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| Wednesday, 10-Feb-2010 00:01 |
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THE WELCOME PAGE / MUKADDIMAH
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* Welcome to KeLaTé : ~ A Self Rediscovery ~
* Background Music : Chaconne by Secret Garden
* This Welcome Page is to remain on top of every update. For the latest update, just scroll down.
* This site is tuned for best viewing with Mozilla Firefox.
* Proceed to ARCHIVE for past entries.
* Text excerpted from :
William Armstrong Graham's " Kelantan : A State of The Malay Peninsular " ; Chapter V : ' The People ', page 18,19,20.
First Published in 1908 by James Maclehose & Sons, Glasgow.
* This site is non profit based, purely for educational and informative purposes only.
* If you wish to take something from this site :
Only do so for non-profitable, educational purposes and also be smart by crediting the real author, be it me or anyone else.
Note that I always make sure to do so and I hope you would too.
Remember !
Cashing in on others hardship without their consent is absolutely wrong, tremendously awful, hideous and worth an impalement !
* No advertising in the comment box please.
Such will be immediately and ruthlessly deleted
( ~ would reconsider if you are going to give me a piece of that cake ..... ha ha )
* If you must .....
The author could be personally reached via r a y k i n z o k u at g mail dot kom
* Today's Words ......
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| Saturday, 16-Jan-2010 00:00 |
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Mythbusting KeLaTté : Kelantan = Negeri Kerat Lintang ?
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Mythbusting KeLaTté :
Kelantan = Negeri Kerat Lintang ?
KATANYA .....
| Quote: |
Bahawa nama " Kelantan " itu mula muncul sekitar akhir abad ke-18 daripada
perkataan " Kerat Lintang " atau " Negeri Yang Dikerat Lintang " .....
( atau dalam sebutan KeLaTté : ' Kerghak Laettae ' )
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... dengan berdasarkan kepada dakwaan-dakwaan berikut :
| Quote: |
Perpindahan pusat pemerintahan ke Limbat menandakan bermulanya penubuhan
Kelantan yang berasal dari perkataan "Negeri yang Dikerat Lintang".
Baginda Long Gaffar menguasai secara mutlak kuasa pemerintahan Kelantan.
Sebagai membalas jasa, Long Yunus pula telah diberikan kuasa memerintah di
Kota Bharu. Peristiwa inilah yang menyebabkan munculnya nama "Negeri yang
Dikerat Lintang", iaitu negeri yang di kerat lintang di antara Baginda Long Gaffar
dan Long Yunus. Sempadan bagi kedua-dua kawasan pemerintahan ini ialah
Sungai Pasir Tumboh.
Sumber : Wikipedia - Perbandingan Raja Kelantan Long Gaffar dan Long Yunus
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| Quote: |
Peristiwa ini yang menyebabkan munculnya nama "Kelantan", yang dikatakan
berasal dari perkataan "Negeri yang Dikerat Lintang" antara Raja yang memerintah
iaitu baginda Long Gaffar yang berpusat di Kota Limbat dengan Long Yunus dan
sempadannya ialah Pasir Tumbuh.
Sumber : Wikipedia - Sejarah Kelantan - Kekaburan Sejarah Kelantan
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.... dan juga berdasarkan kenyataan berikut pada pagar Makam Long Gaffar yang terletak di Kampung Limbat dalam Daerah Limbat, Jajahan Kota Bharu :
* Makam Long Gaffar di Kampung Limbat
Terletak di kawasan perkuburan lama yang menempatkan kaum kerabat Long Gaffar,
berhampiran Pasir Tumboh, tidak jauh dari Kubang Kerian. Diukir dari batu pejal
( granit ) dengan gaya mirip dengan apa yang terdapat di Perkuburan Banggol
dan Makam DiRaja Langgar.
Long Gaffar hidup sezaman dan dikatakan bersaudara / berhubung kait dengan
Long Yunus, pengasas dinasti Kesultanan Kelantan Moden.
WALHAL ~ !!
Pertama sekali, perlu saya tegaskan di sini bahawa nama " Kelantan " bukanlah sesuatu yang baru, malah sudah dikenalpasti muncul lama sebelum munculnya Kesultanan Melayu Melaka lagi.
Dikatakan bahawa perkataan " Kelantan " sudah diceritakan orang lebih 1000 tahun yang lampau berdasarkan pernyataan berikut :
| Quote: |
Dalam abad ke 5 masihi, sejarahwan China Shenyao (414-512) dalam
Sung Shunya sudah mencatat nama Ho-lo-tan atau Kuo-lo-tan sebagai
sebuah ibu kota di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu.
Sumber : Muzium Negeri Kelantan
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Dan pada zaman Dinasti Ming pula ( iaitu masih lagi sebelum kemunculan Kesultanan Melayu Melaka ), nama " Kelantan " telah sedia diketahui umum bahkan turut disebut beberapa kali dalam catitan dan laporan perjalanan para pedagang dan utusan kerajaan China ke Kepulauan Melayu.
Dalam himpunan catitan-catitan mereka yang dirujuk pakar sejarah sebagai ' Míng Shí Lù ' @ 明實錄 , atau ' Rekod Kerajaan Ming ', nama " Kelantan " dinyatakan sebagai " 急蘭丹 " atau disebut sebagai " Ji-lan-dan " *
* dalam bahasa Jepun pula, ianya berbunyi " Kyuu-Ran-Tan " !
* pada masa sekarang, ejaan Cina bagi ' Kelantan ' adalah ' 吉蘭丹 ' ( ki-lan-tan / ki-lan-dan ).
Sebagaimana dibuktikan melalui sumber berikut :
Selain itu, nama " Kelantan " juga ada disebut dalam satu karya Melayu Klasik yang amat dikenali ramai iaitu ' Sulalatus Salatin ' ( bahasa Arab yang bermaksud : " Salasilah Sultan-Sultan " ) atau lebih dikenali umum sebagai ' Sejarah Melayu '.
' Sejarah Melayu ' merupakan sebuah kompilasi kisah-kisah kegemilangan raja-raja Melayu yang disempurnakan pengumpulannya dalam tahun 1612 oleh Tun Sri Lanang, hasil karangan raja-raja Melaka dan Johor serta beliau sendiri, iaitu lebih 100 tahun sebelum kelahiran Long Gaffar dan Long Yunus !!
Berikut merupakan petikan daripada manuskrip asal Sulalatus Salatin yang bukan sahaja terang-terangan malah berulang-ulang menyatakan nama " Kelantan " :
| Quote: |
" ... orang menyembah padanya maka Tun Aria Bija DiRaja berpaling menyembah
mengadap ke Melaka katanya Daulat Sultan Mahmud Syah ( ? ) maka Sultan Mahmud
pun menitahkan Seri Maharaja menyerang KELANTAN pada ( ? ) negeri KELANTAN
itu terlalu besar daripada Patani, Sultan Mansur Syah nama rajanya anak saudara
sepupu pada Sultan Iskandar Syah, tiada baginda mahu menyembah ke Melaka
asalnya daripada anak cucu Raja Cholen maka Seri Maharaja pun pergilah dengan
beberapa puluh hulubalang setelah datang ke KELANTAN maka orang Melaka
pun naiklah ke darat maka dimelawannya oleh orang KELANTAN lalu berperang
beramuk amukan terlalu seberupa kilat cahaya senjata seperti kilat di langit sabung
menyabung gemuruh bunyi.
Tempik hulubalang dan gemerenching bunyi senjata seperti akan sampai di langit maka
daripada kedua pihak ( ? ) itu pun banyaklah luka dan matinya darah pun mengalir di
bumi maka dengan tolong Rabbul Alamin patah lah perang orang KELANTAN
maka Kota KELANTAN pun alah maka segala orang Melaka pun masuklah ke
dalam kota merampas terlalu banyak beroleh rampasan maka anakanda Raja
KELANTAN tiga orang perempuan dapat yang lelaki seorang lepas Raja Kambau
namanya maka anak raja KELANTAN yang perempuan itu ketiganya tertawan
oleh orang Melaka seorang bernama Onang Kening, seorang bernama Chufa, seorang
bernama Chufuk maka ketiganya dibawa oleh Seri Maharaja kembali ke Melaka
setelah sampai ke Melaka maka Seri Maharaja pun mengadap Sultan Mahmud
maka puteri .... "
Sumber :
Sulalatus Salatin / Sejarah Melayu / The Malay Annals ( 1612 )
- Manuskrip halaman 193 ~ 194
Melalui laman web Sabri Zain : Manuskrip (1) & Manuskrip (2)
* Iktiraf usaha murni saudara Sabri Zain dengan menderma
* Transliterasi ke bahasa Melayu tulisan rumi di atas adalah daripada usaha saya
sendiri. Mungkin ada bahagian yang saya tersalah baca atau faham. Malah, apa
yang saya nyatakan sebagai " ( ? ) " adalah bahagian ayat yang gagal ditafsir
kerana kekaburan teks / tidak dapat menangkap maksud sebenar penulis.
Diharap sesiapa yang mahir, dapat perbetulkan atau tambah yang mana kekurangan.
Manuskrip Jawi di atas ditulis dengan menggunakan dakwat hitam, sesekali berselang
dakwat merah bagi menandakan nama orang-orang berpangkat dan nama penting
manakala perkataan " Kelantan " sengaja saya " highlight " kan demi memudahkan
pembaca mencari perkataan tersebut dalam teks usang di atas.
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Manakala yang berikut pula ' Sejarah Melayu ' yang diterjemahkan kepada Bahasa Inggeris oleh Dr.John Leyden, diterbitkan di London pada 1821 dengan judul " Malay Annals ".
Ianya merupakan terjemahan langsung daripada teks asal bertulisan Jawi berbahasa Melayu Klasik " Sulalatus Salatin " ( Sejarah Melayu ) oleh Tun Seri Lanang, sebagaimana di atas.
Perhatikan bahawa " Kelantan " dieja " Calantan " :
Bukan itu sahaja, nama " Kelantan " turut disebut oleh ahli maritim Portugis dan Belanda semenjak awal abad ke-16 lagi malah turut diabadikan dalam peta-peta mereka pada ketika itu berdasarkan kenyataan daripada W.A.Graham ( 1908 ) dan contoh peta Belanda tahun 1606 sebagaimana berikut :
| Quote: |
Sumber : W.A.Graham's,
" Kelantan A State Of The Malay Peninsular " ; Glasgow, 1908 - History ; 39
Sumber :
Mercator-Hondius, " India Orientalis "
( from the Latin folio atlas published in Amsterdam, 1606 )
* Perhatikan perkataan, " Calatao " pada peta Semenanjung Tanah Melayu yang
sengaja saya " highlight " kan.
" Calatao " adalah sebutan Belanda bagi apa lagi, kalau bukan ... KeLaTté !!
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Maka, al-kesimpulannya ...
.... berdasarkan bukti-bukti yang dikemukakan di atas, maka saya amat percaya dan yakini bahawa dakwaan nama " Kelantan " berasal dari perkataan " Negeri Kerat Lintang " yang bertitik tolak daripada satu peristiwa pada akhir abad ke-18 sebagaimana dalam petikan dan papan kenyataan nun di atas sana .....
... adalah TIDAK BERASAS dan TIDAK BENAR SAMA SEKALI !
Bak kata Jamie & Adam dalam Mythbusters,
" Busted ! "
* Nota Lutut (1) :
Walau bagaimana pun tidaklah dapat dipastikan dengan jelas asal-usul
nama " Kelantan " ini, dan sejak bila sebenarnya dinamakan sedemikian.
Apa yang sering digembar-gemburkan adalah, perkataan " Kelantan " berasal sama
ada daripada, " Kilatan ", " Gelam Hutan ", " Kolam Tanah ", " Kalatana ( Tanah Kala ) "
dan entah apa lagi.
Yang pasti, kesemua dakwaan tersebut tidak dapat disokong dengan bukti yang jelas.
Wallahu a'lam bis sawaab ~
* Nota Lutut (2) :
Setahu saya hanya satu sahaja yang benar-benar berasal daripada perkataan
" Kerat Lintang " atau ' Kerghak Laettae ' dalam dialek Kelantan, iaitu .....
buah ' Asae Lima Kerghak Laettae ' !
He he he ...
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| Friday, 8-Jan-2010 00:00 |
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FILLER ENTRY : Amin Sweeney's Karya Lengkap Abdullah Munsyi
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FILLER ENTRY :
Karya Lengkap Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir Munsyi - Jilid 1
" Karya Lengkap Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir Munsyi - Jilid 1 "
Dipenakan oleh Amin Sweeney ( 2005 ).
Terbitan Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia ( KPG ), Jakarta - Indonesia, dengan kerjasama École française d'Extrême-Orient ..
Terdiri daripada 3 Jilid tetapi minat saya hanya melekat pada Jilid 1, setebal 370 muka yang mengandungi kisah pelayaran Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir Munsyi ke Kelantan dalam tahun 1837.
Dipersembahkan dalam bentuk salinan daripada teks asal terbitan 1838, diiringi dengan penjelasan terperinci kepada latar belakang mereka yang ditemui dan disebut Abdullah ( who's who ) beserta ulasan, perbandingan edisi, komen dan juga kritikan yang saya kira amat menarik, oleh si penulis, Amin Sweeney ....
Yang ini dibeli dari Gramedia Bookstore * The Mines pada harga RM16.90 senaskhah ...
* kedai buku dari seberang, yang baru sahaja dibuka di The Mines, Seri Kembangan,
sekitar Oktober lepas, kalau tidak silap ianya adalah cawangan tunggal dan pertama
yang seumpamanya di bumi Malingsia .. opss ! Malaysia ! Eheh ~
Tinjauan mendapati buku ini tiada dijual di mana-mana kedai buku melainkan di
Gramedia Bookstore itu sahaja ( almaklumlah, penerbitnya pun dari kumpulan
Gramedia jugak ! ) ...
Sebenarnya sudah lama saya cari, malah pernah cuba mendapatkannya secara
' online ' terus dari si penerbit tetapi gagal disebabkan masalah komunikasi ( bukan
bahasa, tapi komunikasi ! ) .. dan hampir-hampir sahaja saya berputus asa sehinggalah
terserempak secara tak sengaja dengan " toko buku " ini di The Mines !
Ha ha ... sungguh ku tak sangka !
Huraiannya mendalam dan amat membantu saya dalam lebih meneliti, memahami dan menghayati tujuan, mentaliti dan pedoman sebenar Abdullah Munsyi dalam penulisannya, khususnya tentang Kelantan 173 tahun yang lampau ...
Tak guna saya mengulas panjang, belilah dan tataplah sendiri !
Amat disyorkan !
( atau bak kata orang Jepun, お勧めです～！ = " o-susume desu ! " )
PREBIU BUKU :
| Quote: |
Abdullah memang kontroversial. Amin Sweeney, seorang muslim asal Irlandia,
menyodorkan bukti bahwa beberapa penulis telah mengubah-ubah tulisan
Abdullah demi kepentingan politik, agama, dan bahasa asal yang bersangkutan.
Filolog Keasberry, menurut Amin, bahkan mengubah gaya bahasa Abdullah.
Beberapa waktu lalu, di Jakarta, Amin meluncurkan bukunya, Karya Lengkap
Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir Munsyi. Isinya, edisi pertama Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah
ke Kelantan pada 1838 dan edisi terakhir Kisah Pelayaran Abdulah ke Mekkah.
Buku yang boleh jadi merupakan koreksi-atau kritik-atas teks-teks lain tentang
Abdullah selama ini.
Sumber @ Baca lagi di :
Evieta Fadjar @ ruangbaca.com - " Catatan Seorang Munsyi "
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BACAAN BERKAITAN :
| Quote: |
No doubt Abdullah can be said to be a great chronicler of his time, but as pointed
out by the late A. H. Hill in his translation of Hikayat Abdullah, Abdullah cannot be
relied upon for his facts and dates.
A. E. Coope prefers to call him the "first Malay reporter", and in his Kesah Pelayaran
Abdullah, he does give a picture of himself as a reporter, with his note-book and
pencil jotting down the things he saw and conversations he had with the various
people he met. But even as a reporter, Abdullah seems to fall somewhat short
of expectation. Abdullah made the voyage to Kelantan as an interpreter to a
mission sent by some Singapore merchants in connection with four sampan
pukat belonging to the Singapore merchants which were detained in Kelantan
because of a civil war taking place in that state.
But in his account of this voyage, Abdullah dwells very little on the subject of his
mission or of the civil war itself; and in the light of what actually took place,
Abdullah's account has a lacuna which needs to be filled in.
Source @ Read the rest at :
Mohd. Taib Usman ( 1964 ) -
" A Note On Abdullah's Account of The Kelantan Civil War in His Kesah Pelayaran Abdullah "
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| Quote: |
Father of Modern Malay Literature is an epithet often ascribed to Abdullah bin
Abdul Kadir Munsyi, a Malay author who lived in Melaka and Singapore during
the first half of the nineteenth century. Two of his works, Hikayat Abdullah
(Tale of Abdullah) and Kisah pelayaran Abdullah ke Kelantan (Account of
Abdullah’s voyage to Kelantan) are the stories most often singled out as
those that form the bridge between traditional and modern Malay writing.
Characteristics of these writings viewed by critics as modern elements are
the foregrounding of the authorial self through the use of the first-person
pronoun, realistic descriptions of historical events and persons, and harsh
criticism of the culture, socio-political structure, and practices of the Malay
community (Milner 1995).
Source @ Read the rest at :
Jan Van Der Putten ( 2006 ) - " Abdullah Munsyi and the missionaries "
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| Friday, 1-Jan-2010 00:00 |
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ENTER 2010 : Kota Bharu & The Charming 80s
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ENTER 2010 :
Kota Bharu & The Charming 80s
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please, don't wish me " Happy New Year ",
since I only wake up to a new day and never to a new year,
But if you must and would die if don't,
wish me a " Happy New Day " instead ...
.... and don't forget to do so .... every .. single .. day ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exit 2009 .... Enter 2010 ~ !
A decade into the 21st century ....
Amazing !
Feels like it was just last year that I first drew in my first breath, last month since I first learned to arrange letters into words, last week since I got my first pay-check and yesterday since I am what I am today ....
I was actually born and grew up in 80s Kota Bharu and lived in the small town of the East Coast, through the period as a small kid, who observed a lot but experienced very little. Unfortunately, what now left of that observations are only scattered pieces of blurry images, coloured by vague bitter sweet memories, hoping to be pieced back in some sort of an ultimate revival. A revival that finally came, well somewhat, after I chanced upon these dusty old, postcards of Kota Bharu.
These postcards however, are undated. I am not sure when these images were exactly taken but by examining some distinct " markers " synonymous with the period such as vehicles, structures, landscapes, people's activities and alike, I strongly believe that these must had been snapped between late 70s and mid 80s i.e. around 30 years ago.
Now, through these shots, I am returning myself to that Kota Bharu I once knew.
My mom and my late father used to drive me through the bustling streets of the town, through and passing the places shown in these images. While they really mean something to me for that, I believe that they might mean a lot more to other Kelantanese who went through the 80s Kota Bharu as grown-ups. Well, whatever that might be ..
Now, I am only hoping for the best and a much brighter future for Kota Bharu ...
Viva Koto Barghu !
( May you grow up smartly .. )
~ " Korera wo miru to nanka natsukashii kanji ga suru ne ... " ~
* Postcards Credit :
Colour slides by Great Wall Photographers Sdn. Bhd. , Kuala Lumpur
Published by Great Star Enterprises, Kuala Lumpur
* Jalan Temenggong
The main artery of Kota Bharu .....
( Interestingly, what I thought as a recent introduction, was actually already implemented
in the past, I mean, the one way flow of Jalan Temenggong .. Note the traffic flow ! )
At the end of this road, is Hotel Temenggong - the red walled high rise, seen in this shot
" next " to the Fujicolor signboard. The hotel, albeit a very small one by today's standard,
is much in business now as it was before.
There's also a pedestrian bridge over Jalan Temenggong ( entirely of steel, painted
dark, not clear through this shot though ) accessible through the second floor of Pasar
MPKB . I have no idea since when it was there but I do recall it well, used to cross the
road on it and clearly remember the day when it was brought down, a decade or so ago,
emm ... I wonder why ?
I remember Restoran Budaya too, but I don't remember the one with a 7-Up sign on
the right. I only remember it as a bank, if I am not mistaken, a Standard Chartered
branch which ceased from operation, when I was still in my primary or early secondary
school years.
As for the Restoran Budaya, the building where it used to operate from is still there,
quite undisturbed, an old wooden house of early 1900s construction. Its front lawn
however have been turned into a showroom for Kia cars ...
Present day Jalan Temenggong :
* Tips : Right click on mouse, open in a new tab
* Jalan Padang Garong
One of the main arteries of Kota Bharu.
There were less motorised vehicles and the road seemed to be not as crowded as it
is now.
Teksi ( Kelantanese for " beca " ) however was aplenty back then and they
were the " kings of the streets " of Kota Bharu. Now, very few are seen.
Also in this shot is the then, newly completed Kelantan State Economic Development
Corporation ( SEDC ) or Perbadanan Kemajuan Iktisad Negeri Kelantan ( PKINK )
building, towering behind, well above the older shop houses.
Trivia :
Somewhere at the end of this row of shop lots ( left hand side ) was a private maternity
clinic, where I was born. The clinic has since gone, many many years ago ...
Present day Jalan Padang Garong :
* Tips : Right click on mouse, open in a new tab
* Masjid Besar Koto Barghu aka Masjid Muhammadi
The townspeople's center of faith ....
As far as I remember, the mosque iconic domes had always been coated in black,
with the rest, in cream. If I am not mistaken, the colour scheme was maintained so,
since it was first built in 1920s until someone came up with an idea, rather recently,
to change the domes' black to gold coloured pigment while still leaving the rest in its
traditional coat of cream.
Thankfully, either way, it is still look good although deep inside, I wish it could be
coated with glimmering gold leaf instead of normal paint ... eheh ~
( Kelantan kan ada emas ? )
" Alang alang menyeluk pekasam, biar sampai ke pangkal lengan ! "
Present day Masjid Besar Kota Bharu ( Masjid Muhammadi ) :
* Tips : Right click on mouse, open in a new tab
* Pasar Besar Kota Bharu
.. or simply known as Pasar MPKB ( Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu ).
Located in the heart of old Kota Bharu, surrounded by pre-War shop houses.
It was the focal point of market-going in Kota Bharu before Pasar Besar Buluh Kubu
( later renamed to Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah ) came to the scene.
The above shot shows the vegetable section of the market.
The entire market itself was dominated by women traders, an interesting feature or
characteristic, still prevail and unique to Kelantan, a rarity in other corners of Malaysia.
Here, some of them are seen engaging in business, each with a piece of clothing
called " kain batik lepas " carefully wrapped around their heads, serving as both
decent Muslim head covering and also as a cushion for balancing goods on their
heads during transportation - an art, now very rarely seen today.
While women continue to dominate the Kelantanese market scene, their traditional
appearance, particularly their unique headgear is now disappearing, dying out slowly,
replaced by the contemporary " tudung bawal " and the likes. Only a handful of old timers
are still seen donning the " semutar " * in the town's marketplaces, with relatively
slightly larger presence in the rural areas.
* when worn by men, it is known as a " semutar ". Not sure what they call it when
worn by the opposite sex, though they both are practically the same thing ...
* Interesting Read : " From the Governor's Desk : An Old Lady in “Smuta” "
On the other hand, notice how the use of bicycles was very common in those days.
Almost everyone was using it, both young and old, mainly by those in the middle and low
income group. Now, almost all turned to motorbikes ( if not cars ) and bicycles are
getting rarer except probably among school children, but not without a price - the fuel
hike threat ! Affecting everyone like never before !
Would it be great if we could have bicycles back on our streets ?
( For the note, cities in Japan are extremely hospitable to cyclists .... )
Present day vegetable section of Pasar Besar MPKB ( or now, Pasar Lama Arked MPKB ) :
* Tips : Right click on mouse, open in a new tab
* Pasar Besar Kota Bharu : The Fish Section
Same market as the above, but different section.
( though located just side by side in the small market place ! )
In those days, sea produce were sold at open air markets like this one.
Unlike today, plastic shopping bags were scarce and limited only to established,
high end shops and the only way the humble, down-to-earth fishmongers to send away
their goods was to carefully wrap them in paper ( of used or old newspapers, a small
pile could be seen on the table in the above photo ) and placed them into the awaiting
customer's basket. It was the time when shopping baskets were very common and
sanitary problems related to plastic wrappers were almost unheard of.
The above fishmonger's main trade seemed to be Ikan Tenggiri ( King Mackerel ),
which he proudly displayed on his work table. The fish is considered good eating and
now priced at an average of RM 20 ~ 24 per kilo. Quite expensive for daily consumption
by most Kelantanese. I wonder how much it was then ? RM 5 per kilo maybe ? Huh ?
Should certainly be a lot cheaper back then, as low as the average salaries of those
days .... Talk about inflation and ever shrinking buying power ~ !
Closer to the floor, placed together on the red fringed tray along with two Tinfoil Barbs,
is Ikae Belukour ( Marble Goby ). The fish, highly prized by the Chinese for its tender
white flesh, was sold at prices higher than any other fish, and still is now. I remember it to
be quite common back then but is hardly found now. Either the wild stock has already
somewhat depleted or the price is now too much for normal consumption ?
I wonder .....
( I am told that it is priced at RM 90 per kilo nowadays ! )
Present day Pasar MPKB ( or now, Pasar Lama Arked MPKB ) :
* Tips : Right click on mouse, open in a new tab
* Padae Bbeng ..
aka Padang Bank, when it was less concrete ( and fencing ) and more greenery.
( I believe in public spaces with little or no fencing at all )
The field is actually known formally as Padang Merdeka, after a declaration of
independence from the British ( Kelantan was a British protectorate, and a part of
British Malaya ) was made here in 1957.
The field itself is historical.
The white cenotaph was there since 1918 and was put up to remember the British
dead in the European conflict of 1915 ~ 1918, who were sent from Kelantan ( were in
the service of the then Kelantan Government ). On its four sides, are bronze plaques,
bearing the deceased names and some other descriptions in English, Malay, Chinese
and Indian, which I found to be rather ironic, for the site was also where the British had
the dead body of Tok Janggut hung upside down in 1915, for rising up against the
British in what claimed by growing number of historians, as stemmed from the British
war with the Muslims i.e. the Ottoman Turks during the time ( World War I ) ..
At present, the Padang is occasionally used for The Sultan's Birthday Parade and some
other related events.
Present day, Padae Bbaeng :
* Tips : Right click on mouse, open in a new tab
* Ghertock Sultae Yahyo Petra
.. aka Jambatan Sultan Yahya Petra.
The most famous bridge in Kelantan, as seen here from Kota Bharu side, overlooking
the wide, lush and fertile flood plain of Kampung Sireh Bawah Lembah.
It spans across the Kelantan River over a mile or so, connecting Jajahan Tumpat
( Pasir Pekan ) with Jajahan Kota Bharu ( Kampung Sireh ). Built and officially
opened in the 60s, it was the first and only bridge built across the Kelantan River
which really fit road travelling vehicles. Although the Guillemard Bridge of Tanah
Merah - Machang preceded this bridge by almost 50 years earlier, the Guillemard
was built with rail travelling in mind and not for cars and such.
Now, much of the flood plain has been reclaimed, made higher with tonnes of sand
pumped from the river and is currently being developed into a free hold, new
commercial district of Kota Bharu and as for the bridge itself, a second link
( two of them actually ) is currently being built, next to it, to reduce traffic
congestion and smooth up flows.
Present day Ghertock Sultae Yahyo Petra :
* Tips : Right click on mouse, open in a new tab
EQUALLY INTERESTING !
* Jalan Temenggong in 1927 ...
... under the surging ( receding ? ) flood water of the first Bah Merah i.e. The First
Great Red Flood ....
The same scale of flooding repeated itself 40 years later in 1967, and interestingly the
same force struck again some 40 years later in 2004, making researchers to think it as
a 40 years cycle flood that might hit Kelantan again, particularly Kota Bharu between
2044 ~ 2047 .. ( Hidup lagi ker aku time tuh !? )
For the note, motorised vehicles startedto appear in Kelantan around the beginning of
the 20th century, particularly after the Bangkok Agreement of 1909 ..
Image taken from Warisan Kelantan VIII ( Muzium Negeri Kelantan, 1989) ; p.137
 
* Jalan Temenggong through time, ( from left ) in 1927, in the early 80s, and in late 2009.
ON THE OTHER HAND ...
* 1980s KUALA TERENGGANU !
Another key town of the East Coast, Kuala Terengganu, the state capital of
Terengganu Darul Iman, located some 200 km to the south east of Kota Bharu.
This early 1980s street scene of the coastal town is taken from the same set of
postcards as the above featuring Kota Bharu. Believed to be taken and printed in the
same time period thus making it a fair comparison on the rate and magnitude of
progress achieved by the two East Coast Malay-majority townships during the time.
Do compare the street scene and the town appearance with those of Kota Bharu.
I wonder how Kuala Terengganu compares to Kota Bharu now ?
( can anyone tell me what is the name of this road ? There's a cinema on the left. )
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| Saturday, 26-Dec-2009 12:00 |
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Distinctively KeLaTté : Nikah Kahwin dan Kelantan
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Distinctively KeLaTté :
Nikah Kahwin dan Kelantan ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Musim Cuti Sekolah sebegini memang banyak jemputan nikah kahwin ..
( jemputan majlis bertunang pun ada weihh ! )
.. dan rasanya seronok juga jika entri kali ini menyentuh soal tersebut,
lebih-lebih yang bersangkut paut dengan Kelantan !
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Gambar hiasan ...
Dalam soal nikah kahwin ....
... tidak sedikit yang mengatakan bahawa Orghae Kelaté " tidak ada adat " !
Mungkin istilah " tidak ada adat ", " tiada beradat " , " tidak mementingkan adat ", " tidak mengikut adat ", atau seumpamanya itu kurang tepat kerana bagi orang Kelantan, adat itu memang ada dan diutamakan dan yang dikatakan adat itu adalah apa yang telah ditetapkan oleh syarak, baik Al Quran mahupun As Sunnah ...
Bak kata orang Minang,
" Adat basandi syarak, syarak basandi kitabuLlah, syarak mangato adat mamakai " *
* ungkapan di atas dikatakan muncul setelah berlakunya krisis pada awal abad ke-19
antara kem tradisionalis Minang yang berpegang erat kepada Hukum Adat khususnya
Adat Perpatih dan lain-lain amalan pra-Islamik, dengan kem Tuanku Imam Bonjol,
seorang reformis Minang yang mahukan Hukum Islam diletakkan mendahului Hukum
Adat di bumi Minang. Apa yang ironik, perselisihan ini berakhir dengan kejatuhan
kuasa politik Orang Minang ke tangan Belanda. Satu kisah sejarah yang cukup
memberikan pengajaran dan wajar dijadikan renungan bersama.
Boleh baca kisahnya di sini ...
( Kini wajah Tuanku Imam Bonjol menghiasi nota Rupiah Indonesia 5000 )
Dari ungkapan di atas maka lahir pula, " Biar Mati Anak, Jangan Mati Adat ",
yang kini menjadi bahan sindiran sinis, " kalau mati anak, siapa yang nak bawa adat ? "
oleh ramai pihak, seperti yang saya pernah dengar dari satu lagi yang dibawa oleh
Tan Sri S.M. Salim ( lagu apa yer ? )
Oleh yang demikian, dalam hal nikah kahwin pun, Orghae Kelaté sebenarnya sangat mengikut adat, tetapi setakat mana yang disyarakkan oleh Islam sahaja. Mana yang tidak, akan dinyahkan ( contoh yang paling jelas adalah Adat Bersanding / Menepung
Tawar yang telah dilenyapkan oleh Orghae Kelaté kerana dikatakan tidak Islamik dan
meniru amalan pra-Islamik i.e. Hindu ) ...
Mudah kata, apa yang diungkapkan orang Minang, sebenarnya telah dikotakan oleh orang Kelantan !
( Disclaimer : Kenyataan di atas tidak terbit kerana Kelantan kalah dengan Negeri Sembilan dalam Piala Malaysia lepas .. atau kerana sebarang niat selain suci hati .. eheh ~ )
Baiklah ...
Yang berikut adalah apa yang saya dapat kumpulkan berkenaan adat nikah kahwin di Kelantan.
Dipersilakan beri maklum balas atau teguran jika apa yang saya faham di sini adalah tidak tepat atau perlukan huraian / penjelasan lebih lanjut :
DARIHAL SEBELUM NIKAH :
1) Merisik
Dikatakan tidak berbeza dengan apa yang diamalkan di negeri-negeri lain.
Wakil keluarga si lelaki atau pihak ketiga yang ' ditugaskan ' oleh pihak lelaki, akan mengadakan lawatan ke rumah keluarga si perempuan.
Sekiranya " line clear ", adakalanya pihak lelaki akan menghadiahkan sebentuk cincin belah rotan sebagai tanda " pre-booking " ...
Seterusnya, peminangan ( booking ! ) akan menyusul.
2) Meminang ( Bertunang )
Biasanya Orghae Kelaté tidak menekankan pertunangan.
Biasanya terus kahwin atau bertunang hari ini, esok kahwin. Sebab tak baik simpan lama-lama .. he he ~ ( " huduh benar duk kileik anok orghae ", kata Orghae Kelaté )
Tetapi bukan bermakna tiada atau ianya sesuatu yang asing.
Bahkan sekarang, saya lihat makin ramai yang nak bertunang dahulu, malah semakin gah, lengkap dengan hiasan ala ala pelamin ( " manjangae " kata Orghae Kelaté )
Yang pasti, majoriti majlis pertunangan di Kelantan adalah biasa-biasa sahaja, dan yang boleh dikatakan " noteworthy " adalah pada " hadiah pertunangan " di mana Orghae Kelaté lebih mengutamakan barangan berbanding pemberian makanan yang diamalkan di sesetengah negeri-negeri lain ( khususnya di sebelah Utara ? ) ...
3) Pernikahan
Bagi Orghae Kelaté, ' hantaran ' akan diangkat dalam akad nikah bersekali dengan mas kahwin yang telah ditetapkan nilainya mengikut negeri.
' Hantaran ' bagi orang Kelantan adalah hak milik si pengantin perempuan dan tidak boleh disentuh sama sekali sebagai " Belanja Kahwin " melainkan mendapat persetujuan si pengantin perempuan ( jangan harap lah ! ) ..
Pendek kata, " belanja kahwin " lain cerita !
( cerita " belanja kahwin " duduk dalam tajuk seterusnya, " Darihal Selepas Nikah " )
* Gambar hiasan ...
Sebuah Majlis Pertunangan di LUAR Kelantan ...
DARIHAL SELEPAS NIKAH ( MAJLIS KENDURI ) :
* sebelum tu, jenguk lah ini dulu " Distinctively KeLaTte : BAEKWOH " ....
* Baekwoh = Kenduri Kahwin !!
Adalah menjadi kebiasaan di Kelantan, bagi perbelanjaan baekwoh ( belanja kahwin ) di pihak pengantin perempuan tidak ditanggung sepenuhnya ( atau kesemuanya ! ) oleh pihak pengantin lelaki.
Tiada ketetapan seperti yang biasa diamalkan di luar Kelantan di mana pihak lelaki semestinya menanggung kenduri di sebelah pengantin perempuan tetapi sebaliknya tidak berlaku bagi kenduri sebelah pengantin lelaki !
Sebaliknya " Belanja Kahwin " di Kelantan di " cover " dengan tatacara berikut :
1) Mengaellae / Ngaellae
( Entah lah, apa makna " Mengaellae " dalam bahasa standard ? )
Tetamu datang dengan membawa duit hadiah ( duit ngaellae, kata Orghae Kelaté ) dengan menghulurkan terus kepada ibu / bapa pengantin.
Jumlah standard tidak ditetapkan tetapi pemberian antara RM 10 ~ RM 50 adalah paling biasa diamalkan. Bawah daripada jumlah biasa tersebut, biasanya orang malu nak hulur atau tak akan hulur !
( Jangan kasi 50 sen dah la ! )
Niat ngaellae ini dapat diketahui dengan terang dan jelas melalui perkataan " Walimatul Urus " atau " Majlis Perkahwinan " pada kad jemputan.
2) Ngaellae Baessae
( " Baessae " atau dalam bahasa standard, " Bisan " atau " Besan " )
Bisan saling memberikan duit belanja kahwin berdasarkan jumlah kepala tetamu yang pihak masing-masing ingin jemput.
Contohnya, majlis kahwin diadakan di pihak lelaki, ibu bapa pihak perempuan mahu menjemput 100 orang dari kalangan kenalannya ke majlis pihak lelaki itu, atas kos RM 15 sekepala. Maka, dia akan beri RM 1500 belanja kahwin kepada pihak lelaki atas nama "ngellae baessae".
Dalam erti kata mudah, masing-masing saling menanggung kos majlis kahwin di kedua-dua belah pihak.
3) Majlis Kesyukuran
Tetamu dijemput datang untuk dijamu dan diraikan sahaja.
Duit ngaellae tidak diharapkan bahkan adakalanya menjadi " taboo " jika dihulur. Sekiranya terhulur juga, tuan rumah akan menolak dengan sopan, dengan ayat seperti,
" Eh, bukae wak ngaellae nih, kesyukurae jah. Sippae sippae ~ ".
Tiada ketetapan siapa yang perlu menanggung kos majlis.
Biasanya ditanggung oleh ibu bapa ( jika kaya raya ! ) atau pengantin atau kedua-dua, hanya di pihak yang ingin mengadakan majlis. Mudah kata, pihak lelaki tanggung sendiri majlis di pihak lelaki, dan begitulah sebaliknya di pihak perempuan ( jika dia mahu adakan kesyukuran dan bukan " ngaellae " ).
Namun demikian, adalah sopan jika tetamu datang dengan membawa hadiah berupa barangan kepada pengantin dan bukannya berlenggang dengan tangan kosong. Kalau di kampung-kampung, adalah menjadi kebiasaan untuk menghadiahkan gula, susu pekat manis atau beras segantang ....
Niat " kesyukuran " ini dapat dibaca dari perkataan " Majlis Kesyukuran " yang tertera pada kad jemputan.
( Saya dapati trend Majlis Kesyukuran semakin popular di Kelantan pada masa sekarang, tidak kira di pihak lelaki mahupun perempuan )
4) Ngennar
Terbitan dari perkataan " memperkenal ".
Keluarga pengantin akan mengumumkan, semasa majlis kenduri berlangsung, kepada sekalian tetamu untuk masuk bertemu, bersua muka dan berkenalan dengan pengantin.
Semasa masing-masing bersalam dengan pengantin, sampul berisi wang akan diselitkan ke tangan pengantin, dan wang tersebut adalah bagi maksud perbelanjaan kenduri kahwin berkenaan dan biasanya bukan bagi simpanan peribadi pengantin.
( Lebih kurang macam " ngaellae " jugak laa ... )
KESIMPULAN
Adat perkahwinan Orghae Kelaté boleh disimpulkan :
1) Demi memudahkan ....Mengutamakan kelancaran proses nikah kahwin itu sendiri dengan niat bagi
memudahkan dan menggalakkan orang bernikah kahwin selain turut bertujuan
menjaga hubungan antara pihak keluarga lelaki dan pihak keluarga perempuan.
2) Bukan Untuk Dijual ! Tidak mahu mewujudkan sangkaan " jual mahal " atau " jual anak "
( seolah ingin " memeras " pihak lelaki dengan " tebusan " dsb ).
Bagi Orghae Kelaté, kedua-dua pihak dilihat perlu saling berkorban, yakni saling rugi
dan saling untung, demi ' mendirikan masjid ' ...
Pendek kata, Mek Kelaté tidak " demanding " ! Eheh ~
3) " Awae, carghi orghae Kelate lah ! " Peningkatan Orghae Kelaté yang berkahwin dengan ' orghae luwaa '
( bukan Anak Kelantan ) menyebabkan berlakunya " pertembungan budaya "
yang tidak kurang malah sering juga mencetuskan keresahan di pihak Orghae
Kelaté, khususnya bagi kaum lelaki, sehingga menyebabkan ayat berikut
menjadi semakin popular di kalangan ibu bapa di Kelantan pada masa kini :
" Awae, carghi orghae Kelate lah, mudoh bassor sennae kirgho ... "
He he he he ~
Diulangi, apa yang saya nyatakan di sini hanyalah dari tinjauan, pemantauan dan temubual sendiri sahaja.
Kalau salah, perlu diperbetul atau perlu ditambah, dipersilakan dengan segala hormatnya !!
Jemput, jemput ! Sila, sila ! Tambahlah, tambah !
( macam ajak makan baekwoh pula ! Aha ha ha ~ )
* Gambar hiasan ...
Sebuah majlis perkahwinan di pihak lelaki di Kota Bharu.
Bersanding bukan amalan orang Kelantan, yang ini diadakan cuma untuk bergambar
kenang kenangan sahaja.
* Previously in Distinctively KeLaTté :
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| Thursday, 17-Dec-2009 00:00 |
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Roku Shū Nen : 17 Dec 2003 ~ 17 Dec 2009
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ROKU SHŪ NEN * :
17 Dec 2003 ~ 17 Dec 2009
* Ulang Tahun ke-6
Mak aiiiiih !
Enam tahun !!?
Sama ada masa berlalu terlalu pantas
atau aku yang terlalu ralit dan hanyut ....
( yang pasti, sekarang tidak lagi se " seronok " dulu .... )
Emmm .... Tapi sampai bila ?
Nanti lah .... lilin pun pasti padam ...
apabila masanya sudah tiba ...
* atau boleh jenguk yang ini tak pun dengar sahaja yang ini ~
| Quote: |
Aku tak kan bertanya
Apakah nanti balasannya
Setiap pengorbanan setiap pemberian
Demi satu ikatan
......................
Aku senang begini
dapat terus berbakti
Dengan cara sendiri ....
" Biar Ku Menjadi Lilin " - Pelangi ( 1986 )
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| Tuesday, 8-Dec-2009 00:30 |
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WORLD WAR II IN KELATTÉ : Hello Gong Limau, Goodbye Pak Amat (2)
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WORLD WAR II IN KELATTÉ :
Hello Gong Limau,
Goodbye Pak Amat ..... ( 2 )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A backdated entry as an update for the previous entry with the same title.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATED 22 DEC 2009 :
* A lone pillbox by the runaway ....
... of what used to be the British Military Airfield of Pengkalan Chepa.
This pillbox, along with several other pillboxes ( some still remain ) once served as a
part of the heavy fortification built by the British around the airfield as a defensive
measure against any attack targeting the strategic site.
The Japanese, realizing the threat posed by the airfield against their planned landings
in Pattani and Singgora, decided to first neutralize it by mean of an invasion through
Kuala Pak Amat and nearby beaches, which was launched just after midnight on that
fateful 8th December 1941 day.
Amidst heavy resistance, the airfield fell to the Japanese hands in less than a day.
The British retreated south but not before they blew up parts of the runaway to avoid
the Japanese from turning it against them. The Japanese however reacted immediately
by hiring locals to do the fixing, an experience, channeled to me by my granduncle who
happened to be one of the hired labourers.
He was living in Salor at that time, some 20 km away from Pengkalan Chepa and had to
walk the distance on foot daily, stopping only briefly for some rest at several wayside
charity houses ( Wakaf ) which dotted the roadsides of Kelantan. Though roughly treated
( he could still remember and pronounce correctly the Japanese insults uttered to him by
his supervisors ), he told me how he was properly paid for his work, at 50 cent a day.
Indeed the first one or two years of Japanese occupation in Kelantan was fine, until
inflation went beyond control and all available foodstuff got confiscated and diverted to
feed the occupier's soldiers ...
After the war, the military airfield was turned into a civilian airport.
The nearby barracks were maintained however, now as a military camp for the
8th Brigade of the Royal Malay Regiment ( Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja ) or
known locally as, Kem Pengkalan Chepa.
As for the airport, it is currently known as the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport of Pengkalan
Chepa - a much renowned airport in the East Coast. It currently caters to the highest
number of passengers in the region ( 2008 : 836,060 ) with highest number of trips per
day, beating that of Kuantan ( 2008 : 259,529 ) and the " international " airport of Kuala
Terengganu ( 2008 : 487,495 ).
* Ref : The Malaysian Airports Website
The airport also serves as a training school for one of only three currently operating
flying schools in Malaysia ( the other two are in Langkawi and Malacca, not including
the one in Ipoh which is a helicopter training school ) and the airplanes seen in the
above shot are among those owned by the school - the APFT.
* Aerial view of Sultan Ismail Petra Airport ....
The Pengkalan Chepa River is seen through this shot, below at the right hand corner.
Close by, where the river meets the sea is Kuala Pak Amat, where the historical
landing took place ...
* Image taken from : Ahmet Akin Diler @ Jetphotos.net
MORE SUGGESTED READINGS :
Vintage Aeroplane Writer : Remember the 8th that came before the 7th.
Awazisan Maru : Japanese Transport Ship Sank off Kuala Pak Amat Dec 1941
Antigravity.com : Diving The Japanese Invasion Wreck
Malaysia Diving Community Forum : Awajisan-maru Wreck Diving
* The twisted propeller and parts of the engine from RAAF Hudson A16-19 ....
... which was used against the Japanese transport ships during the Kuala Pak Amat invasion.
The part comes from one of two Hudsons that were lost during the attack. It laid on the
seabed off Kuala Pak Amat until 1976, when it was found, fished out and then taken to
Australia.
Currently on display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Read more about it : http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/hudson/A16-19.html
* Clik image for the original source
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| Tuesday, 8-Dec-2009 00:25 |
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WORLD WAR II IN KELATTÉ : Hello Gong Limau, Goodbye Pak Amat ...
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WORLD WAR II IN KELATTÉ :
Hello Gong Limau,
Goodbye Pak Amat .....
Today, 8th of December 2009, marks the 68th year since the Imperial Japanese Army made the historical, not-so-surprise landing on the shore of Kuala Pak Amat in Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu.
This initial attack on British position started just 90 minutes before the attack on Pearl Harbour began, and is now claimed by more and more war historians to be the real spark that ignited World War II in the Pacific, instead of the overly publicized Pearl Harbour ....
| Quote: |
Japanese Occupation
By December 9 1941, with an additional reinforcement troops, the Japanese moved
into Kota Bharu town after occupying the Pengkalan Chepa airport a day earlier. The
British continued their withdrawal to Kuala Krai and then to Terengganu. By 22
December 1941, the Japanese completely occupied Kelantan. Although Japanese
attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on 7 December 1941, due to the time difference,
the Japanese actually attacked Kota Bharu one and a half hours earlier.
Source : http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/malaysia.html
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The landing marked the beginning of Japanese takeover of the entire Malay Archipelago and the end of the British Empire in the East. The rest, like you and me already know, is history, which is currently either being thought at schools in various versions or exaggerated in Western movies and documentaries.
Looking back, the invasion took place just minutes after midnight, in a pitch dark moonless night, during the height of the year's monsoon season. It was immediately met with fierce resistance from the awaiting British force. Reliable sources dictate that the British fired first, resulting the Japanese to lose one transport ship ( the Awajisan Maru ) off the coast of Kuala Pak Amat. Casualties were heavy on both sides but is said to be greater on the Japanese, but somehow the invasive force managed to push through the defender's line, across the minefields and barbed wires and took their first prize in the Malayan Campaign, the British military airstrip of Pengkalan Chepa.
The British, on the other hand, managed to retreat further inland, leaving behind their previously heavily guarded front line positions, that included a number of scattered but strategically positioned pillboxes, among which, one that I recently found in Gong Limau, a small Chinese burial ground enclave just across the road from the former airstrip, now a civilian airport ...
While this lone pillbox somehow survived the test of time and development activities, other pillboxes were not faring as good. Some were already destroyed to give way to modern day constructions while many were mercilessly dragged into the sea, by coastal erosion which is still ravaging the entire length of Kelantanese coastline. Ferociously gorging the famous beaches of Kelantan including the first landing site - Pantai Kuala Pak Amat.
It's kinda sad that it has to be like this, ironically when it is possible to do something about it. While World War II famous battlegrounds in Europe is being preserved for the current and future generation to learn a lesson from, we are losing ours in Malaysia, particularly Kuala Pak Amat in Kelantan, the first landing point cum battleground during the Malayan Campaign, at speed faster than previously expected.
The site is currently in total mess, in a very sad and disappointing state.
Debris of many sort, consisting mainly of fallen, dead coconut tree trunks which used to line the shore, now littered the landscape. Seriously ravaged by erosion, even a War Memorial, placed there few years back by the local authority, had joined some of the front-line pillboxes on the sea floor. The locals are not spared either. Most houses, had gone into the sea, crushed by the waves, leaving only a handful of houses now waiting for their turn, with some already left emptied by their worried inhabitants ...
Now, while I am glad to find another still-in-good-shape pillbox to add to my ' personal findings ' list, I am also at the same time, feeling quite devastated by the current condition of Pantai Kuala Pak Amat ...
While I am saying hello to Gong Limau ...
.. perhaps I should say good bye to Kuala Pak Amat ...
... this time, maybe for good ~
* ~ sigh ~
* The Pillbox of Gong Limau ...
... is now standing within a perimeter of a house.
The house, believed to be a squatter, was built next to it some time ago and was
eventually extended to include this pillbox as a part of its wall. Interestingly, during my
visit, the owner voluntarily exclaimed that no harm was done, or intended on the structure.
Indeed, unlike the one by the Kelantan River or the one, now gone at Taman Bendahara,
the pillbox is still in an excellent shape and condition. Except for the piles of rubbish
dumped inside, the structure is much like it was when first built by the British just days
before the Japanese landed nearby.
* The pillbox largest loophole ...
.. is the most distinctive in shape and of course, in size.
It was probably meant for machine gun placement - either for the commonly issued
British Bren Gun or the less likely American made Browning M1919.
I like how they engineered the pillbox, though a simple structure, entirely consists of
carefully arranged blocks of reinforced concrete, the design and emplacement each
loophole is truly worth studying. Like the one shown above, were designed so that the
gunner could take corner shot without taking in return fire from the same corner.
* The entrance into the pillbox ....
... as seen behind the potted plants, partly covered by the small tree.
The yellow wall on the right is a part of the extended house.
* The inside look of the pillbox
Good condition, except for the overwhelming piles of rubbish, old tires and other
unwanted items. An excellent " hideout " for snakes and other venomous creepy
crawlies. An eye-sore for sure ...
Considering of my own well being, I decided not to venture deeper and only managed
to take a couple of shots of the inside from this angle.
* Present day Pantai Kuala Pak Amat ....
Honestly, this is not the actual landing point.
The true " Kuala Pak Amat " which saw the first landing is now a point somewhere
a mile from the current shoreline. However, since it is a part of the attack route
where the fiercest battle took place and in fact, is still technically a part of Kuala Pak
Amat itself, it would still be perfectly okay to regard it as the " first landing point ".
Believe it or not, this area was once a fertile farmland, which sat on a higher ground
on thick layer of alluvial clay. The locals worked the land with paddy and vegetables
until erosion started to set in, about decade or so ago, giving way to sea water to
enter the area and poisoned the earth.
Now, the erosion had reduced the once fertile stretch into the above sight, somewhat
lifeless sandy terrain with dead tree trunks and plant debris, as far as the eyes could
see.
* A gazebo, seemingly waiting for a plunge
This is not a scene from Baywatch and Pamela Anderson surely did not need a
gazebo as her lookout point.
This gazebo is actually one of the now remaining two ( the other is just behind the two
standing men ) from the original three (?) that used to make up the Kuala Pak Amat
Japanese Landing Memorial Site, which originally consisted of a memorial stone
topped with ship gun replicas, an " altar " and some gazebos, built by the local authority
to commemorate the historical landing.
The following photo, taken from an article previously published in The Star Online
( October 2, 2009 ), shows the memorial site before it disappeared beneath the waves :
* click photo for the original source ...
* Parts of a pre-war culvert ....
... which was built by a Japanese spy, known simply among the locals as ' Ayah Kawa '
( probably a corrupted Japanese surname of " Ayukawa " = Japanese : 鮎川 @ アユカワ ).
The Japanese Military had been planning the landing for many months prior.
For that, they planted a network of Japanese spies in the area, operated by Japanese
nationals who supplied steady streams of specific information back to Japan, on the
local geography, British military installations, their movements and other things
crucial for an invasion plan.
Interestingly, the spies albeit being Japanese ( whom the British must have grown
pretty suspicious of ), played along by " masking " their espionage activities
with innocent daily businesses, from selling sweets to offering haircuts to the locals.
The following excerpt explains :
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"They worked as barbers, photographers, pottery makers, cake vendors,
miners and fishermen.
"Two of these spies in Kelantan were known as Ayah Kawa and Tok Kelepet.
"They were friendly with the locals and spoke the Kelantanese dialect fluently.
"Ayah Kawa made a culvert for irrigating the padi fields and this is still in use
today at Kuala Pa' Amat."
Mustapha said Tok Kelepet used to bake and sell kuih klepet (love letters) on
his bicycle around the village. He gave them away to children for free.
Source :
" Japanese had planted spies in Kota Baru ", The New Straits Times, 28 Jan 2009
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* What now left of Kuala Pak Amat's Tiram Beach Resort ...
.. are only ruins of its once beautiful wooden chalets and a stagnant pool colonized
by mudskippers ... on adrenaline !
The owner might be in a devastated state as the beach itself.
WORLD WAR II IN KELANTAN :
The followings are my previous entries on World War II in Kelantan and things related :
WWII British Pillboxes in Kelantan :
( that I have found and documented in the past )
20 Jun 2008 : WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : Pantai Irama & Pantai Pulau Belongan ( 2 )
8 Dec 2007 : WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : The Pillbox of Pantai Kundor
8 DEC 2006 : WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : Pantai Irama & Pantai Pulau Belongan , Bachok
20 AUG 2006 : WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : Jubakar, Tumpat
8 DEC 2005 : WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : Jalan Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu
11 AUG 2005 : WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : Jalan Tok Hakim, Kota Bharu
10 AUG 2005 : WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : Pantai Melawi, Bachok
WWII Related Stuffs :
20 AUG 2006 : ( 2 ) MENJEJAK KISAH AL-HADID : ~ Dari Temangan ke Jubakar ~
19 AUG 2006 : ( 1 ) MENJEJAK KISAH AL-HADID : ~ Dari Temangan ke Jubakar ~
7 JUN 2006 : Meet The Guillemard !
30 APR 2006 : WORLD WAR 2 IN JAPAN : A visit to Yasukuni Shrine & Yushukan ( Japanese War Memorial )
5 NOV 2005 : IMPERIALISM : What did we learn ?
10 MAR 2005 : WORLD WAR 2 BATTLE GROUND IN KELANTAN : Sabak Beach
4 JAN 2004 : WORLD WAR 2 IN JAPAN : Hiroshima ~ The Beginning Of The End
SUGGESTED READINGS :
The Star Online, July 19 - 2007, " Erosion swallows up historic WWII site "
Sager Ahmad, John Tiong, " End of Western rule ", NST Online
General Yamashita - the master deceiver
Zaf-Malaya's Blog : The Last Fortress
TRIVIA : " WAHAI TIKAR PANDAN TERBANG ! "
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Wahai tikar pandan terbang !
Bawaklah kami ke negara Pasir Berdenguu~ng !
Zam zam alla kazam !
Miyo toukai no sora akete
Kyoku jitsu takaku kagayakeba
Tenchi no seiki hatsuratsu to
Kibou wa odoru oyashima
Kami tiga sahabat
nasib timbul tenggelam
Susah hanya sekejap
senang pun tak lama .....
From :
" Laksamana Do Re Mi " - P.Ramlee, A.R. Tompel, Ibrahim Din ( 1972 )
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When the late Tan Sri P.Ramlee sang the song, together with the late
A.R. Tompel and Ibrahim Din in the above scene from Laksamana Do Re Mi (1972),
many, especially younger audiences thought that the trio made it up to mock a
Japanese song while some even saw it as another brilliant gibberish born
from the director's ( P.Ramlee ) witty mind.
But in fact, they were actually singing to the tune of a well known, most famous Japanese
war-time patriotic song called " Aikoku Koushinkyoku " ( 愛国行進曲 ) i.e. the " Patriotic March ".
P.Ramlee had adopted the first opening four lines and had them incorporated into his
own amusing lines in Malay. Though the combination does not make any sense at
all apart from being hilarious, they did have the wordings correct, with amazingly
accurate pronunciation !
The Japanese military first introduced the Aikoku Koushinkyoku to Tanah Melayu
during their 4 years of occupation. It was taught to the masses particularly at schools.
At the time, the locals were expected to know it, to sing it or at least to stand up to the
song with full respect. It was however, not the Japanese national anthem ( which was
and still is the Kimigayo ) but it was projected to a level almost as equal by the
Japanese militarism, with the intention of invoking pride and fighting spirit among
the Japanese ( particularly the soldiers ) as well as instilling the anti-Western
stance among the locals under their " Asia for Asians " banner.
For those who lived through the era as a teenager or an adult or even as a child, the
song was nothing strange. It was so forced upon the population that it literally stuck
to their minds and is still much memorized and recognizable by the survivors today,
long after the war had ended, like to P.Ramlee and his companions. The three
surely sang it from their memories !
This is the original version of the song, from a 1943 war-time Japanese film :
* A better one, a 1938 Japanese war propaganda film, showing the technological
progress and political gain achieved by Japanese industries and war machines,
with the song streaming in the background.
* Or here, the karaoke version of it ( with voice though ). Recommended for those
who could read Japanese.
* The whole translation ( with download-able mp3 too ! )
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| Friday, 4-Dec-2009 13:00 |
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FILLER ENTRY : Monograf Bersiri Warisan Kelantan
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FILLER ENTRY :
Monograf Bersiri Warisan Kelantan
Tajuknya dua patah sahaja,
" Warisan Kelantan " ...
Sebuah monograf, yakni satu koleksi kertas kajian, esei akademik dan seumpamanya tentang sesuatu topik oleh berbilang pengkaji dan pakar akademik dari pelbagai latarbelakang, kepakaran, pengalaman, gaya pemikiran dan kepercayaan ! *
* kepercayaan, bukan ' agama ', tetapi dalam erti kata, " historical outlook " dari kepercayaan peribadi ...
Keluaran pertama terbit pada tahun 1982 dan ayahanda saya pernah mengikutinya.
Tetapi tidaklah setiap keluaran. Kalau tak silap, hanya sempat dua atau tiga keluaran awal sahaja. Itu pun tidak berturutan, atau pun yang lain telah hilang ?
Semasa muda-muda dulu, saya gemar juga membeleknya.
Bukan kerana saya minat bacaan berat sebegini, cuma ketika itu saya dapati gambar foto dan lakaran yang dipaparkan, adakalanya menarik perhatian. Begitu juga dengan sesetengah isi kandungannya yang mudah diproses oleh saya masa itu. Begitu membuka minda.
Meningkat umur, saya hilang minat dan hampir-hampir terlupa tentang kewujudannya.
Sehinggalah saya terdorong kepada, " self rediscovery " ini, barulah saya teringat akan buku ini kembali. Namun begitu, apa yang sedia ada dalam simpanan tidak cukup memuaskan tetapi tidak pula saya cenderung mencari yang selebihnya, sehingga suatu hari baru-baru ini, bila mana saya melintas di hadapan meja jualan buku sejarah di satu program anjuran pihak muzium. Saya tidak pasti apa yang berlaku setelah itu, hanya tersedar tidak berapa lama kemudian, dengan tangan ini membimbit dua beg kertas bertali mengandungi 20 keluaran Warisan Kelantan dan dompet yang agak mengempis .. he he ~ ( katanya dah special price ! )
Tapi, bagus juga !
Kerana hanya sekarang, saya mula belajar untuk lebih menghayatinya.
Lebih-lebih lagi foto-foto lama yang sesekali dipaparkan, walaupun tidak banyak, adalah amat menarik dan lebih bererti.
Walaupun dirasakan kualiti foto yang dipaparkan umumnya tidaklah yang terbaik dan begitu juga dengan kualiti cetakannya ( saya rasa, cetakan-cetakan awal lebih baik dari segi kualiti paparan berbanding yang terkini ), saya berpendapat bahawa monograf Warisan Kelantan ini amatlah wajar dan perlu dibaca seterusnya dihayati oleh mereka yang mengaku Anak Kelantan ...
Kalau tak salah, harganya ditetapkan pada RM 15 senaskah, dan boleh didapati dari Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan, terus melalui kaunter Muzium Negeri, di Jalan Hospital, Bandar Kota Bharu ..*
* saya tidak berniaga dan tidak juga menerima komisen, tiada sebarang keuntungan yang saya peroleh hasil dari " promosi " di atas, melainkan rasa bangga jika semakin ramai di kalangan kita yang menjadi celik sejarah dan peka warisan melalui penulisan sedemikian ~ !
Setakat ini, saya telah menemui beberapa perkara menarik dalam bentuk foto-foto lama yang amat membantu dalam " self rediscovery " ini. Terima kasih kepada monograf Warisan Kelantan ~ Jujur saya akui, tak rugi sungguh saya beli ....
.... bak kata kucing saya, " beli buku, tak akan rugi, meow ! " ... *
* Kalau kita tak baca pun, anak cucu kita atau orang lain akan baca dan dapat manfaat dan ilmu yang bermanfaat merupakan antara penyambung amalan anak Adam di alam barzakh bila mana amalan-amalan lain sudah terputus ~ !
Berikut saya paparkan foto-foto yang saya maksudkan di atas bagi mereka yang berminat dan ingin tahu. Saya juga ada memasukkan foto-foto berikut sebagai item kemaskini ke dalam entri-entri lepas yang berkaitan dengannya.
Kalau berminat, tak cukup hanya tengok di sini sahaja, dipersilakan klik pada setiap foto untuk dihalakan ke setiap entri yang dimaksudkan ..
Okeh ! Cukup takat itu sahaja kali ini !
Wallahu a'laaam ....
* Adakah ini bangunan Masjid Lama Mulong ....
.... semasa dijadikan balairung seri Raja Muda aka Raja Dewa ?
( klik foto untuk keterangan lanjut )
Sumber :
Nik Mohamed Nik Mohd Salleh, " Bandar Kota Bharu : Sejarah Pertumbuhan dan Perkembangannya "
- Warisan Kelantan III ( Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan, 1984 ) ; p.98
* Istana Tengku Seri Akar .....
.... semasa saat-saat akhir sebelum dirobohkan.
( klik foto untuk keterangan lanjut )
Sumber :
Warisan Kelantan XIII ( Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan, 1994) ; p.135
* Masjid Langgar ....
.. yang asal sebelum adanya masjid binaan konkrit sebagaimana sekarang, dibina 1871.
( klik foto untuk keterangan lanjut )
Sumber :
Warisan Kelantan XV ( Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan, 1996 ) ; p.134 ~ 135
* Kubu Kotak / Kebal British ( Pillbox ) di Taman Bendahara ( kini ) ....
.... yang sudah tiada, tak jauh dari Menara Jam sumbangan veteran tentera Jepun yang
melakukan pendaratan di Pantai Kuala Pak Amat ( dalam buku teks sejarah sekolah
disebut " Pantai Sabak " satu misnomer ) ...
( klik foto untuk keterangan lanjut )
Sumber :
Salleh Mohd Akib, " Kubu Kebal British di Kelantan "
- Warisan Kelantan XIV ( Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan, 1995 ) ; p.29
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| Friday, 27-Nov-2009 08:00 |
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Salam Aidil Adha 1430 H : Kakkah Dalae
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SALAM AIDIL ADHA 1430 H
... dan salam hari Jumaat ...
( hari raya teragung jatuh pada hari teragung ... wow ~ ! )
.... kepada para penjenguk laman ini & sekalian muslimin dan muslimat, mukminin dan mukminat, sama ada yang masih hidup mahupun yang akan mati ~ !
* Gambar Hiasan .....
Serta setinggi ucapan salam dan tahniah kepada para Tetamu Allah yang sedang menyempurnakan ibadat haji di Tanah Suci, semoga dikurniakan Haji yang mabrur ....
.... dan tak lupa, salam dan tahniah juga buat kalian yang melaksanakan ibadah korban, semoga korban kalian diterima Allah hendaknya !
Jika tahun lepas aku beraya nun " tak berapa jauh " di perantauan dalam kedinginan hujan bukit yang turun dengan lebatnya, tahun ini pula aku kembali beraya di Kelaté dalam keadaan cuaca cerah dengan langit biru terang benderang walaupun baru kelmarin hujan dan banjir ...
Masya Allah ~ Alhamdulillah !
Rabbul A'lameen telah mengizinkan cuaca yang baik bagi Aidil Adha kali ini ....
( hari raya teragung jatuh pada hari teragung yang cerah berlangit biru biarpun baru kelmarin banjir ... dua kali wow ! )
... tetapi itu tidaklah bermakna bahawa hujan dan banjir bersifat tidak elok kerana sesungguhnya setiap kitaran alam semulajadi yang telah ditetapkanNya memang ada rahmat yang terselindung buat mereka yang ingin berfikir, lebih-lebih lagi dalam bentuk air dari langit yang tidak dinafikan mendinginkan suasana dan menyuburkan tanaman ! Jika ingin tahu apa akan berlaku sekiranya nikmat ini ditarik Allah, lihat sajalah Gurun Atacama di Chile, gurun terkering di dunia yang ada bahagian buminya dilaporkan tidak pernah dijamah hujan selama 20 juta tahun !!
Apa apa pun yang pasti, Aidil Adha ( Ghayyo Aji, kata orghae Kelaté ) kali ini sebagaimana yang lepas-lepas, pastinya akan meledak dengan bermacam jemputan makan dan undangan baekwoh yang bertemakan daging ! Kena pula dengan cuti sekolah yang sudah sinonim dengan baekwoh, maka akan makin menjadi jadilah nampaknya ~ ! Kata orang, inilah antara ciri-ciri istimewa Ghayyo Aji di Kelaté yang tiada di tempat lain ... Sejauh mana kebenarannya, itu tidak dapat pula aku pastikan ...
Bukan setakat kenduri kendara bahkan menu makan seharian di Kelaté selama seminggu ini pastinya akan sarat dengan pelbagai resipi berdaging, dari jenis bersup seperti singgang daging dan sup " gear box " sehinggalah kepada yang pekat bersantan seperti gulai kurma dan gulai kawah " tohouk belakor " ... Dan sebagaimana kebiasaan, nanti akan adalah yang mengadu " mabuk daging " dan mula teridam-idamkan " total liberation " daripadanya !
Aku bukannya peminat daging dan selalunya lebih gemar menjauhi daripada menjamah. Namun, pada musim sekarang, seolah-olah menjadi satu " taboo " jika tidak diterima pelawaan memamah daging-daging lembu kampung yang empuk sambil memberi peluang kepada " kolestrol jahat " untuk melakukan insurgency ..
Tak apa lah ... sempena hari raya yang penuh keberkatan ini, aku ingat nak tutup bicara kali ini dengan menjemput kalian menghadap hidangan Kakkah Dalae ( lebih kejam " kolestrol jahat " nya ) yang sempat aku sediakan di bawah, yang aku agak tidak asing di Kelaté tetapi sesetengahnya tidak berapa nak ada di sebelah luar, buat santapan kalian di kala Aidil Adha ini !
Sila .. sila .. jemputlah ....
( di rumah ini tetamu tak boleh makan, ambil gambaran sajaaaaa ~ )
Eheheh ~
 
* Perghouk Mudo / Usus Lembu ( kiri ) dan Kerabu Perut / Perghouk Kitab ( kanan )
 
* Paru-Paru @ Pelepong Goreng
Sebelum ( setelah direbus terlebih dahulu ) dan selepas ( setelah digoreng ) ...
 
* Lidah Masak Merah ( kiri ) dan Lidah Roasted ( kanan )
 
* Hati dan Limpa Goreng ( kiri ) dan Gulai Otak Lembu ( kanan )
DAN DALAM PERKEMBANGAN YANG LAIN ....
* Golden Arches Over Wakaf Che Yeh
Ramai Anak Kelantan yang pulang berhari raya dari perantauan, dilaporkan terlopong
dan terkesima sejenak dengan kemunculan Pokchik Ronald di sini ....
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(donlaurel at gmail)
