5/1/10 A BYSTANDER US....

Today, though initially I want to pay a visit to ISTAC, the Islamic Civilization Research Center in Damansara, and going through their Islamic Publications and Archievals, my feet seem to drag me elsewhere. I got a serious muscle 'pull' that makes my walking pace need to slow down. Nonetheless, my mind was not interested to give in. I made a nice stroll along Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail. Somewhere, at the edge of Jalan Alur, I met a Thai Massage Place. In 1992, when I have my three months course at AIT Bangkok, on weekly basis I'll rush to Wat Prakaew to have real traditional Thai massage. Today I tried here, and it's not bad. With lots of ''pull, push, and 'lipat'', I begin to realise, that Thai massage is in fact a 'muscle stretching'.

(2) If one visit Jalan Bukit Bintang area, the place had sprouterd with lots of Reflexology Places. Almost all are Chinese-based.

(3) If we could recalled back about 40-50 years ago, one of the unique Malay tradition is massage. Today, despite 'massage' seem to be one of the key element of our tradition, it had die off with the evolution of time. Today, no more, young kids had to massage their parents or elders. In those days, massage and 'pijak' is part of the family get together routine. Equally important, pre and post-natal 'massage' treatment which keep Malays women 'fit' have much been abandon.

(4) Traditional Malay and or even Javanese massage is rather different than the Japanese, Chinese, Turkist, or even Swedish massage. Bali massage had mixed up between Malay-Javanese-Hindu body treatment. In most case, massaging is just a body warm up or stretching, while the Malay-Javanese focus on 'refreshing the alignment of vains and muscles'. I have a strong believe, the traditional Malay-Javanese massage give more refreshing feel since the focus is more to improve blood circulation and healing muscle disorder.

(5) Despite those excellent traditional Malay massage features, right here in the Malay Land, the Malays had lost their ground to even commercialize their tradition. We are just bystander, we can't capitalise even our own strength. Why? For sure, due to our preception and narrow minded attitude: massage..."haram", but we never want to make it "halal". We are so expert in don't but not do!

(6) Along the way from Bukit Bintang to the Trivillion, the Arabic food outlets are growing well: Naab, Tajine, Babylon, Tarbush and Marakesh are the few that have shown great acceptance by the Arabic tourists and probably the students. Everytime, I came down to KL, definitely I would drop to any one of those. Most important, my observation, the Captain (manager) either local, Bangladesh, or Arab. The waiters/resses, are mostly Bangladesh, Nepal, or Indonesian.

(7) But as one steps out of these outlets (especially at night), we would be recieved by: "Jam bang!, Handphone bang!,..." again our young Malays, selling all sort. Also flourishing, street young Malay artists. Well, they seem very entreprenizing, but what sadden me, they are just collecting 'the dust' out of the 'blast'. Not least, lots of Malay bystanders. I'm real sick to see all these, we, the Tuan, everywhere loosing our ground yet...too many of us love to be called: Tuan....Tuan for what, being a looser and bystander!...

Kuala Lumpur
13 January, 2010