Nang bo ti nang kui bo ti kui

Yeah, orang bukan orang hantu bukan hantu! I often heard this phrase uttered by my late auntie when I was small. This phrase refers to a person who is jahat dan tak makan saman. These are one of the few phrases or words that I still remember until today. But I couldn't recall who fell in this nang bo ti nang kui bo ti kui or orang bukan orang hantu bukan hantu category in my kampung at that time.

But I do remember the word 'bo patut' ie tak patut that referred to a person in my kampung during the 60's. He was a successful businessman , he got a sundry shop and he was dealing with cane and rubber business. I asked my mother why people called him Bo Patut? She told me when he was young he 'buat jahat' to this particular lady who also owned a sundry shop, therefore the Chinese community sanctioned him by calling him Bo Patut.This Bo Patut was so succesful in business eventually he got the title JP and people called him Dato' JP! ( during that time title Jaksa Pendamai was the highest and very rare award received by a person in my kampung therefore people called the recipient 'Dato' ).

Wayang pek ji troop will come to my kampung during Perayaan Hantu. They set up wooden stage near tokong area and the show lasted for 7 nights. Those days I didn't know where the Chinese opera came from and who paid for it. I used to go and see and became very familiar with the story, the costumes the high pitch songs ,the kungfu and swords play. But during the 90's I found out there were no more Chinese opera but it was replaced with modern kugiran. So we used to say, Wah, macam wayang pek ji! if someone put on a very thick make up.