The Glitz

Friday is a day that I loved and gave a lot of thoughts. Its definitely the khutbah incite me to think a lot. It’s also a day which I reflect myself amongst the society. When it comes to the Friday prayers, I would like to wear the best of my Baju Melayu and went to pray at the nearest mosque. If possible I would want to wear a higher black songkok, a nice perfectly ironed baju melayu with the waist wrapped with shining kain songket. Flanked by friends and smiling brimmed with confidence, those were the alter egos which played in the little media player of my own brain. Some UMNO-esque scenario where people of higher places wear their fanciful sets of baju melayu, converged in Putra convention and shaking the hands of people who silently demanded their attention for ease of their cari-makan.

The lavishness of Perhimpunan Agung UMNO can be seen in its huge mainstage with portraits spanned across it depicting previous leaders for the past half century. The magnitude of which the event ran for several days. Not forgetting, the glamour which has been injected into politics with the Wanita’s on the prowl with their loaded accessories, pearls and braces hanging here and there. There’s Puteri’s with their kebayas or baju kurung in lighter hues of red; of course, pink.

Since girls are getting exceptionally smarter than boys, the Puteri members has been a majority consisted of lawyers or lawyers-to-be which may have their sight set on politics or things like that. One time we see even former Miss Malaysia Erra Fazira being affiliated with Puteri UMNO. Such a glitz and revelation which could make UMNO a hippy organization rather than a hot keris-waving debate subject. And best of all, the five strongmen that sets the path of UMNO and the ethnic it represent as a whole: Three vice-presidents, a deputy president and the president itself.

As I walked to the vehicle double-parked somewhere near the mosque, I could see old men which age level can be deemed as my atuks or tokwans riding on their trusted bicycle. Most walked their way to the mosque with their clean white jubbahs or simply with plain shirt coupled with kain pelikat peten kotak-petak. My mind starts to imagine those days when Perhimpunans were attended by kampong folks in showing their defiance towards Malayan Union. Those days when Rapid KL were yet still far from a brilliant suggestion ( which turns out to be far from reliable too, today ). Those days when allowance for attending perhimpunan were like disgusting offering which may taint their fledging spirit. Those days when Malays were not as divided as today. When Malays were not in chronic confusion of being either religion-centric or ethnic-centric.

Of course Malayan Union sum of all fears of the Malays during the time. If it runs, perhaps Malaysia will just be another exact replication of New Zealand, Australia or South Africa. A nation full of rednecks where the original people just served as a purpose to promote the local tourism. Imagine ghazal, kuda kepang or wayang kulit were performed at a resort while some white men siphons in the money.

Apart from glamour, grand and glitz, there should be a conscience mind of which a leader should have or had been a person that comes from humble beginnings. In this moment of time we don’t really require any leaders that were spoon-fed with silver spoon as early as birth. Who wear leather shoes as soon as they learned walking during toddler. Instead, A leader that seeks knowledge with the help of gasoline lamps, a leader that never wore shoes since it had learned to walk, a leader which patiently collect waters of a well to get themselves cleaned. All of which has been experienced in real life. Since people often said that life is great teacher, perhaps not a fancy college or military academy. A down to earth leader, which never come from a privileged family or legacy like royalties.

We all knows or might have a little clues of the previous leadership from Tunku Abdul Rahman to Dr.M, which may have come from poor hand-to-mouth families and which may maintain that English way of life of lepaking in bars brushing shoulders with English people while listening to smooth jazz music. As well as the incumbent.

Maybe, different people had different perspective of judging a real good leader. Maybe a leader humble beginnings are not important or a measure of a great leader. Some say leaders are not made neither born; it’s like a talent or a gift.

Look at the kids nowadays which are much luckier and thickly buttered that we are. They own a PSP as early as 6, gets three to four figured duit rayas and goes globe-trotting like a global citizen. For all that, I believed their parent has intention to inspire them, which is good. In which, their grandfathers may have walked several miles under the scorching heat of the sun just to attend perhimpunan in showing their pledge against monopolistic British rule etc. etc.

Khulafa al-Rashidin which accounts of four leaders that lead the Muslim empire after the demise of Rasulullah p.b.u.h sees them walking on the streets which normal citizen walked. These khulafa even sat underneath trees to listen to people problems and tribulations. If telling stories seems to sound like a fictional recreation that tries to be a rhetoric. Then, go to Arab region itself and try to find any castle that are related to these Khulafa. Then, its clear that they indeed never need any humongous Klang-MP Zakaria like castle to show their superiority.