As I grew up with my siblings, we would have a proper meal only once a day, at lunchtime. My mother would gather us together in a circle and roll out whatever leftovers from the midday meals into balls or lumps of food and feed us at night. Although we were not well off, but there was always food on our table. We never went hungry.
Prior to being posted back to headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, I served eight years in Lumut, beginning my career there. I stayed with my officemates as a bachelor, in the government quarters for 8 years. We used to cook ourselves. I learnt the Malay culture and realized that it is a beautiful one. Later when posted to KL, I stayed with them in a rented apartment for close to a year.
I turned to vegetarian overnight for no reason at all in 1998.
While another senior colleague used to flee his office whenever there was a gathering or function at his office, on the pretext that there was no vegetarian food for him, I attended every single function and sat through it, although I knew pretty well there won't be anything for me either. I usually end up taking fruits and drinks. But the meal was secondary to me. I wanted to be in the company of my workmates and friends. My wife and I would usually sit at the Malay wedding receptions taking fruits and a drink. It did not bother us as we knew our presence was appreciated.
Initially my colleagues would look at me with curiosity when I mention that I was a vegetarian. They would ask to know the reason for being a vegetarian and suggests other non viable options. Most of the time they would end up apologising when they realize I could not take what was on the menu.
As I kept attending these functions they began to take notice of my preference and "special needs"and began to cater a single vegetarian meal for me, either at the office, the hotels or at the wedding receptions.
I used to send my colleague back home from office as her house was on my way home. She used to prepare food for office functions too. I used to notice her generosity where she prepared a larger quantity than what was catered for. The breakfast that she prepared would go till lunch time and even last till evening. In between we will have staffs from other units drop by and also have some pack it away too. She was always generous with the portions.
Then she tells me one day as we were driving back home, that the more she gave, the more she received in return, sometimes in multifolds. I was not a generous person till then, hardly having much for myself and spending only on essentials for myself and the family. Not that I did not want to but the idea of giving, sharing, and feeding others never came to my mind till then. I learnt to care, give and share from the majority Muslim staffs in my department.
My colleague too used to cook a separate dish for me. Later I told her that she could cook the same dishes she was going to serve others but minus the meat, egg and seafood. So she would take a small portion of the dish while it's still cooking over the stove for me, before she added the meat, etc. This simplified her job as she need not cook separately for me.
In the mornings my lady colleagues would prepare food for themselves and bring more for the other office staffs too. They would take the trouble to prepare a vegetarian version of the same dish and ask me to join in. Soon my officemates too ate vegetarian, and ordered vegetarian. When I went out with my friends for food, they would ask that I buy them vegetarian food too.
Once my boss, and a Major in the army and I went outstation. After our official work was over, she drove us to the stalls at a beach front in Penang island. They spoke excitedly about the seafood that was offered at these stalls. I could see their joy in wanting to try the food there. After walking the whole stretch of the stalls lined up at the beach front, she suddenly realized that I could not take the food there. They changed their minds and headed back to the hotel where I could find something to eat. I never went hungry.
When we stopped at the Rests and Service Areas along the Highways or at stalls or restaurants along the way, to stretch our legs, refresh, and eat and drink, while on outstation trips or to attend courses, my colleagues would go ahead of me and scout to see if I could eat there. They would ask the owners if the food was suitable for a vegetarian. I will order a la carte if available, otherwise have a pastry and a drink. Once after a seven hour journey by bus from KL to Kuala Terengganu, we stopped at the outskirts of the coastal town to have our midday meal. I saw that the stall had nothing to offer for me. I asked if the cook could fry something for me. She turned down saying a la carte was only available later at night. I sat to have my drink while my busload of officemates took their meal. They were concerned that I could not eat after the long journey. Suddenly out of the blues the cook came to me and asked to state what I wanted and that she would cook for me. I never went hungry.
Soon I was given special attention in all functions and wherever I go with them, not because I was a somebody but because of my choice of food intake. Never once did my Malay colleagues let me go hungry. On the contrary I was very well fed.
When my colleague Muralitharan Saminathan and I headed for Brickfields for lunch as it was a Friday and we had a long lunch break, what was a scorching heat suddenly began to pour as we approached the restaurant. We had to park on the kerb next to the Sri Karpaga Vinayagar temple as the parking lots were full. But we could not get out of his four-wheel drive as yet as it was raining cats and dogs. As we sat there inside his vehicle, I made a passing statement saying that Agathiyar was in the temple. He turned to look at me and with a mischievous glee on his face asked me if I thought Agathiyar would send us an umbrella! As soon as he said that a man who was standing at the five foot way ahead of us began to walk towards us, umbrella in his hand. He stopped short of the window on my side and knocked on it. As my friend lowered the automated window he asked us to follow him. He led us to the restaurant. We both sat down at the table giving each other a look of astonishment!
When Ganeson returned from Ongkara Kudil in Turaiyur, India, captivated by the service of feeding the poor on a massive level by this society, he wished that he could do the same each day back in Malaysia. To his surprise his wish was granted when each day someone came to him asking for food and insisting it should be vegetarian. What was more surprising was that they were Malaysian Indians, Malaysian Chinese and Malays.
While in the midst of recording on video, the annadhanam programme at a primary school recently, an inner voice told me to go out of the room as someone had arrived. I left the teachers lunch room, hurriedly and walked towards the front entrance of the school. That is when I saw Rajah Aiya trying desperately to reach Sri Krishna on the phone. As Sri Krishna was serving the kids, he was not aware of the incoming call from Rajah Aiya and was not answering. Disappointed in coming all the way from his office and not able to help out in the feeding programme, Rajah Aiya was considering to return to office, when I arrived. Agathiyar wanted me to bring Rajah Aiya over to join us in serving the school children. After the children and teachers had their meal we had ours. Amazing!
