Tag: malay

Telling Stories To Spread The Love Of Malay During Malay Language Month (Bulan Bahasa)

Author and storyteller Jumaini Ariff’s fondest memories of the Malay language come from her childhood, when she listened to the radio at home.

“I would sit at the counter while my mother was cooking, and other than speaking to her or annoying her, I would learn things like pantun (rhymes)… how they speak, how they addressed the elderly and… storytelling,” said the 38-year-old.

With eight Malay-language books published, she sees herself as an educator for her tongue, which is why she jumped at the chance to be one of this year’s three duta bahasa (language ambassadors) for Bulan Bahasa, or the Malay Language Month.

She has already participated in Bulan Bahasa multiple times.

During its launch on Sept 9 at the Malay Heritage Centre in Kampong Glam, she will tell stories with live gamelan music accompanying her.

There will be a series of programmes on 2017’s themes of ilmu (knowledge), budaya (culture) and mesra (relationships), spread out between Aug 15 and Oct 15, and in a mixture of Malay and English for members of the public to enjoy.

The location of the launch, as well as the focus on culture as one of this year’s themes, means that most of the programmes will be in Malay.

The festival was launched in 1988 by the Malay Language Council to encourage the use of Malay in the everyday lives of Singapore’s Malay community.

Said chairman of the Bulan Bahasa 2017 committee, Ms Rahayu Mahzam: “Our legacy, stories and values can survive the test of time only if we make the effort to preserve our appreciation of the Malay language.

“Our mastery of the language can only enrich our understanding of our Malay identity. It is important to perpetuate this in the younger generation so we can continue to flourish as one community.”

Ms Rahayu told The Straits Times that the challenge lies in getting people to use Malay in their daily lives and to learn to appreciate the importance of preserving the Malay culture through the language.

“The celebration of the Malay culture is out there – everybody loves Malay culture and it’s easy to have activities revolving around it, but the appreciation of how language ties in with that is not as strong,” she said, citing the example of silat, the Malay martial art form, and how people may not appreciate the strong links between the cultural value of the weapons and moves and the Malay words for them.

In light of recent language gaffes, such as the use of a wrong character in the Speak Mandarin Campaign launch and wrongly typed Tamil in some National Day Parade pamphlets, she said that the Malay Language Council has a large network of people which it taps to ensure the correct translation and dissemination of Malay-language material.

Ms Rahayu, who is a member of the council, said the network is composed of people such as literary experts, teachers and previous Bulan Bahasa language ambassadors.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com

July 19, 2017
[Malaysia] PM Najib Razak: Indian-Muslims In Country Are Bumipiteras

The government will consider a request from the Indian-Muslim community in Malaysia to be recognised as Bumiputera, Prime Minister Najib Razak said tonight.

He said Bumiputera status could be applied to the group either “administratively or by gazette”.

“I have listened to the requests made (by the community) and I accept that Indian-Muslims are Bumiputera.

“The question now is how to implement this; we will study this further to see whether it should be done administratively or, as the Indian-Muslim community have requested, by gazette. However, you are considered Bumiputera,” Najib told members of Indian-Muslim NGOs at a Hari Raya and family day celebration in Seri Kembangan tonight.

The term “Bumiputera” means “son of the soil” and is used to refer to the Muslims and indigenous peoples of Malaysia. Bumiputera currently form 68.8% of the country’s population.

Federation of Malaysian Indian-Muslims president Dhajudeen Shahul Hameed tonight thanked the government for acknowledging the community as Bumiputera and requested that their status be made official through a circular.

“Even though we are acknowledged as Bumiputera, we still face a lot of bureaucracy and misinterpretation. Therefore, we hope Datuk Seri Najib Razak will issue a circular to state that Indian-Muslims are indeed Bumiputera,” Dhajudeen said in his speech at the event attended by about 20,000 people.

Source: www.themalaysianinsight.com

July 19, 2017
Puan Noor Aishah And President Yusof Ishak – Love At First Sight

Puan Noor Aishah was just 26 when her husband Yusof Ishak was made Yang di-Pertuan Negara in 1959.

Her role as the spouse of Singapore’s head of state was completely uncharted waters.

Puan Noor Aishah was born in 1933, and adopted by Fatimah Ali and Mohammad Salim Jusoh, an Eurasian man originally known as Barney Perkins, who had converted to Islam.

They lived an unassuming life in Penang – until Puan Noor Aishah caught the eye of Mr Yusof. He was then 39, and finally ready to settle down after years of rebuffing matchmaking attempts to focus on his work at Utusan Melayu, the Malay-language newspaper he co-founded.

A close friend coaxed him into looking through photos of potential brides. The last photo was of Puan Noor Aishah.

Something about her face intrigued Mr Yusof, who told his friend: “This one, I agree.”

He was whisked away to Penang, where a first meeting was orchestrated. But, recalls Puan Noor Aishah, although her older sister had taken her to a garden one day to meet “a good man”, all she did was sit at a table sipping tea. She never saw Mr Yusof that day.

He and his friend were seated somewhere nearby so Mr Yusof could steal glances at her. But, it later turned out, he was too shy to take a good look.

Even so, he wanted to marry her. The couple had their first proper meeting two days later, on their wedding day.

He helped Puan Noor Aishah along in her quest to learn more, bringing home books for her to read, and arranging for a teacher to help his wife hone her sewing skills.

Their first home together was in a small kampung with no running water or electricity. One day, Mr Yusof, who loved growing orchids ,ended up quarrelling with a neighbour whose cow would wander into their compound, worried it would eat his beloved flowers.

But it was tumultuous times for Singapore, and Puan Noor Aishah and Mr Yusof’s lives too would soon be thrown into upheaval.

When the People’s Action Party won the 1959 general election, Mr Yusof was founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s pick for Yang di-Pertuan Negara.

And so Puan Noor Aishah had to start a new life at the Istana with her husband and three children.

PM Lee in his speech noted how Puan Noor Aishah had insisted that they live simply so that their children’s lives could be as “normal” as possible.

Unaccustomed to the grandeur of the Istana, the family chose to live in a small bungalow on the grounds, which had previously been the official residence of the under-secretary of the Straits Settlement.

Mr Yusof called their new home Sri Melati, or Jasmine, and paid for the rent out of his own salary.

The upcoming election, which will be held in September, is reserved for Malay candidates. This means Singapore can expect its first Malay president since Mr Yusof.

PM Lee said: “I hope it will be a president who will bring as much distinction and honour to the office, and will be as well-loved and remembered by Singaporeans as Encik Yusof.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 19, 2017
Will The Real Melayu Please Stand Up?

Inadvertently, the Malays will be split among those who consider themselves ‘real’ Malays and those of Indian or Pakistani descent in general and between die-hard PAP supporters and haters in particular. All these while there is a growing feeling of resentment among the other races for being compelled to vote a ‘Malay’ as their next President. So, where will it take us?

The Malays did not ask for the next President to be chosen amongst them. They are more interested in bread-and-butter issues. The prospect of having a tudung-clad President will not dampen their desire to see female Muslim nurses, Police and ICA officers don the headscarves in their respective uniforms. Neither the prospect of a halal kitchen in the Istana will compromise their wish to have halal kitchens onboard navy ships and air force canteens.

Who really benefits from this upcoming PE? Your guess is as good as mine.

Source: Hilal Alwi

July 18, 2017
Mystery “Malay” Man Considering Presidential Contest

A mystery Malay man was seen picking up the Presidential Election 2017 candidate forms from the Singapore Elections Department.

Singaporeans from all walks of life, who came across the man’s picture and felt this sense of deja vu, all said he looks like the most promising potential candidate for the upcoming PE almost immediately.

One Singaporean, Ma Lai Ren, said: “This man looks very qualified. He has all the criteria to be the next president of Singapore.”

“One look and we all know he will be giving the PAP-endorsed candidate a run for her money.”

Other locals said they recognise the man and even know his name.

Another local, Sio Pat, said: “Oh, this man is called Cheng Bock Bin Tan Resort. He is a prominent doctor in the community who used to run his own practice.”

“A lot of us who know him thought he is actually a establishment-leaning person.”

“Looks like he will be able to pose a solid challenge to the government-backed candidate.”

“Heard that he can play ukulele also.”

Source: http://newnation.sg

July 18, 2017