Salina: the story of a "noble" prostitute

The argument in this article stems from A. Samad Said's statement that his first novel, Salina, revolves around every character in the novel, as opposed to being focused on the character Siti Salina alone. His statement is contentious, because it visibly contradicts the conclusions made in numerous articles and studies on Salina. Generally, these articles and studies find Salina's plot to centre on the protagonist Siti Salina, a 'noble prostitute' who lives in Singapore during World War Two. Because of this focus, the presence of Siti Salina is the cause of a lingering controversy. To frame this dispute, this article analyses the narrative devices in Salina, to identify the focus of the story, so as to confirm Samad's statement above. These include the characters and their characteristics, the geographical and chronological backdrop, plot (especially with regard to cause and effect), as well as the scenes and their description, including the manipulation of language. The analysis identifies two narrative strategies manipulated together in Salina, that simultaneously highlight her nobility and downplay her transgressions; both of which focus the story on the noble prostitute. This finding in itself negates the validity of A. Samad Said's statement above, and conversely reaffirms the findings previous articles and studies

'Wacana' dan 'cerita' dalam novel Pujangga Melayu oleh Mohd. Affandi Hassan

The function of literary works, specifically that of fictional narratives, has been a source of debate in Western and Eastern civilisations throughout the ages. In ancient Greece for example, this issue sparked a conflict between the philosophical schools of Plato and Aristotle, who both had contrasting views on the role and contribution of literary works to the formation of a culturally civilised society. The Malay literary tradition is no exception; Braginsky (1993) states that since the 16th and 17th centuries, Malays have been aware of the functional value of literature, which among other functions serves to teach, and to enlighten mankind with knowledge. It is important to note that the same issue is still a matter of debate in contemporary Malay literature. Chief amongst those who regularly foreground the issue is Mohd. Affandi Hassan (herafter Hassan), a renowned Malaysian literary critic and creative writer. As a literary critic, Hassan generated the notion of ‘Persuratan Baru’, a notion that amongst other principles urges authors of Malay literary works to prioritise the transmittance of knowledge. Naturally, this invites scrutiny, especially given the context of Hassan being a creative writer himself; with such a standing (as a literary critic and creative writer) the question that immediately springs to mind is whether Hassan heeds his own call. In this light, this article will analyse one of Hassan’s works based on his own analytical framework – Persuratan Baru – in an effort to determine whether the construction of said work truly takes into account his own identification of the function of literary works, that is as a medium of knowledge. Therefore, Hassan’s novel Pujangga Melayu (1997) (henceforth Pujangga…) will be utilised as a study material. By using PB which distinguishes clearly between ‘knowledge’ (ilmu) and ‘narrative’ (cerita) as an analytical framework, my findings answer the question brought up earlier that Hassan has indeed practiced what he has preached, by presenting Pujangga… as a concrete manifestation of his literary notion - ‘Persuratan Baru’

Sasterawan sebagai insan: satu penelitian terhadap beberapa pandangan sarjana

This article focuses on the question of duty and position of poets/literary figures (al-shu'ara') in Islam. The article chooses to analyze this particular question based on the notion of "The Nature of Man" (Hakikat Insan), as explained by Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas in his book entitled Islam and Secularism (1978). In addition, the viewpoints of several Islamic scholars such as Seyyed Hossien Nasr and Ismail R. Faruqi are also examined, either for further elaboration or comparison. By applying the framework of "The Nature of Man " according to al- Attas, this discussion brings to light several basic ideas such as "the nature of debt of creation and existence", "natural inclination", "ibadah" (worshipful service), "judicious power" (al-'aql) "man's forgetfulness" (nisyan), and "adab", all of which are examined in order to understand about the duty and position of poets/literary figures (al-shu'ara') in Islam. The discussion clearly shows the significant duty and position of poets/literary figures (al-shu'ara') in Islam, i.e. to carry out "ibadah" (worshipful service) for Allah SWT, through literary activities. This understanding also clarifies the objective of literature according to Islam, i.e. to teach or educate and remind mankind of the truth as prescribed by Allah SWT

Poligami dan gender dalam Tok Guru karya Shahnon Ahmad dan Pujangga Melayu karya Mohd. Affandi Hassan

In Islam, justice is the ultimate value in the understanding of ethics and morality. This valuation is evident in polygamy, as justice is the most important prerequisite in the understanding and application of the practice. The onset of modernity, however, has seen polygamy engender various forms of disputation, especially among modern feminists who by and large assume the practice to be one that perpetuates gender inequality and injustice. This in turn give rise to paradoxical perceptions, because on the one hand, Islam is said to be a religion that patently espouses justice; but on the other, Islam is seen as perpetuating a marriage practise (polygamy) that seemingly benefits one gender at the expense of the other. It is in this context that this article explores the above paradox with reference to Malay novels. This article aims to detail perceptions on polygamy of Malay novelists, as well as to explore how gender issues in the context of polygamy are presented within their works. Two novels will be analysed: Tok Guru (1988) by Shahnon Ahmad and Pujangga Melayu (1998) by Mohd. Affandi Hassan. Beside the fact that these novels have attained privileged status within the Malay literary world, they are pertinent to this study more because of their respective treatments of polygamy and gender issues. Analysis indicates that each novel proposes a different outlook and approach to deal with the issue of polygamy and gender. It is interesting to note that these differences will help to extend the debate on the issues of polygamy and gender

Between eroticism and social criticism The literariness of Shahnon Ahmad’s Terdedah (1965)

In the history of modern Malay literature, the 1960s are labelled by many literary critics as era picisan (the age of dime fiction) because of the flood of karya picisan (dime fiction) in the local market. Karya picisan here refers to works that clearly manipulate sexual themes, with the intent of conjuring an atmosphere of eroticism to attract readers. Critics generally do not consider these works to be karya sastra (literary works) because they do not fulfil two important criteria that commonly classify the term ‘literature’, namely bahasa yang indah (aesthetic language) and isi yang berfaedah (beneficial content). In the context of this definition of ‘literature’, Shahnon Ahmad’s 1965 novel Terdedah is considered problematic because of incongruities in the estimation of its ‘literariness’. As opposed to critics who initially labelled it karya picisan, the ‘literariness’ of Terdedah was defended by its own author because it contained elements social criticism. This difference in opinion raises an important point regarding the commonly accepted definitions of ‘literature’ and ‘literariness’ in Malay literature: after Shahnon proclaimed his novel’s worth based on its social criticism, critical reception towards Terdedah showed an unmistakable shift. With respect to this shift of opinion, this article will perform a critical analysis of the meaning of ‘literariness’ in relation to Terdedah, and in doing so, clearly determine its status as either a karya picisan or karya sastra, based on the definition of ‘literature’ practised in Malay literature

Islam sebagai "al-Din": beberapa pengamatan terhadap pemikiran Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas

Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas has drawn the attention of the Muslims to their dilemma in their own misunderstandings and misperceptions of Islam. In his exposition on the concept of religion, al-Attas examined four significant concepts derived from the word "al-Din," which are in debtedness, natural tendency or inclination, judicious power and submissiveness. He indeed proposed all of these concepts as a major foundation of a Muslim's life. In line with these concepts explained by al-Attas, the meaning of the "Nature of Man" in which he clarified the reality of man's existence and his role as Allah creation. Furthermore, in his explanation on meaning of the "Nature of Knowledge," al-Attas elaborated the classification of knowledge that must be understood by Muslims. Along with the arguments, he also redefined the meaning of progression, development and change to cohere with the spirit of Islam. Precisely, al-Attas elaborated most of his arguments based on concrete understanding of Islamic "Vision of Reality" and the foundation of ethics and morality, which to him are perfect guides to every Muslims' life. Taking into consideration of al-Attas's ideas, this paper will look into his concepts of Islam as "al-Din" (a way of life) and highlight his clarifications on the concept of the "Nature of Man" and the "Nature of Knowledge.

Wanita menurut taklif: satu analisis terhadap watak Fatimah dalam cerpen “Perempuan Gusti” dan “Fatimah Kahwin” karya Hamzah Hussin women according to taklif: an analysis on the role of Fatimah in Hamzah Hussin’s short stories “Perempuan Gusti” and “Fatimah Kahwin”

Artikel ini membangkitkan tentang kecenderungan cerpen-cerpen Hamzah Hussin terhadap persoalan wanita. Kecenderungan ini tidak pula disambut dengan kajian ilmiah yang meluas tentang wanita dalam cerpen-cerpen Hamzah Hussin. Kajian Membunga@Siti Meriam Yaacob (2005 & 2010) memberikan fokus terhadap wanita dalam karya-karya Hamzah Hussin, serta membandingkannya dengan karya-karya Keris Mas. Dengan menerapkan teori feminisme, kajian Membunga@Siti Meriam Yaacob antara lain memperakukan watak Fatimah dalam cerpen-cerpen Hamzah Hussin sebagai manifestasi kemodenan wanita Melayu. Dalam konteks penerapan teori feminisme dan hasilnya, Mohd Affandi Hassan (2012) antara lain membahaskan tentang kesesuaian teori Barat itu (feminisme) dalam pengkajian karya sastera Melayu. Ungku Maimunah Mohd. Tahir dan Zulkarnain Mohamed (2013) merumuskan bahawa penerapan feminisme “tanpa berhati-hati dan penuh hemah” (istilah mereka sendiri) boleh menghasilkan kesimpulan yang mengelirukan tentang Islam dan budaya Melayu. Dengan kata lain, ketiga-tiga sarjana ini menuntut supaya pengkajian tentang wanita dalam karya-karya sastera Melayu mengguna pakai satu kerangka yang berteraskan Islam. Sejajar dengan tuntutan ini, artikel ini diusahakan bagi menganalisis dan seterusnya merumuskan tentang manifestasi watak Fatimah dalam dua cerpen Hamzah Hussin, iaitu “Perempuan Gusti” (1951) dan “Fatimah Kahwin” (1951) berdasarkan prinsip Taklif. Untuk tujuan itu, artikel ini menerapkan gagasan Persuratan Baru, iaitu satu kerangka analisis yang berteraskan Islam dan memanfaatkan Taklif (dalam ajaran Islam) sebagai prinsipnya. Dengan menerapkan gagasan Persuratan Baru, analisis ini merumuskan bahawa watak Fatimah dalam kedua-dua cerpen Hamzah Hussin yang dikaji, hadir sebagai manifestasi wanita Melayu yang menyanggah syariat Islam

Islam dalam persembahan dikir Al-Burdah oleh pertubuhan badan kesenian dan kebudayaan Kampung Sessang, Sarawak

Kajian ini bertitik tolak daripada tanggapan umum yang menganggap bahawa Dikir Al-Burdah di Sarawak merupakan satu kegiatan seni persembahan yang berkaitan dengan Islam. Tanggapan ini terkandung dalam tulisan-tulisan awal yang rata-rata mengaitkan Dikir Al-Burdah dengan tradisi al-Qasidah al-Mimiyah oleh al-Busiri@al-Busairi, iaitu seorang ulama tasawuf di Mesir. Perkataan “burdah” itu juga turut dikaitkan dengan Rasulullah s.a.w. Tidak kurang penting ialah fokus tulisan-tulisan awal yang lebih membicarakan soal sejarah, latar belakang, bentuk serta fungsi persembahan Dikir Al-Burdah di Sarawak. Kecenderungan ini mengundang satu penelitian terhadap Dikir Al-Burdah di Sarawak khususnya soal kaitannya dengan Islam, selain mencatatkan kegiatan semasa Dikir Al-Burdah di Kampung Sessang, Sarawak. Justeru, kajian ini diusahakan untuk merealisasikan tiga objektif, iaitu mencatatkan kegiatan semasa Dikir Al-Burdah di Kampung Sessang, menganalisis lirik Dikir Al-Burdah menurut kerangka Formalisme, dan merumuskan soal perkaitan antara Dikir Al-Burdah di Sarawak dengan Islam. Kajian ini mengguna pakai pendekatan kualitatif, khususnya kaedah wawancara dan kaedah analisis isi kandungan. Hasil kajian mendapati kegiatan persembahan Dikir Al-Burdah di Kampung Sessang, Sarawak pada masa kini dijalankan secara aktif oleh Pertubuhan Badan Kesenian dan Kebudayaan yang ditubuhkan pada 2010. Pertubuhan ini turut mempersembahkan lagu dalam bahasa Melayu yang dinukilkan sendiri oleh ahli pertubuhan tersebut, antaranya bertajuk “Zikir Al-Burdah” dan “Pemimpin”. Analisis mendapati bahawa lirik lagu “Zikir Al-Burdah” mengutarakan mesej tentang kemuliaan para rasul, manakala lirik lagu “Pemimpin” mengutarakan mesej tentang peri pentingnya kepemimpinan yang adil. Kedua-dua mesej ini didapati sejajar dengan ajaran Islam

Seni persembahan Dikir Al-Burdah oleh Pertubuhan An-Nur, Kampung Melango Baru, Saratok, Sarawak

Kajian ini bertitik tolak daripada pengamatan terhadap korpus ilmiah yang cenderung mengaitkan Dikir Al-Burdah di Sarawak dengan Islam. Dalam konteks perkaitan ini, kajian ini turut mendapati bahawa kegiatan Dikir Al-Burdah yang dijalankan di Kampung Melango Baru, Daerah Saratok, Sarawak sehingga kini dan sepanjang yang diketahui, masih belum lagi diteliti serta dicatatkan secara ilmiah. Dengan latar belakang ini, kajian ini diusahakan bagi merealisasikan tiga objektif. Pertama, mencatatkan perkembangan semasa dalam kegiatan Dikir Al-Burdah di Kampung Melango Baru, Daerah Saratok, Sarawak. Kedua, menganalisis tema dalam lirik lagu Dikir Al-Burdah. Ketiga, merumuskan soal kesejajaran antara Dikir Al-Burdah di Sarawak dengan Islam. Kajian ini mengguna pakai pendekatan kualitatif secara khusus iaitu kaedah wawancara dan kaedah analisis isi kandungan. Pengamatan mendapati bahawa kegiatan Dikir Al-Burdah di Kampung Melango Baru, Daerah Saratok, Sarawak yang pada masa kini giat dijalankan oleh Pertubuhan An-Nur. Analisis mendapati bahawa lirik lagu Dikir Al-Burdah yang dikaji menggarap tema kewajiban solat dan tema taubat. Kedua-dua tema ini didapati seiring dengan ajaran Islam sebagaimana yang terkandung dalam Al-Quran dan Al-Hadis. Dengan dapatan-dapatan ini, kajian ini merumuskan bahawa seni persembahan Dikir Al-Burdah di Sarawak yang dikaji menyerlahkan ciri-ciri keislaman

Unsur budaya kaum lain sebagai Jati Diri Kebangsaan dan pemersatu bangsa Malaysia dalam sajak pilihan terbitan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka

Jati Diri Kebangsaan (JDK) ialah teras pembinaan negara bangsa khususnya bagi rakyat yang terdiri daripada pelbagai kaum dan berlainan latar budaya seperti di Malaysia. Oleh sebab itu, pemahaman dan penghayatan masyarakat terhadap JDK menjadi tonggak penting kepada negara. Kajian ini bertujuan menganalisis jati diri kebangsaan dalam sajak yang dikaji dan seterusnya merumuskan pelestarian jati diri kebangsaan dalam sajak terbitan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. Kajian ini dilakukan secara kaedah membaca teliti dan secara analisis kandungan terhadap sajak-sajak terpilih terbitan DBP dari tahun 2010 sehingga tahun 2015. Analisis kajian menggunakan prinsip Dasar Kebudayaan Kebangsaan 1971 sebagai kerangka konseptual dengan menumpukan pada aspek unsur budaya kaum lain sebagai elemen JDK. Dapatan kajian mendapati sajak yang dikaji memperakukan bahawa unsur kebudayaan kaum lain bebas diamalkan, manakala unsur budaya kaum lain yang sesuai berdasarkan prinsip DKK menjadi elemen pemersatu rakyat dan pemangkin semangat JDK di Malaysia