4/9/10 FATE OF MALAYS KAMPONG FOLKS!

This year Aidil Fitri is a bit different to me. Firstly, very seldom I took my leave before and after Aidil Fitri. I hate doing nothing especially on Ramadhan. This year, seven days before and after Aidil Fitri, purposely I took my leave. Even I'm planning to go for a much longer leave immediately after this. In my long service, I believe I have outstanding leave of almost 300 days. For the last 14 days leave, I stayed mostly in my once very isolated Kampung. This time, I really want to enjoy the serene Kampung lives that I have missed for too long.

(2) My stay in the Kampung this time seems very much relaxing. Despite I'm no more being crazy going and doing all those hard works in the farm, the piles of books, the accessibility to the internet, and keroncong songs and instrumentals that I have collected made my stay becoming very meaningful. The sound of the birds, the breezing wind blow through the oil palm and all sort of fruit trees surrounding my home, the whistling of the crickets, and sleeping with all my bedrooms windows widely opened night through gave me a rejuvenating feeling.

(3) The early morning and late afternoon is always a pleasant soothing mood that one would never get in town. Better if it is after heavy rainfall. My opening and closing of the day is always marked by feeding all those Kalui, Koi, and Patin that loyally waiting to be fed. I would believe, this year my Aidil Fitri is a real naturalist (Alami in Indonesian term)ecosystem.

(4) This couple of days, I have been browsing CheDet blog. I gone through many of his old and latest articles. I gone through lots of comments either in support or other wise. I really have time to do so. I enjoy doing so. And in fact, I was searching for ideas to write for my blogs. Few loyal readers have been wondering, guessing probably something has gone wrong with me since I was a bit lagging over the past couple of months. Well, to those kin readers, I'm fine, just that my mind is still been filled up with lots of urgent matters that I must catch up first.

(5) Now in fact I'm figuring, a guy like me who is a workaholic as some termed it, could easily changed to be a bit 'complacent' to this happy and easy Kampung life. If such thought sustain in my mind, I'm worried I might just tendered my early retiring refuge and distance myself from all those 'urban harassment'. Nonetheless, after second thought, I would now love to share with all, how I believe why our Malays Kampung Folks look so relax, nothing to worry them, and taking life as it is.

(6) I believe as a developmentalist (modernist), getting ourselves to really understand the underlying thought and feeling of the Kampung Folks is very important. This would then enable us to bring much gainfull improvement to their livelihood. In fact in many cases, from their perspective, they are very happy as they are. Nonetheless from the developmentalist point of view, the outsider views, they should have better lives than what they are having. Anthropologist and Sociologist tend to argue alot about changing or not changing their lifestyle. The academic polymic bring us in fact to nowhere!

(7) In reality, the Malays are 'cool (not cold) blooded' people. Their respond to many things are always lukeworm especially when it involves something that they are not used to. The presence of their proverb: Hangat-hangat tahi ayam, sigified my notion. In another word, they would prefer to stay at peace with their 'easy and happy' sphere. They are not risk takers. The reasons for such an attitude are multitudes.

(8) Historically, the Malays had been much betrayed by their leaders. Again their proverb: Harapkan pagar, pagar membawa rebah, signified such. The Malays seem to have lost their faith on the sincerity of their leaders, be it at the Kampung or National level. Once they were being betrayed, it take long time to make them forget and forgive. This, could be seen, for instance when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (AAB) took over the National political leadership from DMM, whereby prior to his takeover, he was portrayed as Mr. Clean, 'a leader with the people at heart', and all sort of great Malays and Islamic values. Nonetheless, the moment he was at the realm of the authority, everything seem blues! The Malays felt betrayed, they revolted, and Najib the present Prime Minister is struggling like wild boar to gain back their trust. Many cases of: Musang berbulu ayam, definitely had taught the Malays to take on 'lukewarm' attitude, to the extent that they becoming too cautious that most of the time made them missed the plane, just because: Sesal dahulu pendapatan, sesal kemudian tidak berguna!

(9) Kampung life is always very safe. In my Kampung for instance, I could easily sleep the whole night with all my bedrooms and even the doors wide open (single storey home). The surrounding neighbors seem to care for each others. They are mostly blood or at least by marriage related. Brotherhood and commune lifestyle are strong. Most common, their socio-economic standing are almost equal and average. Nothing much to excite them. Their daily lives are routines. Not much new thing really infuse into their daily lives. Steep competition, especially in gaining greater material advantage usually being avoided. Statement such as: kayapun bukan harta boleh dibawa ke kubur, had great influence over their view on capitalism. Basically life is so routine, and worryless.

(10) Leaving them as they are would be very damaging to the nation. We can't have the majority of the national population in the state of status quo. High population growth among them would make their socio-economic backward standing becoming a national threat, a time bomb. Let us not forget the history of the South Africa, and even now in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Southern Thai, Southern Philippines, Bosnia, and even in German that had sparked the WWII.

(11) A comment made by one of the loyal reader of CheDet Blog, strike my mind. The Malays, remain complacent due to two things:

(a) Firstly, their religious practice had differed from what had been originally introduced by those early Islam missionaries. In those olden day, the Islam missionaries were traders, explorers, entrepreneurs, etc. They made themselve very accessible to their subjects. They were opened, they didn't secluded themselves. They were not merely preaching the spiritual deeds of Islam, but they really blend those spiritual deeds with the need to build the true strength of the Moslem. They really developed both their material and spiritual strengths in order to be seen superior to the natives, and thus facilitating them to gain the trust of the natives that Islam would give them better spiritual and socio-economic standing. That was how, the Arabs, Indians and Chineses Muslim misionaries were able to win the heart and mind of the Malays, the native, to embrace Islam in those olden days. Today, I would quetion, what socio-economic standing do our ustaz, ustazah, ulamas, etc over the general Moslem. Even those Imam (leaders) in the Kampung are even poorer than their makmum (subjects). Thus, how on earth are these people could be the role model of Islam, a noble religion that could make the Moslem different and superior? Basically, the Malays don't really have a good role model of a truely great Moslem person among themselves.

(b) Secondly, I would say, the educated urban Malays are too busy with their official duties and success. They becoming having less affinity to their society. They have been too tired to take care of their societal problems. They have not much time for their society, their works had taken away their interest over the society. They tend to be more occupied pursuing their individualistic goal. These are the groups that occupied the various influential positions in the various agencies, corporate bodies, and even the NGOs. Their Malays struggle had changed from the struggle for the whole society to the struggle for certain quarters closely related to themselves. Thus, I would say, the principle of: Ikan pulang ke lubok, sirih pulang ke gagang, pinang pulang ke tampuk, slowly die with the degrading of the Malays noble social structures. The average Malays took the the attitude of not looking for them as their saviors or role models.

(12) In sort, at the spiritual level, their religious leaders remain religiously great but not truely Islamic great, while their successfull urban Malays had lost their root touch, thus I believe, the general average Malays feel that they are just 'like coconut husk (sabut) drifting in the river, up and down it goes, all depending to the fate determine by the tide'.

(13) Probably now, the so called successful Malays, be they originated from the rural or urban areas, it is good that now we should (I'm reminding myself as well) be working to be a true great Moslem, not only spiritually but material as well. We must make ourselves be accesible to our society and all the men and women of Allah. Let us now, work hard to be the real role model of a truely successful Moslem.

(14) Our people, the Malays they are easily convince if they see the true honest and successfull struggle of their own people. To them seeing is believing. I believe that the way that we should gain the respect of our people and that the way that we would be honour by Allah: being honest, firm, dedicated, and dignified.

Terasi, Pendam, Simunjan
16 Sept., 2010