Sunday, July 30, 2006

Tuah & Jebat, Wangi jadi saksi..

'Bukan kita mengikut buta, tapi menderhaka ke raja itu petanda kiamat zaman dan berakhirlah zaman Melayu kita.' - Tuah kepada Jebat.


..tirai pembukaan WJS

Kesaksian Wangi diceritakan akhirnya kepada seluruh rakyat oleh pengarah terkenal U-Wei Hj. Shaari, setelah hampir 546 tahun rahsia 'pertikaman' tujuh hari tujuh malam Tuah-Jebat di dalam istana dipendam. 'Wangi Jadi Saksi' adalah pementasan pertama saya yang tonton yang mempunyai jalan cerita masa hadapan dan flashback. Babak utama WJS adalah di rumah Patih Kerma Wijaya, seorang pembesar istana keturunan Jawa, antara Dang Wangi dan Patih, dan di istana pula babak flashback, dialog perbincangan antara Tuah-Jebat dan juga Dang Wangi yang menjadi saksi di dapur.


..Patih Kerma Wijaya dan Dang Wangi

Saya ke Auditorium DBP tanpa sebarang harapan tinggi, cuma dengan tujuan melihat kelainan yang dibawa dan kesaksian Dang Wangi mengikut perspektif pengarah U-Wei. Antara beberapa isi penting yang boleh diringkaskan ialah;
- Diceritakan oleh Masa-tukang cerita (Sabri Yunus) bahawa pertelingkahan dan perasaan iri hati para pembesar timbul apabila Sultan Melaka ketika itu, Sultan Mansur Shah mewujudkan jawatan Laksamana, di mana Hang Tuah merupakan Laksamana pertama dan yang tersohor. Dikatakan bahawa kuasa Laksamana ini ibarat melangkaui dan menimbulkan rasa kurang senang pembesar-pembesar yang telah lama berkhidmat seperti Temengggung, Seri Bija Diraja dan Penghulu Bendahari.
- Tuah dan Jebat tidaklah bersilat dan bertikam sepanjang tujuh hari di dalam istana, tetapi lebih banyak berbincang. Setelah lama mereka berbincang barulah dikhabarkan kepada Jebat, bahawa Tuah membawa amanat dan keris Sultan untuk membunuh Jebat.
- Jebat tidak mati ditangan Tuah. Tapi di tangan pembesar Sultan berketurunan Jawa, Patih Kerma Wijaya.
- Apabila berita kematian Jebat diketahui rakyat, Tuahlah yang diberitakan telah membunuh Jebat. (mengingatkan saya kepada kartun bersiri 'Hang Lekuk' oleh kartunis 'Duku' dalam majalah Ujang di pertengahan 90an, di mana Hang Lekuklah yang telah membunuh Jebat dengan lastik beliau, tetapi Hang Tuah yang diangkat sebagai wira Melaka oleh seluruh rakyat kerana membunuh Jebat derhaka. Apapun ia hanyalah fantasi kartunis semata)
- dan yang terpenting sekali, Wangi jadi saksi atas kesemua tragedi yang berlaku di istana. Wangi menjadi saksi kepada konflik terpenting bangsa Melayu zaman itu.
- Wangi juga menjadi saksi kepada dua pemikiran Melayu yang berbeza oleh dua pahlawan agung yang melibatkan hal setia dan kesetiaan, adil dan keadilan.
- Namun begitu, Wangi tak berupaya mengubah sejarah yang telah tertulis yang mengatakan Jebat mati ditangan Tuah. Sesungguhnya sejarah itu ditulis oleh mereka yang berkuasa.
WJS turut mengundang beberapa persoalan daripada pertempuran Tuah-Jebat ini. Umum mengetahui bahawa punca Jebat mengamuk adalah kerana ingin menuntut bela atas ketidakadilan Sultan yang menghukum Tuah tanpa usul periksa. Tapi mengapa Jebat masih mengamuk apabila mendapat tahu Tuah, sahabat karib beliau telah pulang, masih hidup?
Bukankah Patih Kerma Wijaya dan kuncu-kuncunya telah dijatuhi hukuman bunuh oleh Sultan apabila fitnah kononnya Tuah bermukah dengan dayang istana telah terbukti tidak benar dan direka-reka oleh Patih dan pembesar lain yang dengki?
Di penghujung pementasan ditunjukkan bahawa ketika Tuah telah meninggalkan istana kerana tak sanggup membunuh sahabat beliau, Jebat, tiba-tiba Patih yang sedang mengintai mengambil keris Tamingsari dan menikam Jebat. Apa pula punca sebenar Patih ingin membunuh Jebat apabila melihatkan Tuah tidak menjalankah titah Sultan?
Apa yang terjadi kepada Tuah selepas Jebat dibunuh? Ke mana Tuah selepas keluar dari istana tanpa menjalankan titah sultan? Pasti beliau tertanya-tanya siapa pula yang membunuh Jebat, apabila mendapat tahu Jebat telah mati?
Dalam dialog Patih dengan Wangi, ketika mana Wangi cuba berkali-kali untuk menikam Patih, Wangi, seorang dayang istana, yang tak punya kuasa, tak berupaya untuk menegakkan kebenaran dan membetulkan sejarah. Kesaksian Wangi bahawa suami/kekasih beliau, Jebat telah mati di tangan Patih hanya tinggal sejarah pada Wangi seorang.
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..barisan pelakon dan krew pementasan

Beberapa komen tambahan tentang pementasan WJS (tak begitu menjejaskan jalan cerita, tapi nak tulis juga).
- Ada satu babak, ketika Tuah bertemu Jebat, kelihatan Tuah berkeris di belakang. Pantang pendekar Melayu meletakkan keris di belakang bengkung. Adab pendekar Melayu menghormati lawan, tak sembunyi keris. Hanya pendekar Jawa sahaja yang berkeris di belakang badan. Mungkin hal ini nampak remeh, tapi sepatutnya hal macam ni common sense. Orang Melayu kahwin pun letak keris kat depan.
- Saya suka tirai pembukaan yang bertulisan jawi. Terasa wujudnya aura pertempuran Tuah-Jebat.
- Masih terdapat beberapa kesilapan teknikal lagi, dari segi kawalan tirai di istana dsb.
- Pertukaran babak ke babak oleh 'ninja-ninja hitam' tak berapa lancar.
-Latar belakang dan hiasan pentas pada saya terlalu simple. Pintu dan tingkap istana pun terlalu simple. Ingatkan hebat sangat syarikat produksi leBrocquy Fraser ni.
Baca review panjang WJS oleh Utusan Malaysia;

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

The Middle East: What happens next?

Lebanon War.. Possible Scenarios
IslamOnline.net & Newspapers

CAIRO — With the Israeli military offensive on Lebanon, already in its 14th day, showing no signs of abating, the world is left with one main unanswered question; What's next?

Britain's The Independent splashed on its front page on Tuesday, July 25, five possible scenarios for the crisis, already threatening to spill into a regional war.

According to the mass-circulation daily, the most likely scenario to happen would be a diplomatic settlement brokered by the US and the UN.

This would include the deployment of an international force to man a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon, a proposal already given the thumbs-up by Israel and the US.

It would also lead to the disarmament of Hizbullah, a suggestion the Lebanese resistance group had hardly fought in the past and is likely to do expecially in view of the massive destruction cause by Israel in the conflict.

Israel withdraws unilaterally? Diplomatic settlement? Israel snared in counter-insurgency? Lebanese government falls? Israel invades Lebanon? We analyse the options.

Click the link above to read The Independent's analysis on the Middle East conflict -- or the so-called America-Iran proxy war between the US supported Israeli regime and the Hezbollah, which is primarily sponsored by Iran --

Monday, July 24, 2006

views on Middle East conflict

This is one good reading that I'd like to share with.

The Shame of Being an American
by Paul Craig Roberts

Gentle reader, do you know that Israel is engaged in ethnic cleansing in southern Lebanon? Israel has ordered all the villagers to clear out. Israel then destroys their homes and murders the fleeing villagers. That way there is no one to come back and nothing to which to return, making it easier for Israel to grab the territory, just as Israel has been stealing Palestine from the Palestinians..

..To cut to the chase, the enemies of the Jewish state are any Muslim country not ruled by an American puppet friendly to Israel.
Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the oil emirates have sided with Israel against their own kind, because they are dependent either on American money or on American protection from their own people. Sooner or later these totally corrupt governments that do not represent the people they rule will be overthrown. It is only a matter of time.

..Despite the Israeli spin on news provided by US "reporting," a majority of Americans do not approve of Israeli atrocities against Lebanese civilians. Hezbollah is located in southern Lebanon. If Israel is targeting Hezbollah, why are Israeli bombs falling on northern Lebanon? Why are they falling on Beirut? Why are they falling on civilian airports? On schools and hospitals?

If I were to have my own way, I would love to be witnessing one day all those oil-rich Arab kingdoms-American puppet government being overthrown. Namely the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and all other powerless and disunited Arab nations in the Middle East. Even Libya, under dictator Col. Muammar Gadaffi, has kept a low profile now. A second Great Arab Revolt is needed and it should pave the way for the destruction of the evil regime of Israel.
The so-called Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turk in the early 20th century, led by the nationalist Arab leader, Sheriff Hussein bin Ali was regarded as the greatest shame to the Arabs. Of course, any Arab nationalist would argue about this til the end of the day. I'm not denying the fact that there were a lot of problems with corruptions, in-fightings within the Ottoman government, Arab subjects within Ottoman territories were not given fair treatment, were presecuted and such. But that's another story. At the end of the day, the outcome was what matters most, while the Arabs were fighting for independence from the Turkish Ottoman, with the help from British government, in return they themselves were being colonised later by the British. The movie 'Lawrence of Arabia', shows exactly how clever and civilised the British was and how foolish and how dependent the Arabs to the British, was set during this period of time. History never fails to repeat itself. Recognise any similar events in the Middle East lately?
The British were so clever in meddling in the Middle East for the purpose of serving their own interest and they made certain that Kurdistan will never exist when they carefully partitioned Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Syria. So that is why you have Kurdist people all over the Middle East; in northern Iraq, southern part of Turkey, west of Iran and etc. That's the reason why the Kurds are always regarded as people without nation. Note that Salahuddin Al-Ayyubi, the Great Muslim Warrior during the Crusade War, Conqueror of Baitulmaqdis (Jerusalem), was a Kurd.
The Kashmir conflict are also one of the unsolved remainings during the era of British colonisation in India when they decided to partition India and Pakistan. And now you have an Indian controlled Kashmir and a Pakistan controlled Kashmir. Rest assured, the Kashmir problem won't be solved till the world ends.
It can be said that the beginning of the modern Arab-Jewish conflict started when the Balfour Declaration was signed in 1917 with an aim to establish a Jewish home in the state of Palestine, followed with the unjust United Nations (UN) partitioning of the Palestinian state and the establishment of the Israel state in 1948. The Arab-Israeli war in 1967 made things even worse, when the Arab nations led by Egypt, Syria and Jordan lose out badly to Israel, and as a result, Israel further enhances their military presence and occupation into the state of Palestine until now. Israel had and will always defy all major UN resolutions impose on them together with the support of US, the so-called most democratic country, who unshamely, on numerous accounts used their undemocratic veto power to veto anything that is seen as a threat to their interest, in other words, to their puppet master, the evil regime of Israel.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Tuah-Jebat dalam teater Wangi Jadi Saksi

U-Wei kembali dengan Wangi Jadi Saksi
Wahida Asrani
Setelah satu dekad tidak berkarya, penulis dan pengarah teater U-Wei bakal kembali mencabar minda peminat seni teater melalui pementasan Wangi Jadi Saksi.

Teater yang turut mendapat kerjasama syarikat penerbitan filem LeBrocquy Fraser, pemenang anugerah Filem Bahasa Asing Terbaik di Golden Globe 2004 untuk filem Osama, bakal dipentaskan di Auditorium Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka pada 27 Julai hingga 6 Ogos ini.

Wangi Jadi Saksi menceritakan kisah Hang Jebat yang dikhianati dan dibunuh, seperti yang dilihat dari sudut pandangan isterinya, Dang Wangi (lakonan Vanida Imran, gambar sebelah).
"Kalau melalui pengetahuan kita, Jebat mati dibunuh oleh Tuah ketika di istana itu. Tapi, benarkah itu sebenarnya yang terjadi pada waktu itu? Inilah yang akan saya huraikan di dalam teater ini," ujar U-Wei di majlis sidang akhbar teater tersebut di Auditorium Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka semalam.
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Lantai T. Pinkie dan Bangsawan Naga Chini - dua teater sebelum ni yang tak sempat aku nak tengok. Tapi kali ni, pementasan 'Wangi Jadi Saksi' arahan U-Wei Hj. Shaari adalah sesuatu yang bagi aku tak boleh nak miss. Sememangnya sejak di zaman sekolah lagi, apa saja yang berkaitan dengan Tuah, Jebat, sejarah kesultanan Melayu Melaka dsb menjadi minat aku. Menurut U-Wei, Wangi Jadi Saksi ini ialah episod Tuah-Jebat dari pandangan isteri Jebat, Dang Wangi. Kelainan yang U-Wei bawakan inilah yang menarik minat aku untuk melihat apakah yang ingin ditunjukkan oleh U-Wei.
Dalam majalah Off The Edge keluaran July 2006 (issue 19. Anwar Ibrahim cover) turut memuatkan temubual penulis, Danny Lim dengan U-Wei (m/s 28). Di awal temubual tersebut, beliau secara tegas menyatakan bahawa beliau 'mengangkat Tuah';
"The first modern version of this legend was done in 1948 by Syed Alwi Al-Hadi,' explains U-Wei. The first generation 'mengangkat (elevated) Hang Tuah', he adds. "Then came Usman Awang, Nordin Hassan, Johan Jaafar - all mengangkat Jebat. [barangkali U-Wei terlupa hendak sebut Kassim Ahmad sekali]
This second generation said we are not like Tuah, ikut-ikut saja (just followers). We protest, we are pembangkang. Now its my generation. Jebat kills all the dayang(courtesans). You think that's a hero? Not to me. My hero doesn't kill women!'
[Saya juga tidak pernah menganggap Jebat sebagai hero, tapi tentu sekali alasan saya berbeza daripada U-Wei. Ok, itu mungkin boleh diulas di lain hari. Buku 'Hang Tuah: Tokoh Epik Nasional' oleh Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji adalah bahan rujukan terbaik tentang cerita Hang Tuah yang saya miliki selain Hikayat Hang Tuah.]
Seterusnya, antara petikan U-Wei yang membuatkan aku jadi pelik, musykil, keliru dan tertanya-tanya diri sendiri tentang episod Tuah-Jebat, ialah apabila beliau berkata;
"In one popular version of events, Jebat is mortally wounded by Tuah at the palace, and the former wraps his wound with a curtain. Tuah leaves Jebat, who then mengamoks (run amok) around Malacca before returning home. When Tuah returns to finish the job, Jebat allows Tuah to unknot the dressing, causing Jebat's intestines to spill out, resulting in death.
[Bukankah Jebat mengamok kerana ingin menuntut bela kerana tidak puas hati dengan keputusan baginda Sultan yang menghukum bunuh Hang Tuah tanpa usul periksa yang mengakibatkan Sultan terpaksa lari berlindung di rumah Bendahara. Dan apabila Jebat mendapat tahu bahawa Tuah masih hidup dan telah pulang ke kota Melaka, Jebat menyesali perbuatannya, dan berkata, 'demi Allah kalau aku tahu kau masih hidup, aku tak akan lakukan semua ini.' Jebat hanya ingin menuntut bela atas ketidakadilan baginda Sultan yang menghukum tanpa usul periksa. Akhirnya seperti mana semua sedia maklum, Sultan telah mengarahkan Hang Tuah untuk membunuh Jebat kerana telah derhaka kepada raja dan negara.]
"That's not the doing of a brother - even to punish," U-Wei disputes. If Tuah was to kill Jebat, why did Tuah let Jebat mengamuk? Why did Jebat mengamuk? Is it after Tuah mortally wounded him or when Jebat had [control of Tuah's magical keris] Taming Sari? Jebat killed the courtesans and took control of the Istana but he didn't kill the Sultan. If he really wanted to change everything, he would have killed the Sultan. And to start from the beginning, why was Tuah betrayed? A lot of questions kan?"
[why did Tuah let Jebat mengamuk? - Bukankah ketika Jebat mengamok, Tuah masih lagi dalam persembunyian? Hang Tuah hanya pulang ke Melaka apabila dipanggil kembali oleh Bendahara untuk membunuh Jebat.
why was Tuah betrayed? - Angkara penasihat Sultan berketurunan Jawa, Patih Kerma Wijaya dan kuncu-kuncu beliau, bukan? yang iri hati apabila mereka seolah-olah diketepikan oleh Sultan apabila baginda seringkali meminta nasihat Hang Tuah berkenaan apa jua masalah negeri.
- Barangkali U-Wei juga ada jawapan-jawapan beliau sendiri.]
Walau apa pun, saya menghargai usaha U-Wei untuk mementaskan Wangi Jadi Saksi. Harap-harap teater WJS ini tidak mengecewakan.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Magnifico!

World Cup 2006 semifinal 1
Final Score: Italy 2 - Germany 0

..del Piero [pic source: fifaworldcup.com]
Ah what a great feeling!! Two goals in the last minutes of extra time puts Italy through to the World Cup 2006 final in Berlin! I'd say the Germany-Italy match was the most exciting world cup match that i've seen so far. Italy was definitely the better side that day. Thankfully the match didn't ended in penalty kicks as Germany have the most outstanding record in penalty kicks. 17 win in 18 shootouts. And with this win, Italy stretches their unbeaten record to Germany since 1970. Watching Italy played today, i don't see anyone could beat them. They were in control everywhere especially in midfield, outshadowing the German skipper, Ballack. An Italy-France final match would be another exciting one to watch.
Forza Italia!

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Harian Metro: Mawi mungkir janji


.. shahnon on the ball . Dec 2000 (gambar hiasan)

Blarfghh. it was so damn frustrating watching all my favorite World Cup teams losing out one after another. First it was Holland, then Argentina and the latest ones, England and Brazil. I was hoping at least two of these countries could enter the semis, but sadly none of them managed to get past the quarterfinals.
And I'm left with only Italy to cheer on now. Sigh.
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars