........of 'WAYANG', 'PAADAM' & 'BEIJING OPERA'

Our ‘Wayang’ (free film entertainment) shows in the Sixties was the weekly outdoor Tamil Movies (‘Paadam’ in Tamil) at the adjacent Rubber Estate, and the unscheduled visits of the Government Propaganda machine - The MFU (Malay Film Unit) outdoor Mobile Film Shows. However the MFU film screening was not so much of real film shows, as the newsreels were often interrupted by the Information Officer lashing out ‘recycled’ Government Messages. Even then the whole Kampong Folks from the Malay Settlement would throng the venue not so much for the film show but for the latest information from the government. More so, it was The Penghulu’s wish that all residents should adhered latest government information, for their own benefits.
There was also this staging of the ‘Wayang China’ - Beijing Opera at a local Chinese Temple. Normally it was a ‘one off’ event organized by the Chinese Association to appease the Gods, so we were told. Teenagers like me would not miss the opportunity, though most elders dismissed the shows as non Islamic. More so it was a religious obligation for our Chinese neighbors they felt we should not interfere.
But my love for the theater, make me one of the ardent admirer, and an observant fan of the Beijing Opera. I would give all the excuse to my parents to be out each night for the opera shows. I was taken by the well managed stage direction and the presentation techniques of the production team. Each night show was different in directorial style with the other. The productions were well stage-managed and the shows flawless. The eloquent delivering of the dialog or songs and the expressive performances of the actors or the actresses with their calculated playacting moves either on a somber mood of  'romancing the beauty of the landscape with adjacent hills jutted with high cliffs’, or in the scene of ‘the tranquil forbidden garden of the wicked Empress’, more so 'the bloody and the aggressive battlefield scenes of the conquerors' that frenzied us to the out most. The swing of the sharp weapon, the artistic animated move enhanced by the sound effects from the beating of cymbals and gongs, the staccato drumming of drums accompanied by live music, too surreal to the ardent audiences.
Even though the storyline and the dialogues were foreign to us Malays, the colourful staging of the opera i.e the extraordinary traditionally designed costumes, the heavy make ups, the lighting effects, the vocals and the dancing, the red cheeks chorus girls of the ‘extra turns’, the comedies and the tragedies of the historical epic staged befitting the real live revival of the historical periods. For me watching the shows all season was like a period of my theater study apprentice attachment. As a result till present day I become too observant for details of events in the same manner I enjoyed the professional staging of The Beijing Opera at that Chinese Temple near my village, long time ago.

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Watching the ‘so called’ high profile DEBAT over BRTV (Bernama TV) a couple of nights ago (15th July 2008) between PKR De Facto Leader Dato’Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the newly elected Minister of Information, Dato’ Ahmad Shabery Cheek reminded me much of the 'impressive' performances of the Beijing Opera actors portraying advancing combatant Generals with full battlefield costume outfits I watched some 50 years ago as a kampong lad.
Although the bulk of the story line and the historical facts of the Chinese Historical Epics were alien and difficult for me to fathom then, or interpreting the Tamil Film hero MG Ramachandren and his comedian sidekick Nargesh, wooing the daughter of a rich Landlord, the storyline of which was also foreign, we enjoyed interpreting their overacting bits and well rehearsed gestures, mimic and moves.
But unlike the 60 minutes DEBAT (alas the station availed 3 “door slammers” of 3 minutes duration of commercial spot breaks) we the audience fully understood the issues upfront as they were current and spoken in our National Language. Surprisingly, what we could not fathom was their body language and the sparring part, the concept of the production, their way of dressing, the setting, the décor, the format as well programmed treatment and running order. For once I thought the production was apeing the concept of the televised current American Presidential Campaign Debate telecasts live by CNN, only that it lacked pomp and luster.
So what did the DEBAT left us.
It reminded me of our ‘Wayang Time’ way back in the sixties. Those WAYANGS although entertaining but were full of farce and false pretenses. Our two confronting generals (Dato’Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Dato’ Ahmad Shabery Cheek) presentation look like there were on two different planes working on 2 sets of data aka aliens from two different planets, trying to save mankind from impending disasters that we know best to counter. They looked confused and uneasy. Were they reading from prepared scripts with some form of ‘ad libbing’ here and there? That was how it looked like (pardon me for my arrogance). Also the well structured program format was of no help either. I presume each segment was timed to the second to give way for commercial break. The Production was too clean for a live and unrehearsed discoursed from 2 opposing politicians. Even school debates would be more provocative, riotous in nature as the issue discussed was of importance to the nation. Dato’Seri Anwar Ibrahim known to be an orator capable of breathing fire of provocations on all his streets rallies, looked lame like a ‘lion in winter,’ at time haggard and sometime seemed accommodating. His apathetic smiles and casual dressing with over sized sagging jacket did not help much in positioning and uplifting his stage image. Dato’Ahmad Shabery on the other hand looked a bit under dress on his dark suits without his tie. His performance was like a young half groomed actor with a badly written script. His unmotivated moves at times resulting to his vocal fell flat. Unlike Dato’Seri Anwar, the Minister of Information has no experience ‘acting for the cameras.’

(I suggest IPTAR – Ministry Information’s Institute Penyiaran Tun Abdul Razak could design a special course for the new politicians, more so for the present bunch of parliamentarians. This is no joke, as in over developed countries upcoming politicians or spokespersons need to master the skill of appearing for the media, playing gallery and charmed the public as the trust of their voters are judged on their outstanding personality, performances and ‘good press’.)

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So much with the DEBAT, now back to the ‘WAYANG’ or ‘PAADAM’ or 'BEIJING OPERA' play acting.

MGRamachandran not only an icon of the Tamil Movies in the Sixties and the seventies, but also a successful South Indian politician. He was the Prime Minister of the State of Tamil Naidu for a long term. There was this short film entitled The Phenomenon of MGRamachindran. It was shown by delegates from India in a Short Film Communication Seminars organized by Thamassat University Cheng Mai, Thailand which the scribe attended sometimes late 80es.
The Short Film was about the nagging problems the down turned of MGRamachandran’s political career. His charmed as the film lover boy was dwindling, and his camp need to do something to reposition his popularity to his electorates. They researched on all the good things he portrayed in his films. They found out, of the hundreds movie titles MGR acted as hero, never ever he lost a fight except once in a comedy skit with his sidekicks Comedian Nargesh. They decided to capitalized on it and created media frenzy on rumors that they had been for sometime in loggerhead over some leading actress. So one fine day while MGR was on one of his election campaign trail they stage-managed a fight which saw his onetime sidekicks Nargesh attacking him. Later the photograph of MGR with his ‘broken right arm’ in the sling was distributed in all his political rallies to his fans and followers. The short film was also screened in his other election campaigns. In no time the team had successfully maintained their leader’s popularity

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All in all the DEBAT akin watching some playacting stunts on films or stage shows. I truly believed if any qualified politicians choose to play acting in the world open stage, he or she could enhance his or her popularity standings (or political diversion) to the masses if stage managed properly.

But most of our political aspirants are neither (true) actors, nor (qualified) politicians. Some even make a mockery of themselves in Parliments. Imagine another DEBAT of this kind involving those, where do we end up.

A"Flip-Plop' society?

That’s all folks. I now rest my case. Have a good day.