The audio played on the megaphone during the flag raising in the Pokok Pauh Janggi performance (see notes) is Gerimis Mengundang is a Malaysian chart topping single from the band Slam. It was released in 1996 and it permeated the airways and the hearts of the nation. I had just returned to Malaysia to take up a position at the Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and this song resonates within me still, just as it does, I suggest, with the saga that underpins the present state of our national polity, with a particular poignance if interpreted in terms of the Anwar Ibrahim saga! It is worthy of mention that it began to drizzle (gerimis) over the performance area in the course of the event. Later we learnt from observers that it had only rained in the Kapallorek Artspace area and not the surrounding area.
Kusangkakan panas berpanjangan Rupanya gerimis rupanya gerimis Mengundang ah ha ha ha Dalam tak sedar ku kebasahan
1 Set up in Gallery *Plain Black Cowboy Shirt on hanger on the back wall of a niche. *Platform for batang Pisang, nails on either side of niche for tukelan. *Place 7 nails on the ground before the platform.
2 Set-up on Roof *Flag elements in place – weights frame, post, strut. *Panggung in place – mat (tikar anyaman), 2 cushions, bananana stem (batang pisang), brick supports, 2 bamboo verticals. *Arena setup- 2 plastic mats for audience, one row lights above audience, a few plastic chairs. *Large basket to the rear of the panggung – contents: songkok, cowboy hat, capal, flag folded and hooks in place. *mp3 player/megaphone, Kemenyan set (Benzoin incense)- holder with hot coal, kemenyan, lighter, 3 medium size red candles – all set up to front-left of panggung. *Woven container filled with local earth (bekas mengandungi tanah Bota), the badi (remnants of dear hide wrapped in muslin cloth), daun pisang, brass bowl containing water and flowers, – all set up to front-right of panggung.
3 Memasang Tukelan *The performance begins on the roof *Koboi ties string (tukelan) across posts, strings coins (Uang Kepeng). *Sang Nabil Utama lights coal at the back of the arena. *Koboi and Sang Nabil Utama go to start positions.
4 Entrance *Koboi Brings in Artcase containing cloth wrapped Pak Dogol (yellow cloth) and Wak Long, Pokok Pauh Janggi, Ketam Gergasi (black cloth) and places it to the right of the tikar. *Simultaneously Nabil bring a tray (dulang) with food offering on a ceramic plate : pulut kuning, telur rebus, 7 helai. daun sireh and places it to the rear between cushions.
5 Flag Raising *Sang Nabil Utama turns on music on mp3 player/megaphone – Gerimis Mengundang by Slam. *Set up frame, secure fame, insert post, string flag, secure flag, raise flag.
6 Memanggil Jin Tanah *Pasang lilin satu batang, serta berkata :- Aku minta’ ampun kapada kramat yang memegang tanah disini! *Letakkan lilin di dalam bekas yang mengandungi tanah Bota.
7 Memanggil Hantu Tinggi *Lepas itu pasang lilin lagi satu batang, Jalan ke tempat mural bota dan berkata :- Aku minta’ ampun kapada sagala Hantu Tinggi! *letak lilin di kaki bendera. 8 Memanggil Jambalang Wayang *Nyalakan lilin ketiga dan berkata:- Aku minta’ ampun juga kapada sagala Jambalang Wayang! *letak lilin dalam piring nasi pulut.
9 Koboi Mengubah Wajah *Koboi takes off socks/boots and cowboy hat. *Nabil get songkok from basket. *Koboi puts on songkok. *Koboi and Sang Nabil Utama walk over to mat. *Nabil turns off music.
10 Membuka Panggung *Koboi dan Sang Nabil Utama bersila. *Sang Nabil Utama starts Kemeyan . *Naikkan piring dan berkata :- Hei Jin Tanah,Hantu Tinggi, Hoi Jembalang Wayang ! Dato’ jangan membisakan, Aku tahu asal ‘kau jadi : Dato jangan membe’ngkakkan : Bintang Timor asal ‘kau mula jadi. Biar sagala makhluk suka permainan kita, Berkat Dato’ Batara Guru, Menyaksikannya! *Letakkan piring atas tikar di antara Koboi dan Sang Nabil Utama di tengah panggung.
11 Membuang Badi Rusa *Koboi Buka kain kuning, keluarkan Pak Dogol cucuk dalam batang pisang ke sebelah kanan, pandang ke kiri. *Koboi Buka kain hitam, bagi Wak Long pada, Sang Nabil Utama cucuk dalam batang pisang di sebelah kiri, pandang ke kanan. *Koboi Ambil Pokok … angkat menunjukkan bahagian kulit rusa kepada penonton and then Koboi letak patung ke bawah. *Koboi Angkat ketam menunjukkangahagian kulit rusa kepada penonton and then Koboi letak patung ke bawah. *Sang Nabil Utama tutup muka dengan kain semutar. *Koboi Kebaskan tiga kali ka bawah, ia itu ke arah patung dengan kain hitam (OMITED IN PERFORMANCE). *put black cloth on head, serta berkata :- O Si Lanang, Si Lambaun, Si Ketor, Si Becheh, orang yang berampat, Ambil kembali bahagian-kau! *Koboi buka kain puteh dan mengambil isyarat bahagian rusa – Mata, telinga, mulut, hidong,kaki, tangan, bulu, hati, jantong, limpa dan tandok, *masukkan di daun, pulangkan ke tanah, merenjis air dan bunga, serta berkata : — O Mentala Guru Asa sabulan, dua sabulan, Tiga sabulan, ampat sabulan, Lima sabulan, anam sabulan, Tujoh sabulan, malam di-angkau, Siang di-aku. Sa’ekor aku bawa balik, Sa’ekor aku tinggalkan!
12 Membangkunkan Jambalang Pokok Pauh Janggi *Koboi angkat patong Pokok Pauh Janggi, waving tree about, showing only back, serta berkata :- Hei Toh Mambang Puteh, Toh Mambang Hitam Yang diam di bulan dan matahari Melempahkan sakalian ‘alam asal-nya pawang, Menyampeikan sakalian hajat-ku, Melakukan sagala kahandak-ku, Hidulaplah Pokok Pauh Janggi! *Turn tree around to show colour, cucuk in batang pisang.
13 Membangkunkan Jambalang Ketam Gergasi *Koboi angkat semula patong Ketam dan bagi kepada Sang Nabil Utama . *NaSang Nabil Utama menunjukkan blank side to audience (OMITED IN PERFORMANCE), moving the legs. *Koboi berkata :- Al-salam ‘aleikum ! Hei sahabat-ku Mambang Tali Harus, Yang berulang ka pusat tasek Pauh Janggi, Sampeikan-lah pesan-ku ini, Bangunkan Jambalang Ketam Gergasi! *Sang Nabil Utama turns crab around to show colour and cucuk in batang pisang, Manipulate limbs
14 Nabil Mengubah Wajah *Sang Nabil Utama turns on Wayang audio. *Both get up slowly. *Koboi takes out and puts capal. *Koboi gives Sang Nabil Utama Cowboy hat. *Sang Nabil Utama puts on Cowboy hat.
15 Bersalam- salaman *Both face audience for count of 5 seconds. *Turn face each other. *bersalam-salaman.
16 Membuka Tukelan *With wayang audio running ….. pause, be at ease viewing the scene for a while. *Koboi unties the tukelan and removea the uang kepeng . *Koboi removes Ketam from batang pisang and hands to Sang Nabil Utama. *Koboi removes Pokok and stands up. *Koboi andSang Nabil Utama lead the procession from the roof down to the gallery.
17 Paparan Penghabisan *Koboi and Sang Nabil Utama, stand to the left and right in front of the niche, holding forth their puppets. *Batang Pisang is brought down and placed on platform. *Koboi and Sang Nabil Utama insert their puppets into the Batang Pisang and step back allowing others to view. *Nabil pierces the 7 nails into the Batang Pisang. *Sang Nabil Utama helps Koboi change shirts and places the eagle bib shirt on the wall and buttons it up. *Koboi ties tukelan across niche, strings coins (Uang Kepeng). *Koboi places tahi pelangi in front of the paparan as a pendinding. *Koboi and Sang Nabil Utama acknowlege audience, Koboi mintak ampun dari para penonton
titis titis puitis titik titik puitik ritma koma sabdu bunyi noktah seru
titis titik titis menitis titik menitik menitis menitik menitis menitik menitis menitik
tik tik tik tis tis tis ritma koma sabdu bunyi noktah seru
datanglah… tujuh mata air air mata tujuh semburkan dalam tujuh lautan kesunyian bisikan tujuh nafsu pemilik akar keramat memanggil namamu! tujuh kali terkoyak!
In December 2019, I was happy to meet with R Viriya the sponsor of the giant Anwar Ibrahim hoarding at Kampung Indian Settlement Batu Caves. This hoarding was the subject of my new flag printed for the Dari Pusat Tasek exhibition at Percha Art Space in Lumut (Dec2019 – Jan 2020). The 12.2m hoarding was first erected in front of Wisma Keringat with council approval in 2008. The hoarding, which had been sponsored through community fundraising, met with accusations of wastage and idolatry from UMNO and PAS politicians. It was taken down at the end of the permit period and kept in storage to be put up again near the Dewan Orang Ramai, Kg Indian Settlement in 2018 for the GE14. According to Viriya the image was painted by a visiting Indian cinema hoarding painter and it certainly conveys the aura of an Indian media SUPERSTAR! I took my koboi photo in 2018 after the surprise Harapan win in GE14. This flag was presented again at the Pokok Pauh Janggi exhibition at the Kapallorek Artspace in Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak. Pokok Pauh Janggi runs from 5th Aug – 30th Sept 2023
Soalan: Boleh tak tahi besi kita buat berobat nak pagar rumah, guna ayat Koran?
Jawapan: Boleh buat Tahi Besi buat pagar, tetapi pagar kawat itulah! (Hah, pasal dia besi … buat kawat 🙂 ) Yang tak boleh nya, tahi besi itu yang kita jaga rumah kita. Tak Boleh! Dan kalau Al Koran dengan selawat … boleh. Faham? Aaa!
The above extract.from a ceramah by Ustaz Azhar Idrus evidences a persistant syncreticism in the quotidian practice of Islam amongst the Malays of the peninsular. The Bahasa transcription is my best translation of the Ustaz’s loghat Kelate. I would appreciate corrections. Please send to nrajah@sfu.ca
The Pokok Pauh Janggi installation runs from 5th Aug – 30th Sept 2023 at the Kapallorek Artspace in Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak.
Image Collaged With pout Permission from Kapallorek Artspace!
Tok Mudim and Koboi represented in a painting/installation at Kapallorek Artspace. Kapallorek is an artist’s initiative founded in 2014 based in Seri Iskandar, Perak, Malaysia.
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