Wednesday, January 15, 2020

We Dance, Make Merry And Do Good For the Country


A Kadir Jasin

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

PREAMBLE: Views expressed herein are entirely mine. I am writing in my personal capacity as a blogger. It has nothing to do with whatever position I may hold.
Dr Mahathir wrote about ronggeng in 1949 and Lat interpreted it later
BEING of advanced age and working as a journalist, I know a lot of people – some personally while others as subjects in my writings.

So when recently I told a former Pakatan Harapan (PH) minister that he had sacked a friend of mine from a university board for disagreeing with his action, he asked: “Siapa ya Dato’?” (Who was he?).

My reply was: “Umur saya 72 tahun, jadi ramailah sahabat.” (I am 72 years old and, therefore, I have many friends.)

My assumption is, since he signed the letter, he should know.

One of the persons that I knew and left a deep impression on me was a contemporary of the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra.

He was an interesting person - friendly, humble and highly honourable.

He was a Malay and, therefore, compulsorily a Muslim. And like Tunku, was a gentleman.

As was common with Malays of the professional class at that time, he was also a happy and jolly fellow. He drank and danced. Tunku himself was a great dancer.

Tunku doing the joget: Those days leaders danced, stole hearts but not money
This Johor born gentleman was also a hardworking, trustworthy and scrupulous public servant.

He was entrusted with running some of the biggest and most important government agencies and businesses.

Sadly, some of these institutions were ran to the ground by the corrupt and inept people who took over in the later years. These were people who showed off their piety like peacocks exhibiting their feathers.

At least two of these agencies are being rehabilitated by the PH government at cost of billions of ringgit.

In those “jahiliyyah” days, drinking, gambling (mostly for fun), attending horse-races, dancing with the Kelantan “joget” girls and ogling at nude dancer Rose Chan were common.

What was uncommon was corruption, drug addiction, indiscipline and laziness.

The civil servants were dedicated and the law-enforcement officers were trustworthy.

Most senior civil servants and politicians English-educated and some were Anglophiles. Many had English women as wives.

Recently, in a conversation with the Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, we talked about those good old days when it was alright for Malay men and women to dance, make merry and be gay.

No, not gay as we know today. Today, gay is referred to a person with homosexual orientation. Those days, being gay was having fun and be jolly.

We were recalling the more open-minded and less judgmental era when men freely danced on the “pentas joget” at funfairs with the sexily-dressed joget girls.

Women were dolled up in tight “batik kebaya”, their hair curled, eyes lined with “celak” and lips with “gincu”.

Dr Mahathir even wrote an article for the Singapore Straits Times titled “Ronggeng is Popular”. It was published on 9 January 1949. He was then studying medicine in Singapore.

He wrote: “It seems that despite the popularity of Western dances and the large number of cabarets, the seemingly crude Malay dance, the joget or ronggeng, still holds its own among the Malays.

“In almost every amusement park in Malaya, the regular beating of the gong and gendang (drums) of the ronggeng parties draws large crowds of spectators and customers.

“On an open and usually crudely constructed stage, the musicians and the dancing girls await their customers. Dancing is carried out in full view of the visitors to the park.”

This story and more like it are contained in the compilation of Dr Mahathir’s early works entitled “Dr Mahathir Mohamad – The Writer – Early Years 1947-1972”. It was published by Berita Publishing. Incidentally, Dr Mahathir is also a fine dancer.

Dr Mahathir: The leader and writer
I had my gay (happy) time too. Until the late 1980’s, joget was an integral part of dinner parties. After dinner, the emcee would almost always invite the host and his wife or partner to take to the floor for a joget.

Home  Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is a great “zapin” dancer.

Some blamed the sudden end of this happy, open and unpretentious era to the "penerapan nilai-nilai Islam" campaign. 

I had my fair share of joget and a roaring time doing the “Kungfu Fighting” dance at the Tropicana Night Club in Jalan Ipoh with friends from Bernama.

Today, all these are a great no-no. Sacrilegious even. A big haram.

These days, people are seemingly more religious. They show their piety by dressing up like middle eastern people and other "Islamic" trappings.

One well known politician, in appealing for the return of his impounded passport, told a high court that he had gone to Mecca for the Umrah 30 consecutive years.

His passport was impounded because he is facing 47 corruption charges involving his “charity foundation”.

Another, who is also being tried for corruption, is known for his “sumpah laknat”.

Let me take the bull by the horns and ask my dear readers, who is a better man – one who swears by the Quran and steals billions from the people or a man who drinks, gets drunk and cheats nobody (except perhaps himself)?

Of course, it’s best if you don’t swear regularly at the mosque because you don’t have to, go to Mecca regularly because you want to be closer to Allah, don’t drink because it’s haram and don’t commit corruption because it’s wrong.

The floor is yours!

Wallahuaklam.

21 comments:

Dr.Fauzi Mohamad said...

Salam Datuk Kadir, seronok baca catatan Datuk hal kesenangan di hati tanpa di pandang serong ketika zaman itu(zaman saperti catatan Blog ini). Saya baru 3 minggu meraikan Hari Ulang Tahun saya ke 60, dan istri sah saya warganegara Indonesia(saya warganegara Malaysia) telah organised majlis Ulang Tahun saya ke 60 di Villa hujung minggu kami di Dataran Tinggi Puncak hasil dari kerja melalui perniagaan saya yang tiada 'cable or Network' di bumi Indonesia.Kami masih menari(berjoget saperti kata Datuk)dangdut jika lagu dangdut dan tango jika lagunya sedemikian.Ada 7 orang tamu saya undang dari Malaysia juga berjoget bersama kami,tapi kata mereka pada saya begini"Dato,jangan posting di Facebook Dato gambar maupun video kita berdangdut nanti kawan2 kita di Malaysia tengok",tapi saya tetap buat posting di FB saya kerna saya tak mahu hipokrit.Majlis doa selamat istri saya adakan setelah solat subuh berjemaah yang di imamkan oleh seorang kiyai sahabat saya.Ada juga sahabat2 saya dari Malaysia (VIP)yang datang Jakarta untuk main golf(saya tak pandai main golf) tapi main golfnya di Bogor Raya(Tanyalah siapa saja yang pernah main golf di Bogor Raya)apa 'Enak' nya main golf di Bogor Raya.Dan saya tak jumpa mereka di Lapangan Golf Bogor Raya walaupun VIP2 ini undang saya untuk ngopi.Pulang Malaysia mereka tetiba jadi macam mufti bercakap halal & haram atau bercakap politik yang mereka sendiri tak faham apa yang mereka cakapkan.Sedang mereka bercakap politik di lobby hotel berbintang di Kuala Lumpur,para petani,para nelayan, IKS IKS melayu sedang 'membanting tulang' untuk ekonomi hidup mereka sendiri.And life go on and on.....

Law and justice said...

Datuk
The good old days, I still remember my father's boss, a muslim, top civil servant, he danced the joget, he bet a little for the fun of it, he was a thoroughly good man, inteligent, humble and always served the govt to the best of his ability.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to choose the better person.
Thumbs down to the one who outwardly pretends to be a good muslim and steals from the people or the person, who serves his/her own interests, a total hypocrite!

By the way, I happened to read Malaysiakini and this is one good example of how these websites "mslead" the readers.
One of its headlines trumpeted "DAP leaders pressure Harapan council to set date for Dr M's exit"
Wow, that gave me pause, I thought Lim Guan Eng and the top leaders. Instead in the article proper, it identified Charles Santiago and Zaid Ibrahim. Hey, these are more or less go it alone daps, mavericks who tend to shoot off their mouths easily.
So can Malaysiakini be more responsible in its reporting?

Law and justice said...

Datuk,
decision day for PLUS?
Which party or parties ramped up the pressure on Khazanah?
As far as we know, Khazanah is not interested in selling off PLUS.
As far as we know, the rakyat is not interested in selling off PLUS.
So what's the big hoo haa?

All we want is for the tolls to be reduced.
CAn this be done?
Sure, Khazanah and EPF (that means us the people) have the power to do it. Is Putrajaya holding them/us back for some nefarious schemes for certain cronies?
Lower the temperature, lower the tolls, keep the people satisfied that Putrajaya is working for us.

Silent Majority said...

"Let me take the bull by the horns and ask my dear readers, who is a better man – one who swears by the Quran and steals billions from the people or a man who drinks, gets drunk and cheats nobody (except perhaps himself)?"

I think most Malays will say the first guy is better. Me, on the other hand never trust anybody who wear their religion on their sleeves. The more "pious" to me is the more gatal and untrustworthy. These "pious" people can easily be bought by money.

Aku said...

Kadiag, السلام عليكم -
Hang nulih “....What was uncommon was corruption, drug addiction, indiscipline and laziness.
The civil servants were dedicated and the law-enforcement officers were trustworthy.”
Aku nak sanggah sikit, maghap no....
Risyuah, salahguna kuasa, tak amanah... atau selingkohan dah ada di Malaya dolu2 lagi. Hanyasanya
munkin zaman dolu2 orang tak pangge perbuatan lagu tu dgn lebel2 yg orang pakai laa ni.
Sekali peristiwa (basa dolu2), aku naik motto dari Kolumpo ke Penang, start lebih korang 9 mlm,
naik moto jenih velocette, hak start pakai crank atau engko, dudok tepacak ataih pelana
yg cukop empok. Bila sampai kat Chemor, ada sekatan mata2 (road block), ropanys ada kofiu (curfew) malam,
zaman dhorurot atau ‘emergency’ kalu spikin gomen. Rinkaih cerita aku kena bayag 2 ringgit
untuk nak teruihkan pejalanan,
Zaman dolu2 dadah depa pangge madat dan gudang khas di sediakan untuk ‘makan’ menda.
Di Bagan Ajam, aku sempat tengok gudang macam, apek2 pakat lepak bedegung ramai2.
Madat ni katanya kepala2 feudal pon telibat.
Duit hase madat dikatakan sumbang buat bangunan sultan sulaiman dikolumpo
dan buat unibersiti harvard diBoston.
Kedai tuak (jenih arak) merata ada. Kenalan aku nama Chelaiah (kami pangge Charlie) pon
telibat.
Di hari tua aku, aku usahakan bisnis sewa Lori Kecik, tiap kali nak buat inspeksyen puspakom.
setiap 6 bulan
aka kena merelaih 800 ringgit (aku guna ‘runner’), lama2 aku mintak ‘runner’ korang sikit,
dia kata tak bulih sebab lori aku dah burok, jadi dia kena tabog duit rata...
Aku tanya dia tabog duit rata2 tu magna kena rasuah ka ..?
Dia kata ‘ha..!”
Aku kata tak payah, biag aku buat inspeksyen sendiri. Macam2 masaalah timboi, Kadiag,
beberapa kali digagaikan, kerosi derebar lusoh laa, lampu no. plet belakang tak idop laa...
lepaih tu, kedai (warong) dibawah sekim PLB (pembangunan luag bandag) aku di robot,
olih PBT pasai nak buat kedai rega juta2, dan aku di bagi flet harga morah. Lama kelamaan,
aku juai lori tu....

Takat tu kali ni kod Kadiag no...
Aku

Aku said...

Kadiag,
RALAT RALAT RALAT,
ya ampuun!
Aku tak pakai cermin mata, nampak sipi2 saja,
hajat nak tekan ‘review’ nak semak tulihsan, pi tekan ‘post’ pulak, mashaAllah.
Bangunan di Kolumpo yg dikata telibat dgn duit madat bukan bangunan sultan sulaiman,
tapi bangunan sultan Abdul samad.....
Banyak2 maghap no.
Aku

Law and justice said...

Datuk,
it was announced recently that Putrajaya gave the Kelantan govt a one-off injection of funds RM450 million because the state govt was in dire straits.

Today, Malaysiakini reported the Kelantan government has purchased a new Mercedes-Benz to be used as Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob's official car.

The Mercedes S450 L AMG, with ''DV 1'' registration number plate, was allegedly priced above RM600,000...

What hypocrites, Kelantan Govt and the Federal Govt !!! Where did the state govt get the money to buy the car? When the federal govt released the funds, weren't there conditions?
Probably it won't end there, probably more new cars for the vvips?

Pakcik said...

Senang cakap orang melayu makin alim makin teruk

Amana said...

Salam Dato AKJ,

I wrote in Chedet comment area about the actual problems ( in my 'jahilliah' view lah) that produced this generation of 'rasuah tak apa', makan babi haram. Tak amanah tak apa tapi minum haram.

I disagree if the blame is to be channel to 'penerapan nilai-nilai Islam'. There is nothing wrong with the objective. In fact it should produced a much better generation. What went wrong? The answer would be it was the wrong dasar, teaching and implementation in 'penerapan nilai-nilai Islam'.

Yes Dato, you are absolutely right when you mentioned that during you and Tun Mahathir time, the awareness of 'nilai-nilai Islam' was considered less BUT it was not making you and Tun M a little bit less as a Muslim and Islam. I am much junior than your era Dato but I am still remember kampong syle kenduri with people dancing around after the kenduri.

Thus, what did our father and mother teach us? We have been fed and forced with a lot of ADAB during our time and this is the KEY to what we are now. Your generation become a generation with the ability to look deeper than the new generation. The ADAB propelled a Muslim be a better Mukmin.

I may be wrong but the past 'penerapan nilai-nilai Islam' started during DSAI as Education Minister when KBSR started. The 'penerapan nilai-nilai Islam' was already gone in a route of emphasizing 'Fardhu Ain'. This is important too but 'Fardhu Ain' is an individual obligation. Therefore, what was produced was an individualistic generation. This is the country have a society that tolerate bribe as 'rezeki'. 'Amanah' was thrown away as long as there is a 'cut' in any business transaction. A minister can control and give order to goverment agencies or private company although the agencies and companies have the appointed CEOs. Forget about 'AMANAH', a rely dumb person but who can be a 'yes boss' or even make a really beautiful sentences with a bit of WARAK character can be very successful in his/her career. In other word, their personal interest become priority than the agency or company interest. Personally, I also experience it. I was sacked because I do not agree with most of the ridiculous decision (things like RM10 become RM1000) made but that was history now.

This is also why you can find a person who went to UMRAH every year but yet commiting bribery, promoting hooliganism, becoming hypocrite and other individual bad behaviour. For them, it is OK as long as it was not seen or known by other people. It is human that they afraid rather than The ALMIGHTY.

The DASAR of 'penerapan nilai-nilai Islam' MUST emphasize on ADAB because this is also part of IMAN. Japanese has implemented teaching of ADAB in a very young age and they able to produced the same generation that will continue the old generation works. Their country remain supplying good discipline generations and citizen.

-AMANA-

wansee c said...

Just can't bear to see this jubah-clad sanctimonious very person, citing some Quran quotes in Arabic slang whenever he gets the chance, trying to show off his deep piety for God and be in everyone's good book. Sadly, his passe knack has lost its sting as people have seen way too much of his true colours and ugly sides. This ambitious opportunist has even gone discreetly to the extent running with the hare and hunting with the hounds to gain popularity and support from all levels in the political parties and society, just to elevate himself sticking out from the rest. Among all the politicians, why on earth did this very person repeatedly embroil in sexual scandals? A sure easy meat to be targeted? Well, no smoke without fire, things happen for reasons. He knows better. For an easy way out, blame the conspirators intending to wipe him out as purportedly he is such an impeccable contender in leadership. Yuck and yuk! A pretentious zealot and virile man who has a great tendency to follow the direction of his erected phallus would be dangerous, I mean, very dangerous, for the fate of nation if he were to rule, one day. In short, the campaign of 'Penerapan Nilai-2 Islam' was just his talk the talk and never be applied to him but others. How could he compare his imprisonment to that of Nelson Mandela? That would only make the latter rolls in his grave. At least, A-Jib dared to take up the 'sumpah laknat' challenge. Did he? Nay. Because he is whiter than the whitest, purer than the purest, and cleaner than the cleanest. The best of the best for all Malaysians to embrace and usher in to the apex of power, before long. Be in cloud cuckoo land. Woebegone.

OKJ said...

Salam Dato Kadir

Pertama, saya rasa PRK Kimanis ni Warisan @ PH kalah lagi. Sebabnya, dengar kata orang Sabah sangat marah dgn Pas Sementara Sabah (PSS) tu. Ditambahnya api pula kata kad PSS boleh guna utk datang ke Semenanjung (kononnya nak sejukkan hati orang Sabah). Sekarang bukan saja orang Sabah marah, orang Semenanjung pun marah sama.

Apalah kerajaan PH ni, tak reti betul nak memerintahlah. Dahlah orang kita sendiri ramai yg tak ada kerja. Yg bekerja pun bawa grab, food panda, bawa gojek. Dgn ramai pelancong Cina India yg masuk Malaysia dan tak keluar-keluar (dan tak boleh nak trace dimana mereka), ini nak tambah satu lagi masalah. Betul-betul bengonglah PH ni. Itulah saya kata, nak memerintah sangat tapi tak reti. Aduh…………

Ketiga, kenapa Tun tak ke Sabah PRK kali ni, Biasa kan Tun selalu CAKAP BESAR selebum Pilihanraya macam PRK Tg Piai dulu. Orang Sabah tak suka Tun ke? Saya tanya je, jangan marah pulak.

Dan terakhir, saya rasalah generasi Dato dgn generasi saya jauh berbeza. Generasi Dato’ lebih Agogo tetapi generasi saya lebih alim. Tapi eloklah sebab kita dah berubah ke arah yg lebih baik. Cuma Dato’ janganlah ungkit ungkit benda-benda yg tak elok zaman dulu tu ye. Sekian TQ.

Anon said...

Salam Dato,

I cant imagine those days because I was even born yet. I do agree with you on the last para, not because it hit me by the nose, but merely having the same line of thoughts.

I am so happy when such an esteem writer like your good self have the same line of thinking pattern with me.

Getting drunk is between you and the god you worshipped, but doing corruption gets the wraths of the god and the people.

Your are a true inspiration to me Dato, assalamualaikum

Abitpusher said...

Sambung contract PLUS untuk kutip tol puluhan tahun lagi samalah seperti mencuri duit rakyat tu. Menipu betul lah. Sampai kiamat pun tak habis bayar tol.

Law and justice said...

Datuk,
the first part of the announcement is logical, toll rates to be reduced by 18%.
The second part is illogical and probably meant to confuse the rakyat, increase the concession by another 20 years.

Giving the public a small piece of the pie, and taking back the rest to eat?

Why or why must Putrajaya infuriate the rakyat?

Learn from lessons learnt.

Reduce tolls 18% with no extension of the concession is best, but if necessary to increase then do so proportionately, i.e. increase by 18% of the remaining 18 years,
that means by another 3.24 years add on only.
Then we can understand.

So back to PM and the cabinet and Khazanah. Look after the rakyat's interests, and it's a given the rakyat will look after yours.

This request is made to Tun, cabinet and Khazanah. Reconsider the extension period, its just too long.
Seriously, you want to make your voters happy, right?
So we wait urgently for your answer, friends?

safiai saad said...


Salam Sdr Kadir,
The new Malay Delima,to enjoy good life style, you need lot of cash.If you don't take illegal money something is wrong with you. If you caught you are doubly stupid. So what I am to do.
Umrah, Haji, London,Paris, and Hong Kong is our cup of tea.
Now everyone can fly.Money is no problem.

If you go to Harrod London, you will meet so many Dato,Dato sri and Tan Sris.Are they corporate people, are they Bill Gates or Steve Jobs.Certainly no and no.They might be genuinely rich,or else their source of income must be from government projects.
Corruption can only happen when there is opportunities and greed. Full stop.

Manora Pokok Sena said...

Dato, Ghazal party nights in the 60s never slip my mind. Kampung Tualang i will never forget. After our magrib berjemaah with my late father, me and my two brothers slowsly but surely sliped out of our house with our old bicyckes for fanfare night we never miss. We will be almost below the wooden stage, enjoying the cha cha dance and melody orang dulu dulu. Melayu dulu tidaklah se hipokrit macam la ni. Tidaklah sangat berkepiah putih , tapi hati baik dan punya moral/ tanggungjawab yg tinggi. Revolusi Iran tahun 1980, mengubah melayu kita utk lebih beragama kononnya. Rupanya kita lebih ritual dan budaya melayu dulu hilang berlalu. Mengejar pangkat istana dan kewangan dunia jadi keutamaan .Kita lebih arab dari melayu seperti masyarakat turki diawal kurun 20 sebelum datangnya Kamal Artaytuk yg mengkebangsaankan bangsanya. Kita tiada Artatuk. Kita hanya boleh kenang siapa kita sebelum ombak arabisasi melanda.Sedih tapi tetap bersyukur kerana sempat lalui zaman itu. Kampung Tualang, tetap dalam kenangan ku

JH said...

I love my country but I can't stand the pretentious life we have to put up with. We had joget, kugiran and fun kenduris in my homestate then. But I can't imagine any malay weddings with kugiran what more joget these days in tiny Perlis. Some would play songs from mp3 collections but not much more than that. habis la kena pulau and caci the host even if some guests quietly wish to dance and sing and be merry minum teh tarik and sirap.
I pity the millennials for not having such openly fun time like we had. Well I am sure they know how to have fun but most prefer to keep quiet.

Law and justice said...

Datuk,
Acting Education Minister's decision for students to wear shoes of any colour
"One thing I have decided is that you can wear brown shoes, black shoes, grey shoes, white shoes – any shoes will do," said Dr Mahathir on Friday (Jan 17).

This is the most refreshing statement I have read. Bravo to this!
Fully behind your decision Tun.
Focus on other more pressing matters.

Law and justice said...

Datuk,
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today defended the government's decision to maintain Plus Malaysia Berhad as a state asset.

He said the decision was made after the government had consider all proposals made by several quarters.

"However, the best decision was to maintain Plus under Khazanah and EPF (Employees Provident Fund)," he said during a press conference after chairing Bersatu leadership meeting at Albukhary Foundation in Kuala Lumpur today.

Tun, it's what the rakyat wants, one of the best decisions made by you and your govt.
Carry on Sir.

Unknown said...

One is pretentious, one is mental, one is senile.. all are hypocrites.

Unknown said...

You people give sumpah laknat a whole new level. This is manmade.. man! God doesnt need our love devotion declarations. I'm not on anyone's side. If you want to be objective, don't discriminate one man nor justify another man's action. I see with my human eyes. I don't need words from another man's mouth. Both are hypocrites!

About Me

My photo
I was born in 1947 in Kedah. I came from a rice farming family. I have been a journalist since 1969. I am the Editor-in-Chief of magazine publishing company, Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd. I was Group Editor NST Sdn Bhd and Group Editor-in-Chief of NSTP Bhd between 1988 and 2000. I write fortnightly column “Other Thots” in the Malaysian Business magazine, Kunta Kinte Original in Berita Harian and A Kadir Jasin Bercerita in Dewan Masyarakat. Books: Biar Putih Tulang (1998), Other Thots – Opinions & Observations 1992-2001 (2001), The Wings of an Eagle (2003), Mencari Dugalia Huso (2006), Damned That Thots (2006), Blogger (2006), PRU 2008-Rakyat Sahut Cabaran (2008), Komedi & Tragedi-Latest in Contemporary Malaysian Politics (2009) and Membangun Bangsa dengan Pena (2009).