'PERMATANG PAUH'..ho..la..la

The electorate of Permatang Pauh has made their choice. As expected it was no surprise the voters returned Anwar Ibrahim - PKR Candidate by acclamation. That was what it was. Permatang Pauh has always been Anwar’s stronghold, since he wrestled it from PAS on BN’s ticket almost 2 decades ago. Anwar will be seated again in the Malaysian Parliament. However, it was not a plain ride for Anwar’s return to parliament after a long absent. The sodomy charged by his former personal assistant, has clouded his campaign trails. As most electorates are Muslim Malays, the charged could easily swing his ardent supporter vote. That was the only obstacle, the PKR/Pakatan camps had to address throughout the campaign. Anwar repeatedly dismissed the accusation in most of his 'meet the people' sessions. His repeated denials worked. Overwhelmingly he won back the trust of his followers. Yesterday he was sworn in parliament as the head of the opposition to the loud thumbing from opposition bench.
BN candidate Dato’Ariff Shah was Anwar’s protégé when he was in UMNO. Dato’Ariff Shah a local and well regarded by both his political supporters and foes. A mean political aspirants right from his early days in politic under the stewardship of Anwar. Alas Dato’Arif Shah garnered only a third of the total turnout. The reasons being as most political pundits believed the BN camps failed to communicate to the rural voters, the ordinary farmers in villages and vendors on the streets.
Although there were claims of rowdiness from supporters of both parties, the by-election was clean, transparent and democratic.
However, the overwhelming return for the opposition candidate Dato'Seri Dr Wan Azizah (Anwar's wife) on the PRU12 last Mach and The Permatang Pauh by-election results favoring the Pakatan Rakyat considered by many as an early signal for BN component's popularity downturn.
In the past the might of BN Coalition has always been felt in most by-elections. Seldom BN lost in by-elections. BN election machinery has always been in control on all campaigning matters, but not for the Permatang Pauh by-election. Something seemed amiss in BN camp. The running of the campaign right from the start was not well coordinated, so it seemed. More so complacency among'st UMNO could be another reasons for the dwindling popularity not only in Permatang Pauh, also nationwide. UMNO and BN Political Team seemed not as solid as it was used to be. UMNO and BN need to solidified their stance, eradicate all the negatives lavelled against them by the opositions and rakyat at large. Corruption and cronyism are the common threat that would bring down any political party. The rakyat has been bombarded with negative slanders levelled on all politicians, by politicians, more so by town criers 'the know all fuck wit' political touts with certain personal agendas.

Looking back: the country's political scenarios are not as they used to be. Most political leaders, aspirants and supporters seemed to be influenced by self greeds for personal recognition, position and financial gains.

Now that, with Anwar heading the opposition bench, things would be different in Parliament. We hope to see a more transparent governance and good Parliament. Rakyat shouldn't be fooled by child st antics, unnecessary remarks and rowdy behaviours by parliamentarians from both The Government or The Opposition bench anymore.

Enough is enough.

For Once, Let's The Rakyat Be Proud Being Malaysian.

Geleri Chandan & Potraits of Bidong

GELERI CHANDAN

was established on May 2008
and was officially launched on Monday 16th June 2008

at approximately 5.29 pm
by

His Royal Highness Dr Raja Nazrin Shah.

The Raja Muda, Negeri Perak Darul Ridzuan.





Today it premiered its 2nd exhibition, the work of a local impressionist artist Razak Abdullah officiated by Dato'Seri Shafie Afdal, Minister Of Art, Culture & Heritage.

It was another auspicious occasion for art enthusiasts savoring the creative works of another aspiring local artist as well meeting old acquaintances at Geleri Chandan. It was a worthy event, true to its colour and pomps with a mixture of music, poetry, and specially composed songs. The occasion not only honoured by the attendance and congratulatory speech from the honorable Minister of Art, Culture & Heritage, it also featured an academic overview on Razak Abdullah works as a contemporary impressionist by Prof.Dr.Muliyadi Mahamood, UITM entitled The Beauty of Bidong from the perspectivee of a Contemporary Impressionist.
As an artist Razak Abdullah has found his nitch as Malaysia's contemporary impressionist. He is deeply concerned with his environment. His works soulful and poetic with harmonious symphonies of colour. The 'Potrait of Bidong' series gathers views of the seabed that depict semi abstract of images of life forms and seascapes.
Razak Abdullah paints directly from nature and put the technique of expression to optimum using bold strokes of strong colour to create the subject's tones, fantacy and vibrancy as he feels them.
His accompanying poetry entitled Pulau Bidong resonate his love for nature and the artist true feeling for his mother land - Trengganu.





Bidung Island


A long time ago

"Jong Hill on Bidung Island

Pulau Karak is split into two"

Such was a message of old fisherman

To sailors lost at sea


Then

Bidong from the shore to the land

is a sacred island

"In seven steps it is reached"

the message was sent

to Ho Chi Minh city

"Here there are feasts,

resting place and hope"


Now
from head to tail on Bidong
new crops grow on her chest
concrete coral reefs
thought up by intellectuals
progress, or so they claim......


by Razak Abdullah
translated by Brigitte F.Bresson


Congratulations to Razak Abdullah and Geleri Chandan for a job well done

The Angler From Tanah Deli

They moved in to their makeshif squatter home by the river bank almost at the same time as our family moving in to our new Rumah Kotai at Parit 26 Baruh, Kampung Tanjung Bayan. His wife was a very kind and diminutive old lady. We called her Mak Itam. I used to see her frail figure busying herself amidst some bushes plucking herbs for her ‘nasi ulam’ – (a mixture of rice with some concocted herbs). Maybe because of her dark complexion, we nicknamed her Mak Itam, or maybe for reasons that we were not properly introduced when the family moved in to our area, none of us knew her real maden name. But whatever it was they were our first neighbor.

Mak Itam was around 40 years old, 10 years younger than her husband Pak Abu. Mother claimed that she was of the same age as Mak Itam. But to most Mother looked very much younger, maybe because she had a fair complexion. But Father and Pak Abu look like they are of the same age.

And like Father, Pak Abu may have wasted his youth engaged in hard labours. Like Father, he was skinny to the bone, thin haired, with sunken eyes. I presumed he got married to Mak Itam when he was in his early teen. According to Father the couple originated from Deli, Sumatra. They were part of the great migration from Riau Sumatra to our shores some years ago. So were our ancestors, Father used to remind us.

According to Father, they were the landless. All the time they had been vigrants living in makeshif squatter homes in ‘no man lands’ by the bank of Bernam River. According to Father he knew Pak Abu years before the Japanese Occupation periods (1941-1945). They also had, on a couple of occasions joined force scavenging sunken ships. Most were cargo ships drowned by torpedoes of the warring parties of WWII between The Japanese and The Allied Forces at The Straits Of Melacca.

He built his squatter home by the water edge. It looked more like a makeshift dwelling than a permanent abode. It was built out of ‘langadai or mata buaya’ woods found in abundance in the mangrove swamps. ‘Nipa’ leaves used for roofs and walls. The floor area no bigger than a badminton court, with an attached small kitchen shed. The interior was almost empty except for a couple of rolled up mat and mosquito nets for sleeping purposes. There was no proper wardrobe. Clothes were hanging on the hooks by the pillars. It was more like a temporary dwelling for fugitive on the run than a family’s permanent abode. They could only afford the very bare minimum. The were simpleton. Although poor they looked contented. They mind their own business, kind to their neighbors and nice to people around them.

It was rare to see a hardcore poor like them in and around the Malay Settlement. At least Father had his Rumah Kotai to house his family. Unlike Pak Abu, Father could take pride of himself as being a part of The Malay Settlement. Father also owned a small holding, a plot of coconut land he could claim his own. Among the Malay Community, Father was considered to be in the bracket of the haves, in the category of the affordable villagers. That was the way the British Malaya Administration Government categorized all resident of the Malay Settlement then. They were land owners - small holders. As for Pak Abu, he was the landless and considered by most as vagrant. He had no place in the Malay Settlement. His livelihood was only fishing at the swelling estuary of Sungai Bernam.

Something unique about this couple interest me till present day. Pak Abu was a seasoned angler, and Mak Itam was good in preparing ‘nasi ulam’. Pak Abu prowess skill angling for ‘ikan SIAKAP,’ was widely known amongst his peers. Most of his good catch of SIAKAP always sought after by Chinese Tawkeys in town offering good prize. His catch could be a few SIAKAP for each monthly season. But that satisfied him, and he would never look for other job option to supplement his income. During off season he would spend his days repairing his ‘perahu’ ( boat ), or moving about the Malay Settlement looking for the right bamboo for his fishing rod.

According to Pak Abu a good bamboo rod would be 15 to 21 feet in length, with each having more than 21 segments. The best would be an old and stunted bamboo stalk with ant nest at its upper branch. It was a feat finding the right type of bamboo for the fishing rod. The size must be around 1 inch diameter at the base and having the required length. Pak Abu would pay any prize for the right bamboo stalks, but normally he got them for free.

Then the arduous routine of shaping and bending the fishing rod by heating them on a slow fire. A special hook is shaped manually out of discard metal. The line was of copper wire, carefully prepared by wrapping with cotton rags, soaked in a mixture of coconut oil and heated over hot fire, for more flexible and durable. That was what we were told. The fishing gear known to the local as ‘UNJUN’ and the angling term in Malay ‘MENUNJUN’ – i.e to throw in the ‘live bait’ of young shrimps into the water to lure expensive SIAKAP ( A type of Carp ). It was a tedious and non economic venture, for no ordinary angler could haul in a big SIAKAP, however hard one tried. None had the skill and patience except Pak Abu. Father tried a few times but failed for he lacks the zeal.
According to Father, Pak Abu's special skill was he knew the habitat of SIAKAP and the way to lure them. Ikan SIAKAP known to be voracious breeds. SIAKAP greedily bite the lure and in respond the angler snatch the rod to hook the fish. Then the ‘tug of war’. The bigger the fish, the arduous the task of landing them. Pak Abu had the skill and experiences even for the biggest catch hooked. He would tire the fish for sometime by not giving in to the strong pull of the ferocious SIAKAP. Later he would let off his UNJUN to be dragged into the deep of the midstream. He would follow the drifting UNJUN for some distant. Sooner he would haul the tired SIAKAP into his ‘sampan, a very good catch and a lucky day for Pak Abu.

And at the change of the tide, with the stronger breeze from The Melaka Straits, Pak Abu would set sail to town to sell his catch to a ready Chinese buyer.

Mak Itam could tell whether Pak Abu had a good catch just by scanning the horizon during the change of tide each evening. A full sail on a strong breeze, meaning a sustainable income for the day. Otherwise Pak Abu would drift back home with the rising tide, along the way checking his fish traps anchored somewhere along the river bank.

Mak Itam as a dutiful housewife would make ready her usual nasi ulam. With or without Pak Abu’s catch of the day, she had dutifully prepared dinner for her fisherman husband. She would also extend some of her ‘nasi ulam’ to the neighbours.

Although the family lived by the day, they were generous and Allah bestowed His kindness to them. They were our good neighbors for years. He was Father’s bosom colleague, and the two very much valued their lasting friendships. They used to laments their long lost bygone history while each tried to define their original ancestral roots of Riau Malay descends. Often I heard them humming the tune of Lagu Kuala Deli together. At time I could see them in somber mood and their eyes red in tears - a phatetic sight for me at that young age, but for reasons I could not fanthom.
Now that they were all gone, I still vividly remember their caring relationship. They were meant for each other. They shared their happiness and sorrows together. They were like blood brothers, bonded by ancestral history and traditions.

Were they of the same Klan? Were they the genuine enthusiastic settlers sailing across The Straits of Melacca looking for greener pastures, or band of refugees escaping the wretch of the colonial Dutch?

That’s the untold historical events yet to be researched.