6/5/13 TROPICALISM AND NATIONAL RECOCILIATION.....

Let me take all of you loyal readers to the concept of Tropical Forest environment, which in the context of this article I would like to term it as Tropicalism. Indeed, when creating this world, Allah had purposely made the global vegetation into five main distinct categories as schematically depicted on the map insertion to the left, ie Tundra (Ice land),Temperate, Desert, Savannah, and Tropical. Definitely, there are also some grey areas which man had classified into various other sub-categories such as the Ever Green and Deciduous Tropical which are also known as Tropical (eg in Borneo) and Sub-Tropical (eg. Southern Thailand). For the purpose of this article, let me just focus on the diverse nature of the tropical vegetation, which in some instances being called the Rain Forest. In fact it is through the creation of the moderate tropic elements of the world climate that surround 23.5 degree to the North and South of the globe equatorial longitude that had made such sector of the globe as Tropical. The temperature, sunlight, rainfall, wind and humidity regimes of the region are considered the most moderate as compared to all the other geo-ecological zoning that Allah had created. With such world order, the tropical vegetation is considered the most diverse of the whole world vegetation. From the smallest plant that man's eyes could nakedly see such as the mosses to the gigantic hard wood in the deep mountainous forest, all are available in the tropical forest system. Not only the terrestrial plants are greatly diverse, but the aquatic flora are equally countless in species. With the diverse flora composition, such then gives the best support system to the huge varietal of fauna inhabitants both on land and at sea. This diverse nature is what I termed as Tropicalism. As an ecosystem, they then are supportive to each other existence. In the simplest sense, Allah had created the tropical system as a sign of His favor for the existence of Diversity for Unity. This Unity in Diversity is the concept of Tropicalism which I believe is what Allah want us to emulate once we are here, when we choose to be here and live here in the course of our lives. In the Malay's proverb, this is what being said as: Di situ bumi dipijak, di situlah langit dijunjung literally meaning one must hold to the sky where one stand or let dance to the music.

(2) Now then let us revisited our last 5th of May, National 13th General Election (GE13) which had sparked a fever. Purposely I used the term fever with a view for a possibility to gain a healing process the fastest. It is now widely speculated and feared that the last GE13, whereby the Chinese had sort of making in block walk-in tp the opposition DAP party as against the MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and SAPP of the National Front alliance. The block walkout of the MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and SAPP is being seen either as a rejection to such components and or to the BN led Government. Either way, such outright rejection is speculated to created an unhealthy political system to the Country. The last 1969, Black 13th May historical backdrop seem to hovering around many heads in Country. But in fact the last GE13 fever was caused by just few unnecessary elements. Firstly and the paramount is the greed of power among some contestants and their alliances. The greed had made their mind becoming too irrational that had forced their bodies to work to the extra limit that in turned made themselves becoming too exhaustive, which then caused them to be very much susceptible to simple infection. This same group of people are now probably are fearing for multiple infection. Secondly is the missed guidance or deception of the public. The general public, being massive bombarded with massive unclear truthful facts, were caught in confusion. In the state of heavy confusion, again the public are in danger of easily susceptible to all sort of mongering.  To me, in fact the public and those some who were contesting in greed to be the leaders are now in the state of fever. Since its is a fever, medically nothing is serious about it. With paracetamol and some antibiotic prescription by the medical doctor(s), would soon cool the temperature and thus makes the whole nation to role back to work. But who would than be that medical doctor(s)?

(3) What would then be the co-relationship of the GE13 fever and the Tropicalism. Let me put it this way. Botanically and geo-physically, Allah had made Malaysia as a tropic state. To me, His wisdom is that we can't stand as homogenous entity. Tropic state means we have to be diverse. Did He not had said, If I want, everybody will be Muslim or puposely I created diversity so as to enable you to know each others. As an illustration, let me present such a notion from the botanical perpective. Agriculture-wise, we should had remembered, in the 1960s, rubber was one of our economic domain. RISDA was the world champion of the crop and its development system. It was initially introduced by Ridley from the Amazon tropic. Though of the same climatic origin, and agronomically it strive well, but economically it collapsed due to the discovery of the petro-chemical industries in 1970s. Is it not a meant whereby Allah just don't want this country to be rubberised homogenously? Again in 1980s, cocoa was widely introduced and we became the world best producer. MARDI, then Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB) was the world champion for the crop and its development system. Cocoa plantations were established nation-wide, but in late 1980s, the crop was abandoned due to pod boral disease and price collapse. I remember, in 1984 the price fethed to RM4.50/kg but by 1986 it plunged to RM2.20/kg. Again Allah by His Law of Nature prohibited us from homogenizing His very creation, the tropic. Accordingly in Sarawak in particular, pepper due to it best price were planted like crazy, but in mid 1980s, the crops was devastated by foot rot fungi. The same happened to the large citrus farms in Samarahan-Asajaya.  Thus in 1980s, oil palm, which is native to the Amazon tropic not ours, made a great headway into our agriculture system. Today, our MPOB is the world leader for oil palm development. But with the on going instability in the Middle East and possible in the South China Sea, plus the current critical labour issues and the current funny climatic changes, would oil palm at the current CPO price be a lucrative plantation enterprise? Accordingly, with the much protective nature of the Western Agriculture Enterprises, would oil palm be the world acceptable dominant vegetable oil? Indeed, the simple message from Allah is very clear, let survived with diversity. His near-to-nose model is the Tropical System that we Malaysians are living within right now. It is diverse. It diversity makes it tropic. It stand unique and special as such.

(4) Let have a close look at the second illustrating photo above, which depicting a quadrate or micro-tropical system. There are the soft bushy ferns and shrub palmae on the ground. Then there are that tony rattans as climber among the tall standing trees. From a distance, this quadrate or micro-system of the tropic look green and shooting. Doesn't it resembles the diverse Malaysian communities? It look great in the eyes of a distance standing person, eg the tourist. But as one looks microscopically, then only one realises how much divergence of personalities it represents. Allah had said, 1,403 years ago, at the chaotic uncivilized state and possible great destruction of the Arabic tribes, that ...please walk on this earth, and there you will see so much knowledge and guidance that He had assembled to guide us to the true path, if we care to think..... The fern, though it is soft, shrubby, yet it is the favorite of the deers, that give us great beef for us to feed. The broad leaf palmae is great to bake the glutinous rice. The rattan, though is tony, blood spilling to handle, is the best to hold those tall trees to provide greater strength against the strong wind blow. The palmae and rattan are natural buffer that Allah had created to protect the survival of the fern from totally being graze by the deers or related hervivora. Accordingly, the tall trees provide the needed shade for the ferns and shrub palmae, as well as the support to reach to the light for the rattans. Thus if one analyses those on one-to-one basis or in isolation of the greater Allah's wisdom, then one definitely will conclude that Rain Forest is an antagonistic individual system, yet as a Forest it stands as a true harmony and integrated system that Allah wants us to emulate. A tree in an opened field, is an easy prey to even to our sneezing blow.

(5) As I noted below, in about 1979 or 1980, I went to see this movie titled Being There acted by the famous Peter Seller. The movie had long stuck into my mind without a clear resaon. But while writing this article, it seem such an encounter for about 30 years ago had it own merit. The movie was about an abnormal man who loves to stay home alone and keep himself glued to the TV. He enjoyed copying the acts of certain characters of the TV show which made him able to act as one of the Intelligent Man around. Apart from his TV crazy liking, he also love gardening. Accordingly, at that time, the American Economy in bad shape. There was no growth, and the President was in dire need of a walkout advice. The Gardener, whom was mistaken as the Intelligent Person was called to provide his view. His advice was nothing but about his true gardening experience. To him a plant growth is not an issue of serious contention as long as the roots are not severely damage. By such, as Spring and Summer comes, the growth will again spring and then followed by the death as Fall and Winter come. Thus his proponent was growth is a matter of seasonal phenomena nothing to be worried, and just a matter of time, it will reemerge.

(6) Thus as a matter of fact, from Being There which is now, I would say Being Here in this humid, hot, windy tropical environment, if we could just take a cool step to accept the spirit of Unity in Diversity as portrayed by our tropic domain, there won't be any feared of political problem due to the rejection of the Chinese masses either to the MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and SAPP. As long as we could keep the tropical forest intact, as long as the roots are not severely damaged, all the forest system will flourish. In the last GE13, the world should congratulate all the Malaysians for being matured despite all those monkey noises. We walked the GE13 peacefully and successfully. To me, the roots were not even touched and thus the tropical forest is intact. Our Economic Foundation are intact, and as such we must now work hard rolling back. Najib, shouldn't be in the panic on the so call to the need of the National Reconciliation.  Let the Chinese take their sweet time to decide on how they would like to come-in for the Nation Building struggle. Najib should just focus on his BN PRU13 AkuJanji. He should just hold to the root of his faith particularly in the area of the Islamic Administrative Pillars of which is to be just, fair and clean to all of  his subjects and deeds and keep hard to his promises. His simple majority win, must keep him to such roots and course. InsyaAllah, He will comes to his help.

Kuching, Sarawak
8 May, 2013

Note:

Couple of months back, my mind keep trying to remember an interesting movie which I have seen, may be with my crazy friend Wenceles Toyad whom I have lost track. I tried hard to remember the actor name. Only today, after about past 0130 hrs, I recalled him as Peter Seller. Thus, I hit the Google to list all his movies, and here I found this Being There. The movie indeed inspired me to really major in Botany in 1980 and SubhannaAllah, hopefully by Allah wisdom, this urge of recalling the movie is strongly connected to what we as a nation is now looking for an answer. Please watch Clip2 of the series for a better conclusion.