The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion
The Malaysian Insider :: Opinion |
| Posted: 07 Sep 2013 04:10 PM PDT
I was born a Chindian, but refused the right to identify my Chinese roots due to the country's rule of paternity back then (and even now mixed children have to pick one race over the other for use in identification cards). That was when my country failed to recognize my heritage from the moment I was born. Then, the education system failed me. Rote learning was the way to go and I watched with glazed eyes as students good at memorizing went on to win recognition and scholarships. The private sector rescued me where the local education system failed me, providing me with a scholarship to pursue a course of my choice. The overdose of requirement for degrees and academic qualifications failed me and people I knew. Before the quality of local degree holders made national headlines, I watched as lesser candidates aced the job where people I cared for, with obvious greater skill and talent, were denied employment – simply for not being able to afford tertiary education. The unhealthy admiration for our exaggerated As affected me again, when I taught at a local language centre and was forced to break the news to students that their level of English was unbefitting of their earned As. I toiled over their standards to bring them up to mark as the local education system had varnished the truth with falling standards for As. The quality of graduates; local or overseas regardless, disappointed once again when I was tasked with training an executive in my role as a Manager. Armed with a degree, fresh graduates lack simple basic communicative skills in the written word. I cringed as the executives struggle to finish simple assignments; at times forced to redo on countless occasion before having to step in and do it myself to save time. The over protectionism employed by state economic strategies meant I had to pay more for an over -valued local car. I was denied the chance at owning a higher quality imported car due to excessive taxes charged. Malaysia admits to earning billions from automobile taxes. Malaysia then goes on to deny the opportunity for free education – in part due to the ruling party's machinery. While we advocate and champion a knowledge era, Malaysians at the top refuse to grant the vehicle that will drive us into the knowledge era. The fact that the country is rich in natural resources is only mentioned in school textbooks; but citizens never quite understanding the meaning of this as oil prices were recently hiked – again. Voting rights were trampled on as 'ghost voters' emerged in droves and mysterious ballot boxes made starring roles at the last election. The police was allegedly complicit. Where is my right to determine the future and governance of this country? I voted – and so did 50.87% of the population – but who cares? The minority still dictates. In a technical sense of the word; Malaysia has failed me. What has kept me going though, is that the Spirit of Malaysia has not let me down. The spirit of Malaysia since our founding fathers lay down that the Reid Commission reported that Tunku Abdul Rahman and the Malay Rulers had asked that "in an independent Malaya all nationals should be accorded equal rights, privileges and opportunities and there must not be discrimination on grounds of race and creed." The Spirit of Malaysia echoed through the people when they volunteered to be PACABA and clasp arms in unity to prevent mysterious ballot boxes from coming into the counting poll during the 2013 elections. It is that spirit that has awakened amongst the mostly urban Malays who opted for need based policy rather than race based policy despite being the most to gain from the latter. It is the same breath of fire and drive that send Malaysians to the streets and social media in protest – unafraid of the national status quo. The Malaysian spirit never left us, even when those leave the countries for better opportunities, they came back to make their voices heard and casted their vote. Malaysians and their inner fire, from the days of independence, shouts aloud in cyber space on various comments section and opinion pieces, declaring their love for country and demand for justice – demonstrating just how much Malaysian policies have hurt us but won't stop us from fighting for a better Malaysia. Because we feel the pain of bad governance but will strive to give us our best for our country. Malaysia, in all technicality, has failed me. But Malaysians will rise and give birth to a better Malaysia away from the manipulative hands of the corrupt. They may take our bodies, but they cannot take our soul! - September 8, 2013. | |
| Dari Sasterawan Negara ke Sasterawan Rakyat Posted: 07 Sep 2013 04:02 PM PDT
Dahulu beliau merupakan salah seorang Sasterawan Negara yang seringkali diundang untuk membacakan puisi di majlis besar. Yang hadir kebanyakannya dari golongan pembesar-pembesar negara seperti perdana menteri dan anggota Kabinetnya. Rambut dan janggutnya yang panjang dan berwarna putih menyebabkan beliau mudah dikenali dan nampak berbeza dari sasterawan-sasterawan lain yang kebiasaannya agak membosankan. Hari ini Datuk A. Samad Said merupakan musuh nombor satu negara. Mengapa? Bukan kerana beliau cuba memusnahkan dunia kesusasteraan Melayu akan tetapi kerana keberanian menyatakan pendirian politik yang bercanggah daripada kerajaan. Umum mengetahui keberanian beliau adalah kerana membenarkan dirinya dipilih menjadi pengerusi bersama Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih) bersama Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan. Bersih sudah tiga kali menganjurkan perhimpunan besar-besaran di ibu negara bagi menuntut pilihan raya bebas dan adil. Terbaru dalam insiden sambutan malam ambang Kemerdekaan ke-56 di Dataran Merdeka, apabila sekumpulan anak-anak muda mengibarkan bendera Sang Saka Malaya ketika Samad sedang membacakan puisi. Beliau yang dikenali sebagai Pak Samad itu diserang dari pelbagai penjuru akibat daripada insiden itu. Dari Menteri Komunikasi dan Multimedia Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek hinggalah Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, semuanya menyelar Pak Samad. Seolah-olah Pak Samad itu langsung tidak pernah mempunyai jasa kepada negara. Beliau yang berumur 78 tahun ditahan polis di rumahnya lebih kurang jam 12.30 pagi 4 September lalu dan disoalsiasat selama dua jam sebelum dibebaskan. Penahanan Pak Samad pada awal pagi menimbulkan kemarahan ramai, dan ini termasuk "masyarakat" media sosial. Kutukan dan kritikan orang ramai terhadap pihak berkuasa kerana tindakan tidak menghormati warga emas seperti Pak Samad menyebabkan Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar terpaksa mengeluarkan kenyataan tidak cerdik seperti Sasterawan Negara itu "bersembunyi" dan "menyorok" sehingga polis tidak dapat berjumpanya. Pak Samad amat mudah untuk ditemui. Selain dari Masjid Negara tempat beliau seringkali menunaikan solat Asar dan Maghrib, susuk itu boleh kelihatan di kedai-kedai buku terkemuka di Kuala Lumpur yang sudah pasti diketahui oleh Jabatan Cawangan Khas, Bukit Aman. Sebenarnya, yang cuba dilakukan terhadap Pak Samad adalah satu bentuk "harassment" atau gangguan agar ikon kepada anak-anak muda itu berhenti untuk terus menyuarakan pandangan politiknya. Dikhuatiri semakin ramai yang akan terpengaruh dengan Pak Samad. Dalam kenyataannya kepada media, Pak Samad tidak keberatan sekiranya anugerah Sasterawan Negara yang beliau terima pada tahun 1985 itu ditarik balik kerajaan. Malahan menurutnya, jika mahu melucutkan kewarganegaraannya juga tidak mengapa. Jelas tergambar kekecewaan Pak Samad terhadap bagaimana beliau dilayan. Jika tidak hormat beliau sebagai Sasterawan Negara sekalipun, sekurang-kurangnya ingatlah, Pak Samad merupakan orang tua. Biarpun beliau mempunyai pandangan politik berbeza dengan kerajaan, layakkah dirinya dilayan sebegitu rupa? Sewaktu menetap di Filipina dahulu, penulis sempat menemubual seorang watak ala Pak Samad untuk melengkapkan kajian penulis mengenai revolusi kebangkitan rakyat menumbangkan Ferdinand Marcos pada tahun 1986. Bienvenido Lumbera merupakan National Artist of the Philippines dan penerima anugerah Ramon Magsaysay untuk kewartawanan, kesusasteraan dan komunikasi kreatif. Lumbera ditahan oleh tentera Filipina di bawah undang-undang darurat pada bulan Januari, 1974 semasa pemerintahan Marcos kerana bersama rakan-rakan penulisnya mengeluarkan penerbitan yang menentang tindakan bekas presiden itu mengisytiharkan darurat. Lumbera dibebaskan pada Disember tahun sama selepas bekas anak muridnya di universiti Ateneo De Manila menulis surat kepada Jeneral Fidel Ramos. Selepas pembebasannya pada tahun 1975, Lumbera menerima anugerah Palanca Award for Literature, salah satu anugerah kesusasteraan berprestij di Filipina. Beliau menerima pelbagai anugerah lain untuk pengelibatannya dalam bidang kesusasteraan sehinggalah menerima anugerah tertinggi negara itu National Artist of the Philippines pada tahun 2006. Sekejam-kejam Marcos, beliau tidak menghalang Palanca Award for Literature untuk memberikan anugerah kepada Lumbera pada tahun 1975 walaupun sebelum itu pada tahun 1974 beliau menahannya. Perlu diingat Lumbera itu politiknya kiri dan radikal. Berbalik kepada Pak Samad di Malaysia. Walaupun beliau kini berhadapan dengan ancaman untuk ditarik kembali anugerah yang beliau perolehi di atas jasa terhadap dunia kesusasteraan Melayu, Sasterawan Negara itu kini mendapat anugerah lebih besar. Beliau kini diangkat sebagai Sasterawan Rakyat. Apalah ertinya negara sekiranya tidak mempunyai rakyat? – 8 September, 2013. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider : All To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan