History, they said is written by winners. If that is the case, then history is merely a compilation of selected facts that suits the powers that be.
How very sad.
That is why our country's 50th celebration of Merdeka Day is a sad affair. Its a combination of mass or (public) happiness conjured by music and fireworks to mark the day our land was freed from the wretched colonial powers. It became a much nauseating event when th public is drag into idolization of those currently in power as those responsible for setting Tanah Melayu free from the British.
How very sad.
I am not lying (or being ultra-dramatic) when I say I shed tears on Merdeka Day. Not for feeling proud for what we have achieved so far as an Independent Country. Our monuments of progress are everywhere for every Ali, Ah Chong and Muthu in the country to brag. I shed tears on Merdeka Day for things that our country CAN be. I also shed tears for Shamsiah Fakeh, a long forgotten freedom fighter who led AWAS and later joined the 10th Regiment, her contribution was reduced to a mere paragraph in our mainstream history textbooks. I would not be shocked if it will be reduced to a mere footnote in the future. I mean look what happened to the Studies on Unity textbook for undergrads. History is also subject to fabrication and amendment...by people that manipulate history as a tool to gain power or influence.
Speaking of Shamsiah Fakeh, where is she during Merdeka Day? Sad to say, she is struggling alone on hospital bed, resisting her breathing problems while receiving a handful of admirers. Me and Union Guy were among those visitors. Thanks to our friend, The Cat Lover, we get to know about her condition on Merdeka eve, prompting us to visit her although we are pretty sure WE would be mere "footnotes" to her.
Shamsiah Fakeh seemed frail and vulnerable because of her illness, but two things I noticed about her which immediately separate her from other frail old folks resting on hospital bed are 1).She still read. A book by Syed Zahari rested on her lap when we came. 2). She wore a wrist watch,checking on the time as we mentioned time or other tentatives to her.
Her voice however, is barely audible because of the gas and food tubes attached to her nose and mouth. In spite of those medical complexities that surrounded her sick body, Nenek Shamsiah (as we called her, impromptu) is still alert to our words and actions. Leading a life as challenging as hers, we are aware that trusting strangers is the last thing she would do. As Union Guy softly mentioned our other friends who had came earlier to visit her, she responded with slow nods and mumbled something slowly. We tried to get her wrote her answers but her hands were weak and her handwriting is hard to read. Finally, we just sat beside her and let silence consume ourselves. She smiled the widest when we showed her a digital picture of Safra. She wiped her eyes when we told her we wish Safra has guts like hers in pursuing whatever she will do in the future.
I wish her Selamat Hari Merdeka before we left. I told Union Guy, it sounded like a mockery to her because she is fully aware of how her contribution to history was robbed by the "winners".
But what can we do because we don't write the history? On this point, I silently wished that works by young people who are defiant to rewrote history so that all the unsung heroes a.k.a freedom fighters gets the place they deserve in history will be succesful and recognized by the society.
But is it all about having a place in history? I remember a lecturer told me, way back in campus, "Nope, its about getting by history right".
On that note, I dedicate this year's Merdeka to our unsung forefathers who fought with blood and sweat without succumbing to the demands of British. Those who were in AWAS, API, KMM and other Merdeka fronts failed to be recognized rightly by our history. They know who they are. So do we.
I also dedicate "Merdeka!" to the people especially some anak muda who are not just "berlapang dada" with our existing history but with strong spirit of inquiry and motivation, took the initiative (and risk, I must say) to dig our past and unearth the old wounds or bittersweet kisses of our country's history, no matter what. Because, like someone said " Siapa cakap sejarah tidak boleh ditulis semula?"
But then again, I beg to differ slightly, baby. We can rewrote history if we have the money. Cat Lover told Union Guy, "Kalau aku nak historical footage dari Arkeb Negara, aku kena bayar RM400 seminit! Itupun, Arkeb Negara hanya ada 10% sumber nih, the rest masih ngan Arkeb di London.Takkan nak pegi London plak untuk research sejarah negara sendiri."
Betul ke Merdeka sedangkan sejarah tanah air sendiri masih di tangan bekas penjajah?
Selamat Hari Merdeka, Nek Shamsiah!
How very sad.
That is why our country's 50th celebration of Merdeka Day is a sad affair. Its a combination of mass or (public) happiness conjured by music and fireworks to mark the day our land was freed from the wretched colonial powers. It became a much nauseating event when th public is drag into idolization of those currently in power as those responsible for setting Tanah Melayu free from the British.
How very sad.
I am not lying (or being ultra-dramatic) when I say I shed tears on Merdeka Day. Not for feeling proud for what we have achieved so far as an Independent Country. Our monuments of progress are everywhere for every Ali, Ah Chong and Muthu in the country to brag. I shed tears on Merdeka Day for things that our country CAN be. I also shed tears for Shamsiah Fakeh, a long forgotten freedom fighter who led AWAS and later joined the 10th Regiment, her contribution was reduced to a mere paragraph in our mainstream history textbooks. I would not be shocked if it will be reduced to a mere footnote in the future. I mean look what happened to the Studies on Unity textbook for undergrads. History is also subject to fabrication and amendment...by people that manipulate history as a tool to gain power or influence.
Speaking of Shamsiah Fakeh, where is she during Merdeka Day? Sad to say, she is struggling alone on hospital bed, resisting her breathing problems while receiving a handful of admirers. Me and Union Guy were among those visitors. Thanks to our friend, The Cat Lover, we get to know about her condition on Merdeka eve, prompting us to visit her although we are pretty sure WE would be mere "footnotes" to her.
Shamsiah Fakeh seemed frail and vulnerable because of her illness, but two things I noticed about her which immediately separate her from other frail old folks resting on hospital bed are 1).She still read. A book by Syed Zahari rested on her lap when we came. 2). She wore a wrist watch,checking on the time as we mentioned time or other tentatives to her.
Her voice however, is barely audible because of the gas and food tubes attached to her nose and mouth. In spite of those medical complexities that surrounded her sick body, Nenek Shamsiah (as we called her, impromptu) is still alert to our words and actions. Leading a life as challenging as hers, we are aware that trusting strangers is the last thing she would do. As Union Guy softly mentioned our other friends who had came earlier to visit her, she responded with slow nods and mumbled something slowly. We tried to get her wrote her answers but her hands were weak and her handwriting is hard to read. Finally, we just sat beside her and let silence consume ourselves. She smiled the widest when we showed her a digital picture of Safra. She wiped her eyes when we told her we wish Safra has guts like hers in pursuing whatever she will do in the future.
I wish her Selamat Hari Merdeka before we left. I told Union Guy, it sounded like a mockery to her because she is fully aware of how her contribution to history was robbed by the "winners".
But what can we do because we don't write the history? On this point, I silently wished that works by young people who are defiant to rewrote history so that all the unsung heroes a.k.a freedom fighters gets the place they deserve in history will be succesful and recognized by the society.
But is it all about having a place in history? I remember a lecturer told me, way back in campus, "Nope, its about getting by history right".
On that note, I dedicate this year's Merdeka to our unsung forefathers who fought with blood and sweat without succumbing to the demands of British. Those who were in AWAS, API, KMM and other Merdeka fronts failed to be recognized rightly by our history. They know who they are. So do we.
I also dedicate "Merdeka!" to the people especially some anak muda who are not just "berlapang dada" with our existing history but with strong spirit of inquiry and motivation, took the initiative (and risk, I must say) to dig our past and unearth the old wounds or bittersweet kisses of our country's history, no matter what. Because, like someone said " Siapa cakap sejarah tidak boleh ditulis semula?"
But then again, I beg to differ slightly, baby. We can rewrote history if we have the money. Cat Lover told Union Guy, "Kalau aku nak historical footage dari Arkeb Negara, aku kena bayar RM400 seminit! Itupun, Arkeb Negara hanya ada 10% sumber nih, the rest masih ngan Arkeb di London.Takkan nak pegi London plak untuk research sejarah negara sendiri."
Betul ke Merdeka sedangkan sejarah tanah air sendiri masih di tangan bekas penjajah?
Selamat Hari Merdeka, Nek Shamsiah!
2 comments:
winner takes all, and nek shamsiah become just another forgotten chapter in history
Yup, lucius. That's how it is.
"Marginalized"- I call it.
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