|
|
| Wednesday, 23-Aug-2006 00:00 |
Email | Share |  | Bookmark |
|
SIRI SELINGAN : ~ RILEKS, MENGAPA HARUS GUBRA ? ~
|
|
There is probably no way for a first timer to Kelantan,
venturing into the state's supermart or hypermart ( the groceries section )
to miss this common but unique sight :
Perhaps by now,
every Malaysian might have already known that Kelantan,
the only Malaysian state governs by the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party ( PAS ),
required all supermarkets to have separate lines for male and female at the paying counters.
More on the list are public concerts, public functions or gatherings and some other related activities
and even goes to anyone who would like to reintroduce the cinema back to the state.
So far I dont see the locals complaining about it and me, I choose to stay optimistic.
But other Malaysians,
as I noticed in the blogosphere and on the net,
seem upset by the move ( some if not most, probably never been to Kelantan ! ),
and not few who see the practice as something that may lead to a much negative outcome :
| Quote: |
Over the past several years, women in Malaysia have seen a steady erosion of women's freedom and rights in the areas of law and access to justice in the Shariah system, social rights in the family, dress, public participation, and socialisation between the sexes.
We see increasing segregation of men and women in the public space.
In one state there is a separate queue for men and women in the supermarket.
From : Nora Murat, " Sisters in Islam: Advocacy for Change Within the Religious Framework "
|
No doubt.
That "one state" , is no other but.... Kelantan !
However in this case,
I failed to understand how relevant is "segregation" to the " erosion of women's freedom and rights "
when a more developed and "free" nation further up north is proving the opposite :
* The newspaper article is a trimmed version of the original article from
The Times, " Battle of the sexes leaves men groping for equality ". Read the full version HERE or HERE.
If you dont have the time to go through the article, let me quote something from it :
| Quote: |
What started as a desperate measure to protect women from gropers on trains has blossomed into a fully fledged movement. Single-sex places have become a lifestyle choice for many women and a source of outrage for men......
..... Once women-only carriages became standard on many Japan Railways services and the Tokyo Metro, other businesses quickly followed. Spas and gyms were among the first to pick up the trend, with restaurants, comic-book cafes and convenience stores joining the no-men-allowed movement.
|
* I snapped this one on a platform, somewhere in Osaka, back in 2005.
And wait, there is more :
| Quote: |
.... “ If men want not to be discriminated against, they should have better manners,” Ms Suzuki said. “They sit so they take up lots of space, read newspapers wide open, leaf through pornography in public and some are really arrogant, too.”
Takashi Naito, the male owner of Men-Ya Sora, said: “I wanted to have as many repeat customers as possible and I noticed that female diners often asked me to give them a table away from men who were drunk and noisy.” .....
|
First started as a government's measure against groping ( chikan ),
this " gender segregation " in public eventually receives good respons and supports from women,
who probably got frustrated by the level of " freedom & rights " enjoyed in the presence of
some ill-mannered male counterparts.
As the voice becomes greater, local businesses started to follow suit and introduce their own
brand of " public gender segregation " which finally ended up in the above article.
I stayed in Japan for a couple of years and found myself enjoying the sight of the "women-only" signs
scattering on the trains and on the platforms, as they reminded much of where I came from,
Kelantan ( ... but of course, minus the " groper "s ! )
That it even came to me sometimes, this feeling of how Kelantan is much " advanced "
when the concept, implemented earlier in Kelantan, seemed to get " recognized " and
somehow accepted in this part of the developed world.
So, Japan is an interesting example where " public gender segregation " is much welcome by the women
( oh, never mind the men ) and the amazing part about it is the people themselves ( the women ) are actually going for it !
( the Japanese govt doesnt really like the idea, let alone to promote it ! )
As in Kelantan, the rule is " State-imposed ".
Rather unfortunate as it happens at times when most Malaysians prefer to see every move
by the politicians as merely a " political stunt " rather than a " practical solution ",
resulting only a handful few takes the rule seriously. * see Footnote ( 1 )
And to make matters worst, Kelantan is currently under the Oppositions,
which explains why some Malaysians choose to be sceptical or critical whenever it comes to the state's matter.
But if that is really the case,
I wonder whether the following is a political stunt too...
In July 2006, a well known Kelantanese express bus operator,
minus the government intervention or pressure, managed to come up with a revolutionary
new idea for their service :
Konsortium E-Mutiara Berhad, the Kelantanese company behind the well known Ekspress Mutiara,
has came up with their own unique initiative, the " Bas Khas Untuk Wanita " ( Women Only Coach ).
The service, at the moment is limited only for Kelantan ~ Lembah Klang route.
Either their female customers are asking for it or simply learning something from past experiences
or taking examples from the state government's implementation,
judging from the fact that there is no businessman who would like to ruin his own business
by introducing to the fully aware customers, something that they are against for,
I thus believe that this is done for their customers' own satisfaction, i.e in good faith.
Therefore, by taking lessons from these examples ( Japan, Ekpress Mutiara ),
the gender segregation in public, as implemented in Kelantan should at least be viewed in
a positive and constructive manner and that no premature or stereotypical view or even plain
(or ugly) emotions should be mixed in.
The implementation MIGHT not be without flaw(s) but it is surely rewarding to be optimistic.
Believing that the rule, like the newly introduced bus service, must also be of good faith,
there is no way for me to despise it, let alone to oppose it
and that being in the right line at the counter is always the nicest thing to do. * see Footnote ( 2 )
So, whether you are going to agree with me or otherwise, I just got this to say .....
" Welcome to Kelantan, hope you enjoy your stay and .....
RILEKS, MENGAPA HARUS GABRA ? "
A billboard in Kota Bharu.
Footnote (1) :
In Kelantan, due to lack of enforcements or supervisions ( by both the stores' management or by the state govt ) and
with third world mentalities flourishing among some, the rule which requires people to
properly line up at the counters, by genders, is sometimes if not often, neglected.
Footnote (2) :
Besides, I personally like it, since men normally do not take up things as much as women do,
and since we got the rule, lining up at the counter never got as good as this ! ha ha ... 
emm.... not really cuz it was good during the days when they first introduced the rule
but when people started to play loose with it, I guess we are back to square one ! ... oh, well ..... 
RELATED :
KONSERT AWAM DAN SEGREGASI : Konsert Tautan Kasih ( bersama Mawi )
THE JAKARTA POST : PKS wants women-only cars in railway law ( 16 July 2006 )
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sunday, 20-Aug-2006 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
( 2 ) MENJEJAK KISAH AL-HADID : ~ Dari Temangan ke Jubakar ~
|
 |
|
Jubakar is a kampung between Tumpat and Pengkalan Kubor.
|
|
 |
|
Drive from Pengkalan Kubor & you'll be greeted by this sight
|
|
 |
|
Strange structures on the lagoon, like a lost work of art ....
|
| | View all 9 photos... |
|
SIRI MERDEKA : Menjejak Kisah AL-Hadid ( 2 )
Aku kata :
Mengenal sejarah
adalah menyesali diri
menyedari
akan setiap hari yang berlangsung
hanyalah
hari silam
yang berulang.
Pekan Temangan : Landasan Keretapi Pantai Timur
Foto dirakamkan bersebelahan Sekolah Kebangsaan Temangan ( suatu ketika dahulu menempatkan loji memproses bijih )
Landasan ini pernah digunakan untuk menghantar bijih besi ke Pelabuhan Tumpat.
Temangan => Jambatan Guillemard
Jambatan Guillemard ( atau " Jamattae Kusiyya ", panggilan tempatan ).
Merupakan jambatan keretapi terpanjang di Malaysia yang dibina merentas Sungai Kelantan antara
Paloh Rawa ( Jajahan Machang ) dan Kusial ( Jajahan Tanah Merah ).
Jambatan ini terletak di pertengahan laluan Temangan ~ Tumpat dan berhampiran pekan Temangan.
Bijih besi yang dilombong di Temangan dihantar ke Pelabuhan Tumpat melalui jambatan ini
yang mungkin menjelaskan mengapa British sanggup membina jambatan sepanjang ini yang pastinya ketika itu,
memerlukan kos yang amat tinggi.
Jambatan Guillemard => Tanah Merah => Pasir Mas => Wakaf Bharu => Tumpat => Jambatan Bijih di Jubakar
Jambatan Bijih di Kampung Jubakar, Tumpat.
Dibina sekitar awal abad ke-20 bagi memindahkan bijih besi dari landasan keretapi ke bot transit sebelum
seterusnya dihantar ke kapal pengangkut yang berlabuh jauh di tengah laut.
Dilaporkan bahwa kesemua hasil lombong Temangan dihantar ke Jepun, yang pada ketika itu amat bergantung kepada industri besi dan keluli.
Apabila Perang Dunia ke-2 meletus, tentera Jepun telah mengambil alih aktiviti perlombongan dan penghantaran bijih
bagi memastikan bekalan ke Jepun tidak terputus.
Kini yang tinggal dari aktiviti tersebut hanyalah barisan tiang penyokong konkrit yang mengunjur ke laut,
yang mungkin suatu masa nanti akan turut lenyap ditelan masa.
Imej Satelit kawasan Kampung Jubakar
Imej ihsan dari Google Earth.
Jambatan Bijih jelas kelihatan sebagai titik titik hitam di atas permukaan lagun.
Rumah Api di Kuala Tumpat.
Foto dari buku " Kelantan : A State of The Malay Peninsula " oleh W.A Graham, terbitan James Maclehose and Sons, Glasgow (1908).
Pada era pendudukan British,
pernah wujud sebuah pelabuhan kecil di Tumpat.
Malah, landasan keretapi Pantai Timur yang bermula dari Gemas juga berakhir di Tumpat.
( tidak termasuk landasan yang mengunjur ke Selatan Thai ).
Dengan kemudahan yang ada, Tumpat telah berkembang maju menjadi sebuah bandar.
Namun kini, seperti mana pekan Temangan, masa seolah olah terhenti di bandar Tumpat.
RELATED SOURCES :
The Railway To See Malaysia ( ktmb.virtualmalaysia.com )
kelantan.gov.my : Jambatan Bijih
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 19-Aug-2006 03:25 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
( 1 ) MENJEJAK KISAH AL-HADID : ~ Dari Temangan ke Jubakar ~
|
 |
|
Somewhere by the zig-zagging Kelantan river, is Temangan town...
|
|
 |
|
..where the infamous East Coast Railway line cuts through....
|
|
 |
|
...and where an abandoned iron mine lies.
|
| | View all 12 photos... |
|
SIRI MERDEKA : Menjejak Kisah AL-Hadid ( 1 )
“ And We ( God ) sent down iron ( al-hadid )
in which there lies great force and which has many uses for mankind "
( The Holy Quran, Surat Al-Hadid 57:25 )
Bercakap tentang besi,
aku jadi cukup nostalgik.
Usia aku di Jepun banyak dihabiskan mempelajari perangai besi dan kaum kerabatnya.
Kultus : Rikou Gakubu (Department of Science)
Mazhab : Kinzoku Kougakka ( School of Metallurgical Engineering )
Ya, Kinzoku tu bermakna " logam ".
Dah, jangan tanya aku lagi apa itu "raykinzoku".
Sekembalinya aku ke Kelantan,
aura besi tetap bersama aku.
selain ion ferum yang sejak azali, mengalir di dalam urat dengan bahtera hemoglobin,
larutan koloid Ferum (III) Hidroksida dari pili juga turut sama memberikan sokongan dari semasa ke semasa.
Dan mungkin,
setelah sekian lama berhimpun,
ion besi itu akhirnya menunjukkan sifat magnetiknya lalu aku kini telah tertarik pula ke Temangan,
sebuah pekan lama di pinggir Sungai Kelantan.
Sebelum aku meleret lebih jauh. Baik aku permudahkan sahaja bicara ini.
Temangan, Jajahan Machang, Kelantan.
Letaknya lebih kurang 60 km ke selatan bandar Kota Bharu, menghala ke Jajahan Kuala Krai.
Sebuah penempatan tradisional di pinggir Sungai Kelantan yang bertukar menjadi
sebuah pekan kecil pada awal abad ke-20, dengan penemuan bijih besi
dan kemunculan laluan keretapi Gemas ~ Tumpat.
Sebagaimana lombong besi di Kemaman, Terengganu dan di Pahang,
Temangan juga merupakan sebuah lombong bijih besi tinggalan zaman British.
Lombong besi di Temangan telah diusahakan oleh sebuah syarikat Jepun ~ " Oriental Mining Co. "
dan bijih yang diperoleh, dihantar dengan keretapi ke Jepun melalui Pelabuhan Tumpat ( Jubakar ).
Pengeluaran bijih besi akhirnya dihentikan pada tahun 1965
dan semenjak itu,
masa seolah olah terhenti di pekan Temangan ......
| Quote: |
d. Bijih besi
Perlombongan bijih besi hanya dijalankan oleh syarikat-syarikat Jepun hanya selepas Perang Dunia Pertama di Johor dan Terengganu serta Kelantan. Bijih besi ini kemudian dieksport ke negara Jepun dan menjelang tahun 1938, kira-kira setengah daripada jumlah import bijih besi Jepun datangnya dari Tanah Melayu.
Petikan dari : http://www.aseannewsnetwork.de/bahasa-malayu/wikipedia/e/ek/ekonomi_malaysia.html
|
Sungai Kelantan, sebagaimana dilihat dari pinggir sebatang jalan di Temangan.
Pemandangan yang agak menarik kerana di sini Sungai Kelantan membuat pusingan lipat " maut " 90 darjah,
sebelum mengalir ke Kota Bharu.
Papan kenyataan di sebuah kaki bukit di Kampung Bukit Besi, Temangan.
Setelah 40 tahun terhenti, nampaknya kegiatan penerokaan dan penyelidikan tentang potensi
sumber bijih di kawasan berkenaan akhirnya kembali dijalankan.
Menurut laporan terkini, bijih besi di Temangan masih lagi mampu dikomersilkan dengan
kewujudan teknologi terkini ( kos operasi tetap tinggi )
Cebisan " bijih " yang ditemui di kawasan Kampung Bukit Besi, Temangan.
Lapisan merah gelap menunjukkan kehadiran unsur Ferum dalam bentuk Ferum Oksida ( mineral Hematite ? )
BERKAITAN :
Kenali Bijih Besi : http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photoiron.html
Gambarfoto bekas lombong bijih besi di Temangan :
http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~zuhairi/Pengajaran/fieldwork/east_coast/out_10.htm
( Imej akan keluar hanya dengan Mozilla Firefox )
HENTIAN SETERUSNYA :
SIRI MERDEKA ~ Menjejak Kisah AL-Hadid ( 2 ) :
Menyingkap sejarah Jambatan Bijih di Kampung Jubakar, Jajahan Tumpat, Kelantan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sunday, 13-Aug-2006 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
SIRI MAKLUMAN : ~ Satu Dari Tiga ~
|
|
Sekadar makluman.
Buat masa sekarang, di Malaysia hanya ada tiga.
Satu di Melaka, satu di Langkawi dan satu baru saja ada di ....... Kelantan !
Sekolah Memandu Kapal Terbang.
Boleh laa sapo hok sergho terlebih ppitih mah tuh, gi laa maing kapaa terghebae nuh,
kato nyor terbuko kepado orghae awae jugok....
| Quote: | " ..... For those interested in obtaining a commercial licence that will allow them to fly for a living,
there were previously only three options – the Malaysia Flying Academy in Malacca,
HM Aerospace in Langkawi and Integrated Training & Services in Ipoh, which only trains helicopter pilots.
Beginning this year however, pilot wannabes have another option up in the northern state of Kelantan ..... "
From : The Star, Sunday July 9, 2006, " The call of the skies " |
| Quote: | " ........ With its new terminal building, Sultan Ismail Petra Airport is fully
equipped with the most modern and technically advanced navigation aids.
Apart from the monsoon period, you will enjoy probably the most favourable flying weather
in Malaysia, free from the haze and bad visibility. There are ample airspace for training area .... "
From : http://www.asiapacificflighttraining.com
|
BERKAITAN :
The Star, Sunday 9 July 2006 ; Careers ( Newspaper cut. ) : The Call Of The Skies
Blog seorang kadet APFT, and his photo album.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sunday, 6-Aug-2006 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
KEMASIN : Gone Fishing
|
 |
|
Kemasin Port : Ready for departure
|
|
 |
|
Leaving Kemasin Fishing Port
|
|
 |
|
..with a very bad weather ahead
|
| | View all 12 photos... |
|
GAPPO WEH ? :
Fishing off Kemasin, a small fishing port in Jajahan Bachok, Kelantan.
Some 6 hours, on a fishing boat from the shore to the middle of nowhere.
Choppy sea and stormy night made the 24 hours trip seemed ..... endless....
p/s : Novomin failed me... The only thing it did is making me sleeping on the line !!
Ahhoyy ! Anyone seasick over there ? We just got one over here ! ( *struggling to stand up* )
( Btw, love to see that Red Flag dancing in the wind over the South China Sea ).
Mutilating the day's catch....for everyone's easy picking.
Haruan Tasik ( Black Kingfish or Rachycentron canadum ).
These guys got spared from the knife and were sold to the fishmongers back at the jetty.
The cash went to everyone on board. So, who said fishing as a hobby is wasting money ?
IN MEMORIAM :
Today is August 6th 2006, 61 years had passed since the Hiroshima Tragedy.
Read more about it HERE.
These past entries are somewhat related :
HIROSHIMA !!!
A piece of HIROSHIMA ~
UPDATE: A piece of Hiroshima ~
Sekadar mengingat ~
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 18-Jul-2006 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
ORIGINAL MALAY : MARI KITA TENGOK SIAPA YANG KENA !
|
|
One fine Friday morning,
over a cup of milk coffee, Nasi Kerabu Daging Bakar and a morning Malay language newspaper,
I stumbled across this news :
Source : Utusan Malaysia, Friday 14th July 2006.
Online source : Orang Kelantan Melayu sebenar?
Interesting.
I did mention about the same thing in my past entry ( So, Where DID You ~ Come From ?, 25 Nov 2005 ).
I thought the story had ended there, where I wrote, but months passed and it returned in the local daily.
Then, a few days later,
an article, obviously referring to the matter, appeared in the local English newspaper :
Source : The New Straits Times, 18th July 2006
A CHAMPION : Do the Kelantanese hold the unscathed, original Malay DNA ?
* Image info :
A proud owner with his invincible fighting bull, a champion.
Bullfighting was a popular sport in Kelantan in the early 20th century and gambling ( betting ) was heavily associated with it.
The sport, along with Cockfighting is now illegal by law and considered sinful in Islam.
* Image source : Kelantan A State Of The Malay Peninsula, W.A Graham, 1905
Though not yet conclusive ( as it will take another 3 years for the whole result ),
but the idea of suggesting the Kelantanese Malay as being the original Malay, is not surprising.
Surfing the internet on Kelantan, I often come across with descriptions on the state, like :
| Quote: |
" Kelantan's history dates to between 8000-3000 B.C. Kelantan boasts of a historical past that date as far back as prehistoric times. During the early Chinese era, Kelantan was influenced by the Indianized Funan Kingdom of the Mekong River..... "
From : Kelantan @ www.travelmasti.com
|
Kelantan has a very long historical past.
A significant existence that even predate the well known and well reputed Melakan Sultanate.
A fact that is agreed by most experts and researchers.
Governed in the past by many kings and queens,
Kelantan is also said to be a part of an ancient Kingdom of the Ithmus, the Langkasuka.
It is even mentioned in the early Chinese records ( like the Ming Shi Lu, for instance ) and
on the early maps made by Dutch/Portuguese explorers, Kelantan often appeared as a town
in the East Coast of Malay Peninsula, marked as " Calantan " or " Calantao ".
However, the "Original Malay" idea is not just supported by the fact that Kelantan has a long history but also by the habit of most Kelantanese, since olden days, of maintaining the originality of their gene pool through marriage within their own groups.
When they are not at that, they would venture outside,
opening up new lands, engaging in trades or even embarking on study trips as far as the Middle East, a practice that has been going for generations
( no, not since PAS governs Kelantan like many non-Kelantanese would like to believe, that got nothing to do with this ages old tradition. )
and in the process, stretching their strands of DNA to the non-Kelantanese, which often comes with unexpected outcomes :
| Quote: |
" ........ From Hang Tuah's description, it is clear that on the Isthmus, powerful and well-established kingdoms such as Kelantan and Pattani preceded the founding of the Melakan Sultanate. Melaka did manage to defeat Kelantan on its second attempt and ended with a marriage of the Kelantan Princess, Onang Kuning, to Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Melaka. Their prince, Muzaffar Shah became the first sultan of Perak in 1531.
....One noteworthy aspect of the wars between Kelantan and Melaka is the fact that in the Malay world of those days there was a blurred line between conquest and alliance. We can see this in the fact that the "defeated" Kelantan dynasty, through Princess Onang Kuning, ended up establishing marital ties with the sultanates of Melaka, Johor, and Perak....."
From :
Zulkifli Mohamad : Evanescent Kingdoms, Everlasting Spirit ~ Seeking Langkasuka
( Section : North versus South )
Alternative Source : http://svarnabhumi.blogspot.com/2005/07/seeking-langkasuka.html
|
Perak Sultanate came to being through a Kelantanese royal womb ?
The source was Sejarah Melayu ( translated : The Malay Annals ).
So if you believe Tun Seri Lanang, then you should believe that too.
* Source : Kelantan A State Of The Malay Peninsula, W.A Graham, 1905 - Chapter VIII " Language ", page 36
Besides, when the root of human family tree itself is shallow, then that most probably be true.
Pretty amazing, isnt it ?
One thing for sure,
the study will not only be about the Kelantanese Malay but other major Malay groups as well.
Indeed,
to know who is the original Malay is interesting
but the whole process of identifying the "original" genetic traits of a "true" Malay from each
and every Malay groups throughout the archipelago is a complex and time consuming work
hence the three years time.
Placing the Kelantanese Malay within its scope is merely to prove that the Kelantanese bloodlines,
through long continuing practice of in-groups marriage, centuries of living in geographical and cultural seclusion, are pure like it were hundreds if not thousands years ago, representing the original sea-going Malays of ancient days, who sailed from island to island and gave the whole archipelago their own identity.
To me,
whatever the result,
it is always interesting to know who is..... the " ORIGINAL " !
( Hey, who wanna buy fake anyway ? ha ha )
" Mari kita tengok siapa yang kena ! " , Ibrahim Pendek - Ali Baba Bujang Lapok
In The Blogosphere :
The Last Living Malay is from Kelantan ?
A Proto Malay in me?
Kelantanese (Vietnamese) Original People Of Malaysia - Academics
Melayu,Orang Asli keturunan berbeza
iSu ~ ::_BeNaRkAh MeLaYu KeLaNtaN MeLaYu PaLiNg TuLeN ?_ ...
Saya Ore Kelante : Orang Kelantan Melayu sebenar?
Orghe Kelate Kito~
Melayu Sebenar
Brain Supplements :
Even the sheeps in Kelantan are unique !
Roots of human family tree shallow
UPDATED 20 MARCH 2007 :
A comment made by a visitor, math_sokhontear ( see below ) made me to come up with this quote from an article on the internet.
On the Cham Malays, a group of people of Malayo-Polynesian ethnicity descended from the IndoChinese Lost Kingdom of Champa, a kingdom prior to the Khmer, Thai or even Nyuyen ( Viet ) empires. Despite being surrounded by Sino-Tibetans ( Thai, Khmer, Viet etc ), the Chams are Malayo-Polynesian by ethnicity, like the Malays of the Archipelago.
Very interesting to know their deep relation with other Malays especially with the Kelantanese, a fact that the Kelantanese themselves are very much familiar with :
| Quote: |
People-to-people relations between the Chams and the Malays were not confined to religious activities. It is likely that the Chams had been frequenting Kelantan for many centuries.
Several place names there, such as Pengkalan Chepa and Kampung Chepa, suggest close ties between the two peoples and wide acceptance on the part of the Malays. There were costume and textile names associated with Champa, for example, tanjak Chepa (headdress), sutra Chepa (silk), and kain Chepa (cloth). Chepa is used to describe one type of keris (dagger). There was padi Chepa (Champa paddy) and sanggul Chepa (a hair decoration).
It is believed that a mosque in Kampung Laut was built by Cham sailors who frequented Kelantan. And according to the Hikayat Kelantan (Kelantan Annals), the ancestors of Long Yunus, the founder of the present-day Kelantan sultanate, originated in a state known as Kebayat Negara or Kembayat Negara, which is believed to be Champa.
* Read more at KYOTO REVIEW OF SOUTHEAST ASIA :
Vietnam-Champa Relations and the Malay-Islam Regional Network in the 17th–19th Centuries
by Danny Wong Tze Ken.
|
Foot Note :
To the Kelantanese, " Champa " or " Chepa " is an old reference to the Cham people. Nowadays, the term " Orghae Kembojo " ( Cambodian people ) is commonly used instead, due to the present day political & geographical understandings ( since many Chams settle in Cambodia than their original homeland in coastal southern Vietnam. )
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Friday, 7-Jul-2006 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
SIRI MAKLUMAN : A Blessing or A Curse ?
|
|
Kota Bharu Trade Center construction work commencing.
From this point, where a nightmarket used to be,
I used to admire the 360 degrees, unique sight of Kota Bharu sleepy skyline.
You see, I always dream of a giant square, circled by skyscrappers alike, in the middle of the town.
Now, with my favorite spot is soon gone, to be replaced with a building,
I am sure going to miss the sight very much.
The Giant Hypermart is coming to town. When ? Dont ask me.
While many Kelantanese are making big money outside and sending them back home,
the non-Kelantanese businesses are flocking to the state to snatch the money back.
While it is great to be offered with more materialistic options with the coming of more well-established supermarts and shopping outlets to Kelantan, the local traders must be bracing for the worst. Will they survive againts the outsiders' onslaughts ?
Still, to the consumers, perhaps there is nothing more beautiful than traders competing for their hearts !
RELATED : GOOGLE EARTH ON RAMPAGE
* Compared to the previous version, now I could see Kota Bharu much clearer, from space !
( Note, this is not the maximum magnification and this image is only a slight representation of what Kota Bharu looks like. In fact, Google Earth satellite images could actually go much more beyond this. Btw, do you recognize KB Mall ? )
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 1-Jul-2006 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Distinctively KeLaTte : Tok Perghaih Mah
|
 |
|
Dealers waiting in front of the pawnshop & goldsmiths...
|
|
 |
|
..one was even sighted reading Harakah to pass the time !
|
|
|
Tok Perghaih Mah
( Panggilan tempatan )
Satu lagi keunikan Kelantan, lahir dari sikap rakyat Kelantan terhadap emas....
Definisi :
"Broker" barang kemas yang membeli barang kemas ( emas ) dari orang perseorangan
dan memperoleh keuntungan dengan menjualnya pula kepada pihak ketiga.
Ciri ciri :
Wanita.
Kebanyakannya agak berumur.
Duduk di atas kerusi di kaki lima kedai pajak gadai dan kedai perhiasan emas
sambil memeluk beg tangan besar.
Biasanya menegur orang yang lalu lalang dengan ayat seperti :
" Ado nok juwaa barghae mah kor ? "
( Ada nak jual barang kemas ke ? )
Di dada akhbar :
KELANTAN DAN EMAS :
Bagi masyarakat tradisional Kelantan,
tanah dan emas dilihat sebagai satu pelaburan.
Biar rumah tak megah, biar perabot tak menarik,
asalkan ada tanah berkeping keping, atau ada barang kemas berkerat kerat,
di Kelantan,
seseorang itu sudah dikira berharta.
Dan berikut merupakan sekilas trivia tentang emas di Kelantan :
1) Kelantan memiliki sumber emas yang berpotensi tinggi untuk dikomersilkan.
Malah aktiviti melombong secara kecil kecilan sudah berlangsung sejak ratusan tahun.
Pekan Pulai di Gua Musang, contohnya, memiliki komuniti kaum Cina yang datang ke Kelantan (sebelum campur tangan Inggeris di Tanah Melayu), semata mata untuk melombong emas.
2) Matawang emas pertama yang diperkenalkan di Tanah Melayu adalah dari Pattani-Kelantan seawal abad ke-15.
Padanya tertera motif "Kijang" yang akhirnya berakhir menjadi logo rasmi Bank Negara Malaysia.
( Kesultanan Melaka yang tersohor itu pun sekadar memperkenalkan wang timah ! )
3) Salah satu faktor penting bermulanya campur tangan Inggeris di Kelantan adalah kerana penglibatan Syarikat Duff melombong emas di Ulu Kelantan.
( akhirnya membawa kepada Perjanjian Bangkok 1909 yang menyebabkan Pattani terus merengkok di bawah Siam sehingga kini )
4) Sindrom meng"emas"kan diri telah dikesan di kalangan kaum wanita Kelantan.
( khususnya para peniaga di pasar pasar ) yang ghairah memperagakan emas berurat urat, berketul ketul tanpa segan silu.
5) Kerajaan Kelantan bakal memperkenalkan penjualan Dinar Emas melalui kedai Ar-Rahnu bagi menggalakkan masyarakat Kelantan
menyimpan dalam bentuk emas ( sejenis pelaburan ) dan dilihat sebagai suatu langkah berkesan menangani inflasi.
Bukan untuk menggantikan Ringgit Malaysia tetapi sekadar menyerupai konsep Kijang Emas yang dikeluarkan oleh Bank Negara Malaysia ( BNM ). ( berkaitan : Statistik Bulanan Nilaian Kijang Emas )
BERKAITAN :
Wonder women of Kelantan ~
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Thursday, 15-Jun-2006 00:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
EXPLORING WOYAE KULEIK : From a Lifeless Piece of Hide
|
 |
|
Making a Shadow Puppet..
|
|
 |
|
..requires skills and a high degree..
|
|
 |
|
..of focus and peace of mind..
|
| | View all 9 photos... |
|
I have been hunting for a real life Wayang Kulit performance for quite some time now
and still on the search, hopefully for the right time and place.
To tell the truth,
despite being a pure bred Kelantanese,
I grew up knowing too little about the reputedly famous icon of my birthplace, the Wayang Kulit.
( or Woyae Kuleik in Kelantanese )
In fact, I never had a chance to watch a live one.
But an unintended visit to the Pesta Wau Antarabangsa ( International Kite Festival ) one day,
held at Pantai Seri Tujoh, Jajahan Tumpat, had brought me not to the Festival itself
( it was high noon, they put off the kite-flying for much cooler, breezy evening )
but to the elusive Wayang Kulit.
However, it was broad daylight and there was no planned show for the day anyway.
I just got a chance to see the other side of the centuries old art
to go behind the scene,
to meet some of the last remaining Wayang activists in Kelantan
to hear the words of the men who dedicated their lives to the dying national heritage,
and thankfully, I learned a lot.
Looking forward for an "un-plugged" show soon. On a journey of re-discovery !
Lots of Thanks To :
Pok Soh
( aka Yusof Mamat )
306, Kg. Laut 2,
Palekbang
16040 Tumpat,
Kelantan.
An experienced Wayang Kulit craftsman, deep in attention and passion, continues working despite being surrounded by curious onlookers,
who perhaps, like me, never knew before how the whole thing came to being.
Finished and ready for action.
An assortment of Wayang Kulit characters, each playing a significant role of either good or evil.
In the good versus evil showdown, of course, the good always prevails. So, do you know who they are ?
RELATED :
ALL MALAYSIA INFO : The Arts : Wayang Kulit
BUSTAMANN's Blog : Remembering Wayang Kulit
SSPIDEY@Fotopages : Jalan-Jalan Kota Bharu, Kelantan (9-11 January 2005)
( Featuring Pok Soh, at his residence in Kampung Laut )
FREE MP3 @ DOWNLOAD.COM : Dalang Dollah Baju Merah ( A Wayang Kulit Performance )
A BILLBOARD IN KOTA BHARU : Humor and Wayang Kulit :
( Photoshopped reading a newspaper is " Pok Dogo ", a comical character in the Wayang Kulit, the Court Jester )
* Simpang Empat Tanjung Chat, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wednesday, 7-Jun-2006 15:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
KELANTAN : Meet The Guillemard
|
|
So,
let's see.... emmm... speaking about Kelantanese pride ... hmm..
Kelantan has the oldest mosque in Malaysia.
The highest waterfall in Malaysia is in Kelantan, the Stong Waterfall.
( also said to be the highest in Asia ? Southeast Asia ? )
One of the oldest surviving Malay Palaces is in Kelantan ( the majestic Istana Balai Besar ).
Then, the longest bridge in Southeast Asia, The Sultan Yahya Petra Bridge .....errr yes,
at least it was, back in the 1960s !
However, the title for the " Longest Railway Bridge in Malaysia "
is, no doubt, still being held by Kelantan.
Yes, meet the Guillemard Bridge.
A rustic but magnificent steel bridge,
cutting the mighty Kelantan River at Paloh Rawa in Jajahan Machang to Kursial in Jajahan Tanah Merah.
Just go through the photos up there, you'll get the whole picture.
( Get it ? Photos. The " Whole Picture " ! Ha ha )
A rusty signboard bearing the word, " Guillemard Bridge ".
The bridge was named after the name of a 1920s, British Straits Settlement Governor
and The Malay States High Commisioner, Sir Laurence Guillemard.
The Guillemard Bridge.
Not sure about the length though... but undeniably still the longest of such kind in Malaysia. Just look at it !
Finished in July 1924 after 4 years of a possibly back-breaking construction, it was formally opened in 1925.
A bridge back then, especially a superbly made one, is luxury.
So, the bridge was put to full use, not just by the train, but surprisingly for other vehicles and padestrians as well,
until a new bridge, just for the road driven vehicles, was constructed quite recently nearby.
Parts of the bridge was demolished by the British during the early days of the World War II, in an attempt to slow down the advancing Japanese.
It was repaired soon after the war and was reopen to the public on 7th September 1948.
The bridge is still in use, acting as a vital link for the East Coast Train line ( Gemas ~ Tumpat ).
Looking Back :
The Guillemard Bridge, during construction in 1920s.
Exact date and origin unknown. Stated as " Khota Bharu " on the photo cum postcard,
the actual construction site was actually 60 km upriver from Kota Bharu. Photos taken from Northern Malaya's blog.
( Note : Photo & description added on 14 Oct 2007 )
1st Image ( top ) :
The Guillemard Bridge, 7th March 1929, some four years after its opening. Before the Great War.
2nd Image ( middle ) :
The same bridge, also taken on 7th March 1929, from different angle.
Also seen in this shot, are some visiting British officers.
3rd Image ( bottom ) :
The bridge during the WW2, partly demolished by the British, in an attempt to curb the
advancing Japanese troops. This photo, taken by the Japanese, shows the soldiers as
they tried to cross the Kelantan River, on what is left of the bridge, in order to get into
Kuala Krai from Tanah Merah.
* All photos above are courtesy of Arkib Negara Malaysia ( National Archive ) search site.
Click photo to get to each the original source.
Our Next Stop ( maybe ! ) :
The Ore Bridge ( Jambatan Bijih ) in Jubakar, Jajahan Tumpat.
|
|
|
|
|
It increases one's choice in bus transportation alone.
