overseas. Haji Din was a bit quiet at first, but he listened attentively.
After lunch, we moved to the living room. The TV was on, showing news of Trump visiting Malaysia and being received by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Haji Din praised Anwar’s diplomacy, noting how he knows how to welcome foreign leaders and make them feel at ease “so we can attract more investment and opportunities from other countries,” as he put it. Shortly after, Haji Din transitioned directly to the topic at hand: “Okay, let’s discuss the palm oil estate.”
He began by explaining that the land originally belonged to his late father. When it came time to distribute the estate among the children, Haji Din agreed to forgo strict Faraid distribution in favor of dividing the land equally among all siblings. That is why Grandmother received an equal share, whereas under Faraid, the brothers would have received larger portions. Haji Din then invited me to present my proposal. I explained my plan to manage the land, starting with proper boundary demarcation, and noted that Lot D is currently unproductive due to years of neglect. Haji Din agreed without hesitation. He asked me to proceed and send him the bill once the demarcation is finalized, agreeing that we would split the expenses 50/50. At that point, the idea of leasing had not yet been raised, so I was careful not to overpromise. My focus was purely on securing boundary lines and setting the stage for future management. We agreed to discuss further details during our next meeting. We both left the conversation satisfied: I had the green light to proceed with Lot D, and Haji Din saw a clear path toward making the land productive again. However, I still need to discuss the plan with Mak Long Farah.
Strangely, the late Tok Borhan had continued to pay Haji Din quite punctually over the years, even though the land produced little to no income. It dawned on me then: Tok Borhan had not been paying stakeholders based on actual land yields, but rather based on their standing and influence within the family. While Haji Din and Grandmother received regular payments, Mak Long Farah—being a more distant family member—received nothing.
After our meeting, we headed down to the Port Dickson beach, enjoying the cool evening breeze with little Sofia.