Got into a bit of a disagreement with a friend on this, actually. They were convinced 'Daun Yang Tidak Pernah Gugur' was set somewhere in Malaysia because of the author's background. I had to pull up the book to check--it's explicitly Sumatera Barat, West Sumatra. The Minangkabau cultural details aren't just window dressing; the whole conflict about adat and modern education hinges on that specific setting. The rumah gadang descriptions, the nagari system, it's all very precise.
Makes sense why the theme of 'the leaf that never falls' hits different there. It's not just a pretty metaphor; it's tied to that matrilineal society structure and the pressure to maintain tradition. If it were set somewhere generic, half the tension would evaporate. You really feel the weight of the 'never falling' in that specific landscape.