FEELING POLITICAL

I was in Temerloh, Pahang yesterday, just passing by. It’s the small town where I was born, more than half a century ago.

I love to watch the town grow day by day. Stopped by at the small mosque for zohor prayers, and saw buffaloes grazing on the grass just beside the mosque.

Drove later to town for an ikan patin meal , and watched with awe development of commercial projects, and rows of new shop-lots coming up in middle of the town.

But strangely, today I'm feeling a bit political, just a wee bit though, being always apolitical, the winning stance in life and death.

So I'll just pen something and just let it go for whatever its worth. Even if it’s only two sen. Just to let it get off my mind.

Well it’s about an issue widely published in the country’s newspapers recently.

I’m talking about the two Malay words "Bangsa Malaysia".

So, now I have questions.

* Will Bangsa Malaysia be a reality?

* Can we really move or shove ourselves towards that ideal direction with perfect impunity from social, cultural and religious consequences?

* But most importantly, the end result - does it make for a peaceful, harmonious, prosperous Malaysia?

I don’t know the answers, and I don’t profess to know where to look for the answers.

But from what was published, I read aplenty a mish-mash of ideas and suggestions, and mostly provocations of personal thoughts bordering on racism.

My take on this issue?

Well, it’s great to start from the beginning, and start defining. Not definition of the concept, because I think that’s for the polticians, but of the two words.

Bangsa Malaysia literally means (I think) "Malaysian race", a different ethnic being from what we have now -- Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans, etc. It’s a mixture or a cross-breed of the various races making up the citizens of the country.

To really actualize the concept and reality of a whole new set and generation of ethnic beings called "Bangsa Malaysia", it goes without saying that it will naturally has to be effected through none other then the mechanism of progeny and evolution.

And I think this will take a long, long time, even if we start now. It's a sort of creation of a sub-race resembling maybe the phenomena of the Babas of Malacca and the Chitties of Penang.

But will that solve our problem?

No, because now that there is a Bangsa Malaysia, then there are questions arising from the consequences of cross-breeding: -

* What is the official religion of Bangsa Malaysia?

* What is the culture of Bangsa Malaysia?

* Will it be just another of those mish-mash mixture of religion and culture? A rojak race?

I don’t know about other religion, but Islam cannot change. Once a Muslim, you cannot change religion. It’s forever, unchangeable. So now, must all Bangsa Malaysia be Muslims?

Our YAB Deputy Prime Minister said that Bangsa Malaysia is just a state of mind. I agree fully.

I take that to also mean that it is not a unique cross-breed race, but a multi-racial breed forming the Malaysian society, acting, behaving, and producing collective good for the country, thinking Malaysian in whatever they do, and benefiting all and sundry.

Blessed are those who help others and in turn being helped themselves and in the final analysis everyone and all races are protected, and in fact enhanced in all aspects, economically, culturally and socially.

What’s more important than those things? Meat-loaves and roti canai, you say? Ha Ha.

Well, let’s be serious.

So, where does this take me then?

My friends, let me say this. I already see a Bangsa Malaysia, today and everyday.

We are Bangsa Malaysia when we go to the poll stations and vote those we think are best suited for running the country, whatever their race.

We are Bangsa Malaysia when we stand together and cheer our sportsmen and the country during international games and tournaments, when we share their triumphs and victories, and when we share together their grieve and sadness when they fail or falter.

We are Bangsa Malaysia when we understand each other’s culture and respect them fully. And when we visit, participate and enjoy all religious festivals and cultural celebrations, together, without prejudice.

And when we love this land of ours in the company of many others, with the knowledge that the depth, spread and varieties of cultures and religions invariably spice up, and add value to, our daily lives.

We are Bangsa Malaysia when we wake up each morning and we know we have food on the table and we are thankful that we live in a harmonious and prosperous land, not somewhere in a melting pot of hunger and internal strifes.

We are Bangsa Malaysia when we see the sunrise in the east and sunset in the west, and .. (or, err, is it the other way round?)

Ahhh, a sure sign that I should stop babbling on this, especially when I forget which direction the sun sets... ummm ..

So fellow Malaysians, Bangsa Malaysia is already here. It defies definition or ever really needs defining.

An ethnic being or race will always remain one forever.

Someone said that God made man white, yellow, malay, red and black. That's bulls-eye to me. Right on target. Any cross-breeding will definitely still stay within that color spectrum.

Collectively we are and have been a Bangsa Malaysia in mind, thought and spirit, and most of all, in our actions.

And yes, my verbose musings, murmurings and ramblings on this complicated issue won’t ever find the solutions and answers even until the sun sets and rises many times over (umm...still, is it west or east?).

Or the buffaloes in Temerloh town come home to the developed commercial shop-lots (to window-shop).

So, enjoy!

- HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI SERIES -


HARI RAYA SONGS AND OLD AGE

I said earlier in the other post that a great singer usually makes a Hari Raya song popular and loveable, ensuring perenniality to the songs. And I did hint or rather suggest that both Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and Mawi get done an unforgettable Hari Raya song to make their names be forever remembered come Hari Raya time.

But as always there’s the odd one out. There’s the Hari Raya song by Aman Shah. He’s no great singer to me and I can’t identify other good songs that he has. That Raya song seems to be the only song that I know or ever remember him sing.

His Raya song, I can’t for the life of me know why, somewhat touches me and, like the lyrics of the song by the Carpenters, puts me high on a pedestal, for no justifiable reason. I don’t share at all the reality of the lyrics, but somehow just his rendition affects my sentiments. Perhaps his unique voice co-incidentally blends nicely with the song.

By the way, have you ever heard your favorite Hari Raya song being sung by someone else?

Well, I have heard some other singer sing a few of my favorite Aidil Fitri songs, but there is no such “festivity” or “melancholic” effect. I find most to be just another of those bland renditions to fill air space.

And most times it does the opposite and the great song gets somewhat spoilt by the new singers.

This may be due to the musical arrangement or the singer’s voice and style of singing. Really, I believe a singer’s personal character or persona plus his rendition either makes or spoils a song.

Maybe that’s why we find there are great singers and the just So – so’s. The great ones put extra feelings in their singing, feel deeply the lyrics, while the So-so’s just belt out loud, no bother, just to finish the song.

The So-so’s may perhaps have tried to put their feelings in the song but then again maybe it’s the knowledge that it’s not their own original song that the end result seems to falter. And because of the song's inextricable identification with the original singer.

Anyway, during the recent Hari Raya, I heard a rather unique exception to the above notion that the old Hari Raya songs cannot be improved upon.

And it was Awie, the rocker, who somehow was able to render what was to me an acceptable, no, rather loveable and smooth, rock version of the Raya song by S. Jibeng. Perhaps his divorce just before Raya brought the right emotions to his rendition.

That’s no mean achievement because to improve on an already popular and established song takes extra effort and profound knowledge of the audience’s preferences.

But then Awie has been on the music scene for about twenty years already. He should know.

An accomplished singer and musician should know how to go about singing other people’s song with finesse.

Ahh, maybe yes, I’m getting older day by day. That means I’m getting more sentimental and easier (but not easily) moved by little emotions. And perhaps become a sort of a nostalgia maniac, sometimes for no reason at all.

Getting older day by day means (self praise now) having more mature thoughts and more experience. And talking about songs generally, one suddenly becomes more discerning.

Old men can perhaps tell whether a song will eventually be popular, evergreen or otherwise, because old men are wise, most times, in the things and issues they have cared or learnt about.

But then I think (just my own thoughts though), maybe most Malays are extra sentimental beings. That’s why they like entertainment, and that is why they are sometimes left behind in some other non-sentimental aspects of life.

But again, what is life if there are no varieties? What is life if we don’t
appreciate having a little entertainment, even if they bring out and fill our life with sadness?

What’s that again? Entertainment that fills us with sadness? Humm.

Ah, varieties are the spice of life – without which not.

Everyone is agreed on that. Right?

Until next time, just my rumblings here ... for those who care to read.

Enjoy.

www.pahang-delights.com - Where adventures, cultures and pleasures come alive.

- HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI SERIES -

GREAT SINGERS MAKE THEIR HARI RAYA SONGS GREAT

I mentioned in one of my blogs that some Hari Raya Aidil Fitri songs can move people. Their tunes and lyrics can sometimes inexplicably create feelings of nostalgia and sadness, or feelings of joy and merriment – by just listening to them.

The song sung by Tan Sri P.Ramlee, "Dendang Perantau" has such an effect to those far from home, like my friend I mentioned in the other blog page. Especially to those far from their dearest mum and dad, their brothers and sisters, or their dearest wife or husband and children.

The song will sometimes make a strong person cry, maybe not visible outside but in his heart and mind.

Another Hari Raya song that can make one sad and homesick come Aidil Fitri is the song "Dari Jauh Ku Pohon Maaf" by Sudirman Haji Arshad, or just "Sudi" to his fans. I know of a few friends who did.

The lyrics tell of a traveler, unable to return home for the festive occasion, and so he could only ask for forgiveness from his parents from afar. I bet this song will make those security guards, policemen, or soldiers, and office workers, on duty on Hari Raya day feel lonesome for home. But then sacrifices will have to be made by some for the benefits of the majority.

It is not only the lyrics that can create the sad feelings but perhaps also the singer himself – his voice, his style of singing and sometimes his own persona.

The late S. Jibeng with his perennial Raya song, for instance, is himself blind, and his singing always bring the connotations of someone handicapped by something physical, unable to really enjoy the celebrations like normal people.

With the song carrying that persona of him celebrating a festive occasion with a tinge of melancholy, many people will inevitably or unconsciously associate with the song and the singer himself.

So much for sob songs.

While I'm rambling about popular and great Raya songs, I have to confess that when I first heard the song "Satu Hari Di Hari Raya" by M.Nasir, when it first came out maybe 20 odd years ago, I really hate it.

It was so much different, of a different genre, from the Hari Raya songs of P.Ramlee, Saloma and Fazidah Joned and my other favorites I’m used to at the time.

But then great songs will grow and grow on you, always sounding better and better every year, describing perhaps new dimensions that came to your life. They therefore relate to you, and suddenly the songs that you initially don’t like, become your favorite ones.

In fact this M. Nasir’s song is now one of my "must-listen-to and must-be-played on the air-waves" songs to make my Hari Raya day. It is, to me, a classic "hate-it-at-first-but-later-somehow-love-it" kind of song.


GREAT SINGERS HAVE AT LEAST ONE GREAT, LOVABLE SONG

Perhaps great singers make the songs great. The songs are popular not because of the tune or lyrics but because the singer singing the song makes it so. All the really top popular Malay singers of their time, have at least one perennial Hari Raya song to their name.

P. Ramlee, Saloma, Sudirman and the rest I mentioned previously, have ensured their names will not be forgotten by having a song to be constantly played come the festival.

That’s why I’m still waiting for some great songs from the current popular singers in Malaysia, like Datuk Siti Nurhaliza. I know Datuk Siti Nurhaliza has one or two Hari Raya songs already, but they are just so-so to me, nothing memorable or loveable. She should get a song-writer to compose one great Hari Raya song. Maybe M. Nasir could do this one for her.

And I know Mawi hasn’t made one yet.

Well, I've said it. "Every top popular singer of his/her time must at least produce one great , loveable and perennial Hari Raya song for future generations to remember them by."

So Datuk Siti and Mawi, you heard me.

Enjoy.


Pahang-delights.com - Where adventures, cultures and pleasures come alive.

-HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI SERIES-
GREAT SONGS MAKE FOR A DELIGHTFUL HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI

On the second day of the recent Hari Raya Aidil Fitri celebrations, I found myself alone in Tok Boh’s house in Kuantan, Pahang, when the other family members went visiting the neighbors.

We were all supposed to go to the surrounding houses, but I decided not to, since I was rather tired and my tummy was already filled to the brim after the morning rounds. I mentioned I’ll go round the next day, however.

Making myself cosy on the long sofa, I had the radio switched on, after already been bored with watching television. My head was also soon to be sailing away, really tired. I was looking forward to the ZZZ, zzz's, to refresh myself again.

I remember such activities weren’t that tiring before. But these days tiredness and my body seems to be close friends.

But before my mind could sail away, before the ZZZ, zzz’s overtook me, there were all these Raya songs on the radio, one after another. For no reason, feeling excited by the songs, I got up and started singing and humming the songs I knew.

Well, on the air were the evergreen songs of Aidil Fitri by Tan Sri P.Ramlee, Saloma, Sudirman, Fazidah Joned, Ahmad Jais, Aman Shah, Aishah, M. Nasir, S. Jibeng, Sharifah Aini, and others.

Come to think of it, there really are many Aidil Fitri songs now, although my favorite ones count to only about ten. During my childhood days, I remember there were only the songs by Saloma, P.Ramlee and Fazidah Joned.

To me, the "newer" songs sung by Ahmad Jais, Sudirman, M.Nasir, Aman Shah, Aishah, Sharifah Aini, Rafeah Buang, plus those old "classic" Raya songs, are really the sounds of Hari Raya – evergreen songs that to me will never ever cease to be played on the air-waves over and over again come every Hari Raya Aidl Fitri.

Songs, I dare say, that will never cease unless Hari Raya Aidil Fitri is no more celebrated, and unless those songs also happen to be erased in our minds and from our memories forever. Maybe that will happen later when we get older and our minds and memories start to dysfunction and fade.

I enjoyed listening to the radio that day – the local Kuantan FM, (or is it called Pahang FM?). The songs played were quite a mixture of songs of joy and laughter, happiness, sadness and melancholy.

And they got my mind clicking back on my stored memories of yesteryears.

I remember the first year I started working, I stayed in a terrace house at Taman Gelora in Kuantan with two other bachelor housemates. Jaaffar Latif, from Batu Pahat, Johore was an officer with MIDA, and the other, Mahussin Deris, who hails from Kelantan, a DARA officer. And I was with the Pahang State Development Corporation then.

We were all in fact rookies working in Kuantan, having just graduated, and we all had just obtained our driving licences and bought our own cars.

Well, I still remember that first year of Hari Raya in 1979 because my friend, Mahussin Deris, had made up his mind, although tinge with sadness, not to go back home for the Raya. If I remember correctly, I think he said that it’s not worth the long distance travel back home with only two days of official holidays. His application for additional leaves from the boss was not granted.

Although he sounded really adamant to celebrate Raya in Kuantan at that time, in the end he actually went back home to celebrate.

Well, I was greatly surprised when he told me so after we all came back from Raya, since before Jaaffar and I left Kuantan in the morning of the eve of Raya, it was quite settled that he would be okay alone and will celebrate the Raya with his office friends living in Kuantan.

Relating his change of mind, he said that while alone in his room, listening to the radio, the song "Dendang Perantau" by the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee came on the air. That song really moved him and, rather inexplicably, pangs of nostalgia and homesickness overcame him.

The longing to be home with his mum and siblings was so strong that somehow he gathered courage and immediately packed his bags and drove the more than 6-hours journey that same night. Driving back at a little before midnight, he made it home in the early morning.

Well, even in the early 1980’s there were no highways in the east coast and the roads then were not so good. Driving at night 500 kilometers away to Kelantan was really not advisable, especially for a lone rookie driver with a new car, and with the roads during those days mostly dark and sparsely lighted.

But such is the power of a great Hari Raya song. It can move feelings.

No doubt, every Raya song has some rather nostalgic memory, some unexplained and unique sentimental feeling, to some people.

Sometimes whatever we try to do, the song will bring back memories, recalling some sad, some happy or maybe just plain memories of life during our younger days.

Perhaps for those with great capacity for nostalgia and sentimental feelings, lest you succumb to your emotions, my only obvious advice is for you to refrain from switching on the radios or television during the festival.

And just sleep yourself away... ZZZ, ZZZ, zzz, zzz ...

Enjoy.


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ELEPHANTS AND CROSSINGS

I read with interest today in a daily newspaper about a nine-year-old elephant being hit by a lorry on the East-West Highway in Batu Melintang, Perak. The incident happened while it was crossing the road on October 30, 2006 and the jumbo wounded his leg.

The pachyderm, named Mat Lawar, was later sent to the elephant sanctuary at Kuala Gandah, Pahang (The National Elephant Conservation Center).

The newspaper story also mentioned that it took two hours for the park rangers and two adult female elephants (machyderms?), Cik Mek and Lokimala (what wonderful names) to guide Mat Lawar on to the lorry transporter.

(Well, if I was Mat Lawar myself, I wouldn’t say no to two wonderful females goading me to a sanctuary, right? Because, if I’m really lucky, there could be more females there too ... ah, pardon me, what absurd thoughts.)

The press didn’t mention how big the lorry was, but I believe it will need jumbo trucks or lorries hauled by the likes of a Mercedes or Hino to be able to carry and pull the weight of the jumbo.

Ah, Mat Lawar – I wonder. He must be rather handsome to the female elephants and the park rangers who in their daily jobs, look at faces of jumbos and know the difference between handsome and so-so.

That’s because Mat Lawar doesn’t strike me as "lawa" (handsome) from the newspaper picture of him. Well, I‘ll be kind to him. Maybe, just maybe, it could be that he is not photogenic, and that perhaps he is actually lawa "in person".

And (my theory) maybe that was probably why he got hit in the first place.

This pachyderm’s looks must be so awesome that the lorry driver forgot his driving. Just like the story of the really handsome Prophet Joseph (Yusof), when all the women cut their fingers instead of cutting the foodstuff they were preparing, when he suddenly appeared in the kitchen.

But I know, I know. Actually "Lawar" refers to the nearby village where the jumbo was found. Ah, perhaps the village folks must be lawa (handsome) then.

So, anyone out there -- you young males and females -- anybody, interested? Bother to find out? Any damsels or sirs in distress? You never can know, you might just find your handsome or pretty one (the one in your dreams) living there, in Lawar Village! And he or she is all for your taking. Oh well, just joking.

Anyway, I said "with interest" in the beginning of this blog because I remember reading (maybe a month ago) an article in one of the papers, on how motorists and drivers should behave when faced with elephants on the roads.

I have not driven at any of the highways, or any roads for that matter, where there are favorite crossings of elephants.

The only animals I used to meet during my drives in the rural areas of Pahang during my younger days were just the occasional buffaloes, cows, goats and sheep. Of course, fowls like chickens, geese and ducks were quite normal.

And cows sleeping on the roads at night were prevalent in the olden days and I think they do even now at the more remote kampung areas. Well, animals want their rest, leisure and comforts too, once in a while, at least before humans partake their body meat in their own leisure and comfort. So give them the chance, folks.

Anyway, the advice or guidelines listed on the signboards at the East-West Highway make good and interesting reading to me.

Erected by the Perak Wildlife and National Parks Department, they certainly offer excellent advice to ensure humans don’t’ provoke elephants to become aggressive.

The advice (in Bahasa Malaysia) listed on the signboards erected along the stretch between Grik and Banding (about 160km from Ipoh, Perak) are (my general translation) as follows: -

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BEWARE OF ELEPHANTS CROSSING!

1. Don’t honk (or blow your horn)
2. Stop and give way (to the elephants)
3. Do not get out of the vehicle
4. Do not approach the elephants
5. Do not throw objects at them
6. Use a lower light at night

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Ah, really excellent advice for motorists to ensure their own safety at elephant crossings along the highways. These should be part of the highway courses for learner drivers.

And well, my, my… (I’m getting thoughts of bullies on the city roads in my mind now.) Yes, maybe those are good, pertinent advice also to the human hell-drivers in the cities.

So I say, "DBKL and you Municipal Councils, put up those same signboards in your city roads as well."

And then perhaps, we might see a sharp decline in accidents and road-bullying cases in the cities.

Just PERHAPS...

Enjoy.

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