Tiada Beza

Sayu sekali hati ini,
menonton gelagat pungguk itu,
dia begitu tabah sepanjang malam,
mengharungi kesejukan embun malam demi kasih sejati,
kedua matanya menyorot penuh harap,
air mukanya nyata sekali penuh yakin,
terkadang ia bersiul sendirinya,
bahasa yang tak mungkin aku mengerti,
kenapa dia perlu menyiksa diri?
Kini ku mengerti,
siulan itu sama sekali mewakili ku
tiada bezanya akudan pungguk itu
mengharap kasih yang tidak bisa di realiti

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Siapa Yang Tahu

Jika bertanya tentang kasih
Tak bisaku ku rungkai dalam sedarku
Tak mungkin ku gambar dalam lenaku
kenapa amat rumit eerti kasih?
Meskipun mudah diucap dari bibir yang fasih
Tapi,dengan mudah manusia terima kata indah dari syurga
meskipun kaget memahami urusannya

Salahkah ku yang enggak ngerti apa kasih
benarkah mereka yang hanya ucap kata kasih
siapa yang betul?
Bolehkah tahu dalmnya kasih dengan hanya merenung bintang,
sesungguhnya bintang itu sendiri tidak faham
tapi kita sering mengharap mereka
yang tak bisa ungkap
apatah lagi faham erti cinta

29th april 2009
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Penat Si Tua

Di bawah pohon rendang,
nun di situ seorang tua,
para uzur membuat jasa,
para itulah yang menjulang si tua,
bersama berdua berkongsi cerita.

Raut wajah si tua itu penuh harap,
hari bersilih hari, taat si tua menanti.
Pasti si para dan pokok rendang tidak akan mengerti,
coretan dan lenggok irama cereka si tua.
Acap kali bayu membantu si tua,
melayan lara hati yang tak mungkin di tafsir erti
alis mata si tua sudah cukup!
sudah cukup menggambarkan perit hidup.

Wahai waris si tua,
tidak malukah kamu merampas ceria si tua?
pulanglah ketika masih ada...
bantulah si tua
agar lakon layarnya lebih terbela.

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Mengharap Rahmat

Aku insan kerdil
Nan menumpang jasa budi-Mu
Udara Kau berikan begitu segar
Ku kutip buat memenuhi peparuku

Nikmat rezeki yang kau kurniakan pehuh erti
Ku pungut mtnjadi makan minumku
Darah yang mengalir dalam tubuhku berkat ihsan daripada Mu
Kau sediakan pentas yang penuh pancaroba untuk umat Nabi junjunganku
Ternyata persinggahan saudara-saudaraku di pelabuhan binaanMu
ramai yang kepenatan dan tersesat di tengah jalan.

Qiyamku, sujudku adalah umtukMu
kabulkan doaku si insan kerdil
sedarkanlah penyekutumu Ya Allah
Tuhan sekalian Makhluk

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Fitrah Diriku

Entah...
Runsing...
Tiada hala tuju...
aku sendiri tidak faham
jiwa aku...
sepatutnya aku mampu kawal,
ternyata aku silap.

Siapa bisa tahan bila dirinya dibuang?
berterusan menagih simpati orang.
Kenapa begitu menyedihkan fitrah manusia?
menilai insan dari paras rupa.
Apakah yang rupawan sahaja layak di dunia?
dan yang jelik hanya layak di mamah usia.
kenapa begitu menyakitkan fitrah manusia?
yang berjiwa aktor di depan mata...
sepenuhnya dipercaya.
Sedangkan yang jujur mempamer kelakuan
diperlaku seperti hamba.

kenapa begini fitrah manusia?
hampir semua tidak dipercaya
entahlah...
lebih baik aku menyendiri
di pulau kasih
rautan aku sendiri

1st July 2007
copyright Aie.corp

MLIE – REFLECTION BY YAB AIE

Literature is something beautiful to me. I had been exposed with literature when I was young. My late father is someone who is really artistic. So do my mother. The first literature work that attracts me the most is ‘Gurindam Jiwa’ the beautiful song from classic movie acted by Nordin Ahmad. My father told me that gurindam was made to shows Nordin Ahmad’s love towards his wife. Then I realize that literature is some way to show what inside you. Furthermore it is more lovely and sweet.
As I grew up, I learned something new about literature. ‘SHIT’ by Shahnon Ahmad. What so special about this book? For me as a child I hate this Shahnon because he uses rude word and term in his book. My father told me that this also a kind of literature. But literatures suppose to be something beautiful and sweet I said. This book is sweet he said. Maybe I did not know how to appreciate literature yet. Then I wanted to learn more about literature. It happen when I entered secondary school. There I learned about Shakespeare, Roald Dahl and others English’s poets. But apart from them I knew that there are Malaysian writers that write in English.
I amazed me. Our national writer told about our own country. There I learned to be more nationalistic and independent tinker. When I continue my study in Institute Pendidikan Guru Kampus Temenggong Ibrahim, I was exposed to Salleh Ben Joned. He always has been cynical through his works. He condemned Malaysian and our political scenario. But through out my study here in Malaysian Literature in English I know that he is not a traitor. People like him and Dina Zaman are not traitor. They just being neutral when giving their opinion through their literary works. People like them look Malaysia from global perspective. Maybe some Malaysian cannot accept it. Because they think that they a the victim but when we think more and not inward what they wrote is true.
By learning MLIE I become the better person. Those writers give me a path to justify my own country without being bias. This subject also teaches me to appreciate our national writers. And I believe that our Malaysian writers able to compete with others in the world. Their literary works are superb. Malaysian should appreciate them first them they will be able to bring our country via their works to the world. Believe it or not we will benefit from it.

MLIE – REFLECTION BY WAN MOHD FADHLI

For me Malaysian literature in English (MLIE) is not something new to me because I have already been exposed to it since I was in secondary school. Although only a few that I learned in secondary school but I still can remember the Malaysian famous writer like A. Samad said who wrote the poem ‘the crow’ and Muhammad Haji Salleh who wrote about ‘Si Tenggang Home Coming’. However, I suppose there are many Malaysian writers are not well known locally or internationally. This is maybe their works are written in their mother tongue and often were translated. I think I should know Malaysian writers better at the end of this course because their works are near to our heart as Malaysian. After being exposed a little bit about MLIE, I can consume that Malaysian writers use the same techniques to develop their ideas. The techniques here are not about their skills or ability but more on the cultural context and historical background of the prose and poetry. After I read all the notes given by Pn Lailatul “an overview of Malaysian literature in English “by Mohd A. Qayyum, I realize that my assumption is incorrect to signify the Malaysian writers in that way. If I am not in this course I might not know all about this and I want to know more about MLIE to support our Malaysian writers.
Further, I need to do more research to widen my knowledge about MLIE. The first I want to know is the status of MLIE. As the MLIE have started since 1920s I want to know more about the development of the short stories and poetry. I want to do more research and finding of the historical background of MLIE and about the writers development of his works. For the question what I learn about MLIE is through a task that has been given by Pn Lailatul about the writers work and as a group we must do a research about him. Because of this task, I can learn about the writer’s background which is for my group is doing on Salleh Ben Joned. From my point of view, Salleh is a fluent English writer because from my research on his background he spent several years in Australia as one of the last Colombo Plan Scholars. At the University of Tasmania, he became a student of a major Australian poet, James McCauley. He returned to Malaysia in 1973, so this leads him to write in English fluently. From the question how I learn about MLIE is through reading his works, do a research about the writers and discuss with the lecturer about the writers works and his background.
After I answer the entire question above I think that this is what we called self centered learning. I hope that in future I will have better understanding of MLIE from Pn Lailatul. From the article of “an overview of Malaysian literature in English “, I have learned how Qayyum defines the MLIE. Qayyum define the MLIE as corpus of “independent” local writings in the English language, characterized by local ideas about local experiences, or writing that hold up a mirror to the local reality. At the end, I understand more about MLIE and I have learned more beyond the MLIE itself. I hope that MLIE will have better future and prospect and keep on going until the end.

MLIE – REFLECTION BY HARITH

My first exposure to the world of literature begins during my years in secondary school. I find it as a very interesting subject to learn. The issues and topics of discussion were very diverse and easy to understand. Malaysian literature in English (MLIE) is really different from what I’ve learn before, there are a lot of writers and poets that never cross my mind before. Using my prior knowledge, I can see that Malaysian writers and poets are hardly recognize because their work seldom known to the readers. For a student like me will never know names like, Salleh ben Joned, Dina Zaman, or Karim Raslen just to mention few names. Those are big names in Malaysian literatures in English, I feel blessed that I learn this subject. I finally know something from our local writers and appreciate their works. To be part of the unknown society was really great. The reason why I said that is simply because MLIE are rarely publish and slow growth in producing new writers and poets make it difficult to be known to the public.
In my learning I always wonder how the MLIE can survive the Malaysian literary world. It is because literatures in English are hardly to be appreciated and to be accepting to the readers. It will be an interesting topic of discussion, the survival of MLIE. Another aspect that grasps my attention is why some writers highlight certain issues in their writing. Are the issues highlighted in their writing are still relevant today and how the issues can instil valuable knowledge. If we talk about the future, I definitely want to know what the future install for MLIE. That is because; MLIE is something that we suppose to treasure. If we neglect to protect, we might losing it in future.
After an intensive reading and analyzing I found that MLIE covers every aspect life. The writers commonly highlight religion as their main issues, some on nationalisms and the mixture of culture in our country. Since my task is on Salleh Ben Joned, I will discuss a bit about him. After reading his book, “As I Please” I can say that his style in writing is honest and strongly defend his opinion. There are many issues inside his collection of articles, but his mind is not easy to predict. His style of writing are differs from other writers.
On how I learned MLIE, I find it as not easy task to do. Lack of information cause me to expand my search to a new level. Even the books are not easy to get. However, the discussion made makes thing easy as it get. To involve more inside this world I have dedicated my time to explore every piece of knowledge that I learn from my lecturer and my friends. As a result, my new knowledge about MLIE has expanded to a new level.

The (Malay) Malaysian writer’s dilemma

In this article, salleh want to conform to government propagandas by writing a nationalistic and patriotic literary works or to submit to self-creativity by writing about issues that surpass the moral and ethnic barriers in Malaysia. His Ideological principles and beliefs bar the writers’ creativity. Moreover, A vast majority of writers submit to the audience’s request- writing in Malay as the language is protected by the Constitution, so does the writers who wrote in Malay. These writers do not care to portray and write about sensitive issues like aesthetic, intellectual and moral fidelity Salleh Ben Joned considered himself to be a tiny minority. He is loyal to truth, beauty, justice and freedom. However, this kind of loyalty is considered as betrayal and apostasy in the eyes of the religion fundamentalist. He believes that writers should write about current issues, no matter how controversial it is. He assimilated Western ideas + Malay values = a well-rounded individual “Malaya” in Tagalog: freedom or consciousness – This is the “Malaya” that Ben Joned wants to inhibit, where World Literature is acknowledged. Writers should not prostitute issues like race and nationalism- writing about those issues just for the sake of money, not out of loyalty to the country What they gained and a few of them such as Salleh Ben Joned, he adapts the style of his lecturer writing. He is a student one of the famous lecturer and Australian writer. At the University of Tasmania, he became a student of a major Australian poet, James McAuley. He returned to Malaysia in 1973, and lectured in English Literature at University Malaya until 1983. The ways of writing from their lecturers do give an impact to the way of MLIE writer in their works.

Brother Henri, honorary Malay (17th July 1991)

In this article, Salleh Ben Joned talks about the books that he read which is (malaise) (English translation : the soul of Malay). At first he thinks that the book is the best book ever written by an European about the Malays but now his feelings a bit complicated. From the book, he founds that the Malay quite acute and suggestive. He also give his opinion about the qualities of the writings and sensibility behind it.”…..”. He also says that the misunderstood of the phenomenon of Amuk in the book. “…..”. In the end, he welcome the spirit of Fauconter into the fraternity of the Malay race

THUS SPAKE THE GREAT MALAY MINDA

On this article, Salleh Ben Joned talk about Sasterawan Negara Muhammad Hj Salleh. On November 14, Utusan Malaysia, the leading Malay daily, carried a report of a talk given by the professor-poet and Sasterawan Negara Muhammad Haji Salleh. The report was head lined: kikis sikap merendahkan sastera Negara (don't look down on the nation’s literature). Based on it, salleh agree with Muhammad Hj Salleh stands. Muhammad Hj Salleh stands that “Malay literature” is as impressive as the literature of others countries.
Muhammad also making itself heard loud and clear, proudly declared that Malay literature had produced writers worthy of winning the Nobel prizes. In his speech he state that the President of UMNO in his speech, told the Malay to “think big”, he was not talking of mindless ambition like that of Mat Jenin. Muhammad Haji Salleh told those achievements of ones country’s literature is not the something as looking down (menghina) of the literature, or belittling it (memperkecilkan). His view of Malays literature (both modern and pre-modern) produced interesting works. One statement that both writers agree that Malay critic’s haven’t heard of and applied with relish to local works. He give example as our Sasterawans’ tendency to talk big but know little.

THE TURNING POINT IN HIS LIFE...

Salleh Ben Joned is a living legend in Malaysian letters. His swashbuckling style belies a fierce dedication to spiritual and intellectual freedom. One of a few truly inspired bilingual writers and poets, Salleh achieved national notoriety with his acerbic column, As I Please, which ran sporadically in the New Straits Times – and which has twice been published as a collection of essays: erudite, witty, and often risque. A second collection of his spicy essays and columns was published in 2003 under the title, Nothing Is Sacred. In recent years Salleh Ben Joned has become a godfather figure of sorts to a whole new generation of punks and disenchanted urban youth who flock eagerly to his poetry readings. Educated in Australia, Salleh returned to lecture in literature at Universiti Malaya, where his passion for words earned him iconic status with his students, especially the female ones. Salleh Ben Joned’s genius has never been acknowledged in Malay literary circles (perhaps they aren’t amused by his affecting the Hebraic “Ben” in place of the Arabic “Bin”). Indeed, Salleh has endured venomous attacks by Malay sasterawan (literati) whose ethnocentric concerns and smug mediocrity grate against him.

Writers dilemma…

• The (Malay) Malaysian Writers Dilemma. Page (70)

-Believe in freedom of creativity in expressing his thoughts. Writers must have their room of freedom in writing. Write for the sake of loyalty to the country and not for money.

Appreciating past writers

• In Praise of a Wild Beast

-He talks about Chairil Anwar, legend in the world of literature from Indonesia

Conflicts between writers and religious…

• Religion and Creative Freedom. page (111)

-Highlight cases of apostasy against writers. Giving his own thought about the issues and cited some verses from Quran to support his judgement.

Importance of language…

• Rojak is Good for Nation Building.(page 80)

• Discussed how National language can be a medium of integration in Malaysia. The importance of national language in literature. See’s English as medium of integrations in Malaysia.

REVIEW ON AS I PLEASE

Issues –

• Importance of language

• Conflicts between writers and religious

• Appreciating past writers

• Writers dilemma

HALL OF FAMES…

HIS WORKS…

-His first book was the bilingual poetry collection, 'Sajak-Sajak Salleh' (1987).

-It was followed by 'As I Please', (1994)

-Nothing is Sacred (2003) which compiled his popular New Straits Times columns.

-His latest book, 'Adam's Dream' (2007) is his third collection of poems.

SALLEH BEN JONED BACKGROUND

Born in Malacca in 1941, he spent several years in Australia as one of the last Colombo Plan Scholars. At the University of Tasmania, he became a student of a major Australian poet, James McAuley. He returned to Malaysia in 1973, and lectured in English Literature at University Malaya until 1983.