Fish, Plastic Bags, 'Ikan Kekek', Malay Folk Song

The ban on plastic bags is a hot topic. Let's keep on highlighting this issue until the world gets rid of them. Below are two inter-related stories and a folk-song about fish dishes.

The above poster was taken off Alexandra Hsieh's Facebook post. Thanks, Alex. 

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1) Fish in plastic or plastic in fish?

Hooray, the world says it's getting rid of plastic bags. It will take some time.  

Lately, I went to one of the biggest Singapore supermarket chains and asked for a small paper bag. I was given instead a small plastic bag. 

"We don't have paper bags!" said the lady in charge. Strange.

(The picture is a representation of a dead whale from ingestion of plastic created by Greenpeace Philippines. Credit: Greenpeace Philippines)

2) Whales eat people or people eat whales?

No, whales swallow plastic bags and bottles.  And, yes, in a certain country, some people are still catching whales to eat.

"We have been eating them for generations! It's in our culture!" says a citizen. 

I love eating fish but definitely not whales. So be careful not only of fish bones but plastic pieces.

3) Ikan Kekek Folk Song:

Here's a Malay folk song I remember that little children sing in kampongs (villages) in the 1960s. It is just as popular today and sung in primary school classrooms in Malaysia and in Malay classes in Singapore.

Ikan Kekek is, according to a website, PONY FISH, pictured above, a favourite fish dish.

4) Songs with Fish titles:

I don't know too many songs about fish in the English language but here are a few:

Fish and Chips - Chuck Berry
Pisces Fish - George Harrison
Saturday Night Fish Fry - BB King

Gone Fishing - Bing Crosby n Louis Armstrong
Fish Song - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Pray For The Fish - Randy Travis

The Fishin' Hole - Andy Griffith
Moby Dick - Frankie Laine
The Down Easter Alexa - Billy Joel

You can improve the list of fish songs. Splash them on.

WE WANT TO EAT FISH NOT PLASTIC. GET RID OF PLASTIC BAGS!!!

Ikan kekek mak iloi-iloi

Ikan gelama mak ilai -lai

Nanti adik mak iloi-iloi

Pulang sama mak ilai-ilai

Ada satu si ikan parang

Badannya panjang berbelang-belang

Isinya sdikit banyak tulang

Sedap dimakan ala masak pindang

Ikan kekek mak iloi-iloi

Ikan gelama mak ilai-ilai

Nanti adik mak iloi-iloi

Pulang sama mak ilai-ilai

Ada satu si ikan pari

Badannya bulat penuh isi

Sedap dimakan kalo masak kari

Jangan lupa taruh lebih chili

Ikan kekek mak iloi-iloi

Ikan gelama mak ilai-ilai

Nanti adik mak iloi-iloi

Pulang sama mak ilai-ilia

Ikan kekek, oi

Ikan kekek

Ikan kekek, oi

Ikan kekek

Saloma: Ikan Kekek. 

YouTube Video from: Madey Retro Klasik

Translation from Malay:

Mak iloi-iloi snicker fish

Gelama mak ilai -lai fish

Later, my sister will be iloi-iloi

Go home with Ilai-ilai's mother

There is one machete fish

The body is long and striped

It contains quite a lot of bones

Delicious to eat pindang style

Mak iloi-iloi snicker fish

Later, my sister will be iloi-iloi

Go home with Ilai-ilai's mother

There is one stingray

The body is round and full of content

It's delicious when cooked with curry

Don't forget to put more chili

Mak iloi-iloi snicker fish

Gelama mak ilai-ilai fish

Later, my sister will be iloi-iloi

Go home with Ilai-Ilia's mother

Snicker fish, oi

Snickerfish

Snicker fish, oi

Snickerfish

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Anonymous.