Cerita Tentang Bruno dan Premier League

Malam ini saya menyaksikan Charlton, Sheffield United dan Watford turun ke Divisyen Satu. Banyak air mata yang tumpah. Tidak kira lelaki atau wanita, tua atau muda. Satu suasana yang mengharukan. Satu perasaan yang berbaur dengan pelbagai emosi. Gembira kerana West Ham terselamat (saya sukakan karakter yang ditunjukkan Tevez). Pejuang sejati!!

Dalam pada itu, ada kesedihan, bukan kerana 3 pasukan tadi turun ke Divisyen 1. Bukan kerana melihat air mata penyokong mereka. Tetapi sedih, bila terlintas tentang kita semua. Tentang tanah air kita. Tentang patriotisme antara kita.

Adakah kita akan menangis seperti penyokong kelab Watford atau Sheffield, jika pasukan kebangsaaan kita kalah pada pelawanan akhir di mana-mana pertandingan? Atau pasukan negeri kita kecundang dan terjerumus ke Divisyen satu? Atau menangis kerana maruah negara tergadai? Atau menangis dikala Proton terjual kepada orang luar? Saya fikir majoriti kita tidak akan menangis!!

Sekitar tahun 90an ketika saya bekerja dengan sebuah syarikat pengangkutan awam. Ketika itu saya kenal seorang jurutera berbangsa Itali yang dikenali sebagai Bruno (berkepala botak ala-ala Steve McMahon) yang ditugaskan untuk mengawasi operasi bas-bas yang dibekalkan oleh syarikatnya. Dipendekkan cerita pada satu pagi,saya terdengar bahawa Bruno mengamuk seperti orang gila (saya selalu dengar Bruno marah tapi bukan mengamuk). Setelah saya tanya-tanyakan orang sekeliling saya (seperti wartawan mencari gosip) barulah saya mendapat tahu sebab-sebab kenapa Bruno yang memandu Fiat Punto kuning itu mengamuk. Sebabnya adalah kerana Bas buatan negaranya itu rosak dan lori yang yang menunda bas buatan negaranya itu adalah dari negara JERMAN. Itu sebabnya!! Bruno mengatakan bahawa lori Mercedes Biru itu tidak layak untuk menarik bas buatan negaranya. Bayangkan jika anda bercerita sesuatu yang buruk tentang kereta Fiat (ketika itu Fiat Puntonya memang selalu berhadapan masalah mekanikal) atau apa-apa saja yang ada kena mengena dengan negaranya. Saya tidak akan terkejut kalau anda terbunuh! Sukar untuk memahami sentimen orang seperti Bruno kerana banyak yang kita telah kehilangan.

Adakah kita akan bersikap seperti Bruno? Adakah kita akan menangis bersungguh-sungguh seperti penyokong Sheffield? Adakah kita akan marah jika Proton dikutuk dan diremehkan? Atau membiarkan orang mencemuh negara kita dan dalam masa yang sama kita semua berlumba untuk melanggar lampu merah serta sentiasa memotong barisan di kaunter atau jalan raya demi menunjukkan ”budi bahasa” dan ”ketamadunan” kita kepada orang luar.

Lagu untuk Ibu

Ibu

Ibu ibu
Engkaulah ratu hatiku
Bila ku berduka
Engkau hiburkan selalu

Ibu ibu
Engkaulah ratu hatiku
Tempat menyatakan kasih
Wahai ibu

Betapa tidak hanya engkaulah
Yang menyinari hidupku
Sepanjang masa engkau berkorban
Tidak putusnya bagai air lalu

Ibu ibu
Engkaulah ratu hatiku
Tempatku menyerahkan kasih
Wahai ibu


(Allahyarham Tan Sri P.Ramlee)

Selamat Hari Ibu

Malam ini tiba-tiba saya teringatkan Emak di kampung. Rindu masakan Emak. Rindu ikan Patin masak lemak cili padi yang Emak masak. Rindu semua masakannya. Emak memang arif tentang selera semua anak-anaknya Kalau sekali-sekala saya pulang ke Kampung pasti emak akan masakkan Ikan Patin masak lemak atau Labu Masak Lemak atau pulut ditanak beralas daun pisang bersama ikan bilis goreng atau ikan masin.
Kalau ditanya semua orang tentang masakan paling sedap di dunia, pasti semua memilih masakan Ibu.
Kenapa ya? Kerana kita semua membesar dengan hidangan yang disediakannya maka kita semua sudah terbiasa dengan masakannya lalu memujanya? Tidak mungkin...kerana saya tidak pernah merasakan hidangan nasi kawah di asrama dulu selama hampir 10 tahun merupakan hidangan yang dirindukan.
Masakan yang disediakan oleh Makcik Juling (panggilan yang diberikan kami kepada tukang masak asrama) tidak pernah menambat selera saya. Tapi saya pasti anak-anak Makcik Juling(minta maaf Makcik) pasti anak-anak Makcik Juling adalah yang paling enak. Ermm...mungkin Tuhan telah mengurniakan anugerah yang terhebat terhadap semua insan bergelar ibu di dunia ini. Kebolehan yang mengikat kasih sayang semua anak. Air tangan ibu cukup istimewa. Kebolehan yang tidak mungkin dapat dilupakan oleh anak-anak.
Malam ini juga fikiran saya tiba-tiba mula teringat kisah-kisah lama. Seperti bayangan filem hitam putih bermain di memori yang sudah semakin berkarat. Teringat zaman semasa masih bersekolah.

Ladang sawit yang banyak berjasa

Ketika zaman sekolah menengah (80an), saya melalui zaman-zaman yang agak perit. Ketika itu komoditi kelapa sawit tidak begitu memberangsangkan. Kadang-kadang ketika abah menerima Pay-Sheet (saya selalu mendengar orang Kampung saya memanggilnya Peset), pernah abah cuma membawa baki gaji RM1.00 sahaja!! Itu setelah ditolak hutang Kedai Felda (kami memanggilnya Kantin Felda). Mujur ada kantin Felda yang setiap bulan Peneroka boleh mengambil barang keperluan harian secara Kredit dan akan ditolak dengan gaji bulanan kemudiannya. Tapi bukan sekali abah pernah menunjukkan peset yang menunjukkan baki negatif!!

Ketika itu saya masih bersekolah asrama penuh di Raub. Abah akan hantarkan Wang Pos setiap bulan menggunakan Surat Berdaftar untuk belanja bulanan. Setiap kali menerima surat berdaftar memang hari yang menggembirakan saya. Saya selalunya mendapat wang pos RM15 atau RM30 sebulan. Tapi kalau saya mendapat wang pos RM50 itu bermakna abah mendapat gaji lebih sedikit (saya hanya mendapat RM50 kurang dari 10 kali dalam 5 tahun).

(Ini lokasi kejadian Pejabat Pos Bergerak menunggu saya ...dulu ada pokok kelapa sebatang di tengah-tengahnya)

Selalunya jika menerima wang pos, saya turut teruja kerana selalunya ianya disertakan dengan bungkusan yang tentunya dari emak saya. Sambal ikan bilis dan tempe yang digoreng kering (untuk menambah jangka hayatnya) dan Kerepek pisang (pisang nangka) yang emak buatkan sendiri sentiasa menjadi barangan wajib. Hari Sabtu pejabat pos bergerak yang selalunya berkampung di tengah-tengah padangan perhimpunan yang ditengah-tengahnya ada sebatang pokok kelapa tua (ada sebab mengapa pokok kelapa itu sebatang itu berada ditengah-tengah padang perhimpunan yang bertar kasar itu tidak ditebang....ada berkaitan dengan mistik yang mungkin akan diceritakan nanti) sentiasa ditunggu untuk menunaikan wang pos.

Malam ini entah mengapa, imbauan kisah silam kembali bermain-main difikiran. Tertanya-tanya dalam kesulitan hidup sekitar tahun 80an abah dan emak berjaya menyekolahkan saya hingga peringkat tertinggi. Sepanjang bersekolah di Raub, abah dan emak hanya dapat melawat saya kurang dari 5 kali dalam 5 tahun. Bukan kerana mereka tidak ambil berat tapi lebih kerana soal kemampuan material.

Setelah sudah bekerja, saya baru dapat mengetahui bagaimana abah dan emak dapat menyara semua anak-anaknya dalam menyekolahkan mereka. Abah dan emak tidak pernah sekalipun menunjukkan rasa susah hati yang berlebihan jika kami adik beradik meminta perbelanjaan berkaitan persekolahan. Tidak pernah sekali pun abah dan emak menghampakan kami.

Bagaimana abah dan emak begitu hebat dalam memenuhi permintaan kehidupan? Rahsianya, emak tidak pernah memiliki barangan kemas di tangan. Dimana tempatnya barang kemas emak? Barang Kemas emak sering keluar masuk kedai pajak gadai!!

Itu betul-betul membuatkan saya hiba. Mungkin kerana sudah lama tidak memakai barangan kemas akibat PENGORBANAN terhadap anak-anak, sehingga sekarang emak tidak suka memakai barangan kemas lagi walau dihadiahkan anak-anaknya. Begitulah antara satu dari berjuta pengorbanan insan bergelar Ibu. Jika ditulis tentang pengorbanan emak...mungkin sampai bila pun tidakkan berakhir. Cukuplah satu pengorbanan untuk ditulis, seakan tidak mampu untuk dihabiskan ayatnya. Terfikir dalam diri, adakah saya sanggup mengorbankan semua yang disayangi untuk membuat membuat pengorbanan yang sama terhadap ibu??

Bagi saya, hari Ibu bukan hanya sehari untuk dirai, bahkan setiap saat adalah hari yang patut dihargai oleh semua insan bernama anak. Sayangilah mereka ketika masih ada waktu.

Merungkai Akar Melayu

Saya telah terbaca komen dari seseorang bernama Mat Rempit Hubris Chartage dan antara komennya dalam Pasquale mungkin sedikit sebanyak dapat merungkai kekusutan ...selaminya...jika anda masih ingin berfikir ...

"Questioning the worth of one’s own culture, tradition and history is
quite symptomatic of societies that have been colonized or defeated. In fact it is quite normal.

This lost of faith in their own culture, can take many forms ranging from mimicking the ways and habits of the colonial masters or/and to an outright condemnation and hostility to the merits of anything remotely indigenous in nature. In one form or another, and to a lesser or greater degree, the collective self- condemnation of the colonized and the defeated, has happened among the Indians, Arabs, Philipinoes , Algerians ( Berbers ), Africans and to a lesser extant the Chinese.

And of course, as u well know, and as the example your post highlights,in this regard the Malays were also not an exception.

In fact, questioning and even condemning one's own traditional values and race can even afflict people who were not technically colonized but merely suffered defeat at the hands of foreigners. The following quotation from the Japan Herald dated 9th April 1881, when the humiliating forceful opening of Japan by Mathew Perry was still fresh in the collective psyche of the Japanese, is symptomatic of such a reaction:


"Wealthy we do not think Japan will ever become: the advantages conferred by nature, with the exception of climate, n the love of INDOLENCE n PLEASURE of the people themselves, forbid it. The Japanese r a HAPPY race, and being content with little, are NOT LIKELY TO ACHIEVE MUCH"

(Pasquale, I have deliberately written some words in bold. Those words sound familiar right? Indolent, pleasure seeking, lack of ambitioned,fatalistic,etc-etc, are all part of the standard vocabulary used by the Malays, including UMNO leaders like Dr M, when attempting to explain the reasons for Malay backwardness.)

This happens because of two reasons; one obvious and natural while the other develops more insidiously.


The former happens, because being defeated by any foreign entity is by itself, a humiliating process, what more being ruled by a foreign interloper. With regards to the latter, in Malaya for example, in their attempts to ensure that their presence was met with as little resistance as possible,(apart from ruling under the auspices of the Malay Monarchy) the British had introduce an educational system whose structure and curriculum was intended to make the Malays blame themselves for being colonized. It was a classic case of reversing the appropriation of blame from the victimizers to the victims. And of course, when taken together with Winsted’s stated policy of limiting Malay education to standard six, which would have the effect of making it impossible for them to participate in the colonial economy, the political and economic emancipation of the Malays was complete.

Furthermore, due to the fact, that the poverty stricken Malays were surrounded by non- Malays who were far more economically developed, after a number of decades, in the minds of many ( both Malays and non), the poverty of the Malays was given a racial dimension.
For many Malays, Malay-ness was soon synonymous with backwardness. For them, to be Malay was to be poor, fatalistic, lazy, moronic, ugly. In short the Malays felt that they had inherited a culture of poverty.( this situation, whereby the Malays blames themselves for their predicament instead of the British apartheid policies towards them, facilitated British rule)

This general mindset continued throughout the colonial period and extended even after Merdeka.

Moreover, due to the fact, that the level of understanding among the Malays about their own tradition, history and culture is at a bare minimum, and even then, mostly derived from second hand layman opinion, for the Malays to even have an inkling about another possible interpretation of their history, was almost impossible.

Of course there were exceptions to the general rule like the academician Syed Husin al- Attas who wrote “The Myth of the Lazy Native” and his brother Syed Naguib. The latter especially in his understanding about the spread of Islam in the Malay Archepelago, the role of the Malay language in it and the signal contributions of Hamzah Fansuri and Nuruddin Al- Raneiri in that process is especially instructive in informing us about the richness of our tradition. Then there are the works of Tan Sri Ismail Hussin, Leonard Andaya, Sharil Robert, etc- etc.

But understanding about how Malay history, culture and tradition per se and their interaction with colonialism, which were given far more depth due to the direct exposure to primary and secondary sources that was taking place in the ivory towers, did not filter down to the larger community. This is tragic because the insights of our best and brightest, about our own heritage, were unable to inform the general Malay public, including policy makers. As such, the general understanding of the Malays about themselves and even their religion since colonialism remain low.

Partly it was due to the Malay political masters who were generally disinterested in academic activities. After all, what the general Malay populace knew were what their leaders, thru the mainstream media, wanted them to know. Unfortunately for the Malays, the Umno leadership was(is) by and large non- intellectuals, and their developmental priorities reflected this. And in the haste to get out of our economic doldrums, abstract knowledge about our heritage and tradition was not considered a priority.

Thus, the knee jerk “blaming the victims instead of the victimizer” mindset of the Malays, which they inherited from the colonial period, was passed down from one generation to another.

And in a situation whereby a community, in this instance, the Malays, feels that it has inherited a culture of poverty, it becomes very easy for any party to use religion to condemn and stymie any attempt to use race as a galvanizing force to garner political support.This was more apparent after the introduction of the NEP, when some of the criticism of LKY's Malaysian Malaysia was given an Islamic twist.

Race based politics in general, and Malay based politics and policies in particular, were being cast as unIslamic. Those who used these arguments claim that Malay policies were racist in nature and Islam is against racism in any form. (Though I feel that such assertions are very shallow in nature, I wont record my rebuttals here) They claim that pro Malay policies were assabiyah. (Of course with regards to its compatibility with Islam,the real status of Malay( Umno) politics is far more subtle and complicated than that. Additionally, the fact that the term assabiyah has also been given positive connotations by Ibn Khaldun and is regarded by him as being the main ingredient underpinning civilizational rise and decline, as recorded in his seminal work “The Muqqadimah” is also largely unknown to the majority of Malays.)

Later when DSAI joined Umno, many of the more seasoned politicians like Musa, Ku Li, Rais etc-etc, had already establish a strong following which in some ways was derived from them having a defined platform. Most of these platforms were nationalistic in nature. Thus in wanting to differentiate himself from the crowd so to speak, DSAI decided to have a platform that had a more “Islamic face”.

Nothing wrong with that, except for the fact that the "Islamic Face" of DSAI's politics had the effect at the operational level, of reducing Islam into symbols. The rich and sophisticated moral and intellectual ethos of the religion, which were, by its very nature not easily package and marketed, was relegated to the back seat. More emphasis was being given to the promotion of religious paraphernalia, like the tudung for instance, than a proper explanation of the moral and ethical principles behind it( for instance, the understanding that the tudung, is but an external manifestation of our internal commitment to maintain a certain behavarial standard, rather than a substitute for it )

And of course, though Malay nationalism was never directly condemned, nonetheless, it was never disassociated completely from the charges of assabiyah. In fact in subtle ways it was encouraged.

For instance tv drama, religious programmes and popular magazine articles slowly introduce the idea that there exist a seeming conflict between being a Malay and being a muslim. And in any contest between the two, the latter was of course given more weight. Soon statements along the lines of "Malay is just a race, while Islam is universal" gain a lot of currency and popularity. This was an indirect attempt to discredit and later delegitimize the nationalistic platforms of his competitors. And after the purging of Umno in 87, and the franchising of the paper and tv media to his stooges, Islam ala Anuwar, was given unlimited free reign. ( of course, additionally such a development also served the interest of PISM, which would also jump on the bandwagon of denouncing Malay nationalism as unIslamic)

Thus Pasquale, to me, the shallow and irrelevant incongruousness that some( many?) Malays today see between being a Malay and being a Muslim, and the supremacy that the latter holds in any imagined conflict between the two, originated because of the following factors:

1) the lack of confidence that we have on the worth of our traditions and values caused by being colonized,

2) a lack of understanding about our history, culture and tradition.This was further compounded by deemphasizing the importance of academic diciplines which did not have alot of "economic" merit or whose role in the rapid industrialization process was unclear

3) our failure to control the public debate with regards to the compatibility of Malay nationalism with Islam.

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