"I shall help to create a new Malaysia"

Sempena menyambut tahun baru ni, izinkan aku berkongsi sepucuk surat yang ditulis oleh seorang "new Malayan" kepada akhbar The Malaya Tribune sempena tahun baru 1947, 61 tahun yang lalu. Beliau menulis tentang perjuangan demokrasi yang bakal ditempuhi oleh rakyat Malaya pada waktu itu... -- "I therefore commend a New Year resolution to every man and woman. Let this resolution be I shall help to create a New Malaysia."

Selamat Tahun Baru 2008.


THE POLITICAL STRUGGLE

Sir, - A political struggle is on in Malaya, and within the next few months the future of all people in Malaya will be decided. I therefore commend a New Year resolution to every man and woman. Let this resolution be “I shall help to create a New Malaya.”

Let this resolution be taken and carried out before it is too late. We were late once in Malaya and paid for it with suffering in the vice-like grip of the Japanese occupation. Before we join in the struggle let us understand the nature of the struggle.

The Sultans and the Malay aristocrats dominate a party known as UMNO which also received the support of people who we may call the Malay Feudalists. The Sultans and the aristocrats have now agreed to a plan whereby the nominal sovereignty of the Sultans remains while the real sovereignty goes to the British Administration. This willingness of the Sultans to stand in the shadow of the British Administration can only be owing to fear of possible Malay republicanism which will mean curtailing of the Sultans’ personal privileges. As for the Malay Feudalists, they have looked forward to an enhancement of the sovereignty of the Malay Sultans in the belief that that was bound up with the protection of the Malay peoples. However by the Federation Plan though the other communities are kept down, the position of the Malays is by no means improved since the real sovereignty in Malaya is in the hands of the British Administration. This must be very disappointing to the aspirations of the Malay Feudalists. Even before the Federation Plan was out there was a reported drop in the membership of the UMNO owing no doubt to the resignation of disappointed Malay Feudalists who saw which way the wind was blowing.

There is another powerful Malay party the M.N.P. [Malay Nationalist Party or Party Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya, PKMM] which although it has expressed no republican views, is watched with suspicion by the Sultans. While the Malay Feudalists want to preserve the rights of the Malay people by enhancing the sovereignty of the Sultans, the M.N.P. although it has never objected to the nominal sovereignty of the Sultans has, however, always insisted upon the real sovereignty of the Malay People. In its attitude towards the domiciled communities the M.N.P., unlike the Malay Feudalists is not in the least panicky. The M.N.P. is sure that there is no danger of the Malays being swamped by the other communities, the real danger being from the imperialist quarters. That the M.N.P. is right is proved by the Federation Plan where there is a complete denial of the rights of the Malay People and the appropriation of real sovereignty into the hands of the British.

The M.N.P. and the other communities have now joined in a common struggle and have formed the Council of Joint Action. That the other communities have been able to join the M.N.P. in a common struggle is because in the first place they recognise that Malay nationalism is not a threat to their interests but that it is only just and proper that Malay problem should be given great consideration. Since the democratic rights of the Malay masses and the domiciled masses are being threatened, there is common cause between them. While the domiciled masses challenge Imperialism, they have never challenged the nominal sovereignty of the Sultans. The positive object of the domiciled communities is to seek a measure of self-government in Malaya, and this is again common cause between them and the M.N.P.

As for the British Administration, is has adopted the divide and rule policy in spite of repeated promises of self-government and while playing to Malay fears of being swamped by other communities it has adroitly snatched the real sovereignty. This is contrary to Whitehall’s promise.

- “A NEW MALAYAN” (Singapore)


Sumber: Akhbar The Malaya Tribune, 6 Jan 1947

10tahun @ Independent Day-Out Festival

10tahun akan bukak meja dalam art bazaar masa festival yang bertema "independent art for the masses" ni nanti. Datang lah untuk menyaksikan persembahan kugiran2 & penyajak2 indie tempatan sambil singgah art bazaar untuk dapatkan DVD & t-shirt '10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka'.

Tarikh: Sabtu, 5 Januari 2008
Masa: 1:00 petang - 11:00 malam
Tempat: MCPA Hall, KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, No. 1, Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur
Tiket: RM25 (untuk gig + bazaar)
Info: myspace.com/bodysurfmusic // Facebook event

* TAWARAN KHAS TAHUN BARU: Sila bawa thumbdrive (1GB ke atas) atau external harddisk kamu untuk menyalin/menyedut movie '10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka' DVDRip .vob file (1.6GB) atau 600x480 .avi file (287.4MB) dari aku secara percuma supaya tak perlu kamu beli DVD! Kamu bisa copy mp3 soundtrack 10tahun sekali! Kongsi itu kuasa!

10tahun @ kurasasomething

Terima kasih pada semua yang singgah di meja 10tahun masa bazaar Kurasa Something di Central Market Annexe semalam. Dan terima kasih pada Mukhlis yang tolong jaga meja! Bagi yang tak sempat datang, boleh dapatkan t-shirt pagoda dan DVD 10tahun dari Ricecooker Shop.

Nantikan tayangan khas filem 'Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka' di Central Market Annexe bulan Januari nanti!

Lagu "Malaya Tetap Merdeka" (1959)

MALAYA TETAP MERDEKA (1959)

Bersatu-padu kita semua
Rakyat Tanah Malaya yang merdeka
Aman sentosa, rukun dan damai
Kita hidup bersama

Nyanyi bersama sambil menari
Ketawa, suka, serta bergembira
Kita semua warganegara
Hidup bagai saudara

Marilah kita membina
Dan membangun Malaya Merdeka
Supaya makmur dan jaya
Rakyat merasa bahagia

Bersuka-ria atau bekerja
Mesti dibuat dengan satu hati
Ini semua untuk kepentingan
Malaya tetap merdeka


Lagu "Malaya Tetap Merdeka" ni aku ambil dari filem "Korban Fitnah" (1959) arahan P.L. Kapur, keluaran Maria Menado Productions dan Cathay-Keris Film. Aku tak pasti siapa pencipta lagu ni, jadi kalau korang tahu, bagitau lah. Saja aku nak kongsi lagu propaganda yang catchy ni dengan semua.

T-shirt pagoda 10tahun

Dapatkan t-shirt pagoda 10tahun semasa tayangan filem "Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka" di RANtAi Art Event malam ni. DIY handprinted t-shirt. Terhad 30 helai saja. Hanya RM10 sehelai.

Review 10tahun di Tontonfilem

Fadz dari blog Tontonfilem telah menulis sebuah artikel berkenaan filem 'Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka'.

Klik sini untuk baca: 10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka - Inilah Baru Filem Sejarah!

10tahun @ RANtAi

Tarikh: Jumaat, 14 Disember 2007
Masa: 8:30 malam
Tempat: M.I.A. Arthouse, 153 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur (Belakang Pelita Nasi Kandar sebelah KLCC)
Tiket: PERCUMA!
Info: rantai-art.blogspot.com // myspace.com/rantai

'Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka' akan ditayangkan dalam acara RANtAi Art Event 2007 anjuran Kolektif Seni Rantai yang akan berlangsung dari 12 hingga 16 Disember 2007. Kamu bisa dapatkan DVD dan t-shirt 10tahun semasa acara ini nanti. Jangan ketinggalan na!

DVD 10tahun

Pusat KOMAS sudah siap bikin DVD kompilasi 3 filem pemenang Freedom Filmfest 2007. DVD ini memuatkan filem dokumentari pendek 'She's My Son' oleh Indrani Kopal, 'Bo Lang Chai' oleh Ong Boon Keong, dan 'Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka' oleh Fahmi Reza. Dapatkan DVD ni dengan harga RM20 dari Pusat KOMAS.