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| Sunday, 24-Jun-2007 20:03 |
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ISTANA JAHAR : Hendak Seribu Daya ...
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ISTANA JAHAR :
Hendak Seribu Daya ...
Istana Jahar.
Di tengah tengah bandar Kota Bharu.
Rasanya tak perlu huraian bagi salah satu landmark yang tersohor
dan dikira sebagai bersejarah di Kota Bharu ini.
Sekiranya ada yang berkunjung ke Kota Bharu,
dan gagal menemukan lokasi kediaman silam keluarga DiRaja Kelantan ini
maka disyorkan baginya bersiram di Sungai Kelantan dengan 50 kali selam
sebagai penawar yang mujarab lagi mustajab ( dan jangan pula ditanya di mana letaknya Sungai Kelantan ! )
Menyentuh sedikit perihal Istana Jahar,
sebenarnya perkara pertama yang menarik bagi aku adalah Istana ini ASALNYA dibina pada atau sekitar masa yang sama dengan Istana Tengku Seri Akar dan juga Rumah Tengku Bongsu ( aka Rumah Tengku Fatimah Zaharah ).
Huh ? Asalnya ?
Yer, aku sendiri pun sebelum ini tidak pernah tahu ( tak pernah terdetik pun )
dan hampir hampir tak percaya bila mana pertama kali membaca yang berikut dari laman rasmi Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan :
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Pada zaman pemerintahan Sultan Yahya Petra, baginda sendiri bersemayam di Istana Kota Lama dan Istana Jahar telah dibiarkan tidak terurus. Mengikut Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard dalam artikelnya yang berjudul 'Kelantan Palaces Of The Past' beliau menyatakan bahawa bangunan asal Istana Jahar ini telah dirobohkan pada tahun 1965 setelah sekian lama terbiar. Tambahan pula tapak bangunan ini dicadangkan untuk pembinaan bangunan yang baru sebagaimana yang ada sekarang.
Dari :
Laman Web Perbadanan Muzium Negeri Kelantan :
Sejarah Bangunan Muzium Adat Istiadat DiRaja Kelantan ( Istana Jahar )
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Ek, macam tu ka ?
Bermakna yang ada sekarang adalah " agak baru " ?
Entahlah. Aku sendiri pun kurang pasti. Teringin juga nak menatap buku yang dimaksudkan. Tapi apakan daya, masih di luar jangkauan.
Kemudian, terlintas di kepala untuk mencuba Arkib Negara Online.
Dalam banyak banyak carian yang keluar, ada satu yang paling menarik perhatian - sekeping gambar rakaman Allahyarham Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard ( kalau tidak silap, beliau adalah seorang sejarahwan berbangsa Inggeris yang begitu berminat mengkaji ketamadunan Melayu, memeluk Islam dan terus menetap di Malaysia sehingga akhir hayatnya, pada 1994 ).
Hah, ni dia :
* Adakah ini Istana Jahar ( sebelum 1965 ) yang dimaksudkan ?
Tiada ada keterangan jelas yang menyusul foto ini. Sekadar nama pemilik asal ( Tan Sri Mubin ), kod fail di Arkib Negara dan sepertinya. Sila klik imej untuk terus ke sumber asal.
Tak mengapalah.
Walaupun " keasliannya " nampaknya boleh dipertikai, yang paling penting, ada usaha ke arah membina semula, memulihara serta menonjolkan senibina istana Melayu silam ( versi Pattani-Kelantan ) dari lenyap selama lamanya. Itu pun sudah jauh lebih baik apabila pihak yang berkenaan tidak sekadar memilih untuk meroboh serta membiarkan tanah terbentang kosong untuk dirajai rerumput yang meliar. Melihat dari hal Istana Jahar ini, ternyata apabila ada inisiatif, yang sudah hilang pun boleh kembali semula.
Berbicara soal pemuliharaan, adakalanya aku termenung sendiri.
Bukan apa. Sekadar terfikir, alangkah baiknya sekiranya di Kota Bharu ini bangunan dan senibina lampau dipulihara dengan terancang dan diwujudkan sebagai contoh, sektor tertentu yang mewakili perkembangan Kota Bharu mengikut peredaran masa. Sebagai contoh, dengan memperuntukkan satu jalan khas atau laluan di Kota Bharu dengan settings 100 tahun silam, kemudian Colonial Era, Pre-War dan seterusnya untuk Colonial Era, Post War. Kesemua ini diwakili oleh satu faktor yang paling menyerlah bagi setiap era iaitu senibina bangunan. Dengan demikian, selain dapat mendidik warga bandar dengan sejarah bandar mereka, dapat juga menunjukkan sejauh mana Kota Bharu telah melonjak setelah itu. Inilah yang sebenarnya dikatakan sebagai, bringing the museum to the people !
Bagi aku,
sesebuah bandar ( atau mudahnya, sebarang penempatan ) itu ada roh atau dalam bahasa orang putihnya - soul - yang tersendiri. Biasanya " roh " ini datang bersama dan hidup dengan pengetahuan dan kesedaran para penghuni ( knowledge and awareness ) - by how far would you see and appreciate yourself through the very place that you live in. Semakin kuat rasa bangga, sayang serta rasa prihatin dan tanggungjawab para penghuni terhadap bandar berkenaan, semakin kuat " roh " ini dan begitu juga sebaliknya. Bandar dengan roh yang kuat, tidak akan semudah itu dikotori oleh penghuninya sendiri dan masa silamnya tidak semudah itu diperlekeh atau dilupakan oleh anak jatinya sendiri malah masa depannya juga tidak akan semudah itu ditertawakan !
Bagi aku lagi,
salah satu cara yang baik untuk menghidupkan roh Kota Bharu ( aku tidak mahu komen sekuat mana rohnya sekarang ) adalah dengan memperkenalkan semula kepada khalayak umum - apakah itu Kota Bharu, di mana dan bagaimana permulaannya serta ke mana hala tujunya kelak. Secara mudahnya, melalui pendidikan yang bukan sebarang pendidikan, yang bukan konvensional ( bukan melalui penulisan semata atau dihadkan dalam bangunan muzium sahaja ) tetapi melalui kaedah real life contohnya sebagaimana yang dinyatakan di atas. After all, the best education is through real life examples ! Dan melalui itu saya yakin, kelak kita akan nampak kelainan ( ke arah positif ) pada jati diri warga Kota Bharu khasnya dan Kelantan amnya.
Hendak seribu daya .....
* Dan ini pula Istana Jahar sekitar 30 ~ 40 tahun yang lampau.
Nampak tidak terurus dan hah, tengok tuh, kambing pun ada !
* Istana Jahar pada masa kini. Cantik dan terjaga.
Hendak seribu daya, tak hendak seribu dalih .....
BERKAITAN :
* Suasana Kota Bharu 100 tahun yang lampau, dilihat dari sebatang jalan yang tidak dapat dipastikan kedudukannya kini. Foto dari buku " Kelantan : A State of The Malay Peninsula " oleh W.A Graham dan diterbitkan oleh James Maclehose and Sons, Glasgow (1908).
Aku impikan Kota Bharu dan Kelantan amnya yang memiliki identiti tersendiri.
Yang tidak melupai dan memperlekehkan identiti silamnya sendiri ..... ( klik foto untuk ke sumber asal )
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| Sunday, 17-Jun-2007 20:03 |
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SIRI 50 TAHUN MERDEKA : The Istana Tengku Seri Akar
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A Lonely Space in the Heart of Kota Bharu
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This piece is dedicated
to the " lost " family treasure,
to the slowly forgotten Langkasukan legacy,
and to our Nation's 50 years ( it's the country's, not us ) of independence.
Long live Mongolia ! Errk, no, i mean ..... Malaysia !
Okay.
Grab your pillow now and hold tight.
Cuz here comes another history lesson !
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SIRI 50 TAHUN MERDEKA :
The Istana Tengku Seri Akar
Istana Tengku Seri Akar ? In Kota Bharu ?
Don't try recalling the name, I doubt that you could get it right.
Don't try looking for it either, because you won't be able to find it in Kota Bharu or anywhere else - anymore ...
I didn't know about it. I had no idea at all.
I grew up knowing nothing about the so called Istana Tengku Seri Akar - said to be well known among local historians and architects. It was already gone when I started knowing better of my surroundings. I was only made aware of its former existence when much of my past time readings on old Kelantan brought in details on the Istana.
From what I learned,
the Istana is named after the last owner cum inhabitant - Tengku Zainal Abidin bin Tengku Abdul Kadir Kamaruddin or better known by his court title as Tengku Seri Akar D'Raja. It is said to be unique, beautiful and very much historical but being absent for all the credits. It used to be in Kota Bharu, just a very short walking distance from the present day Istana Jahar and Istana Balai Besar. There's nothing there now. What was left was a street bearing the name Jalan Tengku Seri Akar at one side and another street - Jalan Tengku Putri, at the other. These two streets are much like Jalan Post Office Lama. You see the name, but you can't see why. The things that could explain the reason behind such names had long gone with time.
No matter how much reference I found on Istana Tengku Seri Akar, none described how it really looked like. What I got from my reading, were largely vague, general informations. I tried the internet, but nothing truly helpful comes out. Even the meeting with one of the late Tengku Seri Akar's daughters, though was mind opening, did nothing much for what I was hoping for. Well, the meeting was really a normal but rare " jallae juppo worghaeh " as she is actually a distant relative of mine. In fact, she was close to my late father, her childhood friend. A well educated lady who is currently in her eighties and still showing signs of amazing health and energy - quite uncommon for people at such age. She had long left her former home, the Istana, and now lives quite a distance from but still close to the town center. She speaks with sprinkles of Malay accent from the 50s or so ( I find it amusing ) and also with words and intonations that perfectly suit her royal background. She claimed that she is an artist and she keeps and decorates her house with various interesting things from the past, from old but beautifully carved wooden panels to a complete set of duit pokok pisang in photo frames. She even gladly took the length to explain the details of each of her collection - which I believe one of the things that she probably enjoy doing when dealing with curious young visitors like me.
It was during that rare chance that I gathered enough courage to asked her the question - out of the blue - if she has any in her possession, the photo of her former home. She was rather surprised at first, saying,
" tengok tuh, ghumoh burghok pong orghae bassor istano doh lonih ".
Deep inside I know that she's proud when I used the term " Istana " - which she herself probably never saw it that way before.
The real reply to my inquiry came shortly after.
No, she doesn't have any, so I was told, as it was not a custom in the old days for everyone to own a camera, let alone to snap one own house. Learning that, I gave up my search until a very rare visit to the local public library, resulted into this accidental discovery :
From " Panduan ke Tempat Tempat Bersejarah di Negeri Kelantan " ( Guides to Historical Sites in Kelantan ) by Abdul Halim Nasir. Published in 1979 by the Museum Department, Malaysia National Museum. A bilingual ( Malay / English ) guide book to historical places in Kelantan.
Well, well.
So this is the Istana Tengku Seri Akar. Some parts of it to be exact ( because I know it supposed to be a lot bigger ).
Judging by the book published year ( 1979 ) and the pitiful appearance as shown,
I believe that the undated photos, must be taken at least 30 ~ 40 years ago, on one of its final days.
The dilapidated state doesn't do justice to what the Istana was in its heyday.
Built in late 19th century, it was truly unique. From the way they set up the structures and joints to the way they prepared the interior with intricate carvings and parts - serving both ornamental and practical purposes, it was a magnificent example of old typical Northeastern Malay architecture, wood working and carving at their best. What really made it special is the fact that it was one of those few true traditional Langkasukan architecture ever survived ( until few decades ago ) the century of British intervention ( 1909 ~ 1957 ) in Kelantan - which saw many local architectural wonders and ages old but practical building methods gradually succumbed to Western ideas.
Since the day it was built, it stood well against the test of time and created history throughout the years until about 40 years ago - when decay finally set in. After enduring years of neglect and poor maintenance, the unique work of art - legacy of old Langkasuka, along with many beautiful carvings and decorative parts, were either lost to the elements or taken / kept away and what was left, was totally brought down, leaving an empty space in the heart of Kota Bharu.
The loss of the Istana Tengku Seri Akar was mourned by few.
To many, it was just another old house decaying and falling to the ground - nothing special - when in fact it was far more than that. The loss of the Istana have placed a lid on our sense of history. Shunning us from knowing a piece of the past that is so important but only known by the very few. Aside from the architectural aspects of it, which are no doubt, unique and genuine enough to be called our own, there is something else about it that we ought to learn - the untold stories of former inhabitants - who, in a way or another - shaped the nation that we know today.
The Istana was built in 1886 by Long Sulong ( the eldest son of Sultan Muhammad II ( 1835 ~ 1886 ) aka Long Senik Mulut Merah ), who came to power in Kelantan between 1886 ~ 1889 as Sultan Ahmad. It was meant for one of his daughters, Tengku Putri or Tengku Maryam Kembang Putri ( the reason why I would prefer the name Istana Tengku Putri over Istana Tengku Seri Akar ). She then married to the last ruler of independent Pattani - a now defunct Malay Sultanate in modern day Southern Thailand, transforming the place she lived, from a typical Ghumoh Ghajo ( feudal mansion ) to an Istana ( a King's palace ) like that of Istana Balai Besar.
It was there, at the Istana, that the last Sultan of Pattani, Sultan Abdul Kadir Kamaruddin ( aka Tengku Abdul Kadir Kamaruddin ) spent his final years in exile, after being forcefully evicted from his throne by the Siamese and it was also from there he fought unsuccessfully for liberated Pattani - until his death in 1938 :
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" In 1903, the Patani Malay aristocrat Tengku Abdul Kadir Qamaruddin revolted
against Bangkok. He was defeated and imprisoned for nearly three years as a result.
As soon as he was released he planned another insurrection against Siamese rule.
The Patani Malays were angry with Bangkok for trying to impose Thai laws on them
and Bangkok's refusal to recognize traditional Malay and Islamic laws in the region.
After another failed revolt in 1915, Tengku Abdul Kadir Qamaruddin retreated to
Kelantan (which was under British indirect rule) and attempted to regroup his forces
with the help of the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad IV.
In 1922, Tengku Abdul Kadir launched his biggest campaign against the Siamese
government, in response to the new education policy introduced by Bangkok which
made it compulsory for all Patani Malays to attend Thai government schools and learn
the Siamese language. Tengku Abdul Kadir regarded this as a deliberate and calculated
attempt to erase Patani-Malay identity and to convert the Patani Malays to Buddhism.
But Tengku Abdul Kadir's rebellion ended in failure and a number of prominent Malay
rulers were either killed or captured. "
From :
Farish A Noor - " Southern Thailand: A bloody mess about to get bloodier "
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His story did not end up there.
Who would have thought that the same Istana would brought up another Tengku Abdul Kadir. One of his sons, Tengku Mahmood Mahyiddeen, born in 1908 and brought up at the Istana, continued his late father's struggle.
During the World War 2, he served in the well known Force 136 guerrilla group against the Japanese, siding and fighting along with the British. He was decorated after the war for his wartime contributions and became well known. He was so confident that the British would give their full support in his course for Pattani ( the Thais cooperated with the Japanese during the war ), he actively lobbied for Pattani incorporation into British Malaya. However, the turn out was beyond his expectations. The British, fearing that a destabilized Thailand would invite Communism and would further on threaten Malaya, decided that Thailand should be left alone. The British saw Tengku Mahmood's proposal as a threat to their greater plan and had it turned down straightaway.
Bitterly crushed, he decided to move on with his fight, the decision that made the British to see him from a friendly ally to a new possible threat, putting pressures on everything he did. He went on with his fight with GEMPAR ( Gabungan Melayu Patani Raya or Patani Raya Malay Collition ) in 1948, but his death in 1954 at an early age was the greatest blow to the movement and the last nail was finally placed in the coffin for Pattani independence. Never he saw Malaya independence from the British in 1957, and never would he see a liberated Pattani too.
In modern day Malaysia,
this thing I just told you is too sensitive for public education or even equally sensitive to be discussed in public. Due to high probability of sparking diplomatic rows with the neighbor, we are not told about this part of history at school. There is only a very small note on Tengku Mahmood Mahyideen, particularly on his involvement in Force 136 and no mention at all about Tengku Abdul Kadir. With such treatment, both of them, and also the others who shared their goal, are slowly being forgotten, sinking in the darkest abyss of history forgotten figures. Taking along with them, the brilliant history of Langkasuka and the Malay Sultanate of Pattani. What is left is only the mark made by the recent occupier from the North, carved deeply into the bloody remain of the former Master of the Isthmus. This resulted many Malaysians to think that Pattani is simply Siam and has been Siamese all along when the truth is not even close. Worst, there are even people who thought that Kelantan is Siamese by origin and there are not few of them. I would like to call these people stupid but I can't blame them for what they didn't get to learn at school, and in reality.
So it seems that what the British and Siam had worked for in those days are coming to being in our own hands.
How ironic.
  
Far Left : Sultan Abdul Kadir Kamaruddin ( Tengku Abdul Kadir Kamaruddin ). Died in exile in Kota Bharu in 1938.
Middle : Tengku Mahmood Mahyideen ( 1908 ~ 1954 )
Far Right : The book " HARIMAU MALAYA : Biografi Tengku Mahmood Mahyiddeen ", by Mohd. Zamberi A. Malek and published by Penerbit UKM, dedicated to Tengku Mahmood Mahyideen's, his father's and all the people related to him on their fight for the future of Malaya & Pattani.
* From the book, " HARIMAU MALAYA : Biografi Tengku Mahmood Mahyiddeen ".
Detected a small factual error there.
I am not sure about Tengku Kembang but Tengku Petri ( aka Tengku Maryam Kembang Putri ) was definitely NOT from Pattani. She was the daughter to the late Sultan Ahmad, who ruled Kelantan between 1886 ~ 1889. She was also the sister to Tengku Bongsu ( aka Tengku Kalsum ), my great grandmother whose house I wrote about in my previous entry.
Having made my point,
all I have to say is that I really would love to see the return of Istana Tengku Seri Akar.
Hopefully, in the most authentic, original form as possible.
I am currently a man without the capacity to fulfill the wish.
But through a visitor some time ago, I was told that there are people out there who are currently interested and into the research on the Istana. I was even told that there are plans by those people to bring the palace back to its magnificence. But I was more surprised that the same people who restored my great grandparent's house were also deeply interested in bringing back the long lost national heritage. Later, I personally met with one from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Ar. Mastor Surat ( I wrote about this in my earlier entry ) who is currently into building the exact life size replica of the Istana on the university ground, to study old Malay architectures. Already approved with govt. grant, the plan is probably under way by now. Soon it will be, using few drawings ever made, restored next to my great grandmother's house in Bangi, Selangor. Well, a great thing to know except that it will be rebuild in Bangi, Selangor and not in Kota Bharu, Kelantan !
To have it back on its former site or at least reconstructed somewhere in its native Kota Bharu ( preferably close to its former site ) would prove more relevant - with everything to relate to in vicinity, from geographical to historical - that could give a greater and much effective educational impact to the masses. To have it back would also be the best way to silently commemorate the silent and untold struggle for nationhood somewhere in the forgotten Northeast .... serving as a grim but very useful reminder on the importance of staying united, strong and knowledgeable.
Pattani and Kelantan is a great testimony to history of how two closely related, sister kingdoms were brought down on their knees then thorn apart by ruthless imperialism. Honestly I don't blame everything on the Siamese or even the British for what happened. This is what we got for simply being weak and divided. For fighting over silly internal affairs while neglecting the real threat from the outside. The weakest and the divided get the best chance to be manipulated by the strong and the united.
Sad, but nothing beats the reality.
I don't know how far we had learned from this thing
but I do know how we could learn something from it.
By bringing back Istana Tengku Seri Akar ...
READ :
LOST AND FOUND : RUMAH TENGKU BONGSU
Utusan Malaysia : Isytihar lebih banyak bangunan warisan
THAILAND: ORIGAMI POLITICS WON'T DO
* Ar. Mastor Surat with the miniature version of Istana Tengku Seri Akar which he claimed to be the closest and the most authentic representation of the original structure. Soon, based on this model, it will be rebuild with the same manner as the past builders did, on the UKM ground in Bangi, Selangor.
* UPDATED 24 MAY 2009 :
Istana Tengku Seri Akar, dilapidated state. Date unknown. Image taken from 'The Encyclopedia of Malaysia', through En.Shaari's.
* UPDATED 24 MAY 2009 :
Istana Tengku Seri Akar - The Artist's Impression. Image taken from 'The Encyclopedia of Malaysia', through En.Shaari's.
* The former site of Istana Tengku Seri Akar at Jalan Tengku Seri Akar, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Currently an open field with wild vegetations. It has been like this for many years as far as I could remember.
The structure seen at the center, is the Kampung Kraftangan, a tourist attraction, beautifully designed to resemble old Kelantanese kampung houses but with poor and cheap craftsmanship. An obvious example - bad imitations of Janda Berhias wall paneling - nothing like the original. Still, it's better to have, even a decent one than not to have at all. So, thank you for Kampung Kraftangan.
Next to it, is the Federal owned Tourist Information Centre.
* The piece of land had been sold away by Tengku Seri Akar's descendants, very recently.
Soon, a commercial building ( a Bazaar ) will be erected at the site where the Istana used to be. Sad, but who am I to comment. Hopefully, the new building won't inflict a death blow to the already dying old identity of Kota Bharu ( and hope it won't be an eyesore ).
* " Kota Darulnaim ", a very well known administration complex, the seat for Kelantan state government, located at Jalan Kuala Krai, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Modelled after the Istana Tengku Seri Akar and the old Masjid Kampung Laut. Those who had visited the complex will see why after looking through this entry. Notice how amazing when our traditional architectures are appreciated in modern times - this complex appears to be so futuristic ( yet, retaining the traditional ambiance ) that it looks like coming out from one of Stargate episodes or something. Simply beautiful !
The above shot is "borrowed" from the internet.
For the note, I couldn't come up with my own shot as the complex itself is off-limit for any photo-taking on security reasons. More photos of the complex at ArchNet.org ( an international online community for architects, planners, urban designers, landscape architects, conservationists, and scholars, with a focus on Muslim cultures and civilisations ).
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SETELAH
LIMA PULUH TAHUN MERDEKA .....
Alkisah,
" terbacalah " aku dalam akhbar tempatan suatu ketika dahulu akan perihal berikut :
* Utusan Malaysia Online, Muka Hadapan - 19 Feb 2007. Dwi klik imej untuk sumber asal internet.
* Utusan Malaysia, Forum - 4 Jun 2007. Dwi klik imej untuk sumber asal.
| Quote: |
Pada pandangan saya, jika ada pihak di negara ini meminta kerajaan Portugal membiayai kos pembinaan semula kubu itu, mereka mungkin sanggup mengeluarkan peruntukan yang lebih besar daripada RM12.8 juta. Kenapa mereka sanggup membayarnya? Sebab pembinaan semula kubu itu akan memberi kegagahan kepada sejarah penjajahan Portugis.
Para penyelidik mengatakan dokumen lama Portugis mencatatkan bahawa kubu itu dibina dengan batu-batu yang diambil dari masjid dan kubur di Melaka. Kubu itu sebenarnya didirikan daripada runtuhan simbol Melayu dan Islam.
Dan kini kita mahu membina semula ‘warisan’ tersebut semata-mata kerana ia satu ‘warisan’. Ia adalah satu langkah yang tidak kena. Setiap apa yang kita panggil warisan perlu dilihat dengan perspektif. Kita boleh melihat warisan dengan perspektif liberal dan sudut pandangan untuk menghargai apa juga ‘warisan’ tanpa mengambil kira latar belakangnya. Sedangkan warisan juga perlu dianalisis dalam konteks perspektif Melayu dan Malaysia.
Saya menilai cadangan untuk membina semula kubu itu sebagai usaha yang tidak sepatutnya dilakukan.
Tidak semua warisan perlu dikekalkan. Tidak cukupkah dengan Kota A Famosa (gambar), bekas kubur St. Francis Xavier dan warna merah bangunan Stadthuys di Melaka?
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* Utusan Malaysia, Forum - 5 Jun 2007. Dwi klik imej untuk sumber asal.
| Quote: |
Tidak guna nanti kita berasa gah dengan kubu yang dibina semula itu sedangkan ia tidak memberi sebarang makna kepada semangat kita sebagai sebuah bangsa berdaulat.
Elok kerajaan kaji balik rancangan itu.
Tak payahlah kita buat semula kubu penjajah tersebut.
Peruntukan yang disediakan untuk projek itu boleh dialihkan untuk pelbagai program melindungi warisan lain yang lebih berfaedah. Pada pandangan saya, tumpuan Kementerian Kebudayaan, Kesenian dan Warisan kepada Melaka sahaja adalah tidak adil.
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Betul !
Kalau nak buat juga, pohon sajalah dari Kedutaan Portugal.
Pastinya mereka sanggup menyumbang lebih dari itu.
Boleh jadi siap dengan Taman Tema ala Universal Studio !
Cuma wataknya bukanlah Spiderman mahupun The Terminator,
tetapi watak Diego Lopez de Sequiera dan Alfonso de Albuquerque.
Tatkala itu bolehlah kita lihat anak anak muda kita meloncat loncat keriangan
mahu bergambar dengan wira wira mereka ...
Tetapi syukurlah
walaupun ketika itu
dalam berkerajaan, kita tidak setanding mereka
tetapi jati diri bangsa kekal gagah meluap luap.
Portugis, Belanda, Sepanyol malah Inggeris sekalipun
tidak berani menjarah kita sebagaimana Hernan Cortes menyapu bersih ketuanan Aztec
ataupun sebagaimana Francisco Pizarro menggilap licin kegemilangan bangsa Inca di Amerika Selatan.
Oleh itu setelah begitu sabar dan tabah
nenek moyang kita menempuh semua itu
mengapa sekarang kita mahu belajar menjilat semula kekotoran yang mereka
bersusah payah cuba bersihkan ? Atas nama warisan !!? Warisan siapa ?
Dan kini
setelah lima puluh tahun merdeka
apa yang kita dapat hanyalah
siaran laungan tercungap cungap Tunku Abdul Rahman
beralun alun berulang ulang di kaca tv dan corong radio,
kocek yang penuh berisi fulus ( jangan ditanya bagaimana ),
dan minda yang terus dijajah ....
Kerana sesungguhnya aku tak redha
duit cukai hasil titik peluh aku selama ini digunakan untuk mengagungkan
mereka yang pernah menyembam muka kita semua ke tanah
Lebih lebih lagi bila mana
dalam keadaan warisan sebenar yang lain
terkapai kapai
antara hidup segan mati tak mahu
di atas bumi sendiri ....
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| Sunday, 10-Jun-2007 20:03 |
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SELINGAN : YANG INI HURUF KHA !
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YANG INI HURUF KHA !
ﺥ ﺡ ﺝ
" Cik Ramlee, huruf apakah huruf ini ? Dia ada tangan, ada ekor, dan ada satu mata di tengah tengah "
" Matanya ada satu saja ya cikgu ? Ada ekor ? Atas tanah ? Huruf mambang tanah ! "
" Mambang tanah !? Hahhahhahhahahha ..... "
" Yang ini bukan mambang tanah Cik Ramlee, yang ni huruf Jim ! "
" Jin ? Eh .. jin dengan mambang kan tak jauh "
" Jin dengan mambang !? Hahhahhahhahahha ..... "
" Dah ! Aaa .. Cik Ajis, huruf apakah huruf ini, huruf ini sama dengan huruf jim, tetapi tak ada matanya saja. "
" Oooo .. dia tak ada mata ? Sama sama jin ? Ooo .. jin mata buta la cikgu. "
" Mata buta !? Hahhahhahhahahha ..... "
" Yang ini bukan jin buta Cik Ajis ... Yang ini huruf Ha ! Aaa.. sekarang Cik Sudin pulak .. "
" Saya, cikgu "
" Aa.. kenal tak dengan huruf ini ? "
" Saya kenal cikgu "
" Huruf ini sama dengan huruf Jim, huruf Jim matanya di tengah-tengah tetapi huruf ini matanya di atas. "
" Aa.. Jim ini matanya di tengah-tengah, Jim ini mata di atas cikgu... Jin pakai tonceng ! "
" Tonceng?! Hahhahhahhahahha ..... "
" Pak Abu tu ketawa terlalu banyak sangat "
" Cikgu ... "
" Aa.. cepat, sekarang Pak Abu pulak. "
" Yang mana ? "
" Yang ini ... "
" Oh, ni saya kenal, saya tahu ni.. huruf ini kan huruf - M "
" Itulah jangan suka selalu ketawakan orang. Yang ini bukan huruf M, yang ini huruf Kha! "
" Huruf Khaaa ? "
" Hahhahha .. Hahaha .... Hahaha .... Hahhaha .... "
KEMASKINI 25 JUN 2007 :
Petang Sabtu, 23 Jun 2007, ambo terperasan yang " banner " terbabit telah diturunkan oleh pihak yang berkenaan. He he he ..
KEMASKINI 9 JULAI 2007 :
Apa yang aku fikir diturunkan buat selama lamanya,
rupa rupanya di "touch up" dan digantung semula. Bagus lah !
Tapi, hairan.
" Banner " nih dah lama benar tergantung. Kenapa baru sekarang ?
Kena pulak dengan masa aku post pasal nih .. hmmm... satu kebetulan atau boleh jadi, ada orang bagitau mereka pasal entry nih, atau mereka sendiri yang datang menjenguk ke sini !? Ha ha ha ha tak kisah la apa apa pun, swift counter-measure so tahniah.
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| Sunday, 3-Jun-2007 16:30 |
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Selamat Hari Beruk Sedunia 2007
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Beruk mu dan beruk ku tidak pernah sehaluan. Biarlah segalanya berakhir di sini sahaja.
SELAMAT HARI BERUK SEDUNIA 2007
Meet the Pig-tailed Macaque or geekly known as Macaca nemestrina.
Better known in Malaysia as Beruk ( pronounce : Buh - rowk ).
Claimed to be vulnerable in the wild but at the same time, served as a great substitute for human labour throughout much of Southeast Asia - from Indonesia to Thailand.
Though I have not yet witnessed one doing the dishes, laundry or doing the groceries or even hired as " pengundi hantu " or " wakil rakyat " on behalf of their masters ( hope I could see the latter in my lifetime .. hu hu ) - I do know that they are trained and made to climb tall coconut trees, to help bringing down the harvest - coconut, a commodity greatly consumed in this part of the World.
In Kelantan, the practice is still a very common sight.
If you have the chance to stroll through any Kelantanese kampung,
especially the one with stretch and stretch of coconut groves, do scan your surroundings carefully. There are probably six out of ten chances that you might see a Beruk in action, plucking coconuts with the handler shouting short " coded " instructions from 20 meters or so, below. I bet that you don't find that in Lembah Klang, only very occasionally ( rarely ? ) spotted in other parts of the West Coast ( not sure about Sabah & Sarawak though ). The little green child size humanoid ? Oh, we call that Toyol. That would be another story.
So,
I was at this event organised by the local Tourism Board - the so called Pertandingan Beruk Memetik Kelapa & Pameran 100 Jenis Produk Daripada Kelapa. Loosely translated as, Macaque - Coconut Plucking Competition & 100 Types of Coconut Derived Product Expo. Held from the 2nd to 3rd June 2007.
A wonderful event I would say.
Four thumbs up ( including two extra thumbs down under ) for the organizer.
The only drawback is it was held at a very secluded beach ( though just next to the well known Pantai Cahaya Bulan ! ) - at Pantai Kundor in Kota Bharu. Secluded ? Fine with me but unfortunately the accessibility is not - I nearly missed the junction if not because of the banner and the village road is too small ( quite dangerous too ) to accommodate heavy traffic. I think the organizer should think of a more easily accesible spot next time, as that would be much more effective in attracting more visitors, especially among curious otaku type Kelantanese and also those new to Kelantan.
I was there on the second day as I was away to Terengganu on the first.
It was late afternoon but I was lucky as the final round, a conclusion to previous rounds was just taking place when I reached there and was on time to watch the "cream of the cream" macaques ( some even came all the way from Penang ! ) battled each other to be the best in Kelantan ( Malaysia ? ). Unfortunately, I couldn't identify the winner, because they all looked the same - though I was hoping that the winner would pose King Kong style to the audience, banging the chest while shouting in disdain but obviously none saw the movie. Maybe the trainer should consider including the pose for the next semester.
Nevertheless,
every Beruk that day performed very well, but the audiences performed better.
One handler ( the owner ) failed to get a grip on his Beruk and the innocent creature went on plucking the coconuts even though the time is up, ironically faster than during the competition and despite efforts from the man to haul it down, it stayed up on the tree.
Then came a voice from the crowd :
" Hok aloh llekak ppokok doh laa ~ " ,
( It seems yours got stuck on the tree )
which is a common catch phrase used when one's kite ( or the Wau Bulan in Kelantan ) ended up nestled on the tree canopy. So much so, the owner's typical gesture really did look like he is in the kite flying scenario !
It didn't end there.
A sarcastic remark, made in a humorous tone by another spectator, made way into the scene almost immediately after the first :
" Bor bor laa pok chik, berghuk pok chik bennae dooooh ..... "
( Just quit the coconuts will you, yeah we all know he should be the champion )
Ha ha ha ..
Really regret that the atmosphere couldn't be quoted along,
so please blame yourself if you failed to sense the hilarious part.
Which later tought me a lesson on how hard this creature really work when told to.
Most are easily trained and a highly trained one could worth the owner a fortune.
While some might see this practice as purely inhumane, but to me, this human - macaque relationship is truly unique and wonderful, which should be better regarded as a form of symbiosis or mutualism or simply, a partnership. The human depends on the Beruk for an income and the Beruk depends on the human for food and shelter and to a lesser extent, nafkah batin too ( go and figure that out yourself ). Despite the regular absence of the latter, the Beruk are so loyal that I know some which were so attached to the owner that they pined to death when the owner died. So much like a human - dog relationship except that dogs don't climb trees. I bet that dog owners would give up their pets for the Beruk if they know what these beautiful creatures are actually capable of ! Anyone fancy a tax consultant ?
As for me, I personally love the sight when the handler,
donning a Kelantanese Semutar, with a Sadak (?) or a Golok hanging by the waist, riding a motorbike or a bicycle through the village road, with the Beruk riding pillion or clinging onto his back or to the vehicle's handlebar - often making faces to almost everyone ( I mean the beast, not the man ) along the way to work or home.
Just imagine the World without Beruk.
I don't think we could enjoy the mouth-watering Nasi Kerabu or tender, juicy Ayam Percik or even a decent Gulaa Darghak without having the hairy hands to bring the main ingredient down. At least not at the cost as we are currently paying for. If John Lennon still walks among us today, I would persuade him to rewrite the song Imagine in appreciation for the Beruk and the Beruk Utopia. The song should start like this :
Imagine there's no Beruk
It's easy if you try
No santan below us
Above us only coconut
Imagine all the people
Living the life that way ...
But his dead.
Oh well, what the heck. Forget about that.
So, as from my part, as a sign of respect and gratefulness to this exclusively hard-working primate, I hereby declare 3rd June as Hari Beruk Sedunia or World All Macaque Day.
May the Beruk be with you.
Note :
* Semutar :
A traditional Kelantanese head gear. Normally worn by men. A rarity these days. See the old photo at the extreme top for reference.
* Sadak :
A type of large curved knife. Resembling a sickle ( sabit ) but unique to Pattani-Kelantan. Often used to cut grasses or other soft vegetations. Palms included. Correct me if I got the name wrong.
* Golok :
A Malay machete, often used to cut harder vegetations. There is a another " version " with the point curved slightly inward but I don't think they call it Golok - maybe Parang ( Parghae ) ?
UPDATED 5 JUNE 2007 :
Thank you " ma " from http://petaijeruk.blogspot.com
What I meant by " Sadak " is best represented by the following image :
Being a person who spent very very small portion of his life in the kampung, I have to admit that while I am used to many Kelantanese farming terminology, I am still really bad in identifying many common tools used by the local peasants. Say, what do you call that really ? Parang ? Too general. Certainly not a sickle ( sabit ) but definitely unique to Pattani-Kelantan.
Note :
Image taken from " Spirit of Wood - The Art of Malay Woodcarving
~ Works by Master Carvers From Kelantan, Terengganu and Pattani " ( Farish A.Noor & Eddin Khoo - photos by David Lok )
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| Saturday, 26-May-2007 16:30 |
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SIRI 50 TAHUN MERDEKA : Ah hah ! Satu Lagi !
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SIRI 50 TAHUN MERDEKA :
Ah hah ! Satu Lagi !
Gappo ?
Pillbox ( " kubu kotak " ) peninggalan Perang Dunia ke-2 di Jubakar, Jajahan Tumpat, Kelantan. Tak jauh dari tinggalan Jambatan Bijih di Kuala Tumpat.
Ha ha ha ..
Best jugak cari cari benda tersembunyi
lebih lebih lagi kalau benda tuh dah lama tercongok " depan mata ",
tak perasan langsung
hinggalah pada suatu hari
barulah dibuatnya terpandang ....
Lawak betullah.
Hidup pun macam tu jugak.
Penuh dengan persoalan
sama ada tertimbul atau sengaja ditimbulkan
itu ini, begitu begini dan entah haper haper lagi
tanpa sedar yang jawapannya
banyak berlegar di depan mata sendiri.
Lawak betullah.
Nota :
Aku dedikasikan entri kali ini untuk memperingati ulang tahun ke - 50 kemerdekaan negara tercinta. Oh yer, bagi aku, tafsir " kemerdekaan " itu sebenarnya lebih dalam dan tidak melampau sekiranya saya katakan bahawa kemerdekaan yang dikenali umum hari ini hanyalah dari tafsiran political correctness semata. Sekadar menurut arus, aku ucapkan in advance - Selamat Menyambut Kemerdekaan ke - 50 ( tiga bulan lagi ! ).
* A lone pillbox in Jubakar, Jajahan Tumpat, Kelantan - one of few relics from the World War 2 found in Kelantan. The dilapidated umbrella-like part is actually a much later addition, perhaps few years ago ( for an unknown reason ) - not related anyhow to the pillbox itself.
* As seen from a different angle.
Located very close to the main road, surrounded by swamps and covered with wild vegetations.
If not because of the protruding part, I bet very few people could really spot it from afar.
" Kubu British 1940 " - roughly translated " British Stronghold 1940 ".
Noted at the entrance by an unknown person, in reference to the pillbox.
The inside look.
What supposed to look like when you first stepped inside. Rather clean compared to those found in Bachok and Kota Bharu.
" Another inside look. This time, to the right.
I wonder why they have to put the plank there, at the sniping hole.
BERKAITAN : KOLEKSI LEPAS - LEPAS :
WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : Jalan Tok Hakim, Kota Bharu
WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : Jalan Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu
WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : Pantai Melawi, Bachok
WORLD WAR 2 PILLBOX IN KELANTAN : Pantai Irama & Pantai Pulau Belongan , Bachok
WORLD WAR 2 BATTLE GROUND IN KELANTAN : Sabak Beach
WORLD WAR 2 IN JAPAN : A visit to Yasukuni Shrine & Yushukan ( Japanese War Memorial )
WORLD WAR 2 IN JAPAN : Hiroshima ~ The Beginning Of The End
IMPERIALISM : What did we learn ?
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| Monday, 21-May-2007 11:00 |
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SELINGAN : I came, I saw, I am shocked !
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Think NORTH as 12 o'clock so this is 6 o'clock ..
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and this is 7 o'clock ...
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and 8 o'clock ..
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I CAME, I SAW, I AM SHOCKED !
Hey, Is That Mine ?
I was away in Kemaman, Terengganu from the 17th to 19th May 2007,
" participating " in a " program " organised and sponsored by the Kelantan State government.
By the time you see a comma at the end of this line,
I bet some of my " regulars " would already guess where I had been and for what
( but please, don't describe about it in your comment - at least not in detail ).
If you happened to be there too, yes, I was there, mingling with you guys probably unnoticed for three days, but nevertheless it was really a great experience. However, I will keep the details of the activities out of this entry ( just to keep a low profile - my Mom doesn't like me " whoring " on the net - well, me neither ) except of one small incident which took place during the " opening ceremony " involving a Power Point presentation - which deserves a mention here.
It happened while I was listening to the presenter's talk,
looking at each slide shown when my eyes suddenly caught a very familiar image and it struck me right away,
" Are tte ore no totta shashin jya nai ka yo !!?? ".
( Loosely translated : " Hey, isn't that my photo ? " or " Eh, bukae kor gambaa aku tuh ? " - I often talk to myself in Japanese )
There, on the big white screen,
nestled among collage of images ( but still clearly distinguishable ) was a photo, which I am really sure was taken from my fotopage. I am not sure about the rest though, as the presenter quickly flipped the slide before I could get a good look on them. I am very aware of my own handiwork and I have a very strong reason to believe that at least one of the photos used in the presentation was indeed mine - made into public viewing - without my knowledge, without any credit.
Grrrrr ..... oh well, it was not really big deal anyway,
as long as my photos are put to good use for the whole community without involving personal profit or monetary gain. But on top of that, the experience left me wondering in amusement on where my photos are ending up since I started photo-blogging .... ha ha ha ... How could a complete stranger be interested in " how I pass my time " ? Whoa, now even the State Govt is eyeing my site - need to be extremely careful from now on ! Especially with the critical remarks .. he he
( Emm .. I wonder whether the person behind the slides did realise or not that I happened to be among the audience ? I was going to ask the presenter about it but I changed my mind .. Nah, I dont think he's the one ..... and like I said, it is not really a big deal anyway - at least, in this case. )
~~~~~~~~~~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~~~~~~~~~~
So, How Do You Like Your Place ?
Okay,
put the first one aside and now straight to my real purpose of having this entry ....
So, the whole trip took me across the state of Terengganu.
Covering a distance of over 360 km ( times two for the return trip ) from Kota Bharu to Chukai in Kemaman, taking the shoreline route, through Kuala Terengganu - driving without any companion. To me, travelling alone by car is never a boring thing. In fact, I always love it as I could take my own time, pay more attention on the road and at the same time, do what I like to do most - OBSERVING STUFF !
I have to admit that Terengganu is a very beautiful state - naturally and artificially.
From palm fringed white sandy beaches, lush green tropical islands on the emerald blue sea, to unique natural settings and features, dotting the landscape. From rustic fishing communities to very grand looking state museum and public library. All seem to suit each other beautifully.
But, what truly stole my attention during the trip, and mesmerized me the most was how the buildings there are beautifully and artistically designed, with clear regional architectural influences that would put my homestate, Kelantan, to shame !
I have no idea about the details, but by the look alone - it seems to me that the state does put weight on regional image and identity, which I could see through the application of various traditional Malay designs and artworks in the local construction industry. Much to my interest !
But of course,
I do believe and I am confident that Kelantan too is unique, in its own class and lovely and could simply turn lovelier provided that all new developments planned for Kelantan would take into considerations, the true soul of Kelantan preferably the regional and traditional aspects of it. To me, first impression never come twice - and normally people would love to see first, to believe - thus an upperhand in overall outlook ( read : being appealing by the look ) would certainly gives a great positive effect to whatever follows.
In this case, I see Terengganu is well ahead of Kelantan.
Maybe Kelantan should learn a thing or two from Terengganu, at least in this matter.
Even though I believe, Kelantan, being larger in population, has a lot more cultural treasures to boast of compared to Terengganu but when it comes to upholding the pride, no matter how bias I could be, I can't deny that Terengganu is now in the winning side !
Maybe we should rethink how we should appeal to others physically.
For example, I found " Jawi " writings in the public ( on billboards, road signs etc ) could be further promoted and turned into a unique Kelantanese identity. I hardly can see that in Terengganu ! And, don't just by having a simple motto or even a straight forward slogan, design a clearer concept to that and if there's already one, then try to live it up. Oh yeah, don't tell me it's all about the money, where's our pride ??
Delusional ? Me ?
Emm ..... maybe.
But hey, I know what I saw thus I think I know what we should be.
So,
how do YOU like your place ?
Note :
1) Didn't bring my digicam along - so, no related image to help explaining the above.
2) I got my Bro to snap these photos for me, from a tall point in Kota Bharu but don't ask which - just take a guess. Any question on the whereabout shall be directed straight to the dumpster ...... muahahahaha
* KB Mall is on the right while the rest being houses and commercial buildings of various constructions.
The Northern Kelantan plain is actually made up from centuries of silt build-up - a river delta, still expanding northward with sediments brought down by the murky Kelantan River. The only hilly terrain visible here is quite far in the interior - most are lone hills - with no mountain ranges except very deep inland. The flow of air on the plain is brilliant and haze or stagnant bad air, like experienced in the Klang Valley is extremely rare in Kelantan - i.e except during the monsoon, blue skies are very common.
* Overlooking the town center where the 150 years old state capital began ( circa 1844 ). The one under construction will soon house a shopping mall, condominium and shop lots. Seen nearby is the old Menara Perbadanan and a newly completed apartment ( Plaza Menang Intan ).
* The Kelantanese Eiffel Tower ( yeah, right ! ) seen here, in the middle of the photo.
A telecommunication tower owned by TELEKOM MALAYSIA, for truth sake.
Over eighty percent ( 80% ) of Kelantan's 1.5 million inhabitants resided on the northern plain ( not counting the floating population ! ), making it the most densest area in the East Coast. Note that, the land is plain and low lying as far as your eye could see ! So, can you see any hill ?
* Wherever you go in Malaysia - they all look the same.
Meet the Federal Buildings ( Wisma Persekutuan & Kota Bharu Police Headquarters ) - housing Federal Govt. offices.
* The reputedly tallest building in the East Coast ( huh, really ? I read that somewhere, need a citation on this one ) - the Kota Sri Mutiara, seen here popping out and looking rather awkward amidst smaller buildings and houses. Emmm ... Who needs high-rise living spaces in Kota Bharu when you can afford living spaces on the ground ?
MORE ON KOTA BHARU : The Bird Eye View
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| Friday, 11-May-2007 18:15 |
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SELINGAN : Intai Kamu Dari Seberang Sini
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INTAI KAMU
DARI SEBERANG SINI
Bandar Kota Bharu
aku intai kamu dari seberang sini
seberang Sungai Kelantan dari sana
dari atas dataran banjir merangkap tanah bertani subur penduduk setempat
dalam kehangatan petang sambil dibelai hembusan dingin dari sungai
dikelilingi rumpun jagung mereka dan keluarga mereka
sambil membelakangkan mentari hampir senja.
Dan kebetulan
tak jauh, nun di belakang sedikit
Ekspress Wau meluncur di atas rel tunggal Laluan Pantai Timur
bernyanyi alunan irama tipikal roda besi bergesel jalan besi
meredah dusun, kebun dan semak samun Kampung Palekbang
di satu sudut di Jajahan Tumpat.
Emm .. satu kombinasi yang amat menarik dan tertarik.
Nampaknya dah bertambah satu lagi tempat pujaan
dalam buku pelancongan peribadi aku ...
* Motorsikal yang paling popular di dunia digandingkan dengan bandar yang paling gedebe di Malaysia ...
dan juga di dunia .. cehhh .. ( hah ! Jangan menjawab ! )
* Kamera aku sekarang tak mampu memberi keadilan kepada apa yang aku nampak.
Cukuplah aku huraikan sebagai " truly splendid and breath-taking " sahaja.
OOP ! JANGAN TANYA DI MANA ! :
* Ikon kamera menunjukkan lokasi aku berada semasa merakamkan foto - foto di atas.
Oh, tidak. Perkataan " panoramic " itu tidak merujuk kepada peta Google Earth ini.
Sekadar mencadangkan bahawa panorama bandar Kota Bharu cantik jika dilihat dari lokasi berkenaan
dan oh yer, jangan pulak ada yang bertanya di mana bandar Kota Bharu dalam peta ini !
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| Tuesday, 1-May-2007 12:00 |
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SIRI MAKLUMAN : Watch Your Wallet !
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WATCH YOUR WALLET !
Behold !
Coming soon to your backyard
to strip you off your cash ....
and to strike terror
among those puny would be competitors.
Ha ha ha
( and yes, the town's people surely have something new to chat about now ! )
* Lembah Sireh, Kota Bharu, Kelantan
* Lembah Sireh, Kota Bharu, Kelantan
Oh, and me ?
I am a not a big fan of shopping outlets
but to have some here and there that offer more choices and newer alternatives,
is undeniably pleasant.
But with more and more showing up
from local operators to foreign ones ( note : non-Kelantanese is considered foreign ! )
each taking a peek into my wallet and trying to seduce me into a never-before-experienced spending trance, in an attempt to control every grey matter that I own,
I have no idea whether I should be proud ....... or worried !
It's like having people coming to your ears, saying
" You need to have all these or they would call you backward "
and stuff ...
In the present day World
where what we own ends up owning us
and the word " development " is largely defined by material wealth
I never felt scared of changes more than what I feel right now ...
Let's not lose our grip, shall we ?
* Borrowed from : Dan Piraro at Bizarroartist.org
Last but not least,
~ HAPPY INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY 2007 ~
~~~~~~~~~~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~~~~~~~~~~
RELATED : Translating Pride Into Worries :
~ A Blessing Or A Curse ?
~ Lembah Sireh Development Project
~ Taking Shape
~ Transformasi BHARU
UPDATED 6 MAY 2007 :
Even Westerners ( foreigners ) are surprised :
" Ironically as we cycled out of Kota Bharu
we came across an enormous building site for a Tesco Supermarket
- would you believe it they get everywhere!!!!! ..... "
From :
" Market to beat all markets " ( 4 May 2007 ) at http://tandemexpress.blogspot.com
* Kota Bharu town centre with new set of high-rise buildings piercing the sky overhead.
Despite popular belief, Kelantan is never a sleepy state.
It is filled with life - life and soul of its own that only locals and those who wish to discover could understand. It is never void of economic activities and since the old days, there have been many economic links with the outside World. Only quite recently that it started to be pulled directly towards the mainstage and into the whole new global definition of " development ".
There have been suggestions to turn Kota Bharu into one of the main players in the regional economic growth project. The latest is having an oil pipeline laid between Kedah and Kelantan that would shake or even crumble Singapore's dominance. The following news excerpt seems to support such moves :
" Kelantan offers ample opportunities in terms of new infrastructure requirements to support
the increasing activities in the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area and potential O&G
discoveries offshore Kelantan.
“We favour the idea of setting up O&G infrastructure (supply base and petrochemical site) in
Kelantan similar to that of Terengganu, as it is strategically located and could potentially
become a regional base for Malaysia-Thailand-Vietnam O&G activities,” Aseambankers said. "
* Quoted from " All eyes on eastern corridor" by Elaine Ang, The Star Online - 30 April 2007
The point is,
it is always good to have something new, something changing
but only if they benefit our PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE ... with the past benefiting the present and the present benefiting the future and vice versa - mutually and fairly contributes to each other.
But on top of that,
are we ready ?
~~~~~~~~~~ # ~ # ~ # ~ # ~~~~~~~~~~
" Consumerism is the greatest device
anyone has invented for controlling people.
New fantasies, new dreams and dislikes, new souls to heal.
For some peculiar reason, they call it shopping."
~ J.G. Ballard ( Kingdom Come ) ~
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| Sunday, 22-Apr-2007 23:00 |
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SELINGAN : ANOK WOYAE
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ANOK WOYAE
Dia
yang menghayun boneka
di balik tabir putih
di atas pentas
bernama dunia .....
* Kanak-kanak leka bermain dengan boneka wayang kulit pada malam persediaan program Digi's Amazing Malaysian di Kampung Kraftangan, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Acara sebenar berlangsung pada malam berikutnya ( Sabtu, 21 April ) dengan persembahan pendek Wayang kulit dan disertai persembahan lain oleh beberapa artis tempatan.
MACAM - MACAM WOYAE KULEIK :
Dari entri yang terdahulu :
* Klik foto untuk keterangan lanjut.
Woyae Kuleik dan nafas baru :
* New Straits Times, 21 April 2007 - Prime News, muka 13
Sumber internet : New Straits Times Online - " A modern twist to classic tales "
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The father of two spent his teenage years learning the craft from his grandfather and also from the legendary tok dalang, Pak Hamzah or Hamzah Awang Amat, who died in 2001. But in the past five years, he has come up with his own storylines and inserted themes like drug abuse and hell racing in popular local tales, such as in the tragic love story of Uda and Dara — the local version of Romeo and Juliet.
Mohd Nizam said he preferred the new stories rather than the traditionally elaborate and lengthy classic tales of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
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"An interesting, educational show can teach young people to stay away from unhealthy activities," he said, adding that the state government would organise a competition to further promote the art.
Cousins Shafik Khairi, 16, and Muazim Omar, 17, are among the teenagers who frequent the wayang kulit shows at Gelanggang Seni. Both agree the shows are interesting and educational.
"We like coming here as the shows are interesting and modern, unlike the traditional ones which can be boring and lengthy.
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Pembawakan lagu dikir barat dalam persembahan Woyae Kuleik :
* Video klip. Klik foto untuk tayangan.
Animasi lucu yang diilhamkan dari watak komedi dalam Woyae Kuleik
( Sa'id, Wok Yoh dan Samat ) :
*
Nota :
Tapi kenapa " Woyae Kuleik " dan tidak " Wayang Kulit " ?
Sekadar membezakan dan merujuk khusus kepada Wayang Kulit Kelantan yang berbeza dengan Wayang Kulit lain di Asia Tenggara.
" A living culture is
always experimenting and trying new things
and a dead culture stays the same .... "
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| Thursday, 12-Apr-2007 20:03 |
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LOST AND FOUND : RUMAH TENGKU BONGSU
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Dilihat dari luar pagar, dari tepi jalan
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Bahagian anjung adalah tambahan baru
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Tangga sepatutnya di sisi
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Lost and Found :
RUMAH TENGKU BONGSU
PREFACE
Take the road from the UKM Bangi junction, in the direction of Bangi Lama and
pay attention to your right.
( Well, of course, if you are driving, do mind your front too
... and I shouldn't be held liable if you don't ! )
Very soon you will pass a hillside and from afar, a big wooden structure of what looks
like a house would appear, standing inside a fenced area, amidst lush greeneries of
what seems to be an orchard.
Those with trained eyes and good knowledge will find the roof tiles being distinctively
East Coast and the architectural being typical to that of northeastern region of the
peninsular. The fact that the land is owned by the nearby university, Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia ( UKM ), probably would make most people to think it as
another "school project", dedicated to related fields of learning.
Quite true, but I wonder how many people do realise that the house was in fact brought
all the way down from Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Few, I think. Even fewer are aware of the
fact that it also used to be home for three generations of one Kelantanese Royal family
that brought me to this World ....
I dedicated this entry to my late father,
who loved his family and held pride in the old house, so much ....
A story of mixed emotions about a family house
that was once lost .... but again found ... far away on a strange land.
THE STORY ....
Near the turn of the 20th century, Kelantan ( regardless the baseless territorial claim from the expansionist Bangkok regime ) was still an independant, self-ruled, sovereign entity in the East Coast of the Malay Peninsular, yet to be formally incorporated into British Malaya.
The jealousy between the two powers resulted the state to become some sort a refuge, a safe haven for the ages old Malay culture and art, much of those already being smeared or contaminated by Siamese influences up in the isthmus and by British Western ideals down south. In Kelantan, local feudal rulers became patrons of culture and art, from court rituals, sports, performances to metal workings and wood carvings. Creating rooms for many unique skills, hardly found anywhere else in the region, to thrive and prosper.
Around the same time, a noble lady, an immediate member of the ruling family, requested for a house to be build for her at what is now Jalan Mahmood in Kota Bharu. She was in fact the daughter of Sultan Ahmad, the Ghajo or the ruler who ruled Kelantan between 1886 ~ 1889. Her name was Tengku Bongsu and her husband was Tengku Chik. In days when the best craftmen were often placed under direct patronage of the rulers, expert carpenter(s) and woodcarvers were soon put to work. Using the best selected hardwoods and combined with skills enherited from old Langkasuka, they toiled to build a grand residence for the couple. The house was eventually finished and they both moved from their previous home at somewhere near the present day Jalan Tengku Chik in Kota Bharu to settle down in the new house for good.
They were my great grandparent.
Reeling again back in time, this time getting quite personal,
the house was home to my great grandparents, my grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins and of course also to my late father too. My father was born, brought up and spent much of his life there. He always wanted the majestic, old house to be turned into a living family museum, that stands shoulder to shoulder with Istana Jahar alike. He never thought of replacing or selling it away, hoping that by preserving it would preserve the family legacy as well, right here in Kota Bharu.
The house is not like any typical, common Kelantanese house that you might know of.
It was a house akin to any other houses meant for prominent Kelantanese feudal families of those days. It was built using specific designs which were only reserved exclusively for the royal blooded. Which means, no matter how capable a commoner is ( say, a rich merchant or an expert carpenter ), he never dare building or decorating his own house similar to his social superiors, solely out of respect and reverence.
My late father was proud of it so much that he made a model of the earliest design of his grandparent's house and had it displayed at the entrance, which was really a hall ( balai ) to receive visitors, a unique space normally found in the houses of traditional Malay aristocrats. He treasured his family, believed firmly that the children deserves to be made aware of their past to better prepare for the future. He was a man of visions, man of methods and many times, he managed to turn them into realities. But he died, ten years before the last occupant, his aunt, Tengku Fatimah Zaharah passed away .......
After his death, things strayed far from what he wished.
The last occupant cum last owner died without leaving any descendant and the house fell to the mercy of remaining nephews. It seems that different people has different priorities, different plans in life and unfortunately, none of them shared what my late father dreamed of. The dream went to the grave with him and the house fell into disrepair. The events that followed are too complicated and too personal to mention and the house ended up being sold to the Malaysian Department of Museums and Antiquities, dismantled and was taken away - totally gone from sight.
* IMAGE UPDATED 2 SEP 2008 : The house during its final days in Kota Bharu.
Image courtesy of SHAARI NTQT.
Terima kasih atas budi baik saudara.
* The house former site in Kota Bharu, now covered with wild vegetations. Slightly hidden from the hustle and bustle of the Kelantan state capital. Seen in the background is Hospital Besar Kota Bharu ( red roof ) or formally known as Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II.
Struck and rather saddened by the move, I waited for years and years, to know what actually happened to the house after they took it away.
The only clues to its whereabout were from these two articles, collected seven years ago by my mother from the local newspapers. I was away at a preparatory school in Bangi at the time, and remember coming home on one holiday, and was shown these :
* The New Straits Times ( 3 June 2000 ) - Click here for online version
* Utusan Malaysia ( 3 June 2000 )
Quite regularly I browsed the internet for any possible news on the so called " Muzium Etnologi Bangi " or " Ethnology of Malay World Museum " said to be built ( or supposed to have been built ) in Selangor, at this place called Bangi - the same place where I used to stay for a couple of years ( till early 2001 ) though it was not there during my stay.
Nothing of much help appeared from my Internet searches either but until very recently, I managed to find a site, with the informations to what I was hoping for years. *
( * UPDATED 5 May 2007 : Don't bother clicking the link, the owner had all the photos related to it, erased for some unknown reason - sensitive info perhaps ? To those wondering, they were photos of the house being rebuilt )
( * UPDATED 4 Nov 2009 : The owner / author of the said link was really kind enough to have them re-posted ( at a different link though ), even much better than before. Click HERE to see what I meant ... Thank you so much, En.Shaari ! )
Though it didn't reveal any clue to its exact location and current condition but at least, I knew then that my search is over. I got the rough idea that it is somewhere in Selangor, in Bangi. To be exact, somewhere within Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia ground. I told myself that I need to go and see it again. I really have to. Thankfully, it came to me later that I do know someone from the UKM who could probably lend a hand. A former schoolmate to be exact - currently working as an Assistant Consultant at the UKM Pakarunding.
So I contacted him, told him a little bit from my story and asked him to find out the house exact location and the date it opens to the public - hoping that I could make it there somehow in the future. Days later he replied with details of its whereabout, some supporting photos but informed me that the area is locked and currently off limit to the public. Well, I had expected that and was hoping that it would open anytime soon when he went on telling me that if I insist, he could arrange an appointment with the person-in-charge who could show me inside. Delighted and more than interested, I agreed.
On Friday morning, 30th March 2007, I found myself in Bangi, standing inside an area surrounded by flowering Durian trees - an orchard while overlooking the house where my late father was born and grew up. Finally, after seven years of fruitless search, there it was ~ in front of me. I was not alone that day. With me was my eldest brother ( who lives nearby and was invited along ), the friend, the person-in-charge of the house, an architect attached to the university - Ar. Mastor Surat and one of his student. Never thought that the university itself would give us ( me and not to forget my bro ) this special honor, a chance to look again into our missing past ....
* Those are not windows but doors to what used to be rooms. ( Photo credit to Saiful Amri )
Ar. Mastor ( I shall addressed him here on with his formal title ) led us into the house, which was nicely rebuilt and restored, but missing parts made it to be slightly smaller than it was. He told us that the house was kept all the while at Lukut for some reasons that he himself seemed reluctant to elaborate.
The first thing that I noticed was that the porch is not as what it used to be. Obviously it is a very recent addition that didn't come all the way from Kota Bharu. Even the stairway doesn't point to the previous direction ( it should point sideways ). From my Mom's descriptions, I also know that those big " windows " are in fact doors, leading to more rooms and spaces which had long deteriorated and probably got discarded during the dismantling work. In fact, I would say that the structure seen here is only about 50% of the house original shape and size during its heyday. Ar. Mastor confirmed this and plans have been set up to revive the remaining structures based on relatives' descriptions.
* The amazing thing about this piece is that it was ( believed to be ) carved by Chinese Muslim artisan(s) who frequented the shores of the East Coast in the past, even the Arabic caligraphy ( Khat ) carvings greatly resemble those found in China's many mosques.
* One of the corridors. Notice the so called " Janda Berhias " wall panelling.
So, we went through each room and corridor of the old house, looking around while having Ar. Mastor explaining to us the amazing logic and practicality behind traditional Malay architectures. He stopped at certain points inside the house, pointing to some erroneous joints, fixings and additions made by the contractor(s) during the restoring work, which to him, demonstrate how people these days failed to fully understand the logic and science of living in the old days.
I was more amazed by the ambience and everything else inside, from carved wooden panels, the intricate designs of the so called " janda berhias " walls, strange but brilliantly fashioned wooden locks to old brass door knobs. The inside was so magnificent that I never thought that it would look that great - felt like slipping a hundred years into the past ! .... Even a lone antique safe box stole my attention, wondering why it came together with the house while the rest of the fixtures didn't make it ...... emmm ...
* In the old days, those with this kind of ornate wall were the royalties'.
* Inside the so called " Rumah Ibu ". The oldest part of the house. The number of pillars emphasize the former owner's special status in society.
The tour lasted for three hours in perfect weather condition, with the sun brilliantly shining overhead ( oh yes, with tonnes of mosquitoes too ! ). It was indeed something to remember, something that made me finally understand the reasons to my late father's wish and dream. I felt foolish for a while, thinking that I had been wandering around Kota Bharu, eyeing for any remaining magnificent old Kelantanese Malay house without knowing that what my great grandparent had left is already very special and is one of its kind, waiting only for me to discover .......
I asked Ar. Mastor later over some cold drinks at a nearby stall, why not on-site preservation ? Why not just leave it there in Kota Bharu and do all the restoration on site ? Isn't it far much better that way ? As it is so obvious that a historical house would not be much of history without its original surrounding or setting to relate to. Besides, aren't the dismantling and transportation works contribute more harm than good to the original make-up and the already fragile piece? Even the restoring work would certainly put them at risk from various degree of mistreatments, some of which already being detected from the restored Rumah Tengku Bongsu.
He seemed to agree but prefer to see it in a different way by relating to his experiences.
Things are not that easy, he claimed. Family feuds over lands, over status of the house itself, ages old sentiments and many more related issues are already contributing much difficulties in preserving the already dilapidated architectural artifacts, on site. Even the original location and its surrounding, over time, would drastically change thus might not do good to the building's well being. Besides, by having such buildings moved to a well designated site, nearer to the place where future generations could easily gain access, study and learn, is far better than having it the other way around, he claimed.
Personal experiences tought me that what he said are indeed true.
Eheh... though the last one seems to be made in favour of ( as it benefits more ) the university rather than the place of origin ( Kelantan ). Maybe the last reason is in fact the main reason for the house to be there ...  ? Needless to say, I have to admit that the current fate of the family house is far much better now than before. They have all the fundings and for that, I sincerely believe that the house would be kept in good shape for at least another hundred years to come. Indeed, a good thing if seen in a constructive manner but personally, still a very difficult thing to live with when you have both Kelantanese and family pride in mind ( well, if there is any left of course ) ..... I bet Ar. Mastor would understand if he's in my shoes.
Either way, Ar. Mastor was indeed a great help.
Without him, we wouldn't be able to step into the house and would certainly miss all those valueable informations and knowledge that he happily shared with us. His help is much appreciated and nevertheless, I am totally proud of his work and dedication. He appeared to me, as a person who is very knowledgable and very proud in traditional Malay architecture, a true enthusiast I would say. He even proudly exclaimed that the best dwelling in the World is the traditional Malay House(s) - as there is no one else who makes similar to the Malays, pre-fabricated houses ( not tents ! ), with the intention of future dismantling, relocating and refixing it at any given location ! Yeah, I thought of that too !
Oh, before I forgot, just prior to the visit, we met up at his office at Jabatan Senibina UKM. There, at the entrance into his room were two miniature models of old traditional Malay buildings - one of Masjid Kampung Laut and another one of the long gone Istana Seri Akar or sometimes being referred as Istana Tengku Seri Akar of Kota Bharu. To him, the Istana Seri Akar was very unique as it was built prior to British intervention thus having the distinctive, true Malay architecture. He preferred to call it as Istana Tengku Putri instead, after the name of the first occupant. When asked why, he explained that builders of the past built houses in proportion to the size of the owner thus having it named after the first occupant is thought to be more appropriate. I agreed, which is why I decided to call the ( former ) family house as Rumah Tengku Bongsu and not the formally accepted " Rumah Tengku Fatimah Zaharah " ( see the newspaper cuttings above ).
Ar. Mastor also revealed that he is currently working on project to build life size replica of the two for the soon to come, Muzium Etnologi Melayu. His plan to revive the magnificent Istana Tengku Putri has been approved and currently under way. The Masjid Kampung Laut however, is currently put on hold. The Istana Tengku Putri will be rebuilt based on some surviving drawings of the original structure and probably shall be erected next to the Rumah Tengku Bongsu. Rather amazing as Tengku Putri and Tengku Bongsu were in fact sisters from the same parentage, both were daughters to the late Sultan Ahmad of Kelantan !
As it was nearing Solat Jumaat, we bid farewell to Ar. Mastor and his student at the entrance of Fakulti Kejuruteraan UKM. I spent the night at my brother's house and left home for Kota Bharu the next morning - thinking how Kelantan had lost one of its treasure again ... Well at least, lost in good way. At least, not at the antique shop or as piles of wooden rubble or by rotting in the open. Tried to be optimistic but deep inside, it is still emotionally hard to live with.
I thought Kelantan is the " Cradle Of Malay Culture, Art and Civilization ", as reputed by many tourist brochures and internet sites but ironically, things that prove or support the claim are slowly disappearing from the Kelantanese soil itself. That soon, I am afraid, we will only be known for what we didn't do, for what we failed to do ......
Maybe this is what my late father used to worry about.
Maybe this is what he wanted the children to see, to understand.
Will there be light in the other end ?
I have no idea ~
RELATED ( 1 ) :
* Rumah Tengku Bongsu ( stated here as " Istana Tengku Zaharah ", a misnomer ) being featured in the book " Spirit of Wood : The Art of Malay Woodcarving ~ Works by master carvers from Kelantan, Terengganu and Pattani " by Farish A. Noor and Eddin Khoo ( photo : David Lok ). The subject in focus is the " ukiran sesiku ", one of the house many carving styles.
The book :
RELATED ( 2 ) :
( sekadar maklumat sampingan, tiada perkaitan dibuat antara yang hidup atau mati )
SILA PANDANG BELAKANG ! :
AN UNEXPLAINED MYSTERY OF RUMAH TENGKU BONGSU
According to Ar. Mastor, an old house is not just simply an old house.
There are also spirits ( he used the word " semangat " ) that dwell alongside humans. The older the house, the stronger their presence and the more respect they demand. Wallahu a'laam.
This particular note on Rumah Tengku Bongsu ( formally known as Rumah Tengku Fatimah Zaharah ) appeared from one of my Google searches. The original source to this claim was a private forum hosted by this site. I failed to reach the real source as it is a private forum, so had to use Google Cache to access it before had it copied and pasted here. Unfortunately now, the cache had gone and the post is no more traceable, so I only have this quote, with the credit goes to the anonymous forumer :
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Istana Kayu Rumah Tengku Fatimah Zaharah Dari Kelantan.
Porjek pemindahan istana kayu niee dibuat oleh pihak Muzium Negara ke kawasan
Taman Etanalogi di Bangi..(kawasan dusun kat depan UKM bangi ke lama Seremban)
..projek niee kemudian dibatalkan walaupun dipasang separuh siap kemudian rumah ini
disimpan di Lukut sebab political..proses pemindahan pun memang dah mengalami
macam-macam kerenah dan dugaan dan orang keje kejap jee tukar tukar sebab tak
tahan dugaan.. Waktu pasang kat Bangi niee dulu.. bayangkan rumah yang waktu tuu
separuh siap bila magrib jee tarak siapa budak keje aku yang berani naik..kalau tinggal
rokok jee sampai sanggup pegi pekan bangi beli baru dari naik ambik.. aku pun tanya
apasal.. diaorang just cakap keras...rumah tu.. aku lak kata memang laa keras sebab
rumah tuu dari kayu cengal dan berlian...(aku tak duduk site seminggu sekali jee
melawat) Suatu hari aku pegi site petang dan sampai magrib jee budak dah berenti
keje.. aku take time jenjalan dalam rumah tuu waktu magrib tengah samar-samar
gelab..tetiba ada satu perempuan baju putih tak nampak muka dia lalu depan aku siap
wangi lagiee dari suatu dinding ke dinding yang lain dia pegi...ikut dia sekali hilang...
jadiee yang niee laa diaorang risaukan rupanya...
Ada kes budak keje aku waktu bukak rumah niee kat kelantan ambik satu paku besi
panjang jenis lama tuu bawak balik katanya nak buat kenagan..sampai siang tak boleh
tido sebab sepanjang malam perempuan sama datang mintak suruh serahkan paku
berkenaan...
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RELATED ( 3 ) :
* Jangkaan rekabentuk asal Istana Tengku Putri ( Istana Seri Akar ) berdasarkan kajian Ar. Mastor dan dari lukisan terukur yang sempat dibuat semasa tahun tahun akhir kewujudannya.
* Bazaar Tengku Anis bakal dibina di atas tanah yang dahulunya merupakan bekas tapak Istana Tengku Putri ( Istana Seri Akar ) di Jalan Tengku Seri Akar, Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
NOTA :
Setinggi dan sepenuh penghargaan buat Ar. Mastor Surat, Senior Fellow - Jabatan Senibina, Fakulti Kejuruteraan, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia ( UKM ) Bangi dan Saiful Amri Md Nor, Pembantu Pakarunding, UKM-Pakarunding. Tanpa campurtangan kalian, mustahil impian saya tercapai.
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SIAPA YANG SAYANG ?
SIAPA YANG TAK KISAH ?
Pada tahun 1966, banjir besar telah merosakkan struktur dan tapak sebuah masjid lama di Kampung Laut, Tumpat, Kelantan. Tahun berikutnya, 1967, perkara yang sama telah berlaku dan kali ini hampir melenyapkan terus masjid tersebut. Namun, ia masih mampu bertahan, menanti banjir besar seterusnya untuk menyelesaikan segala apa yang tertinggal.
Tahun 1968, struktur bersejarah itu yang dikenali sebagai Masjid Lama Kampung Laut, yang ketika itu dalam keadaan serba dhaif dan hanya menghitung masa terhumban ke dalam Sungai Kelantan, akhirnya telah diselamatkan. Ia telah dileraikan, dipindahkan dan didirikan semula di Nilam Puri, Kota Bharu iaitu 10 km dari tapak asalnya di Kampung Laut, Tumpat.
Allahyarham Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard melaporkan secara agak terperinci tentang operasi menyelamat berkenaan dalam jurnal bulanan Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia ( Malaysian Historical Society ) , edisi Disember 1970 antaranya :
 
dan disusuli dengan kenyataan ini :
Note :
Excerpts scanned from " The Oldest Mosque In Malaysia ; Moves To A Safer Site " by Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard ( The Malaysian Historical Society magazine, ' MALAYSIA in History ', Volume 13, December 1970 - Number Two )
Dari laporan berkenaan, beliau seolah olah ingin menggambarkan secara tersirat ( atau pun sudah tersurat ) bahawa pertama, tidak ada inisiatif dari pihak berkuasa mahupun penduduk tempatan untuk setidak tidaknya cuba menyelamatkan masjid berkenaan melainkan seolah olah sengaja dibiarkan untuk musnah. Kedua, tindakan menyelamat adalah dari inisiatif individu luar yang prihatin. Ketiga, tiada penglibatan yang signifikan dari pihak berkuasa dalam kerja pemulihan dan keempat, kos pemuliharaan adalah dari dana individu dan bukan awam !
Tak mengapalah. Itu perkara yang telah berlalu.
Tetapi ternyata amat berkhasiat jika diungkit bagi dijadikan iktibar.
Saya cuma tertanya tanya dengan keadaan sekarang. Adakah kita memiliki undang - undang tempatan atau paling kurang, polisi khusus dalam memulihara senibina silam agar kekal di tempat asalnya ( di negeri asalnya ) serta dapat disampaikan dalam keadaan yang boleh dimanfaatkan oleh umum ? Kenapa dibiarkan pihak luar terlebih dahulu mengambil inisiatif ? Dibiarkan khazanah sedemikian diangkut keluar ? Tidakkah sebegitu seolah olah menunjukkan kita tiada perasaan hormat, bangga dan kasih kepada khazanah sendiri ?
Saya ingin benar mengambil contoh dari Jepun.
Di Jepun, struktur binaan milik individu yang dikira amat bernilai dari segi nilai budaya dan sejarah akan sentiasa dipantau rapi oleh pihak kerajaan tempatan. Sekiranya pemilik dilihat tidak mampu lagi menjaganya dengan baik, pihak berkuasa akan memujuk si pemilik untuk menyerahkannya kepada mereka bagi dipulihara, dikekalkan dan dimanfaatkan oleh semua orang - yakni bagi dijadikan aset kebudayaan dan pelancongan setempat sekaligus membantu menaikkan nama dan memberi kebanggaan kepada anak tempatan. The logic is simple. If you own something that could draw others to you in amazement and awe, you should keep it well because once you lose it, you are John Doe !
Akan tetapi apa yang saya lihat di Kelantan tidak begitu ( entahlah, mungkin negeri lain pun sama ). Yang dipulihara dan dipelihara hanyalah apa yang dimilik penuh oleh kerajaan negeri sahaja. Mana yang tidak, diserah dan dipertanggungjawab sepenuhnya atas inisiatif peribadi si pemilik, sama ada ingin dijaga rapi dan dikekal atau dijual sebagai barang antik atau sekadar dijadikan kayu api ! Nampaknya tidak ada sebarang pemantauan dari pihak berkuasa tempatan bagi menentukan tindakan yang terbaik demi kemaslahatan umum masyarakat setempat. Apa yang berlaku kepada Rumah Tengku Bongsu adalah satu contoh yang terbaik !
Walau bagaimana pun, jika dilihat pada kes Masjid Kampung Laut, Kelantan boleh dikira beruntung kerana masjid berkenaan tidak dibawa keluar dari bumi Kelantan dan sekadar berpindah ke " sebelah rumah " sahaja ( boleh jadi idea Muzium Etnologi Melayu masih belum timbul di benak pihak kerajaan pusat ketika itu !? Kalau tidak, aku yakin ia juga akan berakhir di Bangi !  ). Paling kurang, pihak Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia ( sebuah NGO ? ) tidak memiliki perancangan atau niat lain melainkan sekadar ingin menyelamat. Kerana itu, anak Kelantan masih boleh berbangga kerana Masjid tertua di Malaysia letaknya di negeri mereka.
Bayangkanlah kalau sebaliknya berlaku.
Apa agaknya yang boleh kita banggakan dari warisan senibina kita yang unik ?
Rumah kedai moden berderet deret ? Kota Sri Mutiara ?? Pelangi Mall ? Kelantan Trade Center ? Kota Bharu Trade Center ? Atau keupayaan anak muda kita berlumba motorsikal di atas jalan awam ? -- errrr ... yang ternyata bukan sejenis warisan senibina ..
Emm .. yang kemudian itu pun bagus juga.
Mungkin kita perlu memperuntukkan satu sudut di Muzium Negeri ( yang aku yakin banyak ruang kosongnya ) berkenaan budaya Rempit di Kelantan.
Waaaah ! Aku setuju !!
Aku sanggup jadi pembekal bahannya !
 ( ketawa sarkastik ! )
" History repeats itself
and the more you know of the past,
the better prepared you are for the future "
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