The Tarik and Tomorrow: Futures Literacy at the Mamak

 

In Malaysia, the mamak restaurant is more than a place to eat—it is a living classroom of society. Day or night, it is where families gather, students revise late into the evening, workers decompress after long shifts, and friends argue passionately about politics, football, or the latest trends. The clatter of plates, the smell of roti canai and teh tarik, the constant flow of people—these make the mamak a unique social ecosystem. But what does this have to do with futures literacy?

At its heart, futures literacy is the ability to imagine, rehearse, and experiment with many possible futures. And the mamak, surprisingly, is one of the best spaces to see this in action. Every conversation at the table is a kind of scenario-building exercise. Someone speculates about the future of the economy, another wonders what AI will do to jobs, others dream of travel or business opportunities. These are micro-labs of futures thinking. The mamak, with its open accessibility, invites people from all walks of life to share, debate, and construct narratives about tomorrow. It democratizes foresight in a way that formal workshops or academic spaces sometimes cannot.

The food itself carries futures lessons. Mamak cuisine is a story of adaptation: Indian Muslim heritage blended with Malay, Chinese, and global influences. Menus evolve with time—adding cheese naan, fusion dishes, or healthier options—responding to new demands while preserving traditions. This is futures literacy embodied in food: an ability to adapt while holding onto identity. The same spirit can be applied when we think about our collective futures: we do not abandon our roots, but we remix them to remain relevant.

Even the 24-hour cycle of the mamak symbolizes resilience and preparedness. It shows that life is not confined to nine-to-five. The future, like the mamak, is always open, fluid, and unpredictable. Those who gather there learn, consciously or unconsciously, to live with uncertainty, to stay flexible, and to improvise—skills essential for navigating a complex future.

So perhaps when UNESCO talks about cultivating futures literacy, we don’t need to look far. It may not only be found in conferences or policy labs. It lives in everyday places like the mamak, where ordinary people already practice the art of imagining tomorrow. To sip a glass of teh tarik at midnight while listening to friends debate about politics, technology, or personal dreams, is to witness futures literacy in its raw, communal form. The mamak is not just a restaurant; it is a futures café for all Malaysians.