consumated ... maybe consummated

About me

Retired. Lives in in the Far East, in Malaysia to be precise. Vision & Mission in life left too far behind; but who can crystallise the future?; now take the seconds, minutes, hours and days as they come by.

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Family Group
Family Group 1

consumated.mo'time.com
Saturday, 29 May 2004

Happy Days.

When I look at the picture above, I call "Happy Days", it brings me back memories of those days. I had this write up in another blog originally but I have already deleted that blog. So I am re-visiting the story again.

----------------------This is an excerpt taken from an article which I wrote on my life history. The full text is with me and perhaps I may release it to this blog from time to time when appropriate.

This is a part of my life which I cannot forget and do not want to forget.

The names mentioned are real and I apppologise to them, should they ever read this blog, for not asking their permission.

THE SCHOLARSHIP

I won a Scholarship from then Central Electricity Board of Malaya (later it was changed to the National Electricity Board - CEB, Lembaga Letrik Negara - LLN, and later privatised and called Tenaga Nasional Berhad - TNB) to go and do Electrical Engineering at the Brighton College of Technology, Brighton, England. I went in Sept. 1962 without taking HSC at the Malay College, where I was in Form VI. There were 9 of us then who went. They were Mohd Annuar Yusof, the late Mohd Fadlullah Mohd Noor, Syed Abu Hassan, Salleh Masduki, Redzuan Wahab, the late Makmur, Nik Mohamad, Dzulkifli Alias and I. Ghazi Hassan and Fuad Jaafar also joined us but they were supposed to go for the First Year Diploma Course at the Brighton Technical College. Wan Mohammad also came with us but he was to go for the first year Telecommunication Engineering and he was a Federal Scholar. The other person was S. Shanmugam who was also a Federal Government Scholar who joined us for the Pre-Diploma Course and then to do Telecommunication Engineering.

The 9 of us on the CEB scholarship were to do Heavy Electrical Engineering. We first went to the Preston Technical Institute, a red brick building under the railway bridge on London Road near Preston Park, Brighton to take our Pre-Diploma Course. This Institute was affiliated to the Brighton Technical College, near the Level (later called Brighton College of Technology and it moved to a new complex at Moulscoomb, Lewes Road. It was renamed Brighton Polytechnic, now its Brighton U).

Before I left Malaya (at that time Malaysia was not yet in existence) I went to stay with a friend in Kampong Baharu Kuala Lumpur, Zaharuddin Mahmood his name was. There I was down with high fever for a few days at his house. Very unfortunate, but then his sister was a Nurse and she looked after me very well. When I got a bit better I moved into one of my cousions house at Kampong Datuk Keramat, his name was Mohammad Lazim. His family looked after me.

I remember the occasion when I had to go to the bank to cash my M$600.00 cheque from the CEB for my winter clothings. I went to the bank with this cousion. We cashed the cheque and split the cash between us in case one of us got robbed or picked pocket. Actually M$600.00 was not much but to us it was a lot of money. Anyway we got back home quite safely and the next morning went to make my suit and bought a few new clothings, neckties and shoes.

On the day I was appointed to go, my uncle and wife came and sent me to the airport. My cousions and family also came to send me off. Actually I went back to the kampong a few days earlier to say good-bye to my father and the family and all the relatives in the kampong. I was then very excited, going on an aeroplane for the first time and to England at that. No one from my kampong has gone to England, and to go in those days was an achievement. We boarded the plane at the old airport at Jalan Sungei Besi (Subang Airport did not exist then, and this airport is now a military airport).

We arrived in England and were taken to the International House by the British Council (where exactly now I do not know). We stayed there for the night. The next morning for breakfast they gave us smoked haddocks for breakfast. The first time I tasted smoked haddocks. Then we went by train to Brighton. The Malayan students there, who were also CEB Scholars, received us. In Brighton the British Council allocated us lodgings.

I was given a lodgings at Mrs. Templar in Lansdowne Road, Hove. I was to share a room with Ghazi. It was not really a good lodging house so after 3 months we shifted, I to another lodging house with Mrs. Mockford near the Preston Technical Institute and Ghazi to another place. At Mrs. Mockfords I was given quite a nice room for myself, downstairs. I was in that lodging house when one of the coldest winters was experienced in Brighton. It was quite beautiful though, with Preston Park buried in about a couple of feet of snow and London Road all iced up. I remember one day I went out and found that the street was all deserted. I did not realise that that day the temperature was about -2 deg C. Anyway staying in Mrs. Mockfords house was not that bad except that I had to eat in my room, and one day she gave me rabbit stew. I did not like it.

Then after 2 months Mrs. Mockford and her family shifted to Portslade, Hove and I moved in with Salleh Masduki at Mrs. Jefferies, at Rosehill Terrace, close to Church Road, near the Level. Here I was very happy. I had my own room and they treated me as one of the family. I really enjoyed my stay at the place. She was so kind that she even organise my 21st birthday party at her house, and she and her husband went out leaving us to enjoy ourselves at the party. She prepared very good food and drinks for us and had her son and daughter and their friends at the party. I spoilt that party by not going along with the girls at the party. In one of the games I was supposed to kiss a girl but I did not. I was to shy; I had never kissed a girl before. After that the party just broke up. Anyway I was grateful to Mrs. Jefferies for all her efforts.

On hot summers days Mrs. Jefferies and her family used to take us on a picnic at the Brighton beach. She made the sandwiches and the salad and everything else necessary for an enjoyable days picnic. One hot day I thought that I would go for a swim at the Brighton sea at one of these picnics. It was freezing cold and yet the English people were swimming in the sea. I found that it was too cold for me.

Mrs. Jefferies also looked after me when I met a scooter accident. I had just bought a new Lamberretta 1.5 scooter, red in colour. One day on my way to Devils Dyke with other Malayan students, who were more experienced on their scooters, I drove a bit fast to show off and at one of the T-junction got scared and hit the T-junction warning sign post. The scooter was a wreck and the heavy raincoat I was wearing saved me and my face saved by the thick-rimmed spectacle I had on. I also had no crash helmet on. A passing vehicle took me to Hove Hospital and after stitching me up the Hospital sent me home to Mrs. Jefferies house. I got about 7 stitches on my eyebrow and on my lips. She was shocked but took the situation well and looked after me in that condition. I had good food and all the sympathies from her.

As for food she made sure I got what I wanted. I told her that I did not like potatoes. She gave rice, which was what I asked for instead of potatoes. She did not make a fuss of it, although her rice cooking was a bit below standard. She never even complaint if I went to the kitchen to get extra food when I was hungry.

We then only had 1 bath a week, a very special day it was. She made sure that I had the hot water during my bath night. If I messed up the bathroom she did not even complain but just joked sarcastically about it. I knew she was not pleased but she never showed it. I ate with the family like one of the family, at the same time and at the same table. We watched television together with the family (at that time the TV was only black and white). She was never stingy with electricity and I was allowed to put on my electric heater whenever I was in my room, with no restrictions unlike in some boarding houses. In the lounge she had coal fire.

I stayed with Mrs. Jefferies and family for more than 1 year. Then I moved into a flat at 4, Albert Road with Nik Mohammad. I think I moved out of Mrs. Jefferies when I started my second year at the Brighton College of Technology. At that time most of us have already moved out of digs (staying with families). We wanted to be more independent. In flats we could do what we liked and cook our own food. Nik Mohammad was an old school mate from Malay College and we got along quite well together. I had the front room and Nik Mohammad had the back room near the kitchen. It was a ground floor flat.

At that time to rent a flat was very cheap. I think it was about BPS 8 a week. With our allowance of about BPS 37 a month at that time we found it just nice. We had an old lady to clean the house once a week. I cannot remember her name now, Mrs. Cooper it was I think. The owner was Mrs. Ellison I think, and she had the flat upstairs top floor (it was a three storey building) but she never bothered us. She had her own life to lead, her boyfriend came almost every other night but never stay past midnight. Even when we cook curry she never complaint. It was a very satisfactory arrangement. In fact I was a bit sad to leave the place when I graduated and had to move out of Brighton. I have some very pleasant memories of living at that place.

After struggling for 1 year in the Pre-Diploma Course and 3 years in the College Diploma Course I passed with Professional Electrical Engineering Diploma in 1966 from the Brighton College of Technology. The Diploma is recognised by the Institution of Electrical Engineers United Kingdom as a qualification to be a Graduate Member of the Institution.

Prior to graduation there were trying times and most difficult experience. There were life conflicts all over. Having been from the kampong and growing up at the Malay College was bad enough. In England life was further complicated as I was then coming into a different society and culture altogether, from all Malay surroundings to all British surroundings, from a hot weather to a cold weather, from a strict culture to a liberal culture, from no girls to plenty of girls. I experienced a cultural shock, which destabilised the mind. I think we all were in the same situation. Dancing on Saturday nights, going to music halls, watch rock bands, and at that time the Beatles was just emerging and all the young singers and musicians. And on top of that Brighton was a holiday resort, so we had all sort of girls in town, especially in summer. Life was full of freedom. We have never seen couples kissing on the street before and over in Brighton this happened right in front of ours eyes.

Of the 9 CEB students who went together 5 failed and only 3 others and I made it through from that batch. Those who failed were the late Makmur, Salleh Masduki, Redzuan Wahab, Syed Hassan and Dzulkifli Alias, though to date Salleh Masduki has become a successful Computer Engineer and Syed Hassan made good later in NEB. Only Nik Mohammad, the late Mohd Fadhullah, Mohd Annuar and I made it to the final exams, and we all passed it. In fact what happened was that when we reached the Final Year we joined the CEB Scholars who were 1 year earlier than us. The had to go for a 1 year practical/sandwich course, and we did not have to. They were Zaidee Laidin, the late Ahmad Said, Syed Kamarul Baharin, Ghazi Hassan, Maarof Muat, Fuad Jaafar, and Yusof Hj. Ibrahim. The only person who had to sit for the referred/repeat papers was Maarof Muat.

We had some good lecturers. To name a few, the late Garlick, Pipers. Williams. Dr. Black, Hughes, Sergeant. They were very experienced. They guided us.

----------------------This is an excerpt taken from an article which I wrote on my life history. The full text is with me and perhaps I may release it to this blog from time to time when appropriate.

This is a part of my life which I cannot forget and do not want to forget.

The names mentioned are real and I apppologise to them, should they ever read this blog, for not asking their permission.

THE SCHOLARSHIP

I won a Scholarship from then Central Electricity Board of Malaya (later it was changed to the National Electricity Board, Lembaga Letrik Negara, and later privatised and called Tenaga Nasional Berhad) to go and do Electrical Engineering at the Brighton College of Technology, Brighton, England. I went in Sept. 1962 without taking HSC at the Malay College. There were 9 of us then who went. They were Mohd Annuar Yusof, the late Mohd Fadlullah Mohd Noor, Syed Abu Hassan, Salleh Masduki, Redzuan Wahab, the late Makmur, Nik Mohamad, Dzulkifli Alias and I. Ghazi Hassan and Fuad Jaafar also joined us but they were supposed to go for the First Year Diploma Course at the Brighton Technical College. Wan Mohammad also came with us but he was to go for the first year Telecommunication Engineering and he was a Federal Scholar. The other person was S. Shanmugam who was also a Federal Government Scholar who joined us for the Pre-Diploma Course and then to do Telecommunication Engineering.

Then after 2 months Mrs. Mockford and her family shifted to Portslade, Hove and I moved in with Salleh Masduki at Mrs. Jefferies close to Church Road, near the Level. Here I was very happy. I had my own room and they treated me as one of the family. I really enjoyed my stay at the place. She was so kind that she even organise my 21st birthday party at her house, and she and her husband went out leaving us to enjoy ourselves at the party. She prepared very good food and drinks for us and had her son and daughter and their friends at the party. I spoilt that party by not going along with the girls at the party. In one of the games I was supposed to kiss a girl but I did not. I was to shy; I had never kissed a girl before. After that the party just broke up. Anyway I was grateful to Mrs. Jefferies for all her efforts.

At that time to rent a flat was very cheap. I think it was about BPS 8 a week. With our allowance of about BPS 37 a month at that time we found it just nice. We had an old lady to clean the house once a week. I cannot remember her name now, Mrs. Cooper it was I think. The owner was Mrs. Ellison I think, and she had the flat upstairs top floor (it was a three storey building) but she never bothered us. Even when we cook curry she never complaint. It was a very satisfactory arrangement. In fact I was a bit sad to leave the place when I graduated and had to move out of Brighton. I have some very pleasant memories of living at that place.

We had some good lecturers. To name a few, the late Garlick, Pipers. Williams. Dr. Black, Hughes, Sergeant. They were very experienced. They guided us.

posted by: mylias at May 29, 2004 14:25 | link | comments |
happy days

consumated.mo'time.com
Friday, 28 May 2004

Is Malaysia civilise?

When you look at these two articles, it scares you to live in Malaysia.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/05/25/malaysia.rights.reut
/index.html Malaysia 'abused' detainees Tuesday, May 25, 2004 Posted: 0957 GMT (1757 HKT) _____________________________________ Malaysia is holding nearly 100 men under the colonial-era Internal Security Act. _____________________________________

http://news.catcha.com/my/content.phtml?1&010&&afpnews.cgi
&cat=malaysia&story=040527084340.7pmwsz68.txt Malaysian schools stage whipping demos to scare children KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (AFP) - Malaysia has launched whipping demonstrations in schools to scare children off criminal careers, prompting condemnation by the nation's Human Rights Commission Thursday. "Flogging Officer Number 1" Iskandar Zulkarnain Mohamad Radzi, 25, from Taiping Prison in northern Perak state, staged the first session on a dummy strapped to a frame before about 300 students at a local school this week. The pupils, who were also shown photographs of the injuries inflicted by caning, told the New Straits Times they were shocked by the severity of the punishment, imposed for a wide range of crimes in Malaysia, including under-age sex. Radzi has been whipping convicts for seven years after being taught how to swing the 1.09-metre (yard) cane at a minimum speed of 160 kilometres per hour (99 miles) and produce a force upon impact of at least 90 kilos (198 pounds), he told the paper. Before he canes a prisoner, he dons a surgical mask to protect his identity and also to prevent bits of skin and flesh hitting his face, the daily said. Even the most hardened gangsters cried out in pain after the third stroke and those made of lesser stuff soiled their pants after the first lash, Radzi said.

I do not know what else to say but for the reader to judge how civilise (or uncivilise Malayia) is.

posted by: mylias at May 28, 2004 08:28 | link | comments |

consumated.mo'time.com
Wednesday, 26 May 2004

Arabizing the Malays

This is a series of replies in a discussion which I wrote about comments on Malays behaving like Arabs. Makes interesting reading when I put them together in one piece. I must admit that the discussion was between me a Muslim and a few non-Muslims, so we were talking about the same thing but in different form, different wavelength and different understanding. I defending my reliogion (I think) and the others trying to destroy it (if that is the right word). They will never understand what Islam is, they have never been in it, so how can they understand it. They think that they do but they don't. Its like saying that I understand what Christianity is all about, or that I understand what Judaism is all about or even Budhist or Hindu or whatever. I might know the people who practise them, hear about them, seen them practiced but I will never understand them, people and religion. I may criticise them in a way or another, maybe snigger at them silently but understanding them - never. And being a Muslim I cannot practice what they practice. And if anyone says that religion is all the same, then I will say, "If all religions are the same then you become a Muslim".

This is take from my blog "<a href="http://notime.motime.com/">no'time.mo'time.com</a>"

{I get rather insinuated by Malays who says, "Don't make the Malays dress or behave like the Arabs". My reply is, "Don't make the Malays like a non-Malay, don't make them like the Japanese, don't make the Malays like the Americans, don't make the Malays like the Europeans". And do not make the Malays even dress like the European, American and such likes of them.

Malays are essentially Malays and their original stock is a mixture of all sorts of races in this region and their common bond is their language, Bahasa Nusantara, and their religion, Islam. And Islam is from Arabia, and those who profess themselves to follow the religion of Islam has to believe in the Koraan and in Prophet Muhammad PBUM. And those who profess to believe in the Koraan must believe in the omnipotent Allah and Mohammad PUB His Prophet. And if you believe that Muhammad PBUH is His Prophet and Messenger then you have to love Muhammad. In the Koraan it is stated that to love His Prophet, that is Prophet Muhammad PBUM is to love Allah (if you believe in the Koraan that is). And Prophet Muhammad PBUH is an Arab. And Prophet Muhammad PBUH had said (in his Hadith) that if you love him then follow his ways (and his ways are the Sunnah) that is his words, his behaviour and his approval. His word are his Hadiths and his behaviour, one of them is his dress, and his approval are those in the Koraan and those that he did not say "No" to. Now if you cannot dress like him as an Arab you do not love him. And if you do not lover him then you do not love Allah. And if you do not love Allah then there is doubt that you believe in Him. And on that logic then you are not a Muslim. If my logic is correct then those who say "Do not make the Malays like the Arabs" are not Muslim. Is there faults in this logic somewhere?}

Some of us are more English than the English. Some tried to be Americans but have failed miserably.

Some are real bananas.

Bananas are not necessarily yellow outside. There are varieties of bananas that are also brown or even red outside. Pisang jari buaya is red outside and another variety is brown outside.

Tapi as the saying goes, "siapa makan cili dialah yang berasa pedas'.

I would rather see my daughters dress as Wahida than Spears whatever her name is. And I would rather have my sons be able to read the Koraan properly and pray 5 times a day, and walk about 'tutup aurat'.

Its not a question of race, its a question of belief (akidah) and religion (Islam) which goes further and have a wider scope than race. To me race is very relative but religion is God sent. My race may go one day (be polluted or even change in character and I do not believe in protecting the race), and I will protect my religion more than my race.

Right is human. Allah says that it is His Right. So Right and Wrong is really on which side of Right you are on. I don't want to answer to Allah that I have not told of the Right to my children. But after I have told them of the Right, then I will be very disappointed if they go against the Right. What can I do? Nothing really. On the other 'side' I will answer to Allah and they will answer to Allah. Let Allah be the best judge.

My neighbours? If they are Muslim, depending on how much I know of them. If I know them well, I will just hint. If I do not know them, then I will still be good neighbours to them and try to befriend them praying that one day they will see the light. Force them? No, I will not do that. At the most I will just be as friendly to them as possible but deep inside I will feel offended, not for me but for Allah.

If they are non-Muslim, there is nothing that I can do really. Lakum di-nukum walyiadeen (you have your religion and I have mine). Trusting that they will also leave me in peace. Some of my neighbours are non-Muslim and we are all friends in my housing area. We have no problem with the neighbours and I trust they with us.

Dress is anyone's preference. If someone prefers to dress like the Queen of England by all mean do so. The basic principle is that you "tutup aurat".

Holding hands in public? Why not if you are husband and wife, or brothers and sisters. But if you are not and worse still if you have sexual desires, Islam frowns on that. The challenge in Islam is the understanding of 'do good and prevent evil'. The word 'prevent' is very confusing to a non-Muslim. To a Muslim its a straight forward case. What is not allowed in the Koraan you don't do, no argument about it. But again Muslims may ask what are allowed? In fact there are so many things you are allowed to do as long as it is not disallowed in the Koraan. So a good Muslim will try to understand the Koraan and just see inside it on what is not allowed and do the rest. For a non-Muslim, I have no answer.

I have this strange feeling that the non-Muslim in Malaysia don't care one way or another as long as they are allowed to live the lives they want live. Its the few Muslims who are against the Arabic trend. They have this phobia that one day they Malays will not wear coats and tie like them. They fear that their ignorance of he Muslim religion is revealed to the public, they themselves professing to be Muslim. Then they will loose their 'air muka' (water face?) and they will get 'malu besar' (big shame?). The non-Muslims will not have to face those, except maybe get irritated by Malays trying to behave like Arabs, which they try hard but failing miserably.

Britny is under dressed. We call women like her 'perempuan miskin'. You see many of them in certain part of KL. Its difficult for me to explain to people who will not want to understand how Muslim views dress in Islam. Its waste of time.

Why are we all so mad about watching wayang kulit? Anyone of us really watch wayang kulit? I doubt many of us in this forum watch wayang kulit, maybe once but after that do we go again to watch wayang kulit? Its so boring (that is just my opinion but others may disagree. Go on ------ disagree!). I would rather watch TV if I have to watch something or read a book or even surface the Nett but not watching wayang kulit. Its ok for a foreign tourist to watch wayang kulit, they do not see the staff everyday. But if they have to watch that everyday, they will also get bored. Why not play chess, or fly a kite or play 'guli' or 'gasing' if you want some activities. You are so passive when you watch wayang kulit. Is that why some people want wayang kulit to be the main activities of he Kelantan Malays? Of course Malays being what they are just liked to be passive, watching something with their mouth gaping. But that was the Malays of yesteryears, the Malays of today are more concern about the NEP rights and their amount of subsidy than wayang kulit.

Wayang kulit is OK for certain religion in Malaysia, as the show glorifies certain epics in that religion. For the Malays (about 99.99% of them are Muslim) it is not good as it involves 'akidah'. What is 'akidah'?. I will need my Ustaz to re-explain that. You will need to attend some lectures at the UM Faculty of Islam to know about 'akidah', but you will still not understand it unless you are good practising Muslim.

Malay culture? What Malay culture? Many are imported culture which combined and put in one envelope we call Malay culture. Today we do this, tomorrow we import some more and we do that. And we call it Malay culture! I think most of us are misguided by people who are also misguided. "Macam ketam mengajar anaknya berjalan". I was born a Malay and I practice what a normal Malay does, but I always eat with spoon and fork. Does it mean that I am not a Malay just because I do not eat with my hands. I go to sitting down toilet, does it mean that I am not a Malay by not using squatting toilet? I don't eat sirih, does it mean that I am not a Malay? I have mengkuang mat in the house, I have carpets, does it mean that I am not a Malay? I do not wear batik, does it mean that I am not a Malay? There are many things I do not do, even though I was born a Malay, am I not a Malay? I do not eat nasi lemak in the morning, I have bread and butter, milk, corn flakes, oats......... so I am a brown banana. Am I?

You put me in a spot when you compare wayang kulit with latin. I have no answer.

But for freedom, I was surprised when I hear that the Thai Govt. in Bangkok wanted everyone to go home at the latest by 2.00 am each day. Is that not curbing on everyone's freedom? Including us visiting Bangkok. And us here in KL having to close our 'clubbing' at 12.00 mn. For freedom, why not allow 'clubbing' to go into the early hours of the morning untill everyone is ready to go home. In those days they in Bangkok do not go home untill 5.00 am. By 6.00 am in Bangkok its too late to go home as the traffic is already building up. And in UK, anyone knows what the pubs opening hours are? Do they allow pubs to open throughout the day? Freeeeeeedom!

If you do not believe in 'tutup aurat' you are most welcome to be 'perempuan miskin'. Do what you like and show what you like girl and let the men enjoy you. Aaah, Ooooh. And some Heh Heh Heh. And others may even say, "I wish she shows more". My answer is, "Go into the Internet and they show the women's minutest details of everything however minute, and men of all sizes" :)). But you will 'menggoda' those who are asked to 'tutup aurat'. Your freedom is infringing on other's freedom and others on to yours.

Who can hold hands? So you do not want to hold hands with your brother. You can hold hands with you father, mother, grand fathers and grandmothers, aunties and uncles, nephew and nieces, in fact all those forbidden (in Islam) to be married to. Men holding hands? Yes, in Asia and in Africa (condition? no sexual desires) but not where white men dominate. They will accuse you of.........whatever. But in private in these white men countries men hold more than hands.

My only answer to you is, "Read the Koraan and you will know how Allah feels." Habis borah ni!.

Agreed, both are unIslamic. Wayang Kulit is non-Islam (the story line) and BS is nonIslamic (the dress).

Not that its because I don't like to watch wayang kulit, its just not Malay. (Anyway I just watched it once in some shows in the KL Lake Garden years ago and I got bored so I never watch it again). Just because some Malays (probably a big political gun or a stray cat)adopts it and many people describe it as a Malay culture, so most just follow suit and describe it as a Malay culture as well. What fallacy. Thai maybe, Indian maybe but not Malay. The language, the story line, the gestures and the 'spirit'. A non-Malay (am I a non-Malay if one of my ancestors was a Chinese, the the other a Bugis?) can take it over if he/she wants it and adopt that culture.

Sensitive about 'bananas' hah? Maybe many are in this group (are other light skinned included?), maybe not, I cannot tell from the writing. Maybe some are just acting. What is 'bananas' anyway? You tell me. Anyway I never mention any particular race, I just said 'bananas' not .........(some people call worse names in some other groups I go to).

What 'ketuanan Melayu". Its just political. I have never said I agree with that. (I fought hard like most people to get where I am today, maybe my kulit langsat colour helped but if I just sat under the pisang tree then I would probably be still sitting under the pisang tree now). And on Islam, you just don't understand. Anyway its a 'habiskan boreh sahaja' to tell you, we Muslim say 'samekna wa-athukna', 'lakum de-nukum wal-yadeen' (we hear and we obey, you have your religion and we have ours).

Are you describing a Malay or are you describing someone born to Malay parents but have gone astray from his place of birth, and have the attitude of 'kacang lupakan kulit'. I may eat scone and drink tea, but I am what I am and my religion is Islam whatever other people choose to believe in or describe Islam as.

I do not descriminate between the so called Eastern culture or the Western culture. Both have got their merits and demerits and neither one is superior to the other. I have lived in both cultures and I have families and friends in them as well. I choose what suits me, from what I learn and from experience (sometimes I seek advice) and according to the environment I live in. And fortunately for me(and unfortunately - can I say that? - to some people)I have decided to choose Islam as my religion, while I live on this earth.

QED.

I am going to break the rule of this discussion, even as I have already put QED in the last. Just to give my respect to a generation close enough to mine.

I endorse your sentiment. Its a complicated life isn't it. This is in this world, I wonder what will happen in the next world (I firmly believe that there is the next world and I will be alive then almost like I am now). So I hope we will meet in the next world, yours in yours and mine in mine - even if only through video conferencing, (unless circumstances change meanwhile in this world).

I will let the dressing, the holding hands and the alcohol drinking pass.

Ciao.

posted by: mylias at May 26, 2004 16:22 | link | comments |

consumated.mo'time.com
Tuesday, 25 May 2004

Malaysian dress for comfort?

It’s a hot day and you are walking in the heat and dust of KL, into restaurant for lunch after a hard morning formal meeting. You are dressed in a double-breasted coat, black trousers, a tie, leather shoe, very formal. You have just stepped out of your cooled chauffer driven air-conditioned car, the driver only manage to get you as close as possible to the restaurant door but not close enough for you to step into the cool of the air-conditioned restaurant dining place. You enter the restaurant to have lunch with some business friends. Imagine, before that of a cooled air-conditioned office, hot weather walking from your office to cooled air-conditioned car, hot dusty humid weather walking from your air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned restaurant. It’s all contrasts. And you are dressed for a cooled summer temperate climate. Do we Malaysia fit in with the scene are we misfit? Dress wise.

In Malaysia you are not dressed if you do not wear a tie. Why a tie? Why is it so important to wear a tie? They say it’s only for formality? Is it really necessary? I remember visiting North West Australia where the weather is as hot as in Malaysia (they have more flies than us over there) and the Aussie were all in short sleeve shirt, open neck, in shorts or in comparatively thin clothed trousers and we were in tie, coat, thick formal trousers. We were their official guests, but we were so different. They were our hosts and they were also very formal and very cordial but they were dressed right for the weather, I think. And we sweated it out just to be polite and formal

Summer time in temperate climate is a time when people were open neck shirts and some times even in short sleeved. Of course they carry their jacket around because the weather in these temperate climate is so unpredictable and it can change over night and temperature may sky rocket during the day but may be very cool at night. So a jacket is necessary. In Malaysia, is jacket really necessary?

I remember when I was working, to see any of the high officials such as a General Manager I had to be sure that I wore a tie and long sleeve shirt, to see a VP I had to wear a jacket and to see the Company President I have to dress more formal than that, preferably a double breasted coat. And the funny thing is that all these people have very cold room, purposely made cold by the air-conditioning being I suppose purposely turned terribly cold, I suppose an excuse for them to dress in these formal western dress.

Now, how do we describe a formal dress? Lets start when I was a small boy in the kampong. Formal dress then was just in short sleeve shirts and shorts, which were clean, and with no patches. Shoes were a luxury. Songkok (a black velvet cap worn on the head by the Malays) a must. The older folks used to wear trousers, big baggy things they were and short sleeve shirt and also with songkok. But when they went to a weddings, as a guest, they used to wear the Baju Melayu (a special native dress of the Malays consisting of two pieces, that is a trousers and an outer garment not tucked in) and complete with sampin (a piece of woven gold threaded cloth worn at the waist to cover up the front and the buttock part) and probably new songkok. And when they went to the mosque on Fridays they wore their new or clean sarong with Baju Melayu top, and probably with their new songkok as well. In those days white skullcap was rarely worn by normal folks, only Haji (those who have been to Mecca) wore them. And when they went into town, they wore whatever new clothes they had and probably on their feet new John White leather shoes, or probably a pair of white leather shoes, the old type with so many holes purposely made on the outer. And when they receive visitors from outside their village they wore their best sarong, Baju Melayu top and new songkok. (When I say new songkok, it’s really the same new songkok worn time and again). But they might also wear trousers, short sleeve shirt and songkok, but never tie or coat. Surprisingly though I saw photographs of old Malay folks (my grandfather and my uncle) wearing western jacket as early as the early 20th Century. When the Sultan visited the kampong he would also be dressed very informally in baggy shorts, short sleeve shirt, knee length stockings and probably a hat. In those days dress was a simple affair of dressing in what you can afford, as long they are clean and presentable.

As time moved on people tend to dress differently. An era occurred when people like to wear bush jackets. This was because everyone in the Government was asked to wear bush jackets to the office and to all official functions. Originally these bush jackets were of very simple design, short sleeve mostly and sometimes with long sleeve to protect against our harsh weather. But soon the fashion changed when the bush jackets were designed into a very formal dress, complete with side pockets, buttons up to the neck and had the appearance of a formal western coat, but design just to fit the contour of the wearer. And the cloth they were made from, they make them out of very expensive imported material. Each trying to outdo the other, to appear more formal than the other, the higher you are in the hierarchy the more expensive was the cloth the bush jackets made from and more complicated the tailoring. From a simple bush jackets design to a complicated design to show "I have arrived".

And after that everyone was crazy over wearing batik shirt. Again all sorts of design came into the market, batik short sleeve, long sleeve, batik jacket, batik everything, made from simple cotton cloth to the most expensive fabrics and silk. Again every one was trying to outdo each other over design, material and tailoring. Again to show "I have arrived".

About 20 years ago fashion changed where everyone wanted to wear formal dress like long sleeve shirt, tie, jacket and preferable double-breasted coats. Many people became corporate figure and in heir mind this is how successful corporate figures should dress up. Rightly or wrongly? And so all the tailors made money as almost everyone from the Government servants to all the business men, big and small, failure and successful and everyone else rushed to make jackets, coats and double breasted coats. Why? Because everyone was doing it and wearing them. They have somehow forgotten about the bush jackets and the batik shirts (and batik jacket). Fashion changed overnight. But the funny thing was the Beatles jacket fashion never became a fashion to trendy Malaysian.

Fashion follows a certain pattern. In Malaysia it’s the Government that sets the fashion. The Malaysian Prime Minister plays a lot in shaping the formal fashion for Malaysia. Tunku Abdul Rahman used to wear formal Malay dress so everyone wore the formal racial dress of the time; Malaysian Malay wore Baju Melayu, Chinese in formal western suit, Indians with some in Indian dress and some in formal western suit, others in what ever they thought right. In fact some people from Sarawak even wore funny headdress and loincloth when they went to formal meetings. Soon they did not wear such scanty dress anymore as they soon realised the occasion was not a dressing contest; they soon adopted the Baju Melayu for the Malays and the western suit for the others. During Tun Razak time, he used to wear the bush jacket as he visited the rural areas very often. And he used to wear batik for formal occasions and so people turned to bush jackets and batik. During Tun Hussein Onn’s time he was more formal but he continued with bush jackets and batik. But when Mahathir became the PM, he dressed very formally. That was when the bush jacket become a formally designed semi western jacket, and made from expensive material. Soon he was wearing more formal double-breasted coats and so the crowd followed.

The young and the ladies dressed with time as well. The young are very much influenced by the fashion from the West. In fact the trend, clothes design and material are almost all copied from the west especially America. So its not surprising that sales of branded shoes, branded jeans and any other branded clothing picked up as the young folks would try to imitate the West as much as they could afford, and within the moral values of Malaysia. The young do not get themselves demarcated by race, everyone dresses similar, Malays, Chinese, Indians, Dayaks (except those who still wants to wear loin cloth and funny head dress).

The ladies are of different breed altogether. They want to imitate the West but social constraints hold them back. It’s very difficult to describe ladies dress sense in Malaysia. It depends a lot on the race and the religion. Sometimes I feel like not writing about ladies dress sense but if I don’t then I fell that my write up is not complete. To avoid being struck by a ‘payong’ (umbrella or parasol lah in English), I ought to write as little as possible on this. Anyway ladies change their fashion so fast that, at a flick of an eye (eyelids when you talk about ladies) their fashion changes. I would summarise them as follow:

1.Malay – used to dress very sexily in sarong kebaya, see through blouses (you can even see their bras) but have now changed to modest baju kurung with full headscarf. But there are those also want to dress in Arabic robe, black colour (even in this hot humid weather, and of course resulting in sweaty smell) with full headgear even covering their faces, only the eyes peeping out. But being dressed such and when they wear thick-rimmed glasses, they look like nothing on this earth, and not even like Martians as well, indescribable. But the younger Malay girls are now dressed more sexily, tight body hugging jeans, short blouses (even showing their belly buttons sometimes) but the tudung is still there.

2. Chinese – very westernized. Most like to dress in short jeans or even short basketball shorts, even walking about in town and cities. Most inappropriate but I find them very sexy, would not want my wife or daughter to dress like that (the thought of a MCP!). But most of them are very decently dressed in jeans and blouse (no tudung of course, that is how you differentiate them from the Malays). But there are those who wear very up to date western fashioned clothing (more of Hong Kong I think). Some older generation Chinese still wear sonfu (- spelling? - loose fitting trousers) and accompanying tops. Cheongsam? Few but those who wear them wear them very sexily, high side slits, with very little left for men’s imagination. And the young Chinese girls? Well some wear their jeans very low, not only showing their belly buttons but more of lower scenery than that. Luckily the race is full of desert; otherwise you may even see the shrubs.

3. Indians – Ah, I like the older generation, they wear sari and short blouse, showing their mid-riff in full in view. Ali the flaps of those who have given birth and the smooth tummy of those young girls. My eyes always pop up when I see such spectacle. The old generation wears them but a lot of the younger generation has now changed to jeans and proper blouse (the Indians wear them long, unlike the Chinese). Compared to the Chinese, these young Indian girls are modest.

4. From Sabah and Sarawak – there are so many races over there, its difficult for me to describe anyone of them. And they are very proud people so they still maintain their traditional dress in their everyday lives. They have however adapted the western dress very rapidly; very few wear their traditional dress except on occasions. I must say that they have beautiful traditional dresses.

All in all I think the ladies have a better dress sense than the men, especially when involving official dress during official functions. The men tend to overdress with clothings meant for temperate climates but the ladies tend to under-dress where if they are in temperate climate they may freeze to death.

Dress sense in Malaysia at times it seems to me, some people tend to dress up with no sense at all.

posted by: mylias at May 25, 2004 21:44 | link | comments |

consumated.mo'time.com
Sunday, 23 May 2004

More on Malays

From: Abas Noordin

To: classof72@yahoogroups.com

Sent: 30 April, 2004 10:11 AM

Dear all,

As Salaamu Alaikum,

ISSUE NO 1 - Definition of a 'Malay' and 'Malay' culture.

How many Melayus out there in Malaysia today? Well, some 14 million men, women and children, most probably.Being Malays, they embrace Islam (fully, partially, or at least nominally) as their way of life, and speak (at least a) Malay (dialect) - as their mother tongue. Further, they eat (and enjoy) 'Malay' food, wear (and enjoy) 'Malay' attire (at work, at home, at funeral, at wedding, at sukan padang and courts, and in bed too. (Really? Thought they are supposed to be bare naked).They live in houses characterised by 'Malay' architecture, they have a garden of 'Malay' landscape style.'Politically', they identify with Malaysian with 'Malay' roots, whom they call 'orangkita', and with other Muslims, whom they call our ummah. 'Culturally', they listen to (and enjoy) 'Malay' songs and music; dance (or enjoy watching) 'Malay' dances; and fly 'Malay' kites (the way only 'Malays' do). In other words, they practise (enjoy and are proud of) 'Malay' arts and culture.

Dato' Dr Rais Yatim, and our friends at the Ministry, please redefine 'Malay', and Malay arts and culture. And when you have, honestly ask, who among us - and you - fit the bill?

ISSUE NO 2 - ''Un-Malay' (and spurious and undesirable?) elements within the 'Malay' society'; and reliability of the reported 'observation'.

Assuming that there are 14 million Melayus, how many jubahs, kurtas, jilbabs, baggy pants, sarongs, baju kurung, baju kebaya, baju melayu, pantaloons, skull caps, songkoks, tanjaks, capals, sepatus, slippers, terompah, etc., etc. are there in their respective wardrobes? What shops in Malaysia that these Melayus frequent deal in those items of gear. Break them down into Arabic, Indian, Negro, Punk, Rock, etc.; and find out how do they fare in terms of sales.

If you run a survey with large enough population sampling, I am pretty sure 'conclusions' like those voiced by the reporters and their respondents would come to nought - Na Da. Could you hope to find 14 million sets of Arabic gear in 'Malay' homes? 1..4 million? 140 thousand? 14 thousand? 14 hundred? What conclusions would you draw if you found instead multiple times 14 million sets of 'Western' attire?

ISSUE NO 3 - So what if the Malaysian 'Malays' lose their past (historic) identity?

Malays losing its identity? What identity. Isn't it a dynamic and evolving thing when it comes to ethnic expression?Are we talking substance here or are we talking accents - I mean cultural accents? If cultural diversity is to be welcome as much as biological diversity, shouldn't Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans, Dayaks, and other Malaysians be encouraged to express the diversity of cultures in their own selected ways?

If they want to look Arabic (all the time), why not? If they want to look like a punk rocker (some/all of the time), why not?

ISSUE NO 4 - The way forward.

Malaysians should become more human (even humane) and global in terms of values (and in terms of their rightful expressions). That notwithstanding, they should also allow themselves to be harmlessly and appropriately different from the rest in terms of culture (or its variation) - they need to contribute to the cultural diversity of the world, which is to be enjoyed by all. This would make life richer - and offer immense scope for economic growth too.

Looks like we have to give those guys at the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism more time to review their appreciation of the Malaysian culture before we expect them to come up with anything worth while to look at. And those in the press business, you need to be more objective and correct; we do not need to swallow your rubbish - and pay for it.

COROLLARY - Perhaps, this confusion (at the Ministry and the press club) is rooted in the desire to search for nationalistic identity (which may prove to be both futile and irrelevant).

Was Salaam.

Abas Noordin,

30 April 2004.

posted by: mylias at May 23, 2004 13:02 | link | comments |
malay

consumated.mo'time.com
Saturday, 22 May 2004

Arabic Malays - a misplaced view

This article appeared earlier in the local press (by press I mean either newspapers, e-press or in public internet discussion groups) in Malaysia recently. Its among the many article appearing on the subject. I have discussed the matter at long length in discussion groups. I shall upload some other article on the subject and also my discussion points at a later date.

'Arabic Malays' - a misplaced view

Rosli Yaakop & Anumma MB

2:11pm Mon May 10th, 2004

Sarah Sabaratnam and Loretta Ann Soosayraj's article 'More Arab than theArabs?'( Life and Times, April 28) recently echoed the concern expressed bythe new Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Dr Rais Yatim about the'Arabization' of Malay culture and the "rejection of many ancient Malaytraditions and rituals considered un-Islamic, which resulted in therejection of Malay culture."

The minister saw the rejection by some Malays of the Hindu-rooted adat bersanding and the increasing popularity of ketayap among the young Muslimsand the jubbah among the older ones as signs of the rejection. A number ofcultural activists shared the concern.Will the minister reintroduce the Hindu-rooted traditions and rituals intothe Malay culture?There are concerns that he might use his ministry to turn the 'cultural clock' back to the pre-Islamic era, thus restoring the haram(unlawful) andsyirik (act of assigning partners to Allah) elements into the Malay culture.

There are misunderstandings in the joint authors' article which oblige us torespond. The misunderstandings, in our view, have to do with their apparentlack of understanding of Islam and that of the minister and culturalactivists. The authors are perhaps, blameless. There are a great number of Muslims outthere who simply fail to grasp the true meaning and significance of Islam intheir life. They too, tend to have a misplaced view on the Islamisation of the Malay culture.

A way of life

Let us first state the fundamental on which our view stands. Unlike other religions, Islam is a way of life - an ad-deen. What it means is that a Muslim in his or her life must follow what Islam requires him or her to do. Islam permeates into every aspect of the lives of Muslims from personal to family life, society and life as a nation. It has rules on politics, business and economic, education, government, social, culture, international relations and so forth. These rules come from the Quran (the Words of Allah and the Muslims' Holy Book), Hadith (sayings, explanations, clarifications and practical examples by the prophet) and consensus opinions of Islamic scholars. To give an example, in Islam there is no such thing as the separation of religion and politics. If we Muslims do this, it means that politics is Godless, that is, in our political behaviours and actions, there is no consideration of halal (lawful) and haram, good or sinful acts and heaven and hell. This is against the teachings of Islam. For us Muslims, Islam - a religion that comes from God - is supreme in that it rules our life, not the other way round. It should rule all our affairs in life, no exception.

Now, we present our view.

Islamic culture and Arab culture are two different things. One who says that Arab culture is not necessarily Islamic is indeed right as it is not necessarily free from haram and syirik elements. For example, belly dancing is not Islamic but it is an Arabic dance. So are cultures and traditions of the non-Arab Muslims.

The Malay culture and traditions, especially because of their Hindu roots, are no exception. It is therefore incumbent upon the Muslims, regardless of their racial origins, to follow the culture of Islam in their life. That means to clean their cultures of un-Islamic elements. What is Islamic culture then? The answer is quite straight forward. All cultures are Islamic when they conform to the tenets of Islam.

Cleaning process

Historically, the Malays, since they knew religion, were originally Hindus. Only since the 13th or early 14th century they took Islam as their religion. Since then, the process of 'cleaning Malay culture of un-Islamic elements' has been going on but somehow, some of those elements remain and others keep slipping in. The cleaning process will continue. With the revival of Islam, the process will intensify. Values - old and new - associated with the Malays that are un-Islamic will eventually go as their understanding of the religion and its significance grows deeper. The Malay Muslims want makyong, dikir barat, wayang kulit and other forms of cultural and art expressions that are free of un-Islamic elements. So, if there is 'the rejection of many ancient Malay traditions and rituals considered un-Islamic', it does not mean that the Malays are neglecting their culture as claimed.

On the contrary, they love their culture and in a dynamic way, they are bringing their cultural and art life into conformity with Islam - the haram and syirik elements must go. This shouldn't be misunderstood. Another misunderstanding is on the issue of wearing the kopiah, serban and jubbah. Muslims everywhere have been adorning these since time immemorial. They wear them when praying, in classrooms, at special functions such as weddings or when celebrating the hari raya. Some even wear them all the time.

Like the sarong and baju Melayu, kopiah, serban and jubbah have always been part of the attire of Muslims in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore. They even combined the kopiah with Western clothes and baju Melayu. In fact, history told us that when Ibnu Batuta (a renowned Muslim traveller) visited Acheh in the 15th century (8th Hijrah), the Sultan of Acheh presented him with three pieces of serban showing that serban had already come to be accepted as a Malay tradition then. Therefore, to say that the Malays have abandoned their traditional dress in favour of Arab garbs is not true.

The coming of Islam to this region had indeed enriched the Malay culture as Islam and Muslims have a rich cultural heritage. As we can see today, Malays and other Muslims who come to pray at the mosques are in different attires and they are free to put on any kind of attires so long as they do not expose their aurat.

Following the prophet

There is no such thing as a specific Islamic dress. What is incumbent upon the Muslims is to dress decently, that is, not to reveal body parts that are considered aurat. Dresses of any styles which conform to this dress code are indeed Islamic. So, ketayap, serban and jubbah are all Islamic attire. So are baju Melayu with songkok and shirts and long pants and three-piece suits. Hence, to say that "some Malays are more Arab than the Arabs themselves" is not funny. Nevertheless, we agree that "putting on the kopiah, serban and jubbah does not make one more Muslim."

How do we know what is in their soul? But, to this one must add that some Malays are more western than westerners themselves and a Malay who puts on a three-piece suit and necktie in the blazing afternoon sun will not make him English.Ironically, nobody questions when the Malays come to work and pray in

Western clothes.

Those Malay Muslims who wear serban and jubbah regularly, do so for the love of Prophet Muhamad (SAW) as there is a Hadith that says that Allah gives handsome reward to those who follow the traditions of the prophet. Serban and jubbah were the regular attires of the prophet and his companions and also great Islamic scholars. As rightly said by Johan Jaafar, "Culture is about acceptability by a society." So, if this is the case, what could be wrong with wearing serban and jubbah then? It is not so much about 'Arabisation' as claimed but this is about preserving what have come to be part of Malay Muslim traditions and cultural heritage.

There was also a call to define "what forms of art forms are against the tenets of Islam."

Well, a straight forward answer is any form of cultural and art expressions and traditions - Arab or non-Arab - that promote indecency (maksiat) are against the tenets of Islam. To a Muslim, moderate or otherwise, a maksiat is a maksiat. Muslims were thought that syirik is a big sin and a Muslim who committed syirik and did not repent will not enter paradise. Hence, Malay Muslim and culture and arts must be free from haram and syirik elements.

Misplaced view

Hence, to regard "the Arabization of Malays and the cleansing of Malay cultural elements deemed un-Islamic" as a 'real threat' is a misplaced view. The Arab and non-Arab Muslims elsewhere are cleaning their culture of un-Islamic elements. This is part of the Islamic revivalism that is sweeping the Islamic world today. After all, the prophet didn't totally discard the jahiliyyah traditions, he merely cleansed them of haram and syirik elements. Of course, the clear-cut cases were different matters.

It should be understood that Malay Muslims are part of the global Muslim society - minus the 'terrorists' - and like it or not, this is where the Malay Muslims should belong and identify themselves. There is no way for the Malays to totally disengage themselves from the Arab influence as well as the influence of the non-Arab Muslim cultures and traditions, just like the Christians, Hindus and Buddhists and their respective global communities.

After all, Muslims from around the globe converge to Mecca and Medina annually - they meet, interact, exchange views and integrate, culturally and spiritually. The Malay Muslims have every right to be associated with the Islamic civilisation, past and present and its rich cultural heritage and the current Islamic revivalism. Of course, they must also not forget that they are part of the regional and global community.

Finally, in our view what we need to really examine is the damaging influence of hedonism and the so-called 'yellow culture' on our society today, especially the youngsters. These cultures certainly defy many tenets of Malay culture and traditions, and also the culture and traditions of other Malaysians. For that matter, they also defy the tenets of world religions. They have caused irreparable cultural damage.

The phenomenal rise in crimes, sex-related offences, exploitation of women, homosexuality, lesbianism, obscenity, vulgarity and moral decadence in our society certainly has something to do with - besides other bigger factors - the uncontrolled spread of these cultures. Hence, the real threat to the Malay culture is hedonism and yellow culture, not 'Arabization'.

Unfortunately, nobody seems to question or care. Isn't this an irony?

------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr Rosli Yaakop holds a Ph D in Economics from the University of Wisconsin,

USA. He is an economic columnist with Harakah and currently Negeri Sembilan

PAS Commissioner while his wife Anumma M Bawanater is a bank officer.

______

feed-back: e-mail me at mylias@tm.net.my

-----------------------------------------

All these articles I publish in this blog have not got permission to be printed by the authors. Should the any of the author happens to read the article, and should he/she wishes that I delete the article, I shall do so immediately.

posted by: mylias at May 22, 2004 23:24 | link | comments |

The Real Malay

Before this article I blogged a prose on "Melayu" in Bahasa Malaysia. Now I am going to blog an article by a White Man familiar with the Malays, and this was written at the end of the 19th Century or early 20th Century..

The Real Malay

by Sir Frank Swettenham

http://www.sabrizain.demon.co.uk/malaya/malays2.htm

To begin to understand the Malay you must live in his country, speak his language, respect his faith, be interested in his interests, humour his prejudices, sympathise with and help him in trouble, and share his pleasures and possibly his risks. Only thus can you. hope to win his confidence. Only through that confidence can you hope to understand the inner man, and this knowledge can therefore only come to those who have the opportunity and use it.

So far the means of studying Malays in their own country (where alone they are seen in their true character) have fallen to few Europeans,, and a very small proportion of them have shown an inclination get into the, hearts of the people. There are a hundred thousand Malays in Perak and some more in other parts of the Peninsula; and the white man, whose interest in the race is strong enough, may not only win confidence but the devotion that is ready to give life itself in the cause of friendship. The Scripture says: "There is no greater thing than this," and in the end of the nineteenth century that is a form of friendship all too rare.Fortunately this. is a thing you cannot buy, but to gain it is worth some effort.

One of the architects of British Malaya, Frank Swettenham arrived in the Malay Peninsula in 1871 and, in subsequent years, became appointed the British Resident in Selangor and Perak, Resident General of the Federated Malay States and, finally, Governor of the Staraits Settlement and High Commissioner of the Malay States in 1901. This was in no small part due to his keen interest in the country and its people - he was known as one who lived with them, spoke their language and respected their faith, in spite of his own English prejudices.

The real Malay is short, thick-set. well.-built man, with straight black hair, a dark. brown complexion, thick nose and lips, and bright intelligent eyes. His disposition is generally kindly, his manners are polite and easy. Never cringing, he is reserved with strangers and suspicious, though he does not show it. He is courageous and trustworthy in the discharge of an undertaking; but he is extravagant, fond of borrowing money. and very slow in repaying it.

He is a good talker, speaks in parables, quotes proverbs and wise saws, has a strong sense of humour, and is very fond of a good joke. He takes an interest in the affairs of his neighbours and is consequently a gossip. He is a Muhammadan and a fatalist but he is also very superstitious. He never drinks intoxicants, he is rarely an opium-smoker. But he is fond of gambling,, cock-fighting,' and kindred sports. He is by nature a sportsman; catches and tames elephants; is a skilful fisherman, and thoroughly at home in a boat. Above all things, he is conservative to a degree, is proud and fond of country and his people, venerates his ancient customs and traditions, fears his Rajas, and has a proper respect for constituted authority - while he looks askance on all innovations, and will resist their sudden introduction. But if he has time to examine them carefully, and they are not thrust upon him, he is willing to be convinced of their advantage. At the same time he is a good imitative learner, and, when he has energy and ambition enough for the task, makes a good mechanic. He is however lazy to a degree, is without method or order of any kind. knows no regularity even in the hours of his meals, and considers time as of no importance. His house is untidy, even dirty but he bathes twice a day, and is very fond of personal adornment in the shape of smart clothes.

A Malay is intolerant of insult or slight; it is something that to him should be wiped out in blood. He will brood over a real or fancied stain on his honour until he is possessed by the desire for revenge. If he cannot wreak it on the offender, he will strike out at the first human being that comes in his way, male or female, old or young. It is this state of blind fury, this vision of blood, that produces the amok. The Malay has often be called treacherous. I question whether he deserves the reproach more then other men. He is courteous and expects courtesy in return, and he understands only one method of avenging personal insults.

The spirit of the clan is also strong in him. He acknowledges the necessity of carrying out, even blindly, the orders of his hereditary, chief, while he will protect his own relatives at all costs and make their quarrel his own.The giving of gifts by Raja to subject or subject to ruler, is a custom now falling into desuetude, but it still prevails on the occasion of the accession of a Raja, the appointment of high officers, a. marriage, a circumcision ear-piercing or similar ceremony. As with other Eastern people, hospitality is to the Malay a sacred duty fulfilled by high and low, rich and poor alike.

Though the. Malay is an Islam by profession, and would suffer crucifixion sooner than deny his faith, he is not a bigot; indeed, his tolerance compares favourably with that of the professing Christian, and, when he thinks of these matters at all, he believes that the absence of hypocrisy is the beginning of religion. He has a sublime faith in God, the immortality of the soul, a heaven of ecstatic earthly delights, and a hell of punishments, which every individual is so confident will not be his own portion that the idea of its existence presents no terrors.Christian missionaries of all denominations have apparently abandoned the hope of his conversion.

In his youth, the Malay boy is often beautiful ... a thing of wonderful eyes, eyelashes, and eyebrows, with a far-away expression of sadness and solemnity, as though he had left some better place for a compulsory exile on earth. Those eyes, which are extraordinary large and clear, seem filled with a pained wonder at all they see here, and they give the impression of a constant effort to open ever wider and wider in search of something they never find. Unlike the child of Japan, this cherub never looks as if his nurse had forgotten to wipe his nose. He is treated with elaborate respect if he so desires, eats when he is hungry, has no toys, is never whipped, and hardly ever cries.

Until he is fifteen or sixteen, this atmosphere of a better world remains about him. He is often studious even, and duly learns to read the Koran in a language he does not understand.Then, well then, from sixteen to twenty-five or later he is to be avoided. He takes his pleasure, sows his wild oats like youths of a higher civilisation, is extravagant, open-handed, gambles, gets into debt, run away with his neighbour's wife and generally asserts himself. Then follows a period when he either adopts this path and pursues it, or, more commonly, he weans himself gradually from an indulgence that has not altogether realised his expectation, and if, under the advice of older men, he seeks and obtains a position of credit and usefulness in society from which he begins at last to earn some profit, he will from the age of forty, probably develop into an intelligent man of miserly and rather grasping habits with some one little pet indulgence of no very expensive kind.

The Malay girl-child is not usually so attractive in appearance as the boy, and less consideration is shown to her. She runs wild till the time comes for investing her in a garment, that is to say when she is about five years old. From then, she is taught to help in the house and kitchen, to sew, to read and write, perhaps to work in the padi field, but she is kept out of the way of all strange menkind. When fifteen or sixteen, she is often almost interesting; very shy, very fond of pretty clothes and ornaments, not uncommonly much fairer in complexion than the Malay man, with small hands and feet, a happy smiling face, good teeth, and wonderful eyes and eyebrows - the eyes of the little Malay boy. The Malay girl is proud of a wealth of straight, black hair, of a spotless olive complexion, of the arch of her brow - "like a one-day-old moon" - of the curl of her eyelashes, and of the dimples in cheek or chin.

Unmarried girls are taught to avoid all men except those nearly related to them. Until marriage, it is considered unmaidenly for them to raise their eyes or take any part or interest in their surroundings when men are present. This leads to an affectation of modesty which, however over-strained, deceives nobody.After marriage, a woman gets a considerable amount of freedom which she naturally values. In Perak a man, who tries to shut his womankind up and prevent their intercourse with others and a participation in the fetes and pleasures of Malay society, is looked upon as a jealous, ill-conditioned person. Malays are extremely particular about questions of rank and birth, especially when it comes to marriage, and mesalliances, as understood in the West, are with them very rare.

The general characteristics of Malay women, especially those of gentle birth, are powers of intelligent conversation, quickness in repartee, a strong sense of humour and an instant appreciation of the real meaning of those hidden sayings which are hardly even absent from their conversation. They are fond of reading such literature as their language offers, and they use uncommon words and expressions, the meanings of which are hardly known to men. For the telling of secrets, they have secret modes of speech not understanded of the people.

They are generally amiable in disposition, mildly - sometimes fiercely - jealous, often extravagant and, up to about the age of forty, evince increasing fondness for Jewellery and smart clothes. In these latter days they are developing a pretty taste for horses, carriages, and whatever conduces to luxury and display, though, in their houses, there are still a rugged simplicity and untidiness, absolutely devoid of all sense of order.

A Malay is allowed by law to have as many as four wives, to divorce them, and replace them. If he is well off and can afford so much luxury, he usually takes advantage of the power to marry more than one wife, to divorce and secure successors; but he seldom undertakes the responsibility of four wives at one time. The woman on her part can, and of ten does, obtain a divorce from her husband. Written conditions of marriage, "settlements" of a kind, are common with people in the upper classes, and the law provides for the custody of children, division of property, and so on. The ancient maiden lady is an unknown quantity, so is the Malay public woman; and, as there is no society bugbear, the people lead lives that are almost natural.

There are no drunken husbands, no hobnail boots, and no screaming viragoes - because a word would get rid of them. All. forms of madness, mania, and brain-softening are extremely rare.

The Malay has ideas on the subject of marriage, ideas born of his infinite experience. He has even soared into regions of matrimonial philosophy, and returned with such crumbs of lore as never fall to the poor monogamist.

I am not going to give away the secrets of the life behind the curtain; if I wished to do so I might trip over difficulties of expression; but in spite of the Malay's reputation for bloodthirstiness, in spite of (or because of, whichever you please) the fact that he is impregnated with the doctrines of Islam, in spite of his sensitive honour and his proneness to revenge, and in spite of his desire to keep his own women (when young and attractive) away from the prying eyes of other men, he yet holds this uncommon faith, that if he has set his affections on a woman, and for any reason he is unable at once to make her his own, he cares not to how many others she allies herself provided she becomes his before time has robbed her of her physical attractions.

His reason is this. He says (certainly not to a stranger, rarely even to his Malay friends, but to himself) "if, after all this experience, she like me best, I have no fear that she will wish to go further afield. All Malay girls marry before they are twenty, and the woman who has only known one husband, however attractive he may be, will come sooner or later to the conviction that life with another promises new and delightful experiences not found in the society of the first man to whom destiny and her relatives have chosen to unite her. Thus some fool persuades her that in his worship and passion she will find the World's Desire, and it is only after perhaps a long and varied experience that she realises that, having started for a voyage on the ocean, she finds herself seated at the bottom of a dry well'.

It is possible that thus she becomes acquainted with truth.

posted by: mylias at May 22, 2004 13:35 | link | comments |
malay1

Melayu

The language of this prose is Bahasa Malaysia, which is the original language of this article. Its about the Malays, what they are, how they are and what are their ways of life like, their beliefs and philosophies.

Melayu

oleh Usman Awang

Melayu itu orang yang bijaksana

Nakalnya bersulam jenaka

Budi bahasanya tidak terkira

Kurang ajarnya tetap santun

Jika menipu pun masih bersopan

Bila mengampu bijak beralas tangan.

Melayu itu berani jika bersalah

Kecut takut kerana benar,

Janji simpan di perut

Selalu pecah di mulut,

Biar mati adat

Jangan mati anak.

Melayu di tanah Semenanjung luas maknanya:

Jawa itu Melayu, Bugis itu Melayu

Banjar juga disebut Melayu, Minangkabau

memang Melayu,

Keturunan Acheh adalah Melayu,

Jakun dan Sakai asli Melayu,

Arab dan Pakistani, semua Melayu

Mamak dan Malbari serap ke Melayu

Malah mua'alaf bertakrif Melayu

Dalam sejarahnya

Melayu itu

About me

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happy days

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malay1

Melayu

About me

Recent comments

Links

Archives

Happy Days.

posted by: mylias at May 29, 2004 14:25 | link | comments | happy days

Is Malaysia civilise?

posted by: mylias at May 28, 2004 08:28 | link | comments |

Arabizing the Malays

posted by: mylias at May 26, 2004 16:22 | link | comments |

Malaysian dress for comfort?

posted by: mylias at May 25, 2004 21:44 | link | comments |

More on Malays

posted by: mylias at May 23, 2004 13:02 | link | comments | malay

Arabic Malays - a misplaced view

posted by: mylias at May 22, 2004 23:24 | link | comments |

The Real Malay

posted by: mylias at May 22, 2004 13:35 | link | comments | malay1

Melayu

posted by: mylias at May 29, 2004 14:25 | link | comments |
happy days

posted by: mylias at May 23, 2004 13:02 | link | comments |
malay

posted by: mylias at May 22, 2004 13:35 | link | comments |
malay1