IPOH: Ki haal ji? That’s Punjabi for “How are you?”
Since March, a motley group of senior citizens has been coming together every Thursday to learn Punjabi, Mandarin, English and, of course, Bahasa Malaysia.
The free language classes are purely a case of “Made in Malaysia”, as the participants come from different ethnic backgrounds.
Marldea Abbas, 66, said the classes help participants appreciate the multicultural environment around them.
“There are people from many races here, so we learn each other’s languages and try speaking with our friends in their own language.
“It is easier to make friends here because we are learning together,” said Marldea.
An observation of their classes showed a sense of camaraderie among them. For instance, when asked to answer questions using Punjabi words, they often “accidentally” respond in English, causing the whole class to laugh.
The lessons, which are courtesy of the Perak Urban Transforma- tion Centre (UTC) Senior Citizens Activity Centre (PAWE), are held at the Waller Court flats every Thursday morning.
Another participant, K. Kamala, 63, said learning simple greetings in other languages has helped attendees become more connected to one another.
“When you greet your Chinese friend in Mandarin, they feel happy because you are speaking in their language. It helps us make more friends and become closer,” she said.
For Daniel Chuah, 63, learning a new language has been a meaningful experience that he thoroughly enjoys.
“When I go home, I practise with other people around me,” he said.
Punjabi language instructor Kuldeep Kaur Mohan Singh, 68, said teaching others her mother tongue has given her much joy.
“I feel delighted when others learn my language. We start with small greetings and slowly form simple sentences,” she said.
Kuldeep said that joining the programme has also helped reduce her screen time and kept her occupied in a more meaningful way.
“Before this, I spent a lot of time on my phone at home. But now, half my day is spent doing activities and interacting with people.
“And the people are nice and cooperative. They make my day beautiful,” she added.
Perak UTC PAWE supervisor Syazaki Hasan Nawawi, 32, said the classes, which began in March, were introduced to encourage senior citizens to continue learning and stay mentally active.
“We plan to introduce more languages, such as Tamil,” he said, adding that the programme is open to PAWE members aged 40 and older.
“The response has been very encouraging. One participant was especially excited to learn Punjabi because he recently got a Punjabi neighbour and wanted to communicate better with him.”
