On Malaise

Kurang Ajar by Usman Awang

Sebuah perkataan yang paling ditakuti
Untuk bangsa kita yang pemalu.
Sekarang kata ini kuajarkan pada anakku;
Kau harus menjadi manusia kurang ajar
Untuk tidak mewarisi malu ayahmu.
Lihat petani-petani yang kurang ajar
Memiliki tanah dengan caranya
Sebelumnya mereka tak punya apa
Kerana ajaran malu dari bangsanya.
Suatu bangsa tidak menjadi besar
Tanpa memiliki sifat kurang ajar.

I begin this posting by my long-admired poem by Usman Awang which I think describes sufficiently well some of Malays characteristics. We have long been taught by generations to observe manners and courtesies in daily life. While it is definitive to demonstrate the Eastern values that we carry, sometimes we got carried forward by unduly conducting the same manner in place where we are demanded to be firm and uncompromising. As the last two sentences reveal, the nation will not develop should we stick to be ‘shy’ to demand the rightful things which are ours. In today’s context, striving to top the chart in education, social class and economic well-being of an individual ought not to carry above characteristics to circumvent any obstruction in nation (Malay) development.



Malays are funny people. Sometimes they are ‘shy’ (I find it quite hard to translate the word ‘malu’ into the right context) to do the rightful things but are completely oblivious engaging in immoral activities. They are ‘shy’ when asked to speak up their mind but not when raising voice arguing the necessaries. They are ‘shy’ to challenge the superior but not when criticizing the subordinates. They are ‘shy’ to change what is not right in a holistic systems but not when changes bring individual interests. Worse, they are ‘shy’ to admit they can stand alone but not when provoked for being gullible and start defending his stand. A father is not ‘shy’ to tell the child to abstain from smoking but he himself smokes. Funny eh! I do not know if I can say that Malays are lack of wisdom and perhaps should learn from other nations. Hang on, while Malays are malaise, how can they want to learn from others?! When Mahathir said that loyalty should no longer be the values of Malays, I whole-heartedly agree with him for being loyal means we are trapped to explore further to develop more.

Excuses or finding reasons to move forward have long been the platform that we stand on. We keep on asking what if so and so occur and what is going to happen to me. On a more sarcastic note, we are scared to face the challenge ahead and always find reasons to support our stands to adopt stay back and look attitude. We are still not aware that success comes with risk, it does not come by just waiting for it. We should discard the what-if attitude and step ahead to be at par with other nations.

Undeniably, it can be observed that some Malays are not longer the Malays 50 years ago. But, are we competent enough to ensure the rest of the ‘left-behind Malays’ and our future generations are capable to cope with the changes and challenges in todays’ demanding world? Or should we just discard the ‘left-behind Malays’ (since the malaise attitude is too resistant to change) and move forward (quicker and faster without them) to develop our own new Malay nation? Should we be loyal to our old Malays?

Two Stories

Just something that I think I should scribble here for my own remembrance.

I attended Friday prayer at UWA last Friday. Was on my sick leave. Sh Faizel was giving the sermon and I quite like the simplicity of his sermon this time. He was talking about how strange a believer is, that everything happens may it be good or not to him is a blessing. He related this to a story about a Caliph and his advisor.

There was a day that the Caliph was with his advisor and something grateful befalls him and his advisor says Alhamdulillah. There was another day that he was wit his advisor and accidentally cut his hand and the advisor says Alhamdulillah too. Not knowing what the advisor meant, the Caliph was angry and ordered the advisor to be incarcerated. As per the usual custom of the rulers those days he was set for hunting only he found to be encountered by a group of people looking for a sacrifice for their God. The Caliph was captured to be presented as a sacrifice for their God. Just at the point before he was about to be sacrificed, they found that his hand had a bandage as a result of the cut he had earlier. As as sacrifice to their holy God, they have to present a perfect non-mutilated being. Hence, the Caliph was released.

With this occurrence, the Caliph now understand the wisdom of his advisor. He ordered that the advisor be released. The story did not end there. The advisor narrated that as he was dragged to the prison, he keep on reciting Alhamdulillah. Has he not been incarcerated, he would have followed the Caliph for hunting and would be a perfect sacrifice for the group in place for the Caliph. How strange is the believer, always feels grateful whatever befalls him!



As I was writing this, my chain of thought linked to another sermon I listened sometimes ago at Rivervale by Imam Jalil. He was talking about wisdom of words. He also narrated a story making it easy for me to remember.

There was a King and he had two interpreters for his dream. The King dreamt that he lost all of his teeth except one. He was worried and called one of his interpreter to see the insight of his dream. The interpreter said that all of his family members will die leaving him alone. Upon hearing this, the King was full of wrath and sent him to be beheaded. He called the second interpreter. Upon telling what he had dreamt, the interpreter said that among all of his family member he would be the longest to live. The King was glad and rewarded the interpreter with valuables.

Essentially, the gist of the interpretations are the same just the way it was described by words.

May we benefit from these two stories.