#9 Expanding Revival: New Responsibilities and a Delicate Balance

The 9 Acre Revival project was always intended to be a personal endeavor. My agreement and commitment were to Grandmother and her land. But in the quiet hours after we had finalized the addendum to our contract, the scope of the project suddenly and unexpectedly began to expand.

The First Call: A Distant Family’s Hope

One morning, my mother received a call from a family member she hadn’t spoken to in a long time. Wan Induk Senah is the mother of Mak Long Farah. They are the owner of a piece of land neighboring Grandmother’s, on the same grant. My mother passed the phone to me, and the conversation quickly turned to the land. She was glad that I was now involved, explaining that while her daughter had been diligently paying the land tax, they had never received anything from the local caretaker Tok Borhan.

As a distant part of the family, they had hesitated to “bother” the others about it, especially since the tax amount was not high. But they felt left out, knowing Tok Borhan was paying a lease to Grandmother and other closer family members, but not to them. She was hopeful that my father and I could take over their situation. I politely explained that my agreement was only with Grandmother and her land. However, I gave her my word that I would speak with Tok Borhan and try to include them in the considerations of the land lease. I assured her that we should stay in touch as a family, despite the distance.

The Second Call: A Senior’s Complaint

In the afternoon, another call came, this time from a senior family member, Haji Din, Grandmother’s brother, who is also the owner of another neighboring palm oil land. He asked about my life abroad and my new project, which I explained was for Grandmother. Tok Borhan normally pays him the land lease, though not frequently, because he is a close relative.

However, he confessed that he knows nothing about the well-being of his land and that he feels “kept in the dark.” He asked me to keep him informed about the situation, whenever I have the information. Again, I explained that my agreement was only with Grandmother for her land. But, again, I assured him that I would observe his part and keep him informed whenever I had the information.

A Delicate Balance From a small, manageable endeavor, the project has suddenly expanded. The weight of these new responsibilities has now been placed on my shoulders. I have tried to clearly state the boundaries of my responsibilities, but I’m now a point of hope for other landowners who feel they have no control over their own lands. Some live far away, and others are simply too old to manage the situation. I am not willing to disappoint them. However, this new responsibility comes with a challenge: my partnership with Tok Borhan is still new. I cannot afford to jeopardize this relationship by appearing to be an adversary or by questioning his dealings with other families. This is a new, delicate balance I must take when I go forward. The project is no longer just about the 9 Acre Revival; it’s about building a larger, more transparent system that can bring peace and clarity to a broader circle of family members.