Melayu Orang Asli

Many Malays don't know that they have various Orang Asli blood in their ancestry. I know and I am proud of my Semai roots. The Semai are a tribe of the Senoi sub-group, one of three aboriginal sub-groups in the Malay Peninsula, the others being the Negrito and Melayu Asli (Aboriginal or Pure Malay). The fact that we all still distinctively exist in Malaysia right into the 21st century shows how peaceful our land and the people are.

Here I'm with my ancient cousin Woh up in the Brinchang Highlands (our original name for the Cameron Highlands - "berincang" means 'very windy' ;-) and later at night I'll wear my own cawat loin-cloth and we'll reminisce our oral stories of the ancient antediluvian Benua Mu that are part of pre-historic Malayan folklore - the lost Continent of Mu that sank in the Great Floods and gave rise to the legend of Atlantis. Ah, we Malays, Orang Asli and Bumiputra or Pribumi (in Indonesia) folk have many forgotten stories.

Hari Raya – A Guide for the Unsure

By A. Najib Ariffin - Nadge –

“...Hari Raya, which is the Muslim New Year... ”, Oops! Have you heard anyone say something like that, or do you yourself think Hari Raya is the Muslim New Year? Well, it is not - but that was what one Malaysian speaker mentioned while addressing a public function some time ago. Granted, the person was not Muslim but having heard that, this is a good chance to explain a few things about “puasa” and “Hari Raya” (“literally the “Great Day”) for the better understanding of our multi-cultural society.

Hari Raya in relation to the puasa (Malay word for “fasting”) in the month of Ramadhan is the celebration to mark the fulfillment of the month's fasting, which is an obligatory part of Islamic faith. Thus it is sometimes half-jokingly said that any Muslim who does not puasa doesn't have the right to celebrate Hari Raya. Also it is clear that it is NOT the Muslim New Year, which by the way is another holiday, Awal Muharram (Muharram being the first month in the Islamic calendar).

Delicious "Kuih raya" or festive cookies of many kinds sold at the ubiquitous Bazaar Ramadhan around Malaysia, to be served to guests at Hari Raya season when people visit each other, a tradition called  'Rumah Terbuka' (Open House).

It is pertinent to note that the Ramadhan fasting and the celebration at its completion are not just a Malaysian or Melayu Muslim affair. The whole Muslim Ummah (“Umat” in Malay or roughly “the community”) all over the world performs the same fasting and celebrates it at the end. In Arabic, Hari Raya Puasa is the 'Eid or “'Eid-ul-Fitr” and this is Malaysianised in spelling as “Aidil Fitri” (or "Idul Fitri" in Indonesia).

Meanwhile the other Hari Raya is for the Hajj, or “Hari Raya Haji” and also called “Hari Raya Kurban”, because it marks both the annual Pilgrimage for pilgrims to holy Makkah (Mecca) in Saudi Arabia as well as commemorating the symbolic sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) on his son Ismail (Ishmael). Kurban means “sacrifice” and at this feast domestic animals are sacrificed or properly slaughtered for their meat to be distributed, especially to the poor.

Back to the puasa itself. The fasting practically and physically means not eating, drinking (not even a drop of water) or engaging in sexual activities during the fast. The actual time of fasting is the entire daytime. This is from when the first indication of light is visible in the horizon (note that this is before actual sunrise as the light appears before the sun itself) and ends exactly at sunset. Both times are marked by the “azan” (or the “bang” in colloquial Malay) i.e. the calls to prayer at Subuh pre-sunrise and then at Maghrib sunset.

Some people also wonder about the annually 'changing' times of Ramadhan and Hari Raya, which don't coincide with the standard solar or Western calendar. This is because they follow the Islamic calendar that observes the cycle of the moon, similar to the Chinese calendar. There are 12 months in the Islamic calendar but they follow the shorter moon cycle, as the lunar month is less than the solar 30 or 31 days in a month. Thus on average the Islamic year is shorter than the solar year by roughly 11-odd days.

This means that the Islamic months, such as Ramadhan, slowly 'move' earlier each year throughout the solar years. Actually both the sun and moon are not exactly regular in their relative movements with the earth and that is why there are 'leap years' in the solar calendar, while in the Muslim calendar the actual observation of the moon is made, to visually sight the new crescent moon that marks the fasting and then Hari Raya.

Selamat Hari Raya Puasa!

A Nightmare On Elm Street [2010]

"Mimpi Ngeri Di Jalan Elm"

Have you ever really had a nightmare? A real mimpi ngeri? (The meaning is even better in Bahasa Melayu as the Malay designation is literally “horror dream”)

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever had a real nightmare. In fact I sleep so soundly I hardly dream… And when I do dream my idea of a horror dream, or at least a bad one, is if it doesn’t involve any kind of wild and kinky sex with Sci-Fi characters. [Okay I think this review is meant for age 21 and above.]

So I really pity those kids who have A Nightmare on Elm Street – sleep and you dream, then you die... ayoyo!

Actually the original movie of the same name first terrified audiences – and maybe even kept some awake - in 1984. That’s over 26 years ago! Hmm I think most of those who watched the 2010 version with me today weren’t even born then…

Anyway, despite meagre advertising, that film managed to make nearly 25 times its production budget in ticket sales. It relied almost completely on word-of-mouth promotion. See how powerful word-of-mouth is!

Then after being released on video to a wider audience, A Nightmare on Elm Street gained a surprising cult following that survived all these decades, dragging the razor-fingered dude Freddy Krueger to cult status with it… All the way to 7 more films in the franchise, including Wes Craven's New Nightmare and the tie-in release Freddy Vs. Jason with that other, masked, horror guy in Halloween. Meanwhile this Freddy Krueger character has become a branded horror icon, “idolized with fear” by fans or at least recognised by film-goers everywhere. His trademark striped sweater and knifey hands are by now symbols of horror-movie greatness.

Having watched the earlier series of Nightmares on Elm Street, the immediate thing I like about this 2010 version is that it has a tighter plot, despite some twists here and there that actually add to the story-telling. The earlier ones with Freddy’s mother Amanda Krueger thrown in (a Nun, of all people!) didn’t quite convince me with its tale. The new version is more plausible, and gives a lesson in how to react in grave situations as well, re: the kids’ parents’ reactions to Freddy at the Pre-School.

Nonetheless I feel that the dialogue could have more forcefully explained certain points. For example, you sort of have to flesh out yourself why Freddy is innocent OR guilty and why is he dream-haunting those poor kids, as the near one-line mentions are almost dismissable, even missable. [I think I just coined some phrases here; “dream-haunting”…]

Still, I couldn’t find any immediate boo-boos or loopholes in this version’s story (yet :-), in the way that I did with Iron Man 2 where they were as big as the atrium at GSC Mid-Valley’s South Court!

On this Nightmare’s acting and actors, I know some would agree with me that we’d prefer Kellan Lutz as the main protagonist who is “saved” at the end (we’re prejudiced because of his Twilight appearance!). Instead he’s the first to be killed off here, and eekily too. Eeek!

I put “saved” above in quote marks because the ending is hmm… in the sequel?

P.Ramlee The Musical, My Article

Last night Sunday 15 July I got a treat, which I'm so glad I could share with my mum, wife & eldest daughter - tickets to the acclaimed 'P.Ramlee The Musical' (PRM) at KL's Istana Budaya National Theatre. Now that's a spectacular production. The innovative sets and rivetting storyline were worth all four hours.

Thanks to my pal Boudeng / Enfiniti Productions and Celcom (glad corporations like this are supporting the Arts & Heritage - I'll support these entities in return...) or I wouldn't have had the chance to see PRM. Anyway, I'm glad to also have been involved in work with Enfiniti Productions especially as Heritage and Development Consultant on the well-awaited Malaysian Cultural Village project in progress. That's something that KL needs badly!

Back to PRM. I like to think I had a small role to play in its beginning as well. While the crew were developing the play, I had written an illustrated article about P.Ramlee in 'The Hilt' magazine, which I gave to Adlin Aman Ramlee and Pat Ibrahim after one meeting we had at Ten-On-Ten. They were poring over it, so hopefully it helped them with a weeny bit of shaping their award-winning play...! My original article is below.

A Man for all Seasons... and Talents
Reminiscing the life and times of the Malay World's late P. Ramlee
by Nadge Irving

"That man really hit the nail on the head, and with a sharp blow too", guffawed the elderly but elegant Chinese lady.

"Which man, and what head?" quizzed the young Caucasian expat woman as they sat at the bar in Kuala Lumpur's partiest road.

"Why, the man whose name graces this street, of course", the elder lady motions to the neon-strewn Jalan P. Ramlee, and its array of restaurants, bars, night clubs, karaoke parlours and live band entertainment joints, with the now globally famous Petronas Twin Towers anchoring one end.

The road that bears the name of P. Ramlee is, strangely, both aptly yet ironically named. Apt because P. Ramlee himself was an entertainer, par excellence – indeed one so versatile as a prolific actor, composer, singer, live comedian, director and film-maker - that everyone who knows his work still says that it has been impossible to find anyone like him since his death 34 years ago, on 29 May 1973 of heart attack at a still young 44 years.

Yet ironic because at the same time few of his fans would associate him with a boozy and chic flesh-exposed nightlife strip. Indeed, for some the association is near sacrilegious as although P. Ramlee was adored by millions of fans in at least three countries (Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia) - including women who literally threw themselves at him with at least one having tried to break down his hotel room door - he lived a surprisingly clean life of no womanizing or drinking. A downright simple and exemplary modus, considering his fame and celebrity status.

True he was married thrice, with one wife being the consort of a Sultan no less, who left a privileged palace life to seek him, but they were all in succession and he never appeared to be in a hurry for another woman after each divorce. The public saw him as a perfectly matched couple with third wife Saloma, the beautifully-voiced diva who remained a popular singer until she died in 1983, with whom P.Ramlee remained faithful till his earlier death.

Precious few men can claim to be so chaste.

Especially if they had at least 65 films under their belt as actor or director or both, done 360 songs to fill all those films and of others’, numerous capacity audience shows and umpteen awards, especially international ones including the world's first ever "The Most Versatile Talent" award which seemed to be created specially for him at the Asia Film Festival, Tokyo in 1963, just after Malaysia's formation. Also most of his oeuvres were not commercial flops, but in fact popular hits in the days when many films had to be graced with songs, which he did all himself.

Despite just a summary above, his achievements are nothing short of outstanding. No wonder that he is the first to be posthumously awarded a most deserved 'Tan Sri' title.

Maybe it was in his upbringing, which was straightforward if a little underprivileged. Born Teuku Zakaria in Penang on the morning of the Muslim post-Ramadhan fasting month celebration Aidil Fitri on 22 March 1929, P. Ramlee’s mother was Che Mah Hussin of Penang and his father was Teuku Nyak Puteh from Aceh, Sumatra island in what is now Indonesia. Teuku is a hereditary title of Acehnese royalty, similar to the Malay Tengku. Yet his father was a humble sailor who came to Penang supposedly to take himself away from a family disagreement.

The boy's name was changed to Ramlee as his grandmother was not able to pronounce Teuku Zakaria.

Later Ramlee added the‘P’of his father's Puteh (meaning 'white') in front of his name, and P.Ramlee became one of the earliest instances of a wildly successful ‘personal branding’ – short, rhyming and easy to remember. He had a talent for that and gave many ‘stage names’ or essentially ‘personal brands’ to many colleagues whom he helped raise in his line of work. Among them were actresses Roseyatimah (Rosnah) and Fadzilliyaton (Zaiton).

Much of his talents and successes, interestingly, appeared to be inborn or self-taught as his family was not rich and he did not have any formal courses or classes other than normal schooling. But he was known as a curious and self-motivated learner, voluntarily learning many things on his own from whoever would care to teach, including to play the piano and violin.

He had much knack and yearning for entertaining, and in those Pre-World War II days where there was no Indonesia or Malaysia – the region was still its single fluid pan-Malayic community except that it was ruled by either the British or Dutch – people, traders and entertainers crossed the Melaka Strait and surrounding seas like these were corridors and not barriers.

Thus it was that while P. Ramlee sang and performed with local bands, a Medan, Sumatra artiste troupe visited Penang for shows and he ended up singing on stage with lead star Kasma, who would later be a long-time friend and industry colleague Kasma Booty.

It is said to be one B. S. Rahjan, an Indian film director with Malay Film Productions of Jalan Ampas, Singapore who spotted P. Ramlee singing in 1948 in Butterworth and was impressed. As P. Ramlee left for Singapore, his father said, with a touch of reverse psychology, “If you leave the village with just two shirts and come back with still two shirts, don't come back”. It was clear that Nyak Puteh meant not material wealth when he added, “If you leave this village you must prove that you have gone out into the world. Come back with success.” P. Ramlee was to prove it every time he made a new film or won his awards at numerous international film festivals.

In that same year 1948 the slim young man acted in his first film ‘Chinta’ (Love), as a villain. But it was in the film ‘Bakti’ (Beneficence) that P. Ramlee got the break that he in fact almost missed. The heroine was none other than Kasma Booty, and an earlier star actor had had to back out. P. Ramlee was invited yet Kasma sincerely thought he was too thin for a hero. But his singing voice won him the part and the film went on to be a hit. P. Ramlee became a big star almost overnight. The rest was history.

P. Ramlee always had a “boleh” (can do) attitude long before the ‘Malaysia Boleh’ slogan was brought up by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. This can-do spirit was basically how P. Ramlee established himself as a film director as well.

The studio mogul, Run Run Shaw, was looking for a director for his script ‘Pancha Delima’ but none of the studio’s usual directors thought it was workable. In near desperation, the studio approached P. Ramlee if he would give the script a try. He accepted and completed the film. During the inaugural screening where all the other directors were invited, Run Run Shaw stopped the film during mid-screening, got up and blasted the earlier directors for not taking up the challenge where P. Ramlee had succeeded commendably. As far as film directing went, the rest too was history.

Part of P. Ramlee's success in film making was his ability to portray very local and realistic situations with low budgets and yet spin it all into a story or convey a message that was humanistically universal, and transcended cultural boundaries or political correctness.

And that was why the Malaysian Chinese lady at the beginning of this article was laughing. There's a scene in the popular comedy ‘Ali Baba Bujang Lapok’ in which the hero's brother was beheaded by thieves. The hero doesn't want his brother buried without his head re-attached and calls a Chinese tukang to sew the head back on to the body. At first he refuses but as the hero adds more and more money, the man finally agrees, saying (in translation) “because of the money, I'll do it lah”.

"Haiya, such a simple truism but entertaining message about human nature; if the money is right anything can and will be done." The lady chuckles as she sips her drink along Jalan P. Ramlee.

Notes:

The P.Ramlee Memorial / Pustaka Peringatan P.Ramlee
is located in the former residence of P.Ramlee in Kuala Lumpur, where he lived with his wife Saloma and children until his death on 29 May 1973. The one storey bungalow was fortunately acquired by the Malaysian Government as a national heritage.

It houses nostalgic memorabilia of P.Ramlee's awards, clothes, musical equipment, documents, personal artifacts and photos. His old car, a Datsun Sunny 1200 (1971 model) number BAD 3608 is parked in the porch. The memorial is maintained by Arkib Negara Malaysia (Archives of Malaysia).

Address: Pustaka Peringatan P Ramlee No. 22 Jalan Dedap Taman P.Ramlee (formerly Taman Furlong) Setapak 53000 Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA. Tel: 603-40231131
From Bulatan Pahang, take Jalan Pahang and pass the Police Station until there is a signboard to turn left and go straight in till another signboard of the place.
Visiting Hours: Tuesday to Sunday (10 am - 5.00 pm) Friday (10 am - 12.00 pm & 3.00 pm - 5.00 pm) Monday closed (except public and school holidays)
Admission is free. Do check out the books, souvenirs and CDs for sale.

Tulisan Jawi, Bahasa Melayu/B.Malaysia, sikap orang Melayu dan 'salah Kerajaan'.
[Penulisan ini merujuk-balas e-mail di bawahnya]

Salam.

Padaku, kau selalu asyik negatif lah Yoq. Kerajaan saja tak boleh nak dipersalahkan untuk segalanya. Lihat kesalahan pada kita sendiri.

1. Kerajaan takda pun haramkan tulisan Jawi. Malahan aku ingat lagi masa kita di sek. rendah dulu ada siri belajar tulisan Jawi setiap hari di RTM. Aku ikut dan la ni fasih baca & tulis Jawi. Tapi lama-lama lenyap sebab didapati tak ramai orang Melayu lain minat. Begitu juga Utusan Melayu (keluaran Jawi) dulu. Bini aku hairan aku selalu beli dan suruh anak-anak baca. Tapinya tak cukup ramai org Melayu beli sampaikan ia terpaksa bungkus.

Orang Melayu sendirilah yang tak daulatkan Jawi, bukan salah Kerajaan aja. Sekarang akhabr Jawi sekali seminggu aja, itupun org Melayu tak ambil pudul. Tau, di Indonesia akhbar Jawi satu pun dah takda, langsung pupus. Kau mau kritik Pemerintah Indonesia karenanya?

2. Bahasa Melayu tetap rasmi, tapi salahnya orang Melayu sendiri yang tak agungkannya. Banyak Melayu 'intelektual' dan berpendidikan ala-Barat guna B. Inggeris dlm bualan harian dan tulisan e-mel. Lihat aja e-mel2 group kita... Jadi, nak salahkan siapa? Aku contohnya tetap sebut "Bahasa Melayu" bila merujuk bahasa ni.

Mungkin orang tak tau, tapi aku sering cakap Melayu dgn Bukan-Melayu. Mereka akhirnya ikut sama jawab dlm Bahasa Melayu. Sedangkan aku bukan orang Melayu, dan jelas aku mengakui pada sesiapa yang tanya - aku bukan Melayu lagi. Aku bangsa sendiri. Tapi aku memilih untuk menyebelahi orang Melayu krn saudara se-Islam, dan ada kebaloian dalam ciri-ciri tamadun Melayu yang aku fikir layak dipertahankan, bukan kerana Bangsa.

Kita yang kena tolong naikkan antara kita sendiri. Itu sebab contohnya bila aku dulu ternampak makalah tentang kau dalam majalah, aku hebahkan pada yahoogroup kita, dan aku sanjung kemunculan kau dalam majalah tu serta pencapaian kau. Itu satu contoh kecil dari banyak lagi yang aku sokong orang kita. Dalam diriku tiada hasad dengki, kerana aku bukan Melayu lagi.

Pokoknya, kita kena hebatkan dan daulatkan jatidiri kita. Secara sendirinya, orang akan hormat dan ikut siapa yang kuat. Hakikatnya itu yang berlaku dengan Orang Putih. Mau tak mau, kita terpaksa 'ikut' depa sebab depa kuat. Kita ambil iktibar...

Tak yah salahkan pihak lain atau Kerajaan aja.

Make our own destiny! Tentukan sendiri hala tujuan - jangan harapkan Kerajaan.
-nadge-

----- Original Message -----
From: mohd yahya ysp3737my@yahoo.com Date: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 11:23 am
Subject: [mc7983] SEMBANG MERDEKA 2 - Cikgu Saad Tg.Karang
To: dpims , dpimpusat , mc mcoba , kiolek mc , yspgroup , PIBGSEMASHUR SEMASHUR , pibg skue , sahri sahri mailto:sahri@yahoogroups.com

Assalamualaikum wbkt,

Ahad baru ni 26 ogos 2007 saya sempat balik kampung di Tg Karang. Lepas solat Isya berbual dengan Cikgu Saad, dia dah pencen lama. Sembang pasal famili adik beradik dan macam-macam. Saya tertarik untuk kongsi cerita pasal pengalaman dia sebagai Cikgu dan sekolah.

1. Cikgu Saad cakap dulu zaman British orang Melayu boleh belajar tulisan Jawi dengan baik malah orang British, Orang Cina & India pun turut belajar dan pandai tulisan Jawi. British tak mansuhkan pun tulisan Jawi tapi bila kita sendiri perintah kita mansuhkan tulisan Jawi. Kita undur kebelakang.

2.Dengan penuh teliti saya mendengar luahan dia yang dengan penuh semangat keMelayuan walupun dia jawa. Dulu kita ada bahasa Melayu sekarang kita sendiri dah tak ada bahasa, yang ada bahasa Malaysia. Mana ada bahasa Malaysia, orang putih tu kat Amerika, Australia, England pun dia guna bahasa Inggeris manaada bahasa Amerika, manada bahasa Australia... kita ni dah jauh terpesong daripada perjuangan..kita kebelakang kata cikgu saad.

3. Banyak lagi luahanya, pasal bangunan sekolah, pasal biaya sekolah, pasal cikgu, pasal kurikulum dan pasal Menteri. Bualan bersama beberapa rakan arwah bapak saya hingga larut malam sekitar jam 11.45 malam sejak daripada lepas solat isyak. Kami beransur dengan bersalam antara satu sama lain.

4. Banyak erti dan pengalaman saya peroleh daripada orang lama.

Yahya Sahri
- MCOBA 2290 (batch 7983)
- SU Kehormat DPIM Selangor
- AJK PIBG SEMASHUR
- MD YSP>
- 012-2839957

Nadge reporting from Sumatera 2006

[This post was a record of e-mails in mc7983 from 10-15 Oct 2006]

Subject: Nadge reporting from Indonesia Re: Fuel for sale
> Sun. 15 Oct 2006
--- In http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mc7983, Nik Ahmad Fikri Nik Ismail wrote:>> Nadge, Did you try to email me something. I received your email with a file that couldn't be opened. Pok Nik. Melaka.

Nope Pok Nik, it was just my earlier message that may have morphed into attachment form. Anyway I hope you all had a good sahur together! I succumbed to all the smoke and tears of my journey through Sumatra. Just got back. I had trudged alone three days around propinsi Riau (kota Pekanbaru & daerah Siak) where I witnessed first hand the local farmers' fires and the smoke that's also 'exported' to Semenanjung... The locals (both authorities and people) don't seem to care even if they're in the midst of all their own suffering! So how can they even care about what happens across the border in Malaysia? On TVRI Riau channel, the Pemda (Pemerintah Daerah) rep of daerah Bengkalis, when asked "Bagaimana harus kita tangani masaelah ini, Bapak?", Bapak gave completely meaningless comments absolving the Pemda of all responsibility. What can we expect, when even the Menteri Perhutanan, Bapak MS Ka'ban, live on SCTV on 10th October could finally only say, "...kita harus meningkatkan kesedaran..."! Even the handsome newscaster Bayu was visibly exasperated with his Minister, "Gimana ini? Kita Indonesia malu dengan Malaysia ini Pak Ka'ban, kesedaran apa lagi? Di mana 'enforcement' kita??"... Really, I love Indonesia as my fellow Rumpun Melayu-Muslim country, but things can get quite frustrating here.

Then I was in Lampung province in the southern tip of Sumatra, where it's been in "kemarau" for months. The sawah padi are yellow and dead... And the local government doesn't seem to be willing, or able, to improve the infrastructure and livelihoods that in Malaysia people take for granted from the Malaysian 'gomen'. Malaysian kampung roads are like highways compared to the dismal quality of Sumatran trunk roads. Just about every local person I meet laments the korupsi that results in bad living standards... Yet Indonesia is RICH! I was there indeed because of business in all the fabulous natural wealth it has. And many Indonesians I meet say that if their country were administered at least as well as Malaysia is, they would be among the richest nations on earth. For example, Indonesia has four times more oil & gas than Malaysia does, but Petronas is four times wealthier than Indonesia's Pertamina! And yet if you look at it politically, Malaysia's non-serumpun ethnic percentile mix is three times potentially more volatile than Indonesia's (referring to the 2003 ISEAS comparative study on volatility of political factors).

Many times after coming back from places like these, masyaAllah you really feel so grateful to be Malaysian. Anyway, forgive my rambling. Aku tetap cinta padamu Indonesia.

Ya Allah, teguhkan iman kami umat Malaysia & Indonesia, berikan kekuatan untuk kami mengatasi segala macam kelemahan & cabaran, eratkan persaudaraan & permuafakatan kami dan sudahi umat Islam Malaysia & Indonesia dengan kemenangan dunia & akhirat.

Mohon disahut dengan "Amien"! Bangkitlah Nusantara!! -nadge-

Subject: Re: [mc7983] For Sale
I hope this is not being sent to be fuel for more forest fires in Kalimantan? I'm still in Riau and the air is absolutely choking with smoke. There was coverage on Indonesia's SCTV and TVRI today, and as usual there are top people here blaming Malaysians but without proof, on Malaysian plantation companies and investors in Sumatra and log buyers and people selling cheap fuel to poor farmers to burn land for clearing in Kalimantan. Hmmm...

I'll be back in our alhamdulillah much-less-messy tanahair for our Sahur on 14th. -nadge-

------ Original Message -----
From: Shamshul Baharin
Date: Tuesday, October 10, 2006 4:08 amSubject: Re: [mc7983] For Sale

Can you supply item 2 in drums? Delivery to Balik Papan in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Give price and specs please?

>> Ahmad Nizam Azim wrote:
>> 2. Industrial 'legal' diesel.> I can supply anywhere in Malaysia at a price of what you are getting or a bit less.> 10,000 to 21,000 liters per load.>> Lastly........14th ni sahur on ka? at Paya Serai?>> thank you.>>

----- Original Message -----
From: Nadge
Date: Monday, October 9, 2006 8:39 pmSubject: Riau RE: [mc7983] For Sale

Salam dari Seberang! Aku di Pekanbaru, Riau, Sumatera. Jerebu sini lagi hebat. Depa panggil 'kabut'. Tapi depa macam tak kesah aja. Kalau di tempat sendiri dah tak ambik pudul, apa lagi depa nak kesah kalau kita di Malaysia kalut. Bila aku sebut pasal masalah asap ni, depa gelak- gelak! Macamana umat Rumpun Melayu nak maju camni?

Esok aku pi ke Kabupaten Siak yang terkenal di zaman Kesultanan Melaka, tambah 3 jam naik 4WD dari Pekanbaru, nak tengok sendiri berapa banyak lagi hutan & ladang terbakar.

Anyway, batch kita pernah buka puasa, ingat tak di Century Paradise Club dulu. Masa tu aku baru kahwin. Mat Yoq uruskan tak silap.>

-indiana nadge in the land of smoke-

Car manufacturing, Proton; lesson & link with the Ma'juj

[This posting was my response to friends' emails complaining about their local cars, and which was well received]

Meor & Hisham,

The Japanese, when we study both history and the Sunnah, are the other part of the Ya'juj & Ma'juj (or Yakjuj & Makjuj, in English Gog & Magog). They are the Ma'juj together with their ancient cousins the Mongols, the Northern Chinese and even south to the Thais. These Mongoloid Ma'juj, like their Euro-Aryan Ya'juj counterparts (see how the names' first sounds each rhyme), can be very aggressive, warlike and colonialistic - jangan lupa kekejaman Jepun masa Perang Dunia Kedua. Yet also very scientifically curious and persevering, and this aspect we must emulate.

But God does not condemn the Ya'juj & Ma'juj outright because they also have the potential to be wonderful Muslims, like Genghis Khan's descendants who became the great Muslim Shahs and Sultans of the Persian and northern Indian regions (the Ilkhanids, the Mughals). Similar to the imperialist Europeans, those who become Muslims then turn into strong benefactors of Islam.

Note that the Southern Chinese whom we have in Malaysia are genetically different from the Ma'juj Northern Chinese; southerners are less aggressive or imperialistic; (note how few Southern Chinese have ever been ruthless Emperors). That's why we can live fairly well with our local Chinese. The few who are belligerent and conquerant-like are actually northern, Ma'juj.

By extension, there's your answer to Japanese cars. Some 30-40 years ago, the Japanese endured cheap flimsy cars as they aggressively built up their experience and quality to where they are now. But we Malays only cepat kutuk dan nak cepat kaya - we want instant gratification without going through the learning curve. Give ourselves a chance:- Mercedes, GM or Toyota have been around for, like a century. We need support to catch up. If we are unhappy, complain directly to Proton and the relevant authorities who can help. Not dengki mencaci mencela to all and sunder that is the Malay habit. Macam tu sampai bila tak maju.

Let's grow up. -nadge-

The Legend of Mu, and how the Malay people and Atlantis got their names

At 08:20 PM 3/22/01 , ak wrote: ...
"Melayu" is a word that existed long before the Europeans 'discovered' our wonderful little paradise... but its meaning in Javanese is not flattering either...

Nadge's feedback:
I'd suggest that it is neither flattering nor unflattering, but factual and there's an interesting web of info behind this meaning of "melayu". In fact, in the oral tradition of our ancestors I was told this long ago by my Javanese paternal relatives back in Yogyakarta (Jogjakarta, Indonesia), and I subscribe to this view.

Here's why - I will tell it to you as it was told to me – in Malay:

Dalam bahasa Jawa, malahan juga dalam banyak dialek lain di Nusantara (contohnya Bahasa Batak-Mendailing dll.) istilah "melayu" bermaksud "lari"! Umpamanya semasa kecil dulu, kita anak-anak yang hanya berbahasa Jawa lalu bermain kejar-kejar seringkali menjerit "melayu! melayu!" yang bermaksud "lari! lari!"!

Nah, gimana wujudnya nama bangsa "Melayu" yang membawa erti sama dengan maksud "lari"? Harus juga diingat bahawa hampir semua kumpulan etnis di kepulauan Asia Tenggara termasuk di Filipina juga mengaku diri mereka sebangsa "rumpun Melayu" walaupun dari segi komunitas lokal berbeda-beda ada Melayu Malaysia, Melayu Riau, Jakun, Minang, Bugis, Jawa, Dayak dll. - karena ada suatu lagenda yang dikongsi bersama tentang asal-usul mereka.

Menurut lagenda oral turun-temurun yang wujud di banyak tempat di Asia Tenggara & Pasifik dari Aceh hingga ke Hawaii, beribu tahun silam terdapat suatu benua kuno yang bernama “Mu”. Penduduknya mempunyai kehidupan bermasyarakat yang amat maju dan selesa dengan pelbagai ilmu hingga dikatakan boleh terbang!

Tapi lama-kelamaan setelah hidup dalam kemewahan, mereka menjadi leka, tidak bersyukur, jatuh akhlak moral dan bergaduh sesama sendiri, atau juga ada sebab yang lain... Tapi akhirnya, Tuhan (yang mereka panggil "Sang Kekal") amat murka dan melandakan gempa bumi dan letusan gunungan berapi yang maha dahsyat beserta hujan lebat toh malapetaka banjir besar-besaran terjadi. Segala-galanya tenggelam ke dalam laut.

Penduduknya ramai yang mati, hanya yang muda-muda yang kuat dan bisa lari ke tanah-tanah tinggi saja yang terselamat, atau menaiki perahu untuk lari ke tempat jauh. Semuanya terpisah bertempiaran ke berbagai haluan, lalu tersadai di puncak-puncak dataran tinggi yang membentuk kepulauan Nusantara di Asia Tenggara kini.

Semasa turun bala itu, anak-anak benua "Mu" itu menjerit "melayu! melayu" yang bermaksud "lari" dalam bahasa mereka. Dan olehkarena dahsyat dan sengsaranya kejadian itu terpaku di sanubari para anak Mu yang terselamat, maka mereka semua memanggil diri mereka rumpun "Orang Melayu", iaitu "Orang yang lari".

Kita yang tersadai di Asia Tenggara akhirnya dianugerah dengan Islam dan nama Tuhan Sang "Kekal" kini kita tahu sebagai Allah swt. Yang Maha Esa. Tentang saudara-saudara kuno kita yang lari melintas Lautan Teduh (nama Melayu untuk lautan yang aman, teduh atau passive yakni Pasifik / Pacific Ocean -Ed.), kita tidak tahu apa terjadi pada mereka, hingga kita katakan mereka hilang tenggelam ditelan dek "Lautan Telan" (= “atelan” = Atlantik).

Tapi hari ini kita tahu, mereka itu tiba di satu benua besar lain lalu terus hidup dan memakai nama tidak jauh dari kita iaitu Maya, dan Tuhan mereka masih kekal bernama "Kekalkan".

Saudara-saudara anak serumpun kita itu mempunyai lagenda yang sama seperti kita, iaitu bahawa mereka itu anak yang lari dari satu bencana benua lama, dan moyang mereka ditelan dan “telus” ke dalam laut. Dari lagenda lain, nama benua Mu yang hilang itu diingati dari "anak telan telus" sebagai "Atlantis"...

Check these facts: (1) Up to as late as 9,000 years ago much of today's Malay Archipelago was above water and basically was a land bridge to Australia. (2) This story ties in with the legend of the catastrophic "Great Flood(s)" mentioned in most religious texts and cultural traditions of the world. (3) The Mayans and many native Indians of the Americas today resemble Malays too, and a major god of the Mayans is Kuculcan (pronounced 'Kukul-kan')... still close sounding to Sang Kekal(kan) meaning “the Great One who is Permanent and Maintains Permanence” in Malay.

The Malay, the Maya and other related peoples are the Children of the Lost Continent of Mu, also known as Atlantis, which was located in the Southeast Asia Pacific region before the Flood.

This also explains why Southeast Asia's Malay civilization appears to be materially 'young' - no ancient cities, monuments, written texts etc. as it was all sunk and lost, while the young survivors who had to quickly “melayu” or run had to leave behind everything as they escaped to the new lands i.e. the once-were highlands of Mu that are now the islands of the Malay Archipelago.

But how come their Maya cousins of the Americas have great cities of stone pyramids and written glyph records? Ah! There's a most interesting reason for that, which ties in with an even older and sinister legend. But that's for me to tell at another time...

-nadge-
Anak of Mu / Atlantis