JUNE 26 — It’s been a while since I was a part of a gotong royong. Even then, gotong royong to me means picking up litter with my other classmates in the primary school compound.

After my school years, the word gotong royong just ceased to exist in my vocabulary. Everything I did was mainly for the benefit of myself alone.

So when my friend Liew Seng Tat, the multi-gazillion times award-winning film-maker, told me about his latest project, I immediately knew I had to be involved.

It’s called “Projek Angkat Rumah”, and it is based on the gotong royong tradition of those who live in the kampungs.

Seng Tat had read a newspaper article a while back about a farmer who wanted move closer to his sickly mother-in-law in order to care for her.

He was reluctant to move into a new house, so he got the help of around 150 villagers to come together and literally move his existing kampung house.

It took about one hour to move the house half a kilometre to the new location. The villagers even helped him to clear the new land.

Seng Tat thought this was interesting, and so did I. I had never heard of such a thing — literally moving house. Even the newspaper thought so.

And so the “Projek Angkat Rumah” idea was conceived, whereby members of the public are invited to come participate in a gotong royong.

And yes, they will have to lift a traditional kampung house.

Seng Tat and gang have built a wooden house at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Sentul Utama. It will then be lifted (hence the gotong royong) into the KL PAC compound.

All this will take place today from 9am till late, in conjunction of the KLue Urbanscapes Festival, and Five Arts Centre’s 25th Year Anniversary.

Now that we’re living in such a modern age, everyone seems to be afraid of everyone else. Wenever know who could be a thief, rapist or corrupt politician!

So I think it’s an apt project with the right spirit. It aims to bring everyone in the big city of Kuala Lumpur together for a noble purpose.

And, it’s a Malay tradition brought back to life by a slit-eyed Chinese guy, who wants to enlist the help of all kinds of Malaysians. So 1 Malaysia, right?

So come and join in the fun. Everyone can participate in carrying the house. You don’t even really need to be a Malaysian!

And if you’ve got back problems, then don’t lift the house. Just join in the festivities. There’ll be a lion dance troupe, dancers, musicians and even a kenduri!

Visit www.fiveartscentre.org or www.dahuangpictures.com for more information.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.