The Sultan and I: An Eulogy

alHamra, City Centre – The Sultan of Johore, Sultan Iskandar Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail has passed away around 7.08 pm today. It is a sorrowful day for the Royal family of Johore and also our fellow Johoreans including myself.

As a Johorean, I grew up during his era where he reigned the monarchy since Sultan Ismail’s demise in 1981. I remember seeing his official pictures and the Sultanah’s which were adjacently hung at the schools I attended all my life.

Despite of the controversies that took place in the 1980s, the people of Johore had held high respects for Sultan Iskandar till this day. It is peculiar to find Johoreans relating stories of the Sultan as if they knew him personally. The Johore people were proud of his “audacity and garangness” which had made a lot of people fear him. I think the good thing about it is that fear actually institutionalised him as THE ruler of Johore and he made us Johoreans felt safe from foreign threats, be it the internal or the external ones.

Even though Sultan Iskandar was garang, he was more laid back in terms of royal protocol. He would wear and behave as he pleased nonchalant of the royal norms adhered by most monarchy figures. A disposition which made him look very rakyat-like because he was just like any one of us.

Sultan Iskandar appreciated good music especially the traditional ghazal from Johore.

During my undergraduate convocation at the IIUM in 2005, his daughter had happened to be one of the graduates that year. Me and my friends had the best convocation ceremony ever in history because besides the gamelan there was also a special ghazal group from Johore performing during the scroll presentation intervals. This live session was slot in by the request of Sultan Iskandar. The lively performance filled the hall with melodious tunes that had us and even foreign graduates tapping their feet to the songs. It wasn’t like any other convocation ceremony that were usually sombre and dull. It was an event to remember and it shall be engraved in our memories forever.

Last year, I was destined to meet the respected Sultan again. It took place by coincidence. I had no idea what the royalty protocols were like and kept making mistakes in addressing him as Tuanku as we spoke. However, Sultan Iskandar took none of this at heart and pursued on asking about my kampung which was not so far from the palace. At that moment, nervousness had me shivering down to my spine but I’m glad that I had the opportunity to speak to him once in a lifetime.

Dear Tuanku, we thank you for your invaluable services rendered to the people and our nation throughout your reign as the Sultan of Johore and Agung. May Allah Bless upon your soul always daiman abadan. Al-Fatihah.

Women and Change

Uno Pace, City Centre- I am fond of listening to another’s tales of experiences. I find that every being has an interesting story to tell. It is from these stories I learn the lyrical lessons of life, comprehend the colourful nuances of worldviews and construe the existence of God and His Creations. On the grand scheme of things, it guides me to find the answers to the Truth.

Some incidents can change our lives forever. As long as longevity permits, each one of us is destined to pass through the usual phases of life; infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Within these phases there are the three main destinies that are already determined by Allah; life, marriage, death.

Whatever that is meant for us in this realm is rizq (provision). Rizq does not only come in the form of material and abstract matters like love or power but even people such us our family, good friends or neighbours. When the record of our rizq runs out, only death will become of us because death can never be postponed nor hastened.

There are women whom I have grown to know for many years and I have become the accidental witness of their evolution so as they have become mine. I discovered how women are changed by the different phases of life or by major incidents that shaken up their reality. It consequently alters their thinking, concerns, focus, objectives, preferences, appearance and their worldview as a whole.

The “Kalimah Allah” Issue Is Making A Fool of Malaysians

Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, City Centre - The request by the publisher of the Malaysian Catholic Herald to use the word “Allah” in its weekly publications has done much collateral damage to our socio-religious harmony.

Race and religion are the two weakest points of the Malaysian society. It is the prime foundation of our country’s progress. Without social order, the nation can not be administered effectively.

This kalimah “Allah” incident is the works of a group with interests. They are  poking the bee hive with a purpose of creating chaos.

Chaos is one of the diversionary methods of destroying the enemy. Based on the Malaysian history, the eruption of ethnic chaos in this country might lead to detrimental consequences if not curbed.

It is just too shallow for the Muslims react emotionally by committing sacrilegious acts such as burning churches . We, Malaysians are supposed to be smarter than that. Before pointing fingers, we should first clear our conscience and try to read between the lines, “why is this issue being brought up now and not before?

What is really the hidden agenda to this issue? Who is the planner of the agenda? The persons or group who flared up this issue must have a plan to achieve their ulterior motive because logically anyone knows that religious matters are not meant to be played around with.

As we know, the Malaysian society is consisted of an eclectic combination of ethnic backgrounds. Each group of societies have different interests and preferences. They all have their own principles and demands to defend as citizens of Malaysia.

We may be blaming the other for not understanding our interests and norms. However, rather than  fiercely championing human rights, in this aspect we should  practice empathy and compromise. It is the only way we can ever live together without sacrificing our right to live in convenience.

Even though we have the freedom of fighting for our rights, it should not be at the expense of another’s rights. We must not exceed our boundaries and given space. Sensitive issues should be handled with wisdom or be left unperturbed.

Therefore, Malaysians, I summon us all to stop this enmity and defy the provocation for the sake of our unity! May God save us!

Human Energy

Bee Hive, City Centre - Our inconstancy is what makes us human. We can never be nor behave the same way at all times. There are days that we can be chirpy and there are moments when we uncontrollably react to the provocations of emotion. Some days we can just work full-throttled like an Energizer powered bunny and yet there are days we can be totally helpless without any apparent reason. Women are more unstable than the opposite sex because of their physical composition.

The roles that women assume today are much more challenging as compared to the times of our grand ancestors. They are simultanous homemakers, mothers, wives, breadwinners, workers and leaders. In the old days, women were able to focus their energy on housechores and family. Nowadays, their responsibilities would demand most of their time, from the moment their child starts to cry out in the darkness of dusk till the night comes again. It  simply wears them out. I’ve had working mothers expressing their weariness and some of them even find that life is gradually taking a toll on them.

I wondered if there are any magical potions that can keep us energetic and high spirited in fulfilling our tasks all the time. Of course there are loads of bottled health drinks and multivitamins lined up in pharmacies. However, physical vigour and emotional / mental strengths are both different aspects of energy.

When I asked around what do they do to boost their energy, mostly shared their tips on effective supplements, traditional herb and exercises.

Energy A Matter of Mind

I liked Uncle Seekers’ interesting answer pertaining to the human energy. He said that our energy is just a matter of the mind;

“Say for example, you just came back from work late in the evening and I told you to wash the car, you’d be begging for your life right? Then again, if you were to come back from a hard day’s work and I gave you RM3000 and told you to go shopping, you would definitely turn bright eyed then straight away hop back into your car to the Gardens or KLCC!“

His answer made me and my cousins laugh. Still it made sense to us. Perhaps we are energetic when it comes to doing something we really like. Unless if we are bored with it, we could stay energetic and high spirited.

Hypothetically energy and boredom can not co-exist.

Then again, being human we can never escape from being bored and drained out. I kept thinking “Since the human energy is ephemeral, how can one really sustain vivacity?”

The True Source of Energy

One day it crossed my mind that there is one person who I have never seen being low or lingering about without anything to do. It was my father in-law. I don’t know he has ever been depressed or sad but I have never seen him being so. He is always on the move doing his mundane tasks and time is something that he highly values. I asked him what kept him being full spirited and he replied with one key word “Zhikr”.

His lips are never idle from uttering His sacred Words, Names and His Prophet. Zhikr pacifies the heart.

“Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.

[Surah ar-Ra'ad: 28]

The human soul is weak and it yearns for its Creator. By zhikr, one fortifies his soul, galvanizing energy of the Almighty within himself.

Zhikrullah is the true answer to the source of human energy.

A Mother’s Forgiveness

Bukit Sentosa, City Centre - I read about the gruesome murder of the family of four in Gemencheh. It is one of the rare cases in Malaysia because the alleged murderer was their own family member. I mean why would a sane person would want to kill his own favourite grandparents, father and sister?

What surprised me most was that the mother of the suspect has forgiven her son for murdering her parents, husband and beloved daughter all at once. As a mother, she loved her son despite of the grave mistake he has probably committed. As a Muslim, Zaharah Atan accepted the fate that Allah has determined for her and her family.

As I looked hard at her picture, I thought to myself how strong this woman was. I can never imagine being in her place and forgive the tragedy that has happened. Only a person who has very strong faith in Allah is given such devastating tribulations because Allah does not test us more than what we can bear.

On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear [Quran 2:286]

Condolence to the family and I pray that may Allah grant her strength and Bless upon the victims’ souls.