Saturday, June 14, 2008

Guru Azlan Ghanie and Silat

"Journalist Azlan Ghanie wants to make Malaysia the martial arts center of the world. In order to achieve this, he produces a martial arts magazine and teaches his own brand of silat."



Seni Beladiri Editor and the Guru of Seni Silat Melayu Keris Lok 9, Azlan Ghanie was featured in The Star Online today.

I had the chance of meeting him four years ago in KL when I participated in one of the many seminars organized by the Silat Melayu Keris Lok 9, the "Seminar Pahlawan Melayu Pahang, Adat & Adab Keris", which was then officiated by the Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Pahang, Dato' Hj. Abdul Wahid. I've been meaning to resume my silat practise/training since I graduated from uni three years ago, but sadly due to other commitments and er procrastinations perhaps, it didn't happen til now. :p

Silat: Martial art of Malaysia
..Click to watch the video

On another note, for those Astro History Channel lovers out there like myself, you must've probably watch or at least saw the ads of hit show, 'Human Weapon', co-hosted by Jason Chambers and Bill Duff. The programme recently features the Malay Silat alongside other top martial art disciplines of the world in the programme, i.e. Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Judo and many more. Guru Azlan Ghanie was also interviewed in the show. Four types of Malay silat was introduced, namely the Lian Padukan, Silat Harimau, Seni Keris Lok 9 and the most famous of all, Seni Gayung.

The publicity over Silat on History Channel is definitely a good exposure to the world and to martial arts practitioners, especially. It could probably be one of the greatest publicicty that Silat has ever had in years. What about the "Puteri Gunung Ledang" film? I do enjoy watching the movie, but totally not the silat fighting scenes. Save for the nice bunga and seni intro, the rest of all the fighting scenes in the movie is not silat at all. Sadly, it's like watching kungfu steps but the only different thing is that the fighters are Malay and wearing Malay costumes.

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Friday, June 13, 2008

NST, Pak Lah and Tun Dr. Mahathir

New Straits TimesThe time has finally come for me to say goodbye to New Straits Time (NST). Mom has decided to stop buying NST and has told the newspaper vendor to replace it with The Star. A bit of mixed feelings actually cos this is the paper that I grew up with. Lazarus Rokk, Khalid Redza and few other Sports editors are some of the names which I can still recall since my primary school days in the early 90s.

NST today is no longer the same as during Dato' A. Kadir Jasin's era or the previous Group Editor in Chiefs before him. NST used to have a lot of good columns and articles to read, but not anymore. Save for Johan Jaafar's weekly Saturday column, I don't find any other column worth reading by the rest of the NST columnist, including the writings by the so-called Singaporean agent, Mr. Kalimullah Masheerul Hassan.

The next main factor, is obviously due to their endless attack toward former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir. Never before in the history of NST, for as long as I can remember, that I have seen the paper quoting remarks by opposition leaders, well above other government leaders, in this matter, Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh, week after week hitting at UMNO leaders. I was utterly disgusted at the manner the top editors of NST in publishing their news stories, to the extent that at one time I begin to question, has NST turned into DAP's newspaper or what?

Just a point of note here. To me, whatever happened during Tun's leadership does not have anything to do with the weaknesses of Pak Lah's administration. People might say Pak Lah is merely following the same previous system by Tun Dr. Mahathir. So could it be the fault of the system? I would clearly answer with a big No. Admittedly, it is not 100% perfect, and can never be as such, but even if we do have a perfect system but having a weak and incompetent leadership (read: Abdullah Badawi), it won't mean anything. One thing that I really don't understand is that why Pak Lah don't want to take advice from Tun himself? Tun was the PM for 22 years and obviously he knows a lot of things, but no, Pak Lah prefer to recruit these young 30-something boys, or better known as the 4th floor boys as his advisors.

On the issue of the petrol hike, while I do admit the price of crude oil have sky rocketed for about 400% in the past 3 years, I feel that it is also due to the government's mismanagement of the country's economy that led to the painful petrol hike in 2006, 30 sen increase, and last week, 78 sen. When the petrol was increased 30 sen years ago, we, the rakyat were told that the 4 billion subsidy will be used for public transportation. Fine. Now, questions is, where have all the 4 billion of money being spend into? Do we see any new LRT or KTM commuter trains yet? The public transportation have really gone worse. And then, when Pak Lah announced the 78 sen hike, it was said that the subsidy money will be used for food security. Oh, so what has happened to the previous public transportation plan? Pak Lah clearly doesn't have the vision for Malaysia.

I would rather believe Anwar Ibrahim's worrying statement regarding the opposition's defection plan by Sabahan MPs, this coming September than believing Pak Lah when he said the government will not increase petrol price in future. Somehow though some people might think that Anwar could just be playing politics with his statements, I feel that Anwar couldn't be that stupid enough to jeopardise his political future by "telling lies" to the people about the so-called defection plan. It's like a do-or-die mission for Anwar. If the defection does not take place, nobody would trust him anymore, regardless of what excuses that he can provide. I just hope that it will not happen.

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CMIWS Professors in the news

Bernama: Nation State Concept Will Never Threaten Malay Rights
By Soraya Jamal

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Bernama) -- The nation state concept will never water down or dispute the Malay supremacy as the rights of the Malays is well entrenched in the Constitution.

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM)s senior fellow for the Centre for Media and Information Warfare Studies (CMIWS), Prof Madya Munis Paran told this to Bernama, here, recently.

"The position of the Malay rulers, Bahasa Melayu as the national language, Islam as the official religion and the special rights of the Bumiputera is well enshrined in the Constitution. The concept of the nation state integration can never dispute whatever is written in the Constitution", he said.

Munis Paran said in the nation state concept, the 'state' is an organisation created by the people and should exhibit four features - the sovereignty, territory, population and the government.

As for the 'nation', it refers to a group of people united regardless ethnicity, race, culture, language, religious belief and so for.

'SOFT POWER' APPROACH

In the creation of the state, 'hard' power like the military and security are needed but in the creation of the nation, a 'soft' power approach is used like the public diplomacy.

Munis Paran said, only when a nation is strong that a formidable state will take shape.

But some times, a state can be fragmented if there are hitches in the building up of the nation.

"If the nation is fragmented, then the nation would face chaos. A state that fails to construct racial integration is a country that is shaky and threatened with annihilation and obliteration.

For example, the Soviet Union, which was formerly, a nation state, but became fragmented due to problems in creating the nation", he said.

SEMINAR ON RACIAL INTEGRATION

Based on this point, CMIWS will organise a national-level seminar to look into the latest issues related to racial integration.

Themed the "National Integration and United Nation-State of Malaysia", the seminar delved into, among else the effective way to bridge racial divides as well as new proposals that can be submitted to the government.

Other issues like globalisation and foreign policies effects on the development of a nation state would also be discussed.

Director for CMIWS, Prof Madya Rajib Ghani, said the seminars main objective is for the building of a strong nation.

"The accord that has been in existence is getting wobbly. To remind Malaysians, that our life in a state and as an international community is a life of integration, hence the need for us to maintain harmony", said Rajib.

SOLUTION OF INTEGRATION ISSUES

Rajib said each of the world's communities is always confronted by conflicts since being only human, they have many differences.

"Hence, we have to look for ways towards finding solutions for issues related to racial integration without sacrificing each of the respective special features. The methods used should be also be calm and peaceful", he said.

The seminar, to be held in Shah Alam from June 23 until 25, would have participants, among others, from government departments, non-governmental organisations, students and social activists.

The event is opened to all.

Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim, Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, Dr Mohd Azam Adil, Dr Muhammad Othman El-Muhamady, Prof Dr Jayum Jawan, Prof Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, Steven C.M Wong and Datuk Seri Prof Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah would be tabling their working papers.

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Friday, February 8, 2008

Malaysia dan Indonesia

Perang Siber Indonesia - Malaysia II*

Penulisan ini adalah sebagai reaksi daripada hubungan Indonesia - Malaysia yang makin keruh akibat mainan media massa di Indonesia. Ianya berikutan isu lagu Rasa Sayang dan batik yang kononnya dicuri Malaysia yang kini sudah merebak ke internet. Perang Siber yang wujud semakin menjadi-jadi, terutama sekali disebelah pihak Indonesia. Manakala, situasi di Malaysia kelihatan sangat tenang. Malah ramai yang tidak mengetahui wujudnya perasaan kurang senang oleh pihak di seberang sana kerana media di sini bersikap tidak membesar-besarkan isu ini. Blog ini juga bukanlah hendak menangkis semua tuduhan dan cercaan para bloggers Indonesia, tetapi hanya komentar secara umum tentang hubungan kedua-dua negara, kerana saya percaya pergaduhan yang terjadi adalah sangat sia-sia dan tidak ada faedahnya.

Ini juga adalah sebagai reaksi balas terhadap blog-blog negatif yang memaki hamun kedua-dua negara. Saya hanya dapat mencari 1 sahaja blog yang kononnya milik rakyat Malaysia yang mencaci negara Indonesia iaitu, blog ihateindon.blogspot.com, tetapi blog dan forum yang menghina Malaysia adalah jauh lebih banyak dan saya tak ingin nak mengira jumlahnya. Antaranya ialah seperti website http://www.malingsia.com, blog http://rasa-ganyang.blogspot.com, http://malaysia-malingsial.blogspot.com, http://malaysiamaling.blogspot.com, http://malayria.blogspot.com dan banyak lagi.

Kewujudan blog ihateindon.blogspot.com yang kononnya milik rakyat Malaysia adalah sangat diragui. Banyak perkataan yang digunakan oleh blogger itu adalah sangat asing dalam pertururan seharian rakyat Malaysia atau dalam bahasa yang lebih tepat ianya mirip tulisan seorang rakyat Indonesia sendiri. Tak ada rakyat Malaysia yang menggunakan perkataan-perkataan seperti, "diinjak-injak" (Bahasa Melayu,BM - pijak), meladeni (?), jelek, nyolong, Polandia (BM - Poland), "kalo nyontek tu biar nggak mirip", "bikin ulah". Semua ini adalah sebahagian daripada tulisan daripada blog ihateindon.blogspot.

Tidak wujud istilah ini semua dalam percakapan seharian/bahasa pasar seorang rakyat Malaysia. Justeru, saya cenderung unutk mengatakan ianya adalah blog seorang rakyat Indonesia yang cuba mengapi-apikan dan mengeruhkan lagi hubungan kedua-dua negara di alam cyber. Kalau pun benar blog itu adalah kepunyaan rakyat malaysia, 'perang siber' yang kononnya melibatkan Malaysia - Indonesia ini dilihat bersifat sebelah pihak sahaja kerana tidak ada tindak balas yang sama dari pihak Malaysia, baik oleh media massa ataupun seluruh rakyat umumnya.

Kerana apa? kerana rakyat di Malaysia rata-ratanya lebih rasional dalam melihat isu ini. Banyak lagi isu yang lebih besar yang lebih patut diberi perhatian, seperti beban kos kehidupan yang makin tinggi, kenaikan kadar inflasi, kenaikan harga tol dan minyak dan lain-lain lagi. Sentimen media massa dan masyarakat Malaysia adalah lebih waras dan rasional pemikiran mereka. Tak ada demonstrasi di depan kedutaan atau di mana-mana atau sebarang reaksi balas yang negatif. Kesimpulannya isu ini dianggap sebagai non-issue atau kalau ada sekalipun hanyalah berita kecil di bahagian dalam dada akhbar.

Suka saya menceritakan hubungan Malaysia dan Indonesia dari sudut sejarah. Dari segi sejarahnya, seluruh gugusan kepulauan Melayu itu adalah satu, atau juga disebut sebagai the Malay archipelago. Kepulauan Melayu itu secara umumnya adalah penduduk yang mendiami kawasan Selatan Thailand, Semenanjung Malaysia dan Malaysia Timur, seluruh negara Indonesia kini hinggalah ke Selatan Filipina.

Boleh dikatakan penubuhan tidak rasmi negara Malaysia dan Indonesia berlaku pada tahun 1824. Iaitu apabila termeterainya perjanjian Inggeris-Belanda (Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824) yang membahagi-bahagikan wilayah di kepulau Melayu ini. Antara perkara terpenting perjanjian itu menyaksikan Belanda menyerahkan Melaka kepada Inggeris. Inggeris mengambil Singapura dan seluruh Semenanjung Tanah Melayu pada tahun-tahun berikutnya. Inggeris juga menyerahkan Bengkulu, Sumatra kepada Belanda manakala Belanda mengambil pelabuhan Batavia (kini Jakarta) dan seluruh pulau Jawa, Sumatra, Batam, Bintan dan Belitung.

Seperti disebut di awal perenggan di atas, kesan terpenting akibat perjanjian dua negara penjajah ini ialah dunia Melayu itu dengan rasminya dibahagikan kepada dua.
Hal yang seakan sama turut boleh dilihat di Timur Tengah pada awal kurun ke-20 setelah tamatnya Perang Dunia Pertama dan jatuhnya empayar Turki Uthmaniah, di mana Inggeris membahagi-bahagikan tanah-tanah Arab dengan Perancis. Akibat daripada itu, wujudlah negara-negara baru seperti Jordan, Kuwait dan Iraq - ketiga-tiga negara ini di bawah jajahan Inggeris, manakala Lubnan dan Syria di bawah takluk Perancis.

Berbalik ke Nusantara. Namun begitu, walaupun Inggeris dan Belanda telah berjaya membahagi-bahagikan wilayah-wilayah Tanah Melayu, Sumatra, Jawa, Singapura dan lain-lain, interaksi sesama bangsa, kebudayaan Melayu (Melayu di sini merangkumi seluruh suku-suku kaum di kepulauan Melayu) itu umumnya tetap tidak berubah. Kita seharus melihat sesuatu isu itu dengan skop yang lebih besar, makna kata, tidak hanya dari aspek negara Indonesia dan Malaysia sahaja kerana dari segi seni dan budayanya, Indonesia dan Malaysia itu sebenarnya adalah satu. Suatu ketika dahulu keluasan jajahan takluk Melaka itu merangkumi sebahagian daripada Riau dan Lingga termasuklah sebahagian besar Semenanjung Tanah Melayu. Penjajahan Inggeris dan Belanda dahululah yang memisahkan kepulauan Melayu menjadi dua dan sempadan di antara wilayah Inggeris - Belanda pada tahun 1824 di kepulauan Melayu menjadi asas kepada sempadan Malaysia - Indonesia pada abad seterusnya hingga kini.

Satu perkara yang harus diketahui oleh rakyat Indonesia ialah, sejak di penghujung kurun ke 19 dan awal kurun ke 20, ramai masyarakat dari Sumatera, Jawa, Sulawesi, Kalimantan dan lain-lain berhijrah ke Semenanjung Tanah Melayu. Oleh sebab itu kita lihat di Malaysia ini terdapat ramai masyarakat Melayu dari suku-suku kaum seperti Jawa, Bugis, Minang, Aceh, Mendeling, Banjar dan lain-lain. Mereka yang berhijrah dulu turut membawa segala kebudayaan, tradisi dan resepi masakan suku kaum mereka. Umpamanya seperti di Johor terdapat banyak tarian atau seni yang mempunyai kaitan dengan budaya Jawa seperti tarian kuda-kepang dan permainan muzik gamelan yang di bawa dari Jawa. Sekali lagi, kita tak pernah mendakwa seni budaya ini semua adalah milik Malaysia, tetapi milik seluruh masyarakat Nusantara amnya.

Satu contoh lagi ialah lagu Rasa Sayang dan batik. Batik bukan sahaja milik orang Indonesia tetapi milik orang Melayu juga. Perhatikan sahaja perbezaan di antara batik Jawa dengan batik Melayu. Begitulah juga halnya dengan batik Melayu. Corak, motif dan warna berbeza. Begitu juga halnya dengan wayang kulit. Di Jawa ada wayang kulit, di Kelantan dan Siam pun ada wayang kulit. Oleh itu adalah sangat jahil jika sesiapa yang mengatakan bahawa wayang kulit itu adalah hak milik Indonesia sahaja.

Malaysia juga tidak pernah 'mengklaim' lagu Rasa Sayang, batik dan lain-lain seperti mana yang dituduh oleh media massa di Indonesia. Buat pengetahuan semua dari Indonesia, lagu 'Rasa Sayang' yang menjadi isu kebelakangan ini, sebenarnya telah pun dinyanyikan sewaktu zaman datuk nenek saya lagi. Maka, ingin saya tegaskan di sini bahawa seni dan budaya Nusantara itu lebih luas sifatnya menjangkaui sempadan sesebuah negara, dan dalam hal ini, sempadan negara Indonesia dan Malaysia. (Sempadan negara yang mana telah diasaskan oleh pihak penjajah Inggeris-Belanda pada tahun 1824.)

Indonesia mengutuk penggunaan ayat 'Indon', tetapi mereka membalas dengan memanggil kita Malingsia. Terus terang saya katakan, tidak ada sesiapa pun di Malaysia yang ambil peduli semua ini. Kita tak ingin bergaduh dengan mereka. Hanya mampu tersenyum sahaja melihat reaksi mereka terhadap laporan-laporan media massa Indonesia yang bebas melaporkan isu-isu yang dirasakan dapat membangkit semangat nasionalisme rakyat Indonesia.

Akhir sekali, saya minta agar semua di Indonesia lebih rasional dalam hal ini. Jangan kita termakan bulat-bulat segala apa yang disuap oleh media massa yang mungkin ada kepentingan atau agenda-agenda tertentu. Mungkin juga ada pihak ketiga yang sengaja mahu mengambil kesempatan atas hubungan baik Malaysia-Indonesia dengan mengapi-apikan cerita ini.

Artikel berkaitan -
NST: On sweetening ties between neighbours - Amy Chew
Kalau link sudah tidak wujud, klik sini

Nota kaki
Istilah tidak rasmi 'Perang Siber Indonesia - Malaysia I' merujuk kepada peristiwa penggodaman (hacking) laman-laman web di antara kedua-dua negara sewaktu krisis Ambalat di Laut Sulawesi yang melanda tahun 2005 dahulu, di mana terdapat banyak laman-laman web rasmi kerajaan Malaysia dan Indonesia yang telah digodam.

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