Ipoh

Every signboard I see while I drive points to Ipoh, but I no longer feel the need to visit that place. It belongs to my past—my birthplace—and there is nothing there for me anymore, not even the urge to return.

There are no people I miss, no heavenly food, and no quiet, bustling charm left. More hills are being cut down for development, and soon it will become just another city like Kuala Lumpur.

More and more cars with number plates like ABC 123 from the state of Perak can be seen in Kuala Lumpur, their drivers searching for work, as the so-called city of Ipoh has become another poor city.

The lush green forests are disappearing, replaced by development. That is why I see so many ABC 123 car plates on the roads of Kuala Lumpur, especially after 2021—people leaving Ipoh in search of work.Ipoh is close to home, yet it is a place I still haven’t gotten around to visiting—and perhaps never will.