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/ Expression The process of expressing one's meanings, ideas, feelings, wishes etc. by words, looks or actions. Proses menyampaikan citarasa, maksud, ide, perasaan dan lainlain lagj melalui penulisan atau gaya.
PHILIP PIRRIP: A CHARACTER ANALYSIS SENIOR LEE TIANG KENG LITERATURE PRIZE Ptmita Visvanathan ·Upper 6 Arts 1 "My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip." Thus we are first introduced to what is undoubtedly one of the best drawn heroes of Charles Dickens. He -is the most naturally conceived of all his creations and brought up "by hand" by his extremely severe sister, Mrs. Joe Cargery. He is treated in a very bad manner by his sister and this as if I had insisted on being born in opposition 10 the diet.ates of reason , religion and morality and against the dissuading arguments of my best friends." T_his is what Pip thinks of his existence; he has no social prestige, no dignity of a human being as is evident from the way in which he was treated by his sister's guests at the Christmas dinner. His in short, is a childhood of reproach and shame. In spite of his poor birth and breeding. Pip possesses a noble heart. He is interesting in the way he goes thro_ugh his ordeals by which he arrives at selfknowlcdge. He finally realizes the value of his dearly loved brother-in-law Joe, the blacksmit h Biddy and puts himself right out at least with these faithful friends. Pip's airs of dignity and condescension make him an easy prey for ridicule and are the cause of untold anguish when he discovers the odious source of all his great expectations. He has a great disgust for Uncle Pumblechook and Orlick. Pip has his own impulses and his childish fears; it is fear that ,prompts him to obey the dictates of the convict, to take "victuals" and a file 10 him Mis . s Havisham is the turning point in his life. It is his visit to Satis House, the house of Miss Havisham·s, that determines everything which follows in his life and it brings great changes along with it. Pip himself says, "That was a memora ble day for me, for it made great changes changes in me." The coarse and common labouring boy" becomes a young boy of great expectations; he begins to live like a gentleman and he gradually becomes discontented with being just a blacksmith's apprentice. The desire to possess Estella strikes deep roots in his boyish heart and begins 10 disturb all his boyhood dreams. · His altitudes towards peop"ie also change. He ~egards Miss Havisham as the saint who is bringing him up as a gentleman. He fondly imagines that since Miss Havisham is spending such a vast amount of money on him that it leaves no room for doubt that she intends Estella for him. He thinks all his great expectations come from Miss Havisham a'nd under this new inspiration and enthuisiasm, he forms very wrong impressions about people. He rejects old gods and becomes ashamed of his home and the forge. The romantic flame of love he bears Estella consumes all his loving affection for the angelic Joe Cargery 150 and blinds him to the wholehearted love and devotion which comes from Biddy. Pip soon becomes a Knight of Romance as his wish to obtain Estella gets stronger each day and she becomes the princess of his waking life, and the queen of his dreams. In every moment of his life, Estella has a major share. This is shown clearly in one of his passionate utterances, " You are part of my existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever read." Hence, it is as a lover that Pip appeals most to the reader. Hi~ love for Estella is no infatuation: it is true and deep. He loves her "against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness." He always regards Estella as something greater than and superior to himself, yet he clings to the belief that sooner or later the real mind will conquer the artificial and a new Estella will emerge. In short, Pip is an ardent lover. However his love for Estella is by its very nature, nothing less than a selfdeception, because it is a love which is based on its own impossibility. From the very beginning Estella looks down upon Pip like a "cold star". Although Pip is supremely aware of this fact and his pigmy existence, yet he imagines that will succeed in bringing down the star from the sky and be able to marry her. Of course, Pip does marry Estella in the end but of what use if the rose when the spring is over? The Estella he marries is not the Estella of his youth; in the end, she is "a shattered, frustrated, vanquished woman, staggering and creeping with the burden of shame and remorse on her shoulders." At last, Pip discovers that his real benefactor is not Miss Havisham, the representation of society but Magwitch, the former convict. This discovery is a discovery of self-deception of his great expectations, his recognition that they were based on a contr;adiction. Pip has ~een_. climbing slowly and painfully towards Estella and towards the freedom and security of gentility. The ladder has now collapsed and he finds himself back at his origins again, back to where he was at the beginning of the story. He has discovered that the source of his expectations is not Miss Havisham but the same convict who had so terrified and repulsed him. He also finds out that Estella, the star of his expectations is really the daughter of Magwitch. He becomes a man lost in the woods who struggles for hours to find his way out, only to discover suddenly that he has returned by a circuitous route to the exact spot where he first realised that he did not know where he was. Pip is now face to face with his downfall, and he is thrown back into his · initial isolation. From the height of great expectations, he is hurled down again he finds himself at the deepest point of his wretchedness but he remains faithful to Magwitch. Whatever said and done, Pip proves to be always honest and sincere; he is sincere in his love, friendship and in his life. His friendship and relations with Herbert Pocket is commendable. Pip by nature is painstaking; he worries yet he ~~nages to keep his spirits up. His whole life has been a tale of aspirations, amb1t1ons, of expectations, disappointments, of miseries and troubles. However: swe~t are the use of ~dversity; it is in the school of adversity that Pip receives his first lessons and 1s united with Estella never to part again.
TI-IE AGE OF DICKENS the layman. Perhaps this is why Dickens is held dear by many. JUNIOR DR. LEE TIANG KENG LITERATURE PRIZE His novels often revolve around a simplistic plot, at times insipid. The ---------------------~---------! themes are often simple: Love overcomes all obstacles and brings redemption to the characters or a gullible innocent faces the dangers and pitfalls of a corrupt society. Also his themes can be the triumph of good over evil or even of the friction engendered between the social classes of nineteenth century England. Kenneth Tan Hark Hong 5 Science 3 Critics have often decried his plots as being confused and convoluted. Whether The works of Charles Dickens represent a monumental milestone in the this is true is entirely up to one's opinion. However Dickens' writings certainly history of English Literature. Regarded as the first modern novelist he wa& border on melodrama and sensationalism. As in the case of "Great Expectations", extremely successful as a writer. His works we_re very well received b/ his con• the hero, Pip, is married off to Estella, the heroine, in the end after they had temporaries and his popularity has continued to the present day. It is probably faced much trials and sufferings. Truly it is the classic setting of, if one may be due to his warm, engaging style and his identification with the layman's world permitted, an overtly sloppy and mushy tale. Undoubtedly some of his works that he has won universal acclaim. Indeed his more memorable and endearing lack credence. The plot of "Oliver Twist" for instance is very tedious and involcharacters like Oliver Twist and David Copperfield are known and loved through• ved. One may venture to ask how is it that Oliver's aunt, after being separated out the world. So too are his villains reviled - the destestable Fagin and the from her relations for so long can be happily reunited with her nephew or how snivelling Uriah Heep. is it that Oliver had, in the first place, the good fortune to meet his ev.entual Dickens was born when the social and political upheavals of the age had benefactor - a double coincidence. Under close scrutiny one can almost detect begun to die down. Although outwardly calm, the Victorian England of Dickem an insidious preoccupation with the grotesque and the macabre in Dickens' was seething with social unrest and discontent. It was a period when the corrupt works. This and the inherent sensationalism and melodrama so characteristic rich were getting richer and the poor poorer. Needless to say, Dickens, like many of him, plus the fantastic and often wooly nature of his novels caused him to writers at the time, did not like what he saw in the hypocritical and overbearing be dismissed, by some .contemporary critics, as being overindulgent and frivolous society and they did not hesitate to criticise it. As he was born into a poor in his writings. family he was no stranger to suffering or sorrow. When he was eleven his fman- To his credit few writers have been able to surpass Dickens' command of cially incompetent father was imprisoned for heavy debts. Dickens· was forced the English Language. He is ~ithout peer in his use of conversations to convey to work in a boot blacking warehouse to support his family. The bitterness and intended moods. His literary ·skil also enables him to give a vivid and yet lucid indignation he endured, he never forgot. For that he never quite forgave his description of a scene. Characters and locat;ons come to life. Reading his books father. In his semi-autobiographical novel, " David Copperfield", Dickens drew one often fancies one's self to be transported to the hustling and bustling Londirectly from personal experience and retold the story as fiction . don streets or perhaps to some lonely and forbidding silcence of a marsh. The In his novels the theme of social injustice is paramount. Though contem• opening chapter of "A Tale of Two Cities" which begins with.the now familiar, porary critics often condemned him for exaggerating he has nevertheless painted "It was a time of ...... ", is undoubtedly Dickens' masterpiece which clearly very true pictures of Victorian society. One cannot help noticing the underlying shows his flawless use of language. personal drama of his·earlier works - "David Copperfield" and "Nicholas Nie• The success of Dickens' novels greatly depends on his export treatment of kleby" among them. The idle rich are seethingly carricatured. Throughout some the single scenes and episodes. While his plots are garbled, his scenes shine with a of his novels an aura of ill-concealed contempt and cynicism prevails. The hypo• brilliance so typical of his genius. The characters laugh and cry, are joyous and crisy of society appalls him. The nece.s~ity .to .~1~intain a _s?,ciall~ accept~ble sad. They are the real people that we s_ee in everyday life; ~ot just some c~ar~cappearance is lampooned with lusty dens1on 111 Little Domt . This novel 1~ a te:s concocted fo.r the ~a~e of entertamment. ~hen also his horses and V1llams typical Victorian setting features characters like Miss Wade who are t_he ~elus10n ahke are treated_-m an 111t1m~t~ and sympat~et1c manner. Although he can be that their ulterior facade is their true self. Ultimately they face rumatlon as a cold and sarcastic when dep1ctmg a corrupt Judge or a cruel beadle, he always res~lt of their folly. does it in a fair way. Even the worst felon is treated in a light-hearted vein. There Established institutions such as the poorhouse and ~he hos~ita! !1ave not is never _a~y cruel s~ene in his entire works. Undoubtedly, this reflects the warm escaped h. ·t· I pen The callous inddiference of officialdom 1s v1V1dly por- and sens1t1ve humamst that he was. IS CII ica . d D. k , k ·1 . E 1· h L. h h f di trayed · ti tll 11 "Oliver Twist". Charles Dickens was more concerne . 1c ens wor s are a mt estone 111 ng 1s 1terature, e as pro oun y 10 none O ler a h' · · fl d · f him A hild f h. · h d d with the individual than with institutions. His writings demonstrate 1s ~onv1c- m uence many wnt~rs a ter . s a c o ts t1:11e, e en eavoure to tion that the human individual is after all a noble character. That despite the show people that society was mad.e f?r man and not vice-versa. Assuredly, he I d • f 11 1·s existence man triumphs over Fate because he shall be remembered as long as Enghsh ts spoken by man. present squa or an misery o , , . . . 1 is man. This is the intrin~ic quality of his novels t.iat unmediatP.ly appea s to 151
ANT ARA DUA ARAH . . Dream ccmes to grant your wishes and, THE DAWN THAT HASN'T COME Make your fantasies true. Raj Shankar Sim Chee Hwa Visions come but then go when consumed by 6 Rendall C Darkness once more. 5 Science 2 Pernah dulu kumaki diriku ini A sudden change and fires flare, Another drab day, yang tidak kenal apa erti penderitaan See the charging demons of nightmare, Plodding towards nowhere, Kumalas berfikir erti kebodohan Thunder clashes and lightning flashes, Lost ........ Dan aku tidak pernah berdepan dengan kebenaran As nightmare wars with the prince of the land, In the midst walau sekali Driven by fear, I rush for the Of facts and figures Untuk seribu kalinya kuketawa Morning gate, Of books and papers. entah mengapa Through it, I am safe The grey mist hazes my vision, bila sepatutnya kumenangis hiba As I stand in solitaire, Dan untuk seribu kalinya kumenghina Arms outstretched in hopefulness, cntah mengapa For a hand which has not come. bila sepatutnya kememuji kebesaranNya Waiting turns to despair, Kurasakan maim sahaja membakar dada ini SENANDUNG ANAI< PALESTIN For there is none to guide, yang sebak dengan kekotoran A stealthy step is taken Kurasakan mahu sahaja menghentikan Towards that nowhere denyutan di sanubarikan ini Jolzari Abdul Hamid Which isn't i.n sight. Tetapi, bagai heiang di udara I stumble I fall bagai naga menghembus api W~hai dunia .,, ........... In the endless slimy monotony. Ku harungi lau tan terluas Pandanglah kami anak-anak Palestin The soul is shattered, Kumendaki gunung tertinggi My limbs are battered, Sekadar mencari Yang menjadi pengemis di bumi sendiri The darkness engulfs ............. kau yang bemama keinsafan Namun segulung harapan masih tergenggam erat The twilight is gone, Sekadar me·ncari Dalam sanubari kami I fight, l fight on ........... kau ya ng bernama kebenaran Biarpun rumah kami sudah lama roboh Only to sink. sebab, Tapi semangat kami tidak pernah punah I brood in gloom, Aku tidak rela jatuh ke neraka lagi! Bahkan semakin padu membakar dada Shackled in the clutches dan meronta-ronta menerjang sukn1a Of the darkness ............. Ya! Kami berjuang dengan senjata dan secebis doa Waiting ............... Di dada .............. Waiting for the dawn that hasn't come. DOWN THE MISTY PATH OF SLEEP Tiap denyut nadi kami Adalah ukuran kesabaran kami Zahrein Redza Yang ketawa dalarn tangisan Yang senyum dalam keresahan Lower6B Yang hidup dalam penindasan! Tapi ingal dunia ............ I walked down the misty path of sleep, Perjuangan kami adalah perJuangan abadi Suatu hari nanti kami pasti kembal i Through the gate of weariness, Menuntut bumi ibunda kami Into the peaceful darkland , Hidup Pales tin! Strange slumberl and ; 152
DRAMA DAN PERANANNYA TERHADAP KEPERIBADIAN DAN MASYARAKAT skrip, persembahan dan sebagainya. Adalah diharapkan bahawa pada masa-masa akan datang, drama akan mendapat sambutan yang lebih hangat dan menggalak- --------------------------------1 kan terutamanya dari golongan muda-mudi. Lim Ewe Leong 5 Sastera Drama, sand iwara a tau dikenali juga sebagai tonil, mempunyai peranannya lerhadap kepcribadian dan masyarakat kita. la selalu dipersembahkan di pentas,1....A_F_L_IC_KE_R_O_F_H_O_P_E_ .. _ .. _ .. _ .. _. _______________ _ radio clan 1clevisycn. Walaupun pada masa sekarang sambu1an terhadap drama tidak begitu menggalakkan seperti yang sewajarnya, namun perkembangannya boleh dikatakan sclaras dcngan hiburan-hiburan lain. Dari persembahan drama pada peringkat rendah, bakat-bakat baru dapat dicungkil di kalangan dramatis-dramatis muda. Mercka berpeluang me nun ju kkan bakat berlakun masing-masing dalam babakbaba k pcrtarungan, kecemasan ataupun percintaan. Dari sini juga mereka dapat mengasah kebolehan mereka. Drama pada zaman moden ini menceritakan berbagai-bagai kisah. Ada yang 111cmbawa kisah pcrgolakan masyarakat, keluarga, asam-garam hidup serta kisah purbawara a tau yang berbentuk bangsawan. Drama-drama ini kebanyakannya adalah dijayakan oleh badan-badan drama a tau para pendokong seni budaya. Tetapi pada masa sekarang, sekolah-sekolah juga cuba menggalakkan muridmuridnya menaruh minat terhadap drama. Contohnya seperti sekolah kita:. setiap tahun Persatuan Muzik Dan Drama sekolah akan mementaskan sebuah drama dari su atu tajuk yang dipilih , hasil karya seorang penulis yang terkemuka . lni mc111bcrikan peluang bagi murid-murid sekolah ini untuk melibatkan diri dalam kcgiatan seni iakon di samping menyerlahkan bakat mereka . Pada hakikatnya, drama adaiah berpengaruh . Sebabnya ialah ia boleh mencorak clan menolong membentuk peribadi seseorang itu melalui jalan cerita serta adegannya yang simbolik , bertauladan clan mempunyai motif mengajar. Sesebuah drama yang baik dapal meninggalkan kesan yang mendalam di hati para penonton. Drama juga melatih mendisiplinkan seseorang pelakon di samping memboiehkannya menghalusi seni clan perasaan manusia. Penwda-pemudi adalah digalakkan bergiat menycrtai persatuan-persatuan drama. lni akan membolehkan mereka mencungkil bakat yang mungkin selama kini terpcndam. Melibatkan diri dalam drama adalah suatu aktiviti yang berfaedah. Mucla-mudi dapat menggunakan masa mereka dengan berguna daripada terbuang begitu sahaja . lanya dapat menghindarkan mereka dari hanya duduk berpoya-poya, berangan-angan a tau terlibat daiam jenayah, maksiat dan dadah. Melalui drama juga dapat dihidupkan kcmbali seni budaya clan sastera kita yang telah lama dilupakan. Drama juga dapat memperbaiki semula cabangcabang scni lain seperti tarian budaya clan muzik tradisional wa risan kita . la juga pasli membantu memupuk kebudayaan nasional. Selain daripada ini, kita juga dapat memperkenalkan budaya kila kepada negara-negara asing. Drama adalah berfaedah bagi masyarakat kita . Dari itu, usaha-usaha patut diac\akan untuk mempertingkatkan lagi mutu drama tempatan baik dari segi Khaw Mei Lin Upper 6 Science 2 A howling wind, A starless night; Even the moon had seeked refuge as if it feared the thunder that echoed through the marshy plain And there upon the barren land, Alone ......... . a little child trembled; With ebony locks that tumbled to her waist, a little doll clutched to her breast ; Hazel pools reflected fear as they gazed into ........ . Had emptiness a nightmare just begun? Had this been her destiny? Lightning flashed in answer Followed by a thunderous boom to mock a wretched mind, But still she stood with her doll held close, the portrait of her silent pride, while demons laughed with scornfutglee. Just Then, as she resigned herself to fate A merciful voice whispered from within; With tones as light as the touch of the sun's golden fingers at dawn, · 153,
It spoke of hope and faith, and of love and peace ....... . And there admist a violent storm, A calm descended with the grace of a snow white dove, Suddenly she understood, that all was not yet lost; For in those precious moments few, A flicker of hope had come aflame, And as she kneeled to voice a word of thanks, The wind died down and a silvery sheen began its stroll, As the moon emerged to make her pathway bright. "Looks delicious," I commented nonchalantly. "I'm sure you'll find it extremely delicious!" she added, thinning her lips into a mirthless smile. Somehow I did not like the look glinting in her eyes, and I enquired, "Where's Jonathan?" "Oh! He won't be in tonight. He's gone out to watch a movie with Timothy." "Gone out to watch a movie!" That didn't sound like Jonathan, going off to a movie without even informing me first. "Don't wo~ry, dear. Tonight we'll have dinner together. It's something special that I've cooked for you. Something very special." Again that mirthless smile and that glint in her eyes. "Oh! By the way, if you're thinking of taking Jonathan away from me, you can forget it. I'll never let you have him. If I can't have him, neither will you. He's my little boy, you know." By now, a half-crazed look had entered her eyes, and her lips had compressed into a thin line. I wasn't about to enter into an argument with her now. There was plenty of time for that when Jonathan returned. Without a word. I was about to leave the kitchen when she stopped me --------- -----~----------------+ with a parting shot, " Just a word of caution, my dear. Don't open the door of THE STEW Lee Gaik Lin Upper 6 Arts 1 Prize for Best Creative Prose I had had enough of her. I didn't care even if she was Jonathan's mother. Either she goes, or I 'do. Even the very thought of her was enough to send shievers up my spine. Oh! That woman! She and her rituals every night - chanting in her room, burning incense and sometimes even sacrificing animals in the backyard. the fridge tonight." That same smile again. " I want the jelly to set." There was something strange about her .behaviour tonight. She seemed too happy and friendly. Maybe she was trying to make ammends for the past. But my mind was made up. When Jonathan returned tonight, we would have one last battle. Dinner that night was taken in silence. She had cooked some kind of stew. But I wasn't sure. It tasted delicious though I couldn't quite make out the ingredients. It was kind of mushy. She couldn't have been trying to poison me; after all, she was also eating what I was eating. Nevertheless, it was still strange why she had suddenly volunteered her services in cooking a meal. Just to ease the tension in the room, I decided ·to make some light conversation. "Er ....... What's this thing I'm ·eating anyway?" Well tonight - there was going to be a showdown. The only thing that kept me from leaving was my love of Jonathan. I still loved him dearly, but enough is enough. Tonight, he would have to choose between his mother and "Something you've never eaten beJore, my dear, and probably never will again." Once more that look in her eyes. Before I could answer, the telephone The whirring of a plane overhead awoke me from my reverie. Well, Mrs. rang. It was Cindy, my next door neighbour. me . Lim, tonight we shall see who wins in this final battle! " Hi, Linda. Have you seen Ricky around? I've been searching high and As I walked into the house, the smell of something cooking greeted my low for him all day." nostrils. Strange! The maid was on holiday and I'm sure that woman wouldn't Ricky was Cindy's three-year-old son. He often came by·my place to play cook. As a matter of fact, he hadn't cooked a single meal since she shifted in to in the garden, but today I hadn't seen him at all. As a matter of fact, I hadn't stay with us six months ago. Six miserable months. Sometimes I marvel at my- seen Jonathan all day either. I came back to the dinner table feeling very self for having tolerated her for six months. But tonight, ah , tonight was going uneasy. All sorts of doubts were creeping into my mind. to be the last night. " Have some more stew, my dear." She began ladling-more stew into my "Hello, Linda," my mother-in-law greeted me from the kitchen. "Do plate. I must admit that the stew tasted good. But I was still curious as to what come and take a look at what I've cooked." With this statement, she lifted the . ingredients she had used. !if of the pot for me to peer in. 154
Still pondering, I sipped the stew slowly. I accidentally bit on something BAHAY A RA,DIOAKTIF hard. I took it out of my mouth , and on close inspection, discovered that it----------------------------- was a tooth. A tooth! As I looked carefully into the stew, I saw a few strands of hair Ooating about - short, curly strands. Jonathan had short curly hair too. Oh no! I couldn't believe i"t. It can't be! She couldn't be that crazy! Her own son!! I felt a sudden constriction in my throat as I recalled her words to me this evening ....... . 'If I don't get him, neither will you!" and she knew I was going to win. Jonathan loved me dearly, more than her. As I looked at her now smiling at 1ne across the table , I knew I was right. I had to be right. Why else did she take the effort to cook a special meal for me? She hated and despised me, and wouldn't even lift a finger for me. And where was Jonathan? Jonathan would have told me if he had wanted to see a show. But how could she sit there ea ling her own ...... Ugh! I was sick to the stomach. No! No ' No! My head was screaming but I could not articulate any words. There was only one way to find the truth - the fridge, I had to check it. I rushed out of the room like a mad woman, and headed straight for the fridge. But somehow, I wasn't prepa red for the sight that greeted my eyes. I ret ched for a rew minutes before the whole gravity of the incident hit me. Then I started screaming hysteri cally. Between my sobs and my screams, I somehow managed to telephone the police to come and take her away. Her son! Her own son! How could she do it? She's crazy ! Crazy! The last I sa;,v •of her, sh.~ still had the same mirthless smile on her lips and the same crazy glint in her eyes. · "Well,- we·ve taken'her away. She'll be treated in the mental hospital. l never knew that she was crazy, looking so normal on the outside. Well, it takes ·all 'kii1ds to make this world. Do send my regards to Jonathan. Goodnight!" the police ii1spector left with a wave of his hand. The h.ours passed. " Hello. n1o tlier. What happened ta.. Linda? You told me she was waiting for me in the cinema.'' "She must have forgotten , dear. Do try some of my stew. I made it especially for you." "What kind of stew is it, mother? I can't seem to place my finger on it." "A special kind of stew, my dear. A very special kind that you have never tasted before and never will again.'' Rosli Amrqn 6Rendah H· Dalam abad yang kebelakangan ini, kemampuan teknologi manusia telah maju jauh ke hadapan, malah sudah melampaui seluruh usaha manusia sepanjang _ sejarah sebelumnya . Dengan segala daya usaha, manusia berjaya menjumpai sumber tenaga ·yang banyak memberi faedah dalam kehidupan harian. Salah · satu sumber itu ialah minyak mentah yang diperolehi dari perut bumi. Ianya membekalkan kuasa dan tenaga yang utama di masa ini. Akhir-akhir ini telah tern ya ta dan menyebabkan ramai orang semakin sedar bahawa penggunaan minyak itu ada batasnya. Minyak lama-kelamaan akan kering juga. Persoalan seperti ini sering diutarakan dan telah mendorong beberapa orang ahli-ahli sains untuk mencari cara bagi mengatasi masalah-atau krisis tenaga yan~ akan timbul akibat kehabisan minyak. Sementara ilu, dalam pengetahuan sains, khususnya fizik, ramai orang telah mengkaji ten tang tenaga, bermula dengan tenaga haba , tenaga air dan wap hinggalah kepada tenaga elektrik dan sebagainya. Seterusnya, beberapa jenis logam didapati memancarkan sinaran yang boleh menembusi kepingan logam lain yang setebal beberapa sentimeter. Sinaran tersebut digelar sinaran radioaktif. Unsur-unsur logam berkenaan itu pula adalah zat atau bahan radioaktif. Teori pembelahan berkali-kali ke atas atom-a tom melalui sesuatu reaksi akan tinggal begitu sahaja sekiranya manusia tidak mempunyai nafsu untuk berperang. Semasa Perang Dunia Kedua, beberapa orang pakar Arnerika , dengan usahasama dari pihak tentera , telah berjaya mencipta sebuah born berdasarkan kepada penyelidikan teori tersebut. Born ini kemudian dikenali sebagai born atom. Seluruh usaha telah ditumpukan untuk mencipta born yang paling dahsyat itu. Salah satu daripada peneinuan yang dicapai ialah pembelahan bahagian nukleus atom a tau "in ti" a tom Uranium pada tahun I 939 oleh 0. Hond dan F. Strassman. Uranium yang digunakan dalam penyelidikan ini ialah Uranium jenis U-238, iaitu sejenis variasi atau 'isotop' logam Uranium. Fermi pula telah membina sebuah reaktor nuklear yang bertugas mengendalikan reaksi berantai 'inti' Uranium itu. Dengan penemuan pengendalian berantai tersebut, sejarah teknologi baru telah diiempa. Tetapi dalam Perang Dunia Kedua, sejarah juga telah mencatat: 155
kan kehHangan nyawa ratusan ribu manusia dan kemusnahan harta benda yang berlaku di dua buah kota besar Jepun iaitu Horoshima dan Nagasaki. Albert Einstein yang sempat menyaksikan peristiwa tersebut telah tergerak mengemukakan serangkai kata-kata yang masyhur iaitu "Agama tanpa ilmu pengetahuan akan Iumpuh; ilmu pengetahuan tanpa agama itu buta." "Kegunaan awal bahan radioaktif banyak tertumpu kepada kegunaan tentera. Perkembangan teknologi dan penyempurnaan dilakukan terus - menerus sehingga peluru berpandu yang menggunakan tenaga nuklear berjaya dicipta oleh Amerika Syarikat dan Soviet Union. Kekuatannya berkali-ganda dari born yang pernah digugurkan di Hiroshima dan Nagasaki. Walaupun demikian, kuasa nuklear juga dipergunakan untuk tujuan yang berfaedah. Ekoran dari reaksi bahanapi nukJear yang berupa unsur Uranium, Plutonium atau carnpuran keduanya, boieh menghasilkan bahan panas yang luar biasa. Haba ini boleh digunakan untuk mengwapkan air. Wapnya boleh memutarkan jentera turbin, selanjutnya menghidupkan janakuasa yang akan mengeluarkan tenaga elektrik. Tenaga yang diperolehi secara demikian juga digunakan untuk rnenjalankan berbagai industri dan untuk kapal yang menggunakan enjin turbin. Pancaran radioaktif juga mempunyai kegunaan tersendiri seperti dapat membunuh sel-sel bakteria dalam bahan makanan bertin•, menyebabkan ianya tahan lama dan sebagai alat pengesan dalam pengawasan pengeluaran industri. Satlt lagi kegunaan yang penting ialah dalam bidang perubatan iaitu sebagai rawatan penyakit barah atau kanser. Dalam perusahaan mencarigali minyak, kadangkala berlaku kebocoran pada paip-paip saluran minyak yang panjangnya berpuluh-puluh kilometer ke dalam tanah. Pancaran radiasi nuklear boleh mengesan tempat kebocoran itu tanpa perlu menggali semula seluruh kawasan tanah terse but. Sudah menjadi resam dunia bahawa setiap yang berguna itu ada keburukan sampingan serta bahayanya. Tenaga nuklear yang diharapkan menjadi pilihan utama sebagai sumber baru tenaga bagi masa hadapan ternyata tidak terlalu mudah unttik digunakan manusia secar2 meluas dau selama t. Sekiranya ia kurang cermat digunakan, ia mungkin membawa bahaya besar kepada manusia . Terdapat dua cara di tnana radiasi radioaktif boleh menyebabkan kecederaan. Pertama ialah kecederaan jenis 'somatik' misalnya Iuka terbakar akibat bahan radiasi yang menyerang tisu-tisu dan yang boleh menyebabkan leukimia, kemandulan, buta dan berbagai lagi. Kecederaan yang kedua ialah dari jenis 'genetik'iaitu kecederaan pada tubuh mangsa yang akan menjadi kecederaan keturunan, menyebabkan lahirnya bayi-bayi cacat. Bagi mereka yang malang ini, tiada lagi harapan atau rawatan. Ada juga yang menjadi mangsa secara tidak langsung. Misalnya, sisa-sisa pembuangan nuklear dari pusat-pusat reaktor mcncemarkan laut dan segala hidupannya. lkan-ikl!n kemudiannya ditangkap untuk dijadikan bahan makanan kepada manusia yang kelak akan menerima padahnya. Asap-asap yang dibebaskan dari pusat-pusat reaktor juga boleh mencemarkan udara, di mana bukan sahaja manusia, tetapi binatang dan tumbuh-tumbullan pun turut terccmar. Kini, merata-rata , orangramai membantah akan penggunaan ten:.iga nuklear, teruta1:1anya sebagai senjata peperangan. Vcsc.da ran tCll t:111~ ··.:,haya yang ketara 156 ini juga telah menimbulkan penentangan keras terhadap penggunaan kuasa nuklear, misalnya apabila berlakunya kebocoran di Pusat Elektrik Tenaga Nuklear di Harrisburg, Amerika Syarikat. Tragedi pengeboman di Hiroshima dan Nagasaki juga mengakibatkan sebilangan rakyat Jepun masih menderita disebabkan kecederaan 'genetik' yang sungguh menyedihkan. Biasanya pusat-pusat industri yang menggunakan tenaga nuklear akan menghasilkan sisa-sisa atau sampah yang mengandungi unsur-unsur radioaktif. Sampah-sampah yang mengandungi sisa-sisa radioaktif biasanya dibuang ke laut. Ada berbagai cara yang diusulkan supaya sampah-sampah sisa nuklear itu dibuang ke kolam khas di daratan, malah ada juga yang mencadangkan membuangkannya di angkasa lepas. Pernah berlaku sebuah satelit Soviet Russia yang menggunakan tenaga nuklear telah meletup di angkasa lepas. Serpihanriya bertaburan di angkasa hingga ke kawasan Kanada, tetapi tiada me_mbawa koi-ban kepada manusia. Debu serta benda-benda lain yang melayang di· udara akibat dari suatu letupan nuklear disebut debu nuklear. Ia sudah tentunya menjadi unsur yang meracuni udara, bumi dan air. Sisa-sisa nuklear akan tetap memancarkan sinar radioaktif sampai ratusan tahun, jika kita dapat membayangkan bagaimana keadaannya kalau terkena sinar radioaktif itu sebagaimana rakyat Jepun masih merasakan akibat debu nuklear walaupun sudah hampir setengah abad born atom digugurkan di Hiroshima dan Nagasaki. Walaupun ianya sisa-sisa , tetapi masih berupaya untuk menghancurkan kehidupan di dunia. Poon DEPARTURE Pak Leng Upper 6 Science 2 In the tracks of time our paths together met To join as one. with the other walk Step 'pon step we take, trusting His Grace For love and strength each day to face The time has come when we shall depart Each to one's life sep'rately to lead Your countenance mine eyes shall behold no more Yet mem'ry shalt retain it close to my heart And though our conversations be as dead But echo it will forever more. Tears! Flow not thee unfettered, To wash and balm the agony in my heart? Alas, the rift, too deep it has cleft Only time would heal, tears sufficeth not. So let me hold you in my arms a little longer Let this moment of ours linger on ....... . Ancl now I bid thee, "Go forth, blessed of our saviour May his Love and Light lead you forever on! "
THE MIDDLE PATH 5 Sreenivasan Science 1. Xyzab is quite a small country. Its area isn't much more than one hundred million square kilometres, and its population rarely goes above the 26 billion mark. Many authors, poets, journalists and other wielders of that which is mightier than the sword have described Xyzab using various adjectives, but none is more commonly used than ·average'. "Xyzab enjoys average affluence 110 more than fifty million citizens starve to death daily." Thus went a quote !'mm 'the Guide'. Indeed, Xyzab is average in almost every respect. Its rulers are normally oppressive, the infrastructure, education, standard of living ... all .can be described as average. But let us turn out attention to the government of,Xyzab. Some <:enturies ago. one of the Council of Five (previously the absolute rulers of Xyzab) was attracted to a philosphy was called 'democracy', and it was supposed to have originated millenia or two, and, anyway, one should not pay too much heed to the utterances of decadent foreigners. Suffice it to say that this philosophy introduced ideas totally alien to the Xyzabi way of thinking. Before the advent of 'democracy', it was the belief of the people (if two persons, let alone 26 billion can possibly have the same believe) or at least of the rulers, that the Council had a divine right to decide the destiny of the land of Xyzab. To a large extent, the people (again bearing in mind the limitations of using such an abstract term) agreed with this - or were too lazy or oppressed in their way of thinking to rebel or make a violent effort to change things. After all did they not live in comparative comfort ..... or, well, at least LIVE. At any rate, the only rebels were the self-styled 'Black Saviours', who were intent on destroying the hold the Council had on Xyzab. They enjoyed limited success for a whole, but soon the people got rather shocked by their terror tactics, and the Council was granted a mandate to take stringent measures against the ' ................ 's'. as they were known to the man/woman/child on the street. (The mere mention of their dreaded name was once sufficient to strike fear into so many people's hearts that a prolonged silence followed by a short hiss and a few facial contortions was generally used instead.) In the end, the rebellion was crushed without much loss. Only one billion Xyzabis died. It is not for us, or indeed for anyone to question (god forbid) the wisdom of the Council in getting rid of this cancer which would threaten the future of Xyzab ... or at least that of the Council of Five . Was it not for the continued peace and prosperity of the Xyzab nation? No matter that five million square kilometres of virgin land could never be used by any human, Xyzabi or otherwise for about 240,000 revolutions. (Certain isotopes of Plutonium take somewhat longer to lose their deadly radioactivity, but 240,000 revs is quite a good estimate.) The land of Xyzab was rid forever o.f the spectr.e of rebellion and dissension against the divine authority of the Five and their glorious manda te to guide the people to progress, advancement, and a more exalted state of being .... · Anyway, when 'democracy' came, the Council was pretty much in control. As I said before, the ideas of democracy on government were diametrically opposed to that of orthodox Xyzabi. Democracy actually suggested that the common people, the trash of the nation, had a right to innuence their government. Democracy would also give everyone freedom of expression .... of speech and of writing. Just imagine - throwing the door open to sacrilegious heretics. Surely the ideas of democracy had to be modified before they could be served for public consumption. The Council thought that these new ideas might mute the rumblings of discontent that could already be heard here and there. So, about 1000 revs ago, Xyzab was declared a democracy. The people were given a chance to vote - for 5,555 candidates (specially hand-picked by the Five) for the office of 'Member of the Congress of Five Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty-five. The people were allowed their vote - one candidate per office - and all the sea.ts were duly filled . Oh, 'twas glorious, the day Xyzab became a Democratic State. The people were elevJted, in one fell swoop, from servility to freedom, from tyranny to popular· government. And their lives continued, exactly the same as before. Of course, this extremely diluted form of democracy did not last very long. Soon, the people were clamouring (in an averagely violent way, too) for more freedom, and certain previously unthinkable notions were being bandied around with shocking nonchalance by the general populace . Why, there was even talk that any ordinary man in the street was an equal of any Councilman's third cousin, one descended from a noble line. The more daring ones went so far as to suggest that, in addition to the candidates whom the Council had graciously condescended to pick, other people be allowed to stand for office, and the candidates with more votes be picked as a Congressman. From its humble beginning, democracy had taken root in Xyzab. But for many people, the high-minded ideals that were the components of democracy remained as ideals; they were rarely, if ever applied to the real sit uations of life. Anyone was absolutely free to speak his own mind - unless he happened to think that the Congress was nothing but a prize collection of fools and the Council, a group of criminal despots - or other such thoughts. Eventually, however, many of the barriers were broken down; the Council lost its power and its members were reduced to mere figureheads. Their only . function was to nod 'yea' at all the government's decisions. In its place, the original Congress of 5,555 had expanded· to 55,555. (Note What a nice, average number it is : five fives or an average number of average numbers.) Thus Xyzab was ruled, and still is ruled, in an average way. Most of the members of the Congress were relatives of the original 5,555; they held most of the power, as indeed they do now. This group, or 'party', as they called themselves, enjoyed the best of two worlds. On the one hand, their government, as long as it could legally preserve the status quo, would enjoy the military and economic support of the ostensible 'champions of democracy'; the immensely powerful nations of Pomposa and Gigantica. On the other hand, the nature of the governments of these two countries made it possible for .the ruling party of Xyzab to infringe on the sacred tenets of d.emocracy 157
(discreetly, of course). Yes, hypocrisy does take many forms. As a result, the ancient laws made to combat the Black Saviours were now turned against the CongressLnen from without the ruling party, and new, more effective laws (in the eyes of the government, of course) were passed to curtail the vociferous activities of a few of the other Congressmen and their supporters among the Xyzabi public. But still, the Xyzabi rulers abused their powers to only an average extent, as only a few hundred Congressmen found out, much to their cost. The Xyzabi rulers also condoned freedom of expression, but only to a certain extent. Quite simply, it meant that anything praising the government of adopting a neutral stand would be allowed; anything that did not, would not. The Press in Xyzab was, as someone eminent put it, 'free to print what the government wanted ihem to print'. And that situation, with democracy subverted, has prevailed to this day. But the· people of Xyzab are quite resigned. They know that, despite the fact that they will never. be truly free, if change were to come, it would probably be for the worse. So, they live their 'free' lives under the smothering 'protection' of their government. Many authors, poets, journalists and other wielders of that which is mightier than the sword have described Xyzab using various adjectives, but none is more commonly used than 'average' ......... ESOK DALAM PENANTIAN Aswana Abu 6 A las Sastera 1 Pada sebuah hari bernama esok Kau akan melihat aku di mana-mana Barangkali aku -nun jauh di puncak atau, persis seekor kura-kura, masih mendaki a tau juga dengan tangis tak berair mata, aku terhumbang dalam lembah kekecewaan .......... . Doakanlah aku agar, kalau aku sudah berada di puncak jaya leherku masih mampu untuk menjenguk ke bawah pada rumput-rumpu t hijau yang pernah kupijak Dan, pada sungai keringa t ayah bondaku yang mengalir lesu ......... .. Kalau aku masih mendaki tiupkan semangat waja untukku agar, dari seekor kura-kura, aku bertukar menjadi kuda. Hulurkan tanganrnu dan salarn kasih-buatku Kalau aku terhumban ke lembah berikanlah aku cahaya dan pedoman agar, dengan sendirinya aku akan bangun Megah dan Gagah ! ! 158 Mukh IMPIAN tar Mohamed 5 Sains 1 Aku ingin ............. . melayap angkasa rama-rama menghirup kebebasan, menyclami kepekatan malam menyingkap rahsianya, menganggotai keluarga belantara bersatu lidah, mengetahui dosa bulan dipulau, mengaut segala ilmu yang tercatat, mencurah simpati rintihan Moechtar Awang, menguliti perbezaan insan segaja( menggubah kejayaan abadi, dan .......... mencoret warna dunia melukis potret hidup. Dan untuk itu aku mesti .................. .. memetik bunga-bunga bahasa memasang gegendang meneliti _alunan siulan alam, mengamati kridk·a·n pementasan makhluk-makhluk dunia, mengunjung babak-babak lakonan Gandhi dan sebagainya, mendekati gurisan tinta ahlul falsafah, menadah tapak tangan memohon bantuan Ilahi, dan sabar. Meskipun demikian aku masih tidak perlu .............. . menangguk perut lautan meggenggam kekayaan, menyisih diri meraba-raba kedamaian palsu, menyinggung sukma menakuk !agenda karut, mengangkuh atas nama tugas, dan merana menyiksa badan kerananya. Dan kiranya aku dianugerah kejayaan ............... .. dan kepuasan yang aku kecapi, maka lafaz-lafaz syukur akan kl.lucapkan, Dan kemudian mengorak satu langkah .lagi, menu ju kesempurnaan ........................... yang mustahil dicapai
A CRUMMY INCIDENT I recovered consciousness (or woke up!) in a bed. I was unpleasantly -=T::--lw-:L:-'-y_e_K:-:--eo_n_g ______________________ ----J aware of the fact that I was dripping blood onto my pillow. After a wait which I thought lasted several hours (but, the nurses assured me, was only an hour 5 Science I or so in duration), I had my cranium and my patella x-rayed. Thence, it was back to the ward again. This time I did really wait several hours until my x-rays became available. I thought the one of my skuil was an exceUent likeness "Supercilious Creep." I directed an appropriately cold glance at the road hog who, riding his bike at a speed which must have brought him close to the sound barrier, had just overtaken me. As there was little I could do in a ten-speed which would have made him aware that he had been in a race, I settled down comfortably for the rest of my ride to school. I was full of beans that morning. The exams were over and, as I was justifiably sure that no lessons were to be conducted in the course of the day, I was looking forward to school (for a change .......... ). Before I knew it, it was over. There was a jar, a feeling of b~wilderment and one of excruciating pain. Somebody screamed ....... I stumbled to my feet. My knee, usually a most reliable portion of my anatomy, completely refused to support me. Blood, mugs of it, seemed to be flowing from a dozen lacerations on my face . I could not bring myself to inspect what remained of my glasses. Miraculously, my watch had survived intact. I stared at it mutely: 7.35 a.m. A car had · stopped. Its passengers, being quite possibly the only people present with a shred of civic-consciousness in them, got out and hauled me in. The young man who followed me into the back-seat handed me a beautifullypressed handkerchief and I hastily clasped it to a deep gash in close proximity to my . left eye. I have always maintained that I cannot stand the sight of blood · - a rather strange phobia for one who is a trained first-aider but nonetheless true. I glanced down at my once-white shirt - it was now a brilliant crimson - and fought down a feeling of nausea. I needed a drink. The car had pulled into the hospital by then. In a trancelike state, I was guided into a wheel-chair and wheeled to a treatment room where several nurses commented on the sight which my lacerated face presented. Here, a large dressing was applied to my face. Now. a lot of people will tell you there is a whole lot difference between fa ll ing unconscious and falling asleep, but believe me , I am not sure whether it was the former or the latter which I experienced. I felt rather tired and slumped forward on the whee l-chair and that, as far as I am concerned, was tha t. but declined to make my views public ......... Anyway, it was a fascinating wait. I could, from my strategically-placed position, hear the nurses' comments on the menu, the state of a doctor's desk and other affairs of great import. Don't get the impression that I was ignored though - the nurses were most conscientious and a great deal more pleasant to look at than I was. Finally, I was wheeled to the eye clinic where somebody or other asked me about my injuries. Incidentally, it seems to be customary to ask any teenager who is involved in an accident whether he was astride a motorcycle. Anyway, the conversation was most entertaining. "Let's see, you have some bad lacerations on your face and - " "My God!" "No - your eyelids." There seemed to be some difficulty about clearing the foyer so they could stitch up some of the deeper cuts. Eventually a nurse placed a powerful lamp into position, gave me a local anaesthetic and, generally, cleaned up my wounds. A doctor and a hospital assistant then hovered into my greatly reduced field of vision (I had a dressing plastered over one eye). I was ever so disappointed. They weren't wearing masks. No surgical caps. I groaned. Remaining fully conscious whilst somebody sticks needles into you may hold a certain appeal, especially if you are an Eastern Mystic or a masochist. I was neither. It hurt and I was terrified. Chemistry teachers insist that hydrogen peroxide is used to obtain oxygen during laboratory experiments but it has a more interesting (and painful) application - wound cleaning. I still cannot make up my mind as to what hurt more - the H2 0 2 or the stitching. Anyway, the conversation between the two men who worked on me was also extremely interesting. For health reasons (m.ine!) I shall not repeat it. Suffice it. to say chat the two men were competent and I was discharged three days later. One comment which will always afford me consolation as I go through life with a beautiful crescent-shaped scar in the region of my left eye came from a nurse in the treatment room. It is as discursive as it is encouraging: "Goodness! Lucky it didn't happen to a girl!" 159
Di kala berusia tujuh tahun, Razman mula memasuki alam persekolahan . .L.J>_E_R_S_IM_P_AN __ G_AN _____________________ -j O!eh kerana tidak sanggup melihat Razman berjalan berbatu-batu ke sekolah, Pak Rosman telah membocengkannya setiap pagi dan membawanya balik pada. sebelah tengah hari. Di sekolah, Razman terkenal dengan kecerdasannya . Z. ZAHAR! 3 Perdagangan 3 Jarum jam di dinding mula merangkak-rangkak ke angka dua belas. Razman tidak dapat melelapkan matanya walau sepincing jua . Bayu malam sekalisekala menerajah masuk melalui jendela kamar. Suis radio di tangannya mula dihidupkan oleh jari telunjuk Razman. "Tepat pukul dua belas dua minit pagi, kami sajikan rancangan kegemaran anda, 'Pilihan Anda'." suara serak-serak basah juruhebah radio memulakan rancangan. "Terimalah lagu pertama dari kumpulan The Alleycats - Dosa," juruhebah meneruskan rancangan. · Persimpangan yang kau jadikan, Pertemuan mencari teman, Agar dapat kau menikmati syurgamu , Kini datanglah seribu wajah, Meratapi air mukamu, Penuh dengan pcristiwa nan pilu, Hanya Tuhan yang dapat kau Memintakan ampun segala dosamu itu, Namun terus kau mcmilih, Jalan yang kini tiada bererti ..... . Razman terus menghayati setiap patah perkataan dalam lirik lagu tersebut dengan penuh 1eli1i. Dengan tidak semena-mena, dilemparkannya radio tersebut kc dinding kamar. Air mata mula tc rbit dari kelopak matanya , lalu mengalir membasahi kulit pipinya. Matanya merenung tajarn ke arah kerusi rodanya . Baginya, kerusi roda ilulah yang banyak berbakti dalam hidupnya. Lalu direnung pula kedua bclah lututnya . Kedua-dua belah kakinya kudung akibat ditimpa kecelakaan kctika usia remajanya. Matanya mula 111emandang ke scmua arah dan sudut kamar. Tiba-tiba pcn~lihatannya tertumpu tajam ke arah potretnya dan kedua orang tuanya ketika dia berusia se111bilan tahun. Air malanya semakin deras mengalir seolah olah darah ayam jantan yang baru disembelih. Renak fikirannya mula dihantui oleh peristiwa-peristiwa silam nan pilu dalam hidupnya. lnilah satu-satunya peristiwa yang tidak dapat dilupakannya sepanjang hayat ... . .. . . ..... Dua puluh lima tahun yang la111pau , Razman telah dilahirkan dalam keluarga yang serba kekurangan. Ayahnya , Pak Rosman, berkhidmat sebagai seorang buruh kasar. lbunya , Mak Rosmah, bekerja sebagai pembantu rumah. Razman telah dibelai penuh kasih sayang oleh kedua orang tuanya. Memandangkan Razman _merupakan satu-satunya ca haya mata mereka, kesemua kehendaknya teru·s ditunaikan olch rne reka. 160 Semenjak menjejak ke alam persekolahan menengah, Ra zman mula bernaul jengan anak-anak yang salah didikan . Ketika berusia lima belas tahun, sikapnya banyak berubah. Razman mula ponteng sekolah, mula mengenali rokok dan berjinak-jinak pula dengan perjudian kecil-kecilan. Pada suatu ketika, Pak Rosman telah ditimpa demam panas. Pekerjaannya mula tergendala dan sumber kewangan mereka sekeluarga bergan tung kepada Mak Rosmah. Pada suatu malam, hujan turun dengan lebatnya. Kilat sabung-menyabung di langit. Jam tepat menunjukkan pukul sepuluh tiga puluh malam. Mak Rosmah masih belum lagi kembali dari tempat kerjanya. Razman pada ketika itu sedang bcrbual-bual dengan rakan-rakan sekampungnya. Tiba-tiba, seluruh kampung menjadi gelap-gelita. Bekalan elektrik telah putus. Seluruh kampung menjadi riuh-rendah diselubtingi pula dengan tangisan anak-anak kecil. Jam tcrus melewati pukul dua belas malam, malahan Mak Rosmah masih belum kembali. Pak Rosman mula cemas ........ Razman terus beromong-omong kosong di beranda rumah. Dengan tubuh yang menggigil kesejukan, Pak Rosman menghampiri anaknya, Razman. "Man, cuba kau susuli ibumu. Mungkin dia terlupa membawa payung," rayu Pak Rosman. Razman tetap membisu seribu bahasa. Pak Rosman terus merayu kepada anaknya. Tetapi rayuannya ternyata sia-sia belaka. Razman tetap dengan keengkarannya. Pak Rosman terus bergegas ke dapur untuk mengambil payung dan lampu usangnya sahaja yang sempat dicapainya. Pak Rosman terus keluar mc- 'nuju ke tempat kerja isterinya. Simpang-siur di jalan sunyi sepi ti~da kende,aan, hanya Pak Rosman menyusuri jalan yang lebih kurang satu kilometer. Mulutnya berkumat-kamit membaca doa agar Allah berada di sisinya selalu. Tubuh Pak Rosman terhoyong-hayang seolah-olah sepohon pokok ditiup bayu kencang. Tiba-tiba Pak Rosman rebah di tepi jalanraya . Keesokan paginya , penduduk kampung telah menjumpai tubuh Pak Rosman terbujur di jalanan. Mereka membawa Pak Rosman ke hospital. Penduduk kampung mula dirundung hiba , Mak Rosmah pula dirawat di .1ospital kerana diti_mpa kemalangan ketika pulang dari rumah majikannya. Semenjak Pak Rosman dan Mak Rosman tiada di rumah, kesempatan ini diambil oleh penagih-penagih dadah. Mereka telah memperalatkan Razman untuk menjalankan kegiatan mereka. Razman disuruh mengambil '!bungkusanbungkusan" dari para pengedar. Tiap-tiap bungkusan akan diberi upahan sebanyak tiga ringgit. Selang beberapa hari kemudian, Mak Rosmah telah sembuh dan dibenarkan pulang. Seminggu kemudian, keadaan Pak Rosman amat membimbangkan. Puas Mak Rosmah memujuk Razman menziarahi ayahnya. "Man, mari ikut !bu pergi menziarahi Ayah kau, dia sak.it kuat," pujuk Mak Rosmah.
"Kalau lbu nak pergi, pergilah, apa gunanya kalau Man ikut. Kalau Ayah "Ya Allah, ya Tuhanku, ampunilah segala dosa anakku, tunjukkanlah kenak mati, biarlah, apa Man boleh buat," tengking Razman kepada ibunya. padanya jalan yang Engkau redai," Mak Rosmah memohon doa sambil menadah Para doktor telah "membuka tangan" u\111 menyuruh Mak Rosmah mem- kedua belah tangannya . bawa Pak Rosman balik ke rumah. Walaupun diikhtiarkan dengan ubat-ubatan Di pondo_n usang mereka , Razman dan kuncu-kuncu yang lain sibuk tradisional, namun lebih tenat kesihatan Pak Rosman. mcnjalankan kerja masing-masing. Tiba-tiba, pondok mereka diserbu oleh Pada suatu malam, Pak Rosman telah meracau-racau dan tak putus-putus sepasukan polis. Mereka pun membuka langkah seribu lintang-pukang. Razman menyebut nama anaknya, Razman. Sebelum menghembus nafas yang terakhir, menunggang motosikalnya ke arah jalanraya. Gerak-gerinya telah diekori oleh Pak Rosman sempat berwasiat kepada isterinya. sebuaJ1 kereta peronda polis. Tiba di suatu selekoh, tiba-tiba seorang wanita tua "Rosmah,_ kau jagalah Razman baik-baik .. . .. " seru Pak Rosman dengan melintasi jalan. Razman tidak dapat ·mengelak lalu melanggar wanita tua itu. nada yang putu_s-putus. Razman dan wanita tua itu rebah di jalanraya. Datang sebuah lori lalu melanggar "Baiklah Bang, Mah berjanji akan tunaikan kehendak Abang," balas Mak kedua-dua belah kaki Razman. Rosmah sambil mcngesat airmata. Keesokan harinya di hospital, Razman telah diberitahu bahawa wanita tua "Rosmah, kau tunjukkanlah jalan yang benar dan lurus kepada Raz ... " yang dilanggarnya adalah ibu kandungnya sendiri, Mak Rosmah. Mak Rosmah tiba-tiba suara itu putus dan Pak Rosman menghembus nafas terakhir di sisi telah meninggal dunia di tempat kejadian tersebut. isterinya. Razman mula menginsafi perbuatanriya. Baginya, hidup tak bererti lagi "Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun," seru Mak Rosmah sambil menutup mata kerana kedua belah kakinya terpaksa dipotong. suaminya. "Ya Allah, ampunilah segala dosaku ke atas kedua orang tuaku," seru Semenjak kematian ayahnya, Razman telah diberhentikan sekolah. Dia Razman dalam hatinya. mula berjinak-jinak dengan rokok. Dalam usia remaja, Razman mula mengenali Semasa dirawa t di Pusat Pemulihan PEMADAM selama dua setengah tahun , dadah _..... Razman telah diberi didikan agama dan tanggungjawab sebagai insan yang ber- "Alah, kau ni Man, tak gentlemanlah, takkan kau takut mencubanya ," guna. Dia juga dilatih dalam seni pertukangan dan kemahiran ta.ngan. cabar salah seorang penagih kepada Razman. Pusat Pemulihan telah menghadiahkan kerusi roda kepada Razman dan Hari demi hari, Razman telah mencuba dari satu jenis dadah kc jenis yang memberinya pekerjaan sebagai seorang pembuat barangan rotan .. . . . . Iain. Dan perhubungan anak-beran.k Mak Rosmah dengan Razman mula runcing. Tiba-tiba jam berbunyi menandakan pukul satu. Razman tersentak dari Razman tidak lagi tinggal bersama-sama ibunya. Dia telah melarikan 'diri dan lamunan lalu mengesat airmata. Kini tinggalah Razman bersama dakapan tinggal bersama-sama dengan penagih-penagih dadah yang lain. malam • • . ... • . Ketua pengedar dadah mula menjalankan pengedaran mereka dengan lebih ..... Aku t?hu aku mender~ta, luas lagi. Dari hasil yang lumayan, Razman telah dihadiahkan sebuah motosikal Ak1bat dek putus cmta, oleh ketuanya. Motosikal tersebut digunakan untuk mempercepatkan pengedar- Sedang asyik engkaupun ternoda, an mereka dari satu kawasan ke kawasan yang lain. Hanya Tuhan yang dapat kau , Tubuh Razman yang sihat dahulunya, mula menjadi kurus kering. Matanya Memintakan ampun, sentiasa merah, dan· wajahnya sentiasa pucat lesi. Semakin hari semakin luput Segal~ do~a itu, ingatannya kepada Mak Rosmah. Tetapi Mak Rosmah tetap mencari Razman Kembahlah msan, . dan ingin menunaikan wasiat Allahyarham suaminya. Kepada Tuhanmu yang Maha Muha . . .. . .. Pada suatu malam, hujan turun dengan lebatnya . Mak Rosmah telah bertemu dengan Razman . Pertemuan ini sungguh mengharukan bagi Mak Rosmah . "Man, baliklah ke rumah, kembalilah ke pangka! jalan," rayu Mak Rosmah. "Perempuan sial, tak tahu malu, mengaku aku anaknya," tengku Razman kepada ibunya. Penagih'penagil1 lain ketawa melihat kejadian sedih itu. "Halau saja orang tua ni Man, menyampah aku melihatnya ," sampuk ketua D penagih. engan hati yang remuk-redam, Mak Rosmah lalu meninggalkan pondok sarang penagih tersebut. Airmata mengalir membasahi pipinya dan setitik demi setitik jatuh ke bumi. 161
THE BEGGAR . "Where there;s a will there's a way". Easy to say, especially for the rich. ------------------------------, fie wanted to be rich, but there was no way he could be. Work? As what? Yeong Weng Yik L6A It was an ordinary bowl, nothing special about it. Even as lawyers had their robes and businessmen their suits, he had his bowl as the symbol of his "profession". Looking at it now, he slipped into a world of his own thoughts, thinking of his years as a beggar. Open a small business? Sell what? With what capital? He was poor. He was 1Ilitera te. . Once, he had worked as a labourer. Until the accident happened. He had lost his right hand in the accident, and had had to stop working. The compensation they paid had only lasted a month, thriftily as he lived. So, he was a beggar now and would remain a beggar until he died. He had only one question to ask. Why? The clink of a coin shattered his reverie, and brought him back to earth. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you". As he thought, he sat in his usual corner, on a side-walk in front o"r a shop. He had -sat there and, yes, slept there, every day for two years now, waiting patiently in the hope that some kind soul would drop something in to his bowl. Before he had occupied his side-walk, he had occupied another, and i-:-------------------------------- before that another and before that yet another ...... How long would it be DI BAWAH NAUNGAN PA YUNG BONDA P.F.S. b c fore he was made to leave this one, as he had been made to leave the others, he did not know - a day, a week, or maybe, ifhe was lucky enough, he would live out his life here. His features were lined, both from old age and from the suffering he had undergone over the years. He was fifty, but looked eighty. His hair was unkempt as usual, and a dirty gray in colour. I-le had not aged gracefully, but then, only the rich, only men of leisure ever age gracefully. Him? He was a beggar. Why? I-le had often asked himself that question. Why did God make him suffer so? If it was a crime to be poor, then yes, he was a criminal. If poverty was the Eighth Deadly Sin, then he had sinned. Otherwise, he had never committed a crime in his life, never set out to do anyone any harm. So why had he to suffer so, despised by men, taunted by young boys, sent from pillar to post by the police? Was justice a province of the rich, to be possessed only by the rich and well-educated? In his opinion, the answer was yes, a thousand, a million times yes. He had nothing. The rich had everything - money, cars, nice and expensive clothes, respect, education . Education. Money. His whole life, with all its suffering and bitterness, stemmed from the fact that he was poor. When he was young, he wanted to go to school, wanted to learn. Young as he was then, he had realised that education was the key to a new world , the world of the rich. Educated, he could escape from his own world, so full of misery and pain. Unfortunately, his family was too poor to send him to school. If that had been the only probl_em, he would still have gone to school. He would have gone to school in the day and worked nights. But he had to help support his family , he had to work cl ay and night. The law states that children had to go to school. But then , wh o was to pay for his schooling and support his family? The law? So he did 11 0 1 ait end school. 162 1-------------------------------- Z. Zahari 3 Perdagangan 3 Bonda usia , yang lanjut mendakapmu, tapi kasihmu perlu lagi untukku, kecekalanmu merempuh hujan dan kemarau, tanda kau masih utuh dan sedia. Bonda, telah ribuan anakmu lahir, di merata pelusuk a lam, membawa kalimat asuhanmu, demi nusa bangsa dan kemaknusiaan. Bonda, suluhmu menjadi panduanku, budimu menjadi ingatan pedomanku, dalam dekorasi perjalanan hidup. Bonda, adakah naunganmu dinoda, hari ini kau bagaikan tak bermaya, apakah musim menuai dulu tak berulang, apakah hasil padimu m~njadi hampa, tapi usah digundah akan hasil nan lalu, ramai lagi ingin bernaung di bawah payungmu.
MY EXPERIENCES TN L6D O.C Khoo 17th L6D T May oday I found out that I was joining the Lower Six D class. There had been a bit of confusion in the beginning because I had entered the school two weeks late. 19th May. I have been totally confused for the last three days. I found out that a lot of people were also confused. We had been away from school for too long. A lot of friends were no longer there, and a lot of at ti tu des had changed as well. 26th A May. week has passed and I still find myself unable to concentrate in class. Everyone in class has a different attitude towards studying now. They seem to have realized that it is a means and not an end. There has been a lot of talk about the future . Everyone seems more matured than the people I knew in form five; and yet they also seem more unsure of themselves. Maybe th ey have matured enough to rea lize and show their own uncertaint y. 30th May. This· is the begining of my third week in school. I had promised myself that I would really get down to studyi11 g after two weeks but the way I am feeling today 1. doubt if that will happen. I now find lessons either boring or incomprehensible. With some exceptions. I either already understand what the teacher is explaining or the teacher is uninterested in teaching, maki ng me lose interest also. I find that I am gradually fa lling behind in my homework. I usually do assignments the night before the teacher wants them and if the night is particularly hectic. I find that I am unable to finish the work. So far I hav~ got away ·with this because I understand the lessons easily and am able to catch up quickly. But I kJ1ow that I will have to change, soon. 3rd June. . " . , l'k " 1 I Today a teacher yelled at me. He said '.hat he, d1d11 t 1 -e t 1e way walk. I had to walk past his classroom three times ?ecause I had forgotten to bring my paper. He had yelled at me as I was walkmg back. I la ter found out that he thought I walked like a teacher. . Sometimes I wonder if they consider us as people, 6th June. I had begun to notice that some teachers are beginning to dislike me. I think it is the way I stare at them when they are teaching, or the way I sometimes act like I am completely ignoring them. I guess I had just got tired of keeping an interested smile on my face all the time. This is altogether a new thing to me, as teachers used to like me. I was almost teacher's pet for a few teachers in form five. The teachers that do not teach me still like me. I sometimes ask teachers questions that they cannot answer. I used to back off when I realized that the teacher is unable to answer but now I just do not bother. 9th June. I brought a book to school today. It is called, 'The Catcher in The Rye'. It is a great book, it made me realize that I was not the only crazy mixed up teenager in the world. I asked everybody to read it; most of them said that they had no time. None of my teachers have read it and I doubt if any want to. A prefect 'advised' me not to bring a storybook to school. 13th A June. sense of acceptance seems to have permeated the class. They have accepted if: if some teachers arc uninterested, if some make the lesson boring my explaining in ways that most people cannot understand. They have all been accepted , even bad handwriting on the blackboard. They have also accepted their own inability to do everything a teacher wants them to, and the confusion of their situation. · They seem to have adapted to all these things and so life goes on in a reasonably acceptable way. They want something be tter, but they seem to be waiting, for something to change the situation or something to make them change it. 17th A June. month has passed and everybody is still as mixed up as ever; mostly me. I think it is time that I changed things or at least try to. First on the list: get a haircut. Second, try not to irritate the teachers it only makes a bad situation worse. Maybe I will go swimming again, or maybe take up yoga; or read that book on philosophy that I have promised myself for so long now. I do not know if I will do any of these things or nothing at all. But I do know one thing, I will not waste this, one year out of my life. I want to live; and search for the truth. And in retrospect if I did anything wrong I want to be able to say I tried. NB. 17-ze opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the author. 163
HATIKU-HATIKU JUA C. T. HALIJAH 6 A tas Sastera 3 Aku tiba di rumah ketika hari kian menurun. Aku benar-benar keletihan dek hentakan bas. Setiba di rumah nanti aku ingin berihat. Lorong menuju ke rumahku sudah berturap .... baru dibina dua bulan yang lalu. ltupun setelah berbuih mulut orang kampung memohon kepada wakil rakyat daerah kami. Aku terkenang dua tahun.yang lalu akan janji-janji manis yang diucapkan oleh wakil rakyat yang dilantik oleh orang-orang kampung. Sayangnya bila nama sudah naik, janji manis madu tinggal janji. Kemudahan lebih diutamakan kepada kaum kerabat dahulu. Beginilah keadaan yang wujud di mana-mana pun. Sesampai di halaman rumah, aku terdengar suara riuh orang ketawa. Di hadapan anak tangga serambi kelihatan sepasang sepatu hitam berkilat, juga 'Cuaca hari itu terik sekali. Bahangnya menular sehingga ke ruang kelasku sepasang kasut bertumit setinggi tiga inci. Aku tertanya-tanya siapa agaknya yang sempit lagi sesak. Tembok-tembok yang kukuh di kiri-kanan tidak berdaya yang datang bertandang. "Pasti orang jauh ," bisik hatiku. Aku masuk ke rumah mcnahan bahangnya dari terus meresap masuk. melalui dapur agar tidak mengganggu perbualan rancak tetamu yang datang. Suasana kelas menjadi kurang enak, panas! Dua buah kipas angin yang "Baru pulang, Liah," tegur ibu yang sedang sibuk menyediaka_n minuman tergantung di siling sekadar untuk perhiasan sahaja. Sudah lama kami merayu untuk tetamu. "Ya, Mak," jawabku pendek sahaja. pada pihak yang berkenaan minta dibaiki tapi tidak diendahkan. Kini tiada siapa- "Tak mengapalah, Mak! Liah nak mandi dahulu, nanti baru Liah makan," pun berkuasa malrn bersungut soal kipas yang rosak. Sudah tak kuasa lagi. sambungku. Sebelum aku beredar masuk ke bilik, aku menoleh kepada ibu. Pelajar-pelajar kelihatan keletihan tambahan pula matapelajaran ekonomi "Emak, siapa yang datang?" niatapelajaran terakhir ...... sungguh membosankan. Masing-masing menja'di "Ah! Masakan kau tak ingat pada Pak Long dan Mak Long kau yang tingresah , manakala perut pun mulai memainkan irama keroncong, irama yang gal kat Kuala Lumpur tu .... " menyatakan ianya perlu diisi. Dalam hati masing-masing semua memberontak "Ada apa mereka datang, Mak?" ingin pulang segera. "Saja jalan-jalan. Kata Pak Long, dah lama dia tak datang ke sini. Dia Apabila loceng penamat berbunyi, teman-temanku terus mencapai beg dan dapat cuti dan terus melawat. Eh! Yang kau ni asyik soal sangat, kenapa? Sudahterburu-buru kcluar dari bilik darjah. Belumpun sempat mengucapkan terima lah! Baik kau pergi mandi dahulu .. . . nanti sejuk pula nasi di bawah tudung kasih kepada guru, mereka terus cabut. Bagi mereka itu tidak perlu kerana tu ..... ," rungut ibu. mereka dewasa, bcbas dan bukan lagi seperti anak-anak kecil dalam darjah satu. Aku segera masuk ke kamar. Dalam pada itu hati kecilku masih berbisik Mereka semua penuntut-penuntut yang sudah matang. Aku berpendapat begitu apakah gerangan mereka ke mari. Tiba-tiba sahaja muncul. Tetapi ku tinggalkan dan aku sendiri memiliki ciri-ciri sebegitu. persoalan tersebut tanpa berjawab. Di hadapan pintu pagar sekolah , para ibubapa telah sedia menanti anak- Selepas mandi aku makan tengah hari. Nama sahaja makan tengah hari anak dengan motokar berbagai rupa. Ada juga pelajar-pelajar yang bermotokar tapi jam di dinding menunjukkan kurang lima minit ke pukul empat petang. sendiri ke sekolah dan tidak kurang pula yang bermotosikal. Maklumlah, mereka Beginilah selalu, aku pulang lewat. Nak cari ilmu pengetahuan mestilah beranak orang berada. Situasi yang sebegini sudah tidak menghairankan aku lagi. susah-payah sedikit. Memangnya sckolah ini tarafnya untuk orang-orang kaya. Orang seperti aku Selesai makan aku kembali ke kamar lalu mengunci pintu. Ayah dan ibu 'tidak layak' menjejakkan kaki di tempat ini. Semua orang tahu, semua orang masih melayani tetamu terhormat yang bertandang. Aku tidak mahu masuk kenal, cti sekolah yang tersergam indah ini, penghuninya adalah terdiri daripada campur perbualan orang tua. Aku menghampiri meja usang dan menarik sebuah pelajar-pelajar yang pin tar dan datang dari keluarga_ yang mewah. ~an siapa pula buku yang tersusun rapi di sudut kiri meja. Peperiksaan hampir menjelang, aku akan n:enyangka aku, anak seorang buruh kasar, b1sa menangguk Ilmu pengeta- mesti belajar bersungguh-sungguh. Malangnya jiwaku tiba-tiba menjadi tidak huan d1 bawah salll bumbung bersama-sama mereka . tenteram. Entah mengapa aku pun tidak tahu. · Aku terus berjala_n menuju ke pcrhcnt_ian bas. Tidak terlintas di hatiku Dalam ketidaktenteraman ini aku tidak dapat memahami apa yang aku untuk mel_ancung ke lam tempat. Y_a~g pentmg aku harus pulang c_epat keram! baca. Lantas aku putarkan saja punat radio. Terdengarlah sebuah lagu sedang rumahku Jauh. Aku_ terpaksa 111enaik1 dua b~ah bas untuk sampai ke ru~ah. berk~mandan?. Terpesona aku menikmati irama syahdu senikata yang menganRu1~ahku_ terl_~tak d_1 daerah per~ampungan nelayan yang rata-rata penghun~ny_a dung1 pengert1an yang ·mendalam. Aku terus menghayati nyanyian itu ... 111as1h lag1 ka1s pag1 makan pag1 , ka1s petang makan petang. 1-Janya segehntir Oh Tuhanku berikan aku kete11angan sahaja yang hidup 11·1ewah iaitu mereka yang makan gaji dengan kerajaan. Waiau untukku kenali diriku bagaimanapun nasib parn_ nelayan _SCina~in terbela dengan pemberian subsidi lalu kudakap alam yang indah terbentang dan bcrmacam-rnacam pmpman dari kcraJaan. dihiasi bintang-bintang berkerlipan 164
tidak kukesali masa silam yang berlalu sungguh lama dan sebuah scnyuman bererti dihadiahkan un1ukku. Aku tidak kerana waktu ini kufahami erti sendu memahami maksud senyumannya. kan kutirnba ilmu-ilmu · Kemudian aku cepat-cepat minta diri terus masuk ke kamar. Sehingga kujamah buku dan cerita mereka pulang barulah aku keluar. !bu tersenyum dan menghampiri aku. dan kukenali warna dunia "Liah, kau beruntung Nak," bicara ibu sambil mengucap rambutku. "Demikianlah lagu yang telah disampaikan oleh Gigi Villa, penyanyi "Kenapa Liah beruntung? Liah tak faham!" soalku, ingin tahu lebih yang lidak asing lagi," suara serak-serak basah Nazri Saim berceloteh. Aku ter- · lanjut akan maksud ibu. haru lllcndengar alunan lagu itu, seolah-olah suatu rasa kesedaran tiba-tiba mun- "Pak Long kau berhasrat hendak menyara persekolahan kau sehingga cul dalam diriku. Semangatku jadi memuncak. Aku cuba mencari pengertian kau tamat kelak," sambung ibu. Terkejut aku mendengar kata-kata ibu. Muslihat hidup yang sebcnarnya. Sepanjang liku hidup ini, aku banyak mengharungi apa yang Pak Long lakukan di sebalik pemberitannya ini. Aku tercari-cari ranjau dan onak yang tedulu mencabar. jawapannya. Aku terkenang ketika aku masih menuntut dalam tingkatan lima. Aku• "Apa? Menyara persekolahan Liah? Tidak! Tidak! Kenapa baru sekarang pernah diejek oleh jiran-jiran dengan berbagai cacian. Kata-kata itu sungguh mereka mahu menghulurkan bantuan, kenapa tidak dari dahulu lagi semasa Jllenyakitkan hati dan sehingga kini tidak dapat aku lupakan. Ya , aku masih kita benar-benar 1erdesak!" Aku tidak menyangka suaraku meninggi sedikit. ingat lagi pada suatu pelang kelika aku pulang dari kelas tambahan. Sewaktu Segera aku menyambung kata dalam nada yang lebih lembut. "Mak, Ayah , lllClintas rumah Kak Pah, aku melihat ramai ibu-ibu bcrkumpul di beranda semasa kita susah dahulu tak adapun adik-beradik kita yang datang bertanya ru111ahnya. khabar, apatah lagi bertanyakan makan-minum kita ." "Assalamualaikum," aku mengucap sebaik sahaja lalu di hadapan mereka. "Bukan itu saja , Liah. niat Pak Long kau lebih murni . Nampaknya dia "Waaluikulllsalam," jawab seorang dan yang lainnya lidak kedengaran malrn merapatkan pertalian keluarga antara kita," tambah ibu lagi. langsung. Belumpun jauh aku melangkah, terdengar um pa tan Kak Pah begitu Aku semakin tidak mengerti akan cakap ibu yang berbelit-bclit. lbu melihat jclas sckali. · mukaku yang berkerut. !bu tersenyum lagi. Ayah yang membisu sejak tadi "Ewah 1 Pura-pura alim konon. Kata kclas tambahan ... . entah-entah rnencelah dengan tiba-tiba. bukannya kc kclas tambahan, barangkali buat 'dating· dengan jantan." sindir " Oii! Maknya pun, berterus-terang sajalah pada budak tu .... !'' Kak Pah . l3erdcsing tclingaku mendengarnya. "Sebenarnya, Pak Long kau ingin berbesan dengan Mak dan Ayah . Mak "Anak pcrcmpuan sckarang bukan bolch dipcrcayai sangat. Silap-silap Long kau bercadang malrn menjodohkan kau dengan anaknya, si Rosli. Bukanharibui.111. bcri malu pada orang 1ua pula. Lagipun lak guna hantar anak perem- nya kau tak kenal Rosli. Dia baru saja pulang dari Amerika setelah lulus dengan puan bclajar tinggi-tinggi, sudahnya nanti duduk ceruk dapur juga," bebel Kak ijazah dalam undang-undang. Budak Rosli tu baik orangnya ," ibu memujiPah lagi. Yang lain cuma mengiakan cakap Kak Pah. muji peribadi Rosli yang dianggapnya baik. !bu tidak tahu, dalam hati aku Aku terus berjalan 1anpa menoleh ke belakang. Betapa panas dan gcram- menyumpah-nyurnpah akan Rosli. Aku bcnci padanya , apa lagi bila mendengar nya ha1iku. Tuhan saja yang tahu. Jika tidak aku fikirkan mcreka lebih tua . namanya diulang berkali-kali oleh ibu . !bu dan ayah tidak tahu Rosli itu terlalu d:,riku sud:.ih pasti aku hamburkan saja mereka. Mahu aku berteriak mengatakan sombong dan bongkak orangnya. Terlalu ego dengan kejayaannya dan kekayaan aku bubn bcrsikap demikian. Kalau aku tidak sabar sudah ten tu akan kuganyang keluarganya. Dia pernah mencaci aku, setakat manalah anak seorang buruh kasar mulu1 Kak Pah yang celupar ilu. Aku cuba mengawal perasaan. Aku mahu boleh mengejar cita-cita. buklik.in kepadu mereka kemampuan aku mengejar _cila-ci_ta . . . Aku menjadi hairan. Se_sungguhnya /iairan ke~apa_ kini, aku, a_nak seorang Apabila keputusan SPM diumumkan. aku d1dap~tl bcrJaY~ memperoleh1 buruh ~asar, mahu d1penster1_kannya. Ah. Sudah gila d1a barangk~h. Dah butakepuiusan yang ccmcrlang. Aku layak melanjulkan pclaJaran ke tmgkatan cnam. kah, t1dak dapat membandmg yang mana kaca, yang mana mtan? PersePeristiwa kcjayaanku tclah mcmbuka mala mereka ~a'.1g selama ini menaruh tankan !!! . . . . . . _ . . . . . k b k le ·li·,dai)ku Mereka malu send1r1 terulamanya Kak Pah Ayah dan 1b11 mas1h berdiam. Mereka menant1 reaks1 balas dar1ku. Dengan prasang a yang uru 1 , . , . . I · d. ct·· b·,1~ aku melintas di hadapan rumahnya. Pun bcg1tu, nada yang tersekat-sekat, aku bersuara, perlahan tetap1 penuh ketegasan. yang cc upar, menJa I iam " . .. .. , . , . 1 , 1 • . h · k K k P I I 1 . tet~J) menghormatinya sebaga1 J1ranku Mak. Ayah, L1ah bukanlah ma 1U melawan ke 1endak Mak dan Aya , puh a u tetap mcncgur a a 1 c a1 " · ,. . · . . . . . "L·· 1 , .· k 1 . . k ·. p Pak Long dan Mak Long kau nak jumpa. sckah malrn menderhaka. Te tap, dala_m soal 1111 , L1ah mmta Mak dan Ayah I.J l. lll,ll I e ll.11 se ep . . . . . . . I . I 'd k I 'k d . c· . 1 . .b b k 1 . t·ik d·iri lamunan Segera aku keluar ke scramb1 memaham1 perasaan Lia 1. Lia 1 t1 a ma rn ter1 at engan ses1apapun. 1ta-c1ta pangg1 1 u 1uem uat a 'll e,sen • • · . . k · · · I · ·. k ·· d I I s I • . ]> k L d· · ler,·nya meskiJ)Ul1 aku berasa malu. Hat1 orang yang Liah utama an sekarang 1111. Lia 1 mgm tamat an pengaJ1an a rn u. oa. - untuk mencmu I a ong ,111 1s , ' . . . . . . . ,. . .. Ak b,. I dengan Pak Long dan Mak Long. Sewaktu aku soal kahwm. Liah t1dak mahu f1kirkan lag1. tua mes11 d1Jaga u e1 sa aman "T · · pk L k I · L' I "k ·b k' b d · . . M k L O • kii perasa Mak Long merenung aku clengan satu ap, , ll!al a · ong ' au sunggu 1 murm, ia 1, ata 1 u sema 111 merayu. ersalaman engan a Olio • 1 "''1 I I · d · M kl s I k L' h 'd k k. . Ak alu diperhatikan sebcgitu rupa . Renungannya 1v emang a 1 suc1 an murm, a . oa nya se arang, 1a t1 a mung m panclangan yang tapm. u m, ' 165
malam. Kalau boleh, dia ingin lari. Lari dari kenyataan hidup . ......... Ian. dari memenuhi kemahuan mereka. Sebabnya pertolongan mereka bukan dari hati ah d b nurani yang ikhlas, sebaliknya ada udang di sebalik batu," hujah aku panjang ·kebenaran. Tapi dirinya pincang. Pincang segala-galanya: ! Ir an atmnya Jemah, tidak bertenaga lagi. Dia hilang pegangannya, pen~mannya. . lebar. Zainal ....... pokok dicabut akarnya. Bulu yang dihamburkan, sekam d1- "Jadi, kau menolaklah bantuan serta pinangan Mak Long kau?" h k k I ah . Ak k pukul bayu petang. . . Aku tidak menjawab, anya mengganggu an epa a s aJa. u nampa Tapi dia tidak sesat. Jauh sekali. Sesa berlainan se~ah. Yang sesat 1tu ibu seakan kecewa benar dengan jawapan yang keluar dari mulutku. Ayah tidak boleh mencari pangkal jalan. Yang sesat akan dapat kembah ke tempat asalnya: membangkang langsung. Masi11 tersandar di tepi dinding dengan rokok daun Yang sesat itu ada harapan pulang. Pulang ke pangkuan k.eluarganya. Kembah tersisip dicelah bibirnya. Begitulah ayah, orangnya tidak banyak bicara. f kehidupannya, dirinya sendiri. Sesat itu ana. . . Suasana sepi dan terus menyepi. Ibu berlalu dengan langkah yang lemah. Zainal tidak. Perjalannya tiada pangkal ......... huJungnya entah d1 mana. Harapan ibu untuk berbesan dengan Mak Long hancur musnah. Ibu punya Kembaranya baka. Di belakangnya, terkatup pintu dunia. Bagi dirinya, suatu kuasa memaksa aku tetapi ibu takut. Ibu takut perkara yang tidak diingini perJ·alana·n yang tidak berkesudahan. Sepanjang-panjang denai hidupnya, penuh terjadi apdaku. Aku adalah anak mereka satu-satunya. Jika aku dipaksa mungkin d k k · · · k b J k lb d h d h ah · ranjau. Penuh cabaran ...... penderitaan. . . . perkara yang ti a mere a mgm1 a an er a u. u an aya su a mem am1 Kini dia mati langkah. Harapannya sudah tidak ada lag1. Gha1b d1baham hatiku. Mereka tahu aku keras hati dan pantang dipaksa. Selama ini aku adalah anak yang taat akan perintah mereka. Jikalau aku dipaksa ketaatanku akan malaI1;;T k L t· k d n? D. kurang aJ·ar Nak 11·pu aku api enapa eong mes 1 acau au . 1a . . ,hilang Sua . sana di sekeliling kian menyepi. Suara-suara riuh tidak lagi bergema di Bodoh! ! !" d h L "Semua salahnya. Dia yang cari gaduh. Semua salahnya. Bo o eong. ruang ini. Segala persoalan aku buangkan jauh-jauh. Warna suasana yang tenang Bodah!! " mendamaikan jiwa. Aku tidak sangsi lagi. Aku lebih menyakini akan kehadiran Fikiran Zainal berkecarnuk. Serba salah. Pertanyaan-pertanyaan itu sering hari esok seperti kata-kata penyanyi Gigi Villa dalam lagunya: d k B Tidak kukesali masa silam yang berlalu mengganggunya. Bermain-main di kepalanya . Semuanya bercampur-a u . erke rana waktu ini lingkar-lingkar ...... tidak terurai. Dan ianya membuatnya pening. Bingit. Dan kufahami erti sendu dia benar-benar marah. kan kutimba ilmu-ilmu "Aaaarghh! Aaaaaarghh! Aduh!!" Zainal mengerang kesakitan. Nadanya perlahan tetapi nyata mengalami kujamah buku dan cerita penderitaan yang amat sangat. Pedih. Perit dan sakit. Lengan kirinya sakit. dan kukenali warna dunia . . . . . . . 0 k • T 1 1 ki ct· k ------------------------------1· Bengkak. Betisnya tegang. tot-ototnya eJang. er a u sa t 1rasa annya. PELARIAN ZAINAL Mukhtar Mohamed 5 Sains 1 Zainal tersungkur. Dia sangat letih. Tidak bermaya . Tabir malam membutakannya. Alam semesta gelap, ditelan malam. Sekali-sekala akar kilat menghiris dada langit ..... diiringi ledakan guruh yang berdentum. Suluhan kilat menyilau matanya. Dan jerit-pekik guruh mengecai daun telinganya. Dan kemudian dunia kembali bisu semula. Makhlukmakhluk dunia diam. Semuanya sunyi-sepi. Zainal sangal lesu. Lemah. Anggota-anggotanya tidak terdaya lagi. Lenyap seluruh tenaganya ..... kekuatannya. Dia risau. Dia gentar. Dia takutkan manusia . Takutkan polis. Dia takut hanlu, jin, jembalang, langsuyar. Takut iblis syaitan. Zainal takut semua itu ..... dan takut anjing, biawak, kelawar. Binatang-binatang sial. Dia takut malam dan segala macam angkara malam. Malah dia takut apa sahaja. Tapi dia tidak selalu gementar. Dia menikus selepas peristiwa malam se166 Begitu siksa dirinya. Zainal mengerang lagi. Dia tidak tertahan lagi azab yang ditanggungnya. Matanya bersagar. Berair. Manik-manik menitis dari matanya yang separuh pejarn. Menyusur-galur duli mukanya. Peluh merecik melencun kepalanya. Ubur-uburnya, tengkuknya. Melara! keadaannya. Penuh derita. Dan dirinya ketandusan tenaga. Sangat lemah. Bau hapak sekeliling melemaskannya. Perutnya kempis. Dia mula lemas. Kerongkongnya tegang. Menggulung. Mencerut. Lidahnya menjulur keluar. Air liur melelah mencecah lidah dan bibirnya. Mulutnya terlopang sahaja. Nafasnya semakin sesak. Perutnya kempis lagi dan rnencerut. Zainal tidak tertahan lagi. Dadanya terangkat, lehernya menjulur keluar. Sejurus kemudian, seluruh kandungan perutnya dirnuntahkan keluar. Jari-jarinya yang menutup mulutnya diseliputi lelehan pelajik. Muntah · mengaliar dari celah-celah jarinya. Cairan putih kekuningan itu mencurah ke lengan dan dadanya. Lendir hangit itu membasahi dagu Zainal. Bergelumang dengan janggut nipisnya. Hapak. Busuk. Perutnya mencerut lagi. Zainal menggelupur. Menggelupur. Terlipat perutnya. Dada terangkat. Dia meludah, muntah ......... muntah dan meludah dan muntah lagi. Zainal tercungap-cungap. Dadanya naik-turun menghirup udara. Perutnya
kembang-kempis. Mulutnya ternganga. Gelumang ludah-muntah menitis dari . mul~tnya. Dia meluda!1 l~gi ·:···· d_an mengesat dadanya dari cairan hapak itu. Kuht dadanya kesat d1sehput1 but1ran-butiran makanan. Lelehan muntah yang kering itu melekit-lekit. Tapak tangannya melekat-lekat. Matan~a dipincing seolah-olah akan terbonjol keluar kedua biji matanya. Ka bur. Penglihatannya samar. Tidak jelas lagi. . Pening menusuk kedua sisi dahinya . Begitu tajam tombak pening yang d1tu~uk. san_gat kuat hentamannya. Segala urat kepalanya tegang. Pecah berdera, ulu Zamal. LeLlakan pening mengecai otaknya. Nafasnya singkat. Kuat bunyinya . Tidak ubah anjing kurap lakunya. Menderita. Tersiksa . Zainal masih bertiarap a tas tanah. Kali ini dia merasa kedinginan yang an r:11 sanga1 . Tcrlalu sejuk . K:ulitnya kering. Kasar. Bulu romanya tegak. Sangat scjuk. Jari je111ari11ya tidak berhenti-henti mcnggeletar. Seluruh anggotanya mc11ggigil. Kesej1d,a11 merayap ke tulang hitam. Mengalir. Menyusup beransuransur. La11t,1i sanga1 kasar bagi Zainal. Tajam. Keras. Dan sangat dingin. Dia tidak san~~up 111c11a11ggu11g sakit lagi. Tidak bcrupaya lagi. Penderitaan terlalu dahsyat. Dia menarik nafos .. .... panjang-panjang. Mengumpul tenaganya. Kekuatan rnengalir kc dalam langannya. Dia mencacah tapak tangan atas lantai. Begitu ped1h ras:mya . Tapak 1a11ga11 di1usuk kerikil dan pasir. tajam dan bisa. Tercalar. Garis-gar rs me rah Lli'garit . Darah mengalir. Tiba-1ib;1 lenga 11 yang lcmah itu meletus dengan kekuatan ajaib. Dia 111c11gundw· ke bclakang. tubuhnya tegak. Zainal melutut. .. Aaaaa rrghh! Aaaaaaaarrgh!"" Za111al llleraung kcsaki1an. Kulit lutu tnya rabak dihiris kerikil. Jubin granit lllC11,1olok tcmpurung lutu1nya. Dia terscrnbam. mukanya 111enghempap :1as1r. Dirasakan pccah pipinya. lumat daging dibuatnya. Batang hidungnya rebah dilienyak la11tai. Pasir menggaram lukanya. Dia meraung sekuat hatinya mcrnccah keheningan malam buta . Jiwanya terganggu. Tid:1k tenteram. Kacau-bilau. Fikirannya menari11:iri. Peristiwa semalarn muncul dalam ingatannya ........ semuanya jclas terbayang. Dan kemudian fikirannya kusut semula. Bercampur-aduk._Berkeca~rnk semua nya . T1ada pangkal, tiada akar akhir lagi. Semuanya berka1t. Bersehrat. Salli pcrsatu muncul dan ghaib. Senyap begitu sahaja. Tiada satupun terterap lama-lama. Semuanya berlegar-lcgar dalam otaknya. . "Leong! Ka~ kurang ajar_! B_o~i~li,!,!.! Kau tipu aku ...... kau tipu akuuuu ! ! Bab1 marnpus1 Tenma habuan kau 1111. .. : . Pcrkataan-perkataan itu bergema dalam ot~knya. Berkumandang t1dak he11t1 -henti . Scdutan peristiwa sernalam rnuncul lag_1. . . , . . "Ya. ya , ya! Semuanya jelas seka~~ng. Ya, Jelas. Beg11u Je,as. T1dak lag1 samar-samar. Scrnuanya terang sekarang. . . K. · z · J " k se111t1°11ya Tidak kabur lag1. T1dak berkecamuk. 1111 _a1 11a narnp,, " . bercainpur-aduk. Tanduk-tanduk telah diberkas. . . Di::i ,iarnpak bagaimana pisau lipal d1hayun. Ya, dia nampak baga11nana r,1udahnya pisau telus perut buncit Leong. Ya! Dia ingat sekarang. Betapa bisa besi begitu mudarat bagi Leong. Dan percikan darah .... .. darah yang memancut melembap misai nipisnya. Ya! Ya! Semuanya jelas sekarang. Arca pembunuhan muncul. Imbasan perpisahan roh dan jasad terbayang dalam kepalanya . Dan . ......... "Oh! Oh! Tidak! Tidak! Tidaaaaaak! !" "Mata Leong! Mata Leong itu! Terbeliak luas! Mata dahsyat! Mata Leong yang celik, tidak pejam-pejam! Mata Leong merenung tepat wajahku. Tajam! Ngeri! Dahsyat!'' "Jangan, jangan Leong! Jangan! Jangan ganggu aku. Jangan. Jangan kacau aku Leong!! " "Kau bodoh Leong, bodoh! Kau ganggu aku dulu, jangan buat kacau lagi Leong! Jangan Leong, jangan. Tolong Leong, tolong,'' dia merayu-rayu kepada yang tidak wujud. Ranap Zainal. Berkecai otaknya. Mentalinya dihumban taufan. Tekanan jiwa begitu .......... menggilakan. Zainal alah. Tidak terkawal lagi. Dia tewas ...... mampus dia. Jahanam. Jeritan Leong berkumandang dalam angkasa Zainal. Mempaku tengkoraknya .......... berdesing. Dan kemudian bisikan-bisikan berdesir. Desas-desus kejahatan. Bisikanbisikan syaitan, hantu , jin, iblis, rnambang, peri. Bisikan kejahatan semuanya. Enarn jahanam. Zainal cuba lari. Dia pejam matanya . Kuat-kuat. Malang Zainal, seribu malang. Pejam celik tiada bezanya lagi. Bayanganbayangan menggerunkan tetap bersemadi dalam fikirannya. Berlegar-lega, berputar-putar. Muncul dan ghalb. Hilang dan kemudian menjelma. Berulangulang. Ngeri . "Zainal, kau bunuh aku! Kau kata kau 'member' dah kemudian kau bunuh aku! Kau tipu aku! Memperdayakan aku. ZainaJ!!!" Bayangan-bayangan gerun muncul kembali. Pisau lipat berlurnuran darah, pancutan darah. perut kuning Leong, mata Leong. Semuanya menghantui Zainal. Dia cuba mengenangi perkara lain. Mengingat kembali warna-warna dunia yang lain. Malang bagi Zainal. Tidak berjaya. Baginya tidak ada lagi kehijauan pokok. Tiada lagi kebiruan langit, dan lautan samudera. Semuanya luput. Tiada lagi dapat mernadukan kisah cinta unggas dan bunga. Tiada lagi kecantikan mawar. Ya, semuanya lenyap, luput. Dan baginya , tiada lagi senyuman ibu. "lbu, ibuu! Tolong ibu! lbu, Tuhaaan! " Yang ada wajah Leong. Begitu jelas sekali. Wajah MAY AT Leong. Dan mata Leong ....... pisau lipat merah tua ...... dan Leong. Seribu satu macam lambang-lambang kejahatan menjelma. Keluar hantu, jembalang, jin. Semuanya menyusup keluar dari tahal. Dan tirnbul pula orangorang bota dari pokok. Semuanya kctawa. Ketawakan diri Zainal. Zainal tak tertahan lagi. Nereka baginya. Neraka Zainal. Dia bangun. Zainal tidak tertahan lagi. Tekanan mental rnenggilakan. Dia lari. Dia mengatur langkah seribu. Lari. Cabut. Zainal lari sekuat-kuatnya ....... jatuh bangun. Lari menyelam kegelapan malam. Dia lari dengan pantas, dan 167
laju. Dalam kepekatan mabm, Zainal menghempap sebuah kereta tepi jalan. Terpelanting dia. Mengguling ke dalam longkang kering. Dia pingsan . Ketika itu, semua mak.hluk Allah telahpun melafazkan Surah Yassin ..... . kecuali jin 1:lan manusia. Tiada harapan hidup. Maut bersedia. Tapi ajal Zainal belum tiba. Zainal tertidur. Entah bagaimana dia terlepas dari siksaan jiwa. Dia berihat-. Bengkak lengannya, kejang betisnya, bisul pipinya semuanya telah reda dan beransur-ansur sembuh. Zainal pulih dari himpitan mental dan siksaan fizikal yang dialaminya. Zainal dihadiahkan sekeping kebahagiaan dalam semesta penderitaan Sebuah riak .senyuman c_lalam ombak tangisan. Sealur cahaya malap kepada si buat. Sebutir bintang menemani pungguk yang rindukan bulan. Secebis kasih sayang kepada anak yatim piatu. Sesuap nasi bagi si fakir. Sedikit kelapangan dalam tekanan kehidupan. Pelik. Dalam jurang longkang busuk, ada seorang insan yang sedang sembuh dari kesa kitannya. Sangat menghairankan. Tenaga mula menyusup ke dalam tubuh Zainal. Jiwanya tenang. Fikirannya teratur. Kekua tan jasmani setara dengan insan lain. Maharaja Siang sudahpun remaja. Bunyi-bunyian durua mula mengalunkan rentaknya ..... dan menyentuh kalbu Zainal yang memang ketandusannya. Kicauan burung-burung ....... deruman kenderaan ....... ketawa kecil kanakkanak yang keriangan. Matahari mencurahkan cahayanya, menyelubungi alam yang terbentang. Langit putih kebiruan berseri. Kehijauan daun-daun menadah meneguk warna dunia. Bunga-bungaan mekar mengharumkan angkasa. Bayu yang bertiup menyegarkan. Dan tidak berapa lama kemudian, Jori pembawa najis menyebarkan pengaruhnya. Dunia memulakan satu hari yang baru. Dan Zainal ........ Zainal bangun. Masih lcmah tctapi berupaya tegak di atas bumi. Berdiri tegak dari dalam Jongkang. Kini ZainaJ sedar sen:iua yang telah berlaku . Malam hitamnya di kawasan pen~binaan. Kerikil dan pasir tilamnya. Langi! menjadi kelambunya. Kamarnya ~anpng tctapi sempit. Siulan bayu menjadi dodoiannya. Dan kucing-kucing har teman-temannya. . Zainal juga sedar ~eadaan sebenarnya. Dia sekarang menjadi buruan polis. Zamal pelanduk dan Jerat tidak lupakan pelanduk. Bagi binatang buruan makan minum ticlak lagi menjacli perkara mudah. Tidak ada lagi teman ala~ r~kan . Ti~ur yang ny.enyak bukan lagi menjadi hak kepunyaannya. Tujuan h1dupnya ialah menglmup seberapa banyak nikmat kebebasan yang boleh ...... . tidak lcbih dari itu. Hidup semata-mata dengan tujuan melanjutkan sedikit umur. Bagi Zainal tidak ada lagi Mak Su atau Pak Ngah. Tidak ada Jagi Doi atau Mat atau Joe atau James. Tidak ada lagi insan yang menjadi teman bagi diri Zainal. Rezcki sesuap Zainal tidak lagi boleh dicapai dalam periuk. Makan minumnya tidak lagi diklas-klaskan lazat atau sedap a tau bagus atau enak a tau 168 basi. Tidak ada lagi kata-kata itu dalam LUturannya. Perempuan-perempuan ayu tidak lagi menarik matanya . Polis pula menjadi ganti mereka. Setiap orang polis menjadi harimau baginya. Siren kereta peronda sentiasa membuatkan degupan jantung bertambah kencang ...... takut. "Kenapa aku mesti diburu?" "Leong bukan orang baik-baik. Leong sama samseng dengan aku. Kami sama-sama sampah masyarakat. Kenapa pula polis ingin membela nasib Leong?" "Dan Leong pula kurang ajar! Bodoh! Dia nak tipu aku. Dia nak curi duit aku. Ku rang ajar. Bod oh!!" Zainal kini dalam pelarian. Lari dari keadilan. Tetapi keadilan siapa? Keadilan masyarakat? Atau keadilan undang• undang? Keadilan manusia? Agama? Atau hanya intepretasi keadilan Tuhan oleh manusia? Zainal tidak sanggup menerima apa-apa keadilan. Tidak sekali-kali jika dia mesti membayar dengan nyawanya. Baginya keadilan di alam fana ini dusta sekiranya ia menuntut nyawa. NY AW ANY A! Dia tidak sekali-kali setuju membenarkan seorang · hakim dalam bilik mahkamah menentukan hidup mati Zainal sendiri. Enggan menerima penentuan seorang hakim manusia Dia tidak sanggup menelan apa sahaja - kebenaran, hukuman agama, undang-undang, hak asasi, tugas dan tanggungjawab, perbuatan dan pembalasan - sekiranya dia terpaksa membelinya dengan harga darahnya sendiri. Biar Tuhan menentukan keadilan dan melaksanakannya. Bagi diri Zainal, hanya Tuhan layak menghakimi perbuatannya dan menjalankan keadilan, Hanya Tuhan sahaja layak mencabut nyawanya jika itu menjunjung keadilan. Pelarian Zainal bermula. AND THE SKY AS MY ROOF ....... . (dedicated to my Sugar - with much thanx!) Lee Yu Chuang DAY Lower6C ONE . In a clearing by the jungle, three figures clad in smart uniforms knelt facmg a road. One stared straight up at the fiery afternoon sun hands held a-~pread as a gesture of reverence. The second was muttering sacred lncantations wi th a m~notonous rumble only a steam-engine could simulate. The third was cl~a~ly gnpped ~y a powerful trance as he violently gnashed and clawed at the s01l 111 front of hun. ·rr S~pdently, all three Venture Unit Leaders (henceforth known as Vuls) tu en~ abruptly, as if a lightning bolt had been thrown at their bodies The . o o~vmg utterance commenced in spontaneity: "B b b b b , ,,, . 111g f111e sprays of sar • 11 ct· . ··· ··· •·· ...... b.... . sendto rcgurgigate in a m~~~e~~ :o te:::~.t1ons. It was a word only a brave few dared
A squeal of tyres was heard. From afar, all that was observed was a shapeless form hunched over the wheel. The roaring of motors crescendoed, accompanied by torrents of spittoon as the Vuls culminated in their frenizied chanting. Only when the vehicle finally grounded to a complete halt, its load majestically displayed, did the three Vuls released the almighty word they had laboured so hard and long to scream - "B .. B .. Bamboos!!!" Like little excited children, Raging Yul, Sitting Yul and Squatting Yul hippity-hopped towards their newly-acquired treasure gurgling in contentment. ·Jr not for the prickly little hairs that stuck obstensibly out of the shoots, it is widely believed that they would have willingly smooched with each and every bamboo, for this was no ordinary reaping; selected from rare undepleted groves, trimmed with loving care, sawn to size with expert precision, and above all, successfully protected trom other predator troops, they symbolised a battle won, no less! There wasn't any time to be lost. Soon anxious vultures (namely the .Jun10rs) will realize that they have been conned out of their rightful share. With barbaric obsession, our Vuls hastily commanded a mass exodus of the forage. A thousand and one splinters later, all traces of the operation was absolutely eliminated. Wearing fiendish grins, the Vuls led us up to the alloted campsite, where we began our camp proper. . It was to be a gala opening. First, we felt the caress of a damp breeze from the east. Then the entire area was shrouded by an ominous gloom, and across the heavens came a terrifying sound - like a plug being pulled out of a bathtub. All at once, a booming voice threw us flat onto Mother Earth. "Let there be rain!" And there was rain, for forty minu~s and forty seconds. All that I can recollect now are vivid images of mud, glorious mud, sliding and oozing in and out of va·rious crevices and crannies, namely our nasal passages. I found myself deliriously performing the backstroke, when the reassuring palm of my Yul claspsed my soaked shoulder. He leaned forward, a face marked with concern and tenderness. With a delicate breath that bordered on romance , he whispered into my ear, "Get to work, or you'll eat grass for dinner!" The job of a Venture Scout is no menial task. From mere bamboos in their natural state, we were required to remodel them into relative luxuries, e.g. a shelter. No shelter meant no cover. No cover meant certain death, either by cold or by crucifixations when the Yul finds out that we did not win the ,Shelter Building Competition. The work dragged on till twilight. Far away came the dull rings of a tem- _ple bell , so desolate and empty they resounded right in to our bare souls. Every Venture was prepared. They would strike any time now. It was a relentless war which was triggered way back during Baden-Powell's 1907 camp. And sometimes I think there would be no end to it, not until one of us is destroyed. 'At precisely I 845 hours, the first wave launched their attack. I s~vear they drew first blood. We had no choice, although it was oullawed by the Geneva c.:onven lion - It had to be chemical warfare. At the strict order of Raging Yul, we lit the Goldfish Brand Mosquito Coils. Cauldrons of incense misted up the battleground, as we fought back the headiness and nausea which shot through our systems. Maybe it was psychological, but some just could not bear the mind-splitting pressure. I saw a few of them - something just snapped up there, and they ran and ran yelling bloody murder. Yellow-livered chickens! Suddenly, 'twas all over. Our newly reacquainted 'blood brothers' llew off with a parting buzz that could only have meant, "So long, suckers!" Sitting Yul was by far the most serious casualty, suffering no less than 2,367 perforations on his thick skin, which accounted for his gradual decay into a zombie during the remaining days of t~e camp. In the darkrn:ss of night, the three Venture units warily made their way to a central building which emanated an aura of power. It was calle'd the Headquarters. We were compelled to sit in a circle of chairs. What ev;J magic lurked· ahead we did not comprehend. Would they want us to communicate with dearly departed leaders? Personally, 1 suspected a cunning ploy tricking us in to warming up seats for HQ members. Whatever it was, we got the answer in a few minutes. From the shadows, a man we did not recognise approached us. He was kindly looking enough, but we weren't taking any chances. We watched for the minute body-language which would expose his intent, but this guy was too professional; we could get nothing out of him. He peered at each of us, and without batting an eyelid, began, "Actually, there are four types. There might be more on the way, but I shall only touch on the established ones. First, and most frequently in use due ot its reliability, is of course the combination." Our wise Vuls exchanged educated glances and remarked, "Of course." The rest of us started shifting uncomfortably as our profound ignorance and bewilderment crept up on us. The man added, "As a matter of fact, the morning-after is much less effective. It promises only a fifty-percent success rate." This time, Raging Yul and Squatting Yul stared horrified at each other. Obviously, a relevation had been made, the impact of which left both Vuls with extra creases of worry on their faces. At this point, our eyeballs were jutting out so much so that we had to keep them in place with our fingers. " And maybe in camps )ike this," he continued with a smile, "you could use the mini version, but it isn't very safe." Sitting Yul. who had been silent all along suddenly gave a low groan from his zombied state. Yet another revelation. Before the Venture.s could rise and exasperatingly choke the whole truth out of this man who spoke in riddles, he quickly got to his feet. Exuding the utmost cool, he reached in his left pocket and promptly produced a card. Holding ii a metre away from our noses, he proudly anhounced, " General Hospital, Pharmaceutical Division." [A blink] " I'm hete to promote the use of contraceptives!" 169
DAY Daily TWO inspection is a do-or-die affair. Thus, it came as no surprise when several shrieks marked the dawning of a new day. No, the Vuls did not have nightmares during their sleep. They woke up to one. Frantic orders rattled off. "Oil the equipment, tighten the lashings, throw the rubbish, clean the pots, comb your hair, check your uniforms ..... . and here they come!" Camp inspectors are a unique breed of Scouts.Trained to intimidate and terrorise, it wasn't long before all the Vuls shook in their pants, especially when a Venture was made to reply to certain questions like this: "Why are your nails dirty?" " Because I did not clean them." "And why didn't ·you clean them?" "Because they were dirty." Notice the cyclic pattern which governs the dialogue. Notice too a shade of crimson engulf the Yul, and beads of sweat trickling to form a waterfall of perspiration. Given the opportunity, any Yul faced with such a predicament would gladly commit Harakiri with a handy _parang. At least nobody would know the extent of damage which the smart alee concerned had inflicted. Nevertheless, the show had to go on. Sadistic grins spread· over the inspectors' faces as they issued the command. "Get in!" Two Ventures unexpectedly broke off from their rank and file, and began doing the twist and cha-cha before rounding it off with the Nite Fever pose, pelvis extended and all. Later, during the inquiry, it seemed that both guilty parties had mistaken the order for, "Get down!" Anyhow, those of us who still had the presence of mind responded meekly , delaying as long as possible the upcoming humiliation. One by one, we lowered ourselves into the death-trap - our own shelter. In the short period that followed, we were to experience the most mind-boggling weather ever to occur in these parts. "Now we will have a mild drizzle!" sneered a familiar voice bearing the slight lilt Qf a Nazi gestapo. He must have been a prophet, for sure enough, running water was heard over our heads. We looked all around - nowhere else was there any hint of rain. Our Yul had a grave look in his eyes when he commented, "The force is strong in this one." Schizophrenia was apparent that fa teful morning. The low snigger of our invisible torturer switched to animal fury . "No more Mr. Nice Guy! Now, I'm gonna let you have it all the way!!'' 1 saw the Yul's hands shakily clutching to the structure, and we braced ourselves for the worst. All hell broke loose when the storm unleashed its might, as gallons of water pounded at the frail surface we called the roof. After all , it was just a .few strips of banana-trunks tied haphazardly together. But wait! It still held! The Yul's spirit slowly revived, much lo the chagrin of our torturer. His respiration accelerated into deep pants. 1 knew he had met his break.ing point when he suddenly pounced akimbo with a bucket at his feet in front of us. Of all the lowdown excuses, he said, ''You should be prepared for rain from all 170 .directions! " before emptying to pail straight at us. . . A horse-shoe was called afterwards to-inform us on our pomt standmgs. The sun once again poured it~ energy into the gahtering of hum:ins-. 0.ur th_ick regalia provided no relief for th~ mounting heat. They said we were on_ly allowed to wiggle our toes to keep circulations, when we stood at attention for a minute to pray. A few paces away, Sitting· Yul's eyes were swimming as he stared at the ground. His face was drained and pale, hjs lips quivered to form words. Breathing became shallow, but everybody was too engrossed in divine communication. to notice this change. His legs transformed into jelly, and he leaned forward to whisper. He just kept on learung. Now, weighing in at 186 kilos, Sitting Yul was clearly the heavyweight of the camp. So when the entire bulk hit the earth head on, a massive earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter Scale rocked Penang island. (According to seismological reports, thfa disaster also activated a tidal wave in neighbouring Pattaya, thus disrupting business for the morning.) Well, even the impact of such magnitude could not shut Sitting Yul's big mouth. He kept on mumbling, "I love you ..... Bella ..... ! ! " Sensing his delirium, efficient HQ members hurriedly carried him off before any phone numbers could be divulged. The hours ticked by, and soon it was 1100 hours. "Come over to the kitchen area," ordered the Yul, "and bring all the necessary cooking utensils." Loyal and abiding Ventures gathered up a parang, two saws and an axe. Was a sacrifice about to take place? Did the Vu! suddenly develop a lust for human meat? Couldn't be, the rest of us were just skin and bones. No drama today, ladies and gents. Lunch would be served a la backwoodsman, that is cooking would be done using only natural materials. As the rice boiled merrily inside hollow bamboos, twists were barbequed over naked flames. Eggs and potatoes were liberally stashed in the glowing ambers, and a ravenous Yul even emptied a can of 'kaya' jam to heat. Bu t, even the best of chefs suffer accidents ...... . "Eh .......... what did you soak the rice in? It tastes like - kerosene!!!" • (Throwing up) "And now, the piece de resistance," declared Raging Vu! to the inspectors, as he removed smoking, carbonised potatoes from the charcoal. By way of explanation, he added quickly, " Actually, they aren't burnt. You see, these black niggers have a bit of African blood in them." Halfway through, a Venture paced breathlessly towards us. His instructions were specific and crystal clear, "Duck!" We rut the deck with only seconds to spare before the explosions came. Like rifle-shots, the detonations sounded deafening in the still of the woods. The commotion ceased a minute later. We struggled up to our feet, and witnessed a shocking sight. Everywhere around, there was gooey yellowish matter splattered randomly. The communists must have shot up old Sittin~
Vu!, or ..... "The lousy eggs exploded-lah!" admitted the Venture sheepishly as he proceeded to lick off his lunch from the tree branches. ' Backwoo_dsman ~ver V.:ith, it was a season to rejoice. A small expeditior, was planne_d with t_he mtent1on of reaching a man-made freshwater pool somewhere up m the lulls. We embarked on our trek with high spirits but empty bellies. An hour of continuous marching sufficed to warm us to a point where we were dying to dive into any puddle or pool available. '_'Yavo!" exclaimed Squatting Vu! when he sighted our desination. Stripping down to our shorts was the only delay. As we tip-toed ·into the icy pool, I lluticed a family of peacocks wiped out by a forni'of instant pollution completely overlooked by Sahabat Alam Malaysia -SAS (Stinking Armpits Syndrome). Nevertheless, we ·proceeded with the delicious task of soaking ourselves. But Squatting Yul was not contented with merely soaking. He wanted action, commando style. Inability to swim proved to be no deterrent to his ambition. Instead, he decided to defy all odds and tried to reach the oppositr end of the opposite end of the pool by inching himself across while holding the pool edge as support. Right in the centre, he slipped. Gurgles of a desperate kind were heard. All the buoyant fat he possessed failed him in freshwater. With a gasp, Squatting Yul went down. It was during his second appearance when anybody else realised the dilemma. "Help! " he blurted, before sinking again. Without a word, one of the courageous Ventures struck out to initiate rescue. (Courageous Venture's profile: Can swim and Ooat at the same time). Squatting Vul emerged for the final time, was promptly seized by the chin, and hauled to safety. Till this day , a master-slave relationship has been frm[~, established between the two. DAY THREE . . When we were ordered to reconstruct our shelter roofs this mo~nmg, many Ventures automatically flicked open their Swiss_ knives and pos1t1~ned blades at their wrists. However, a tactful HQ member,qu1ckly defuse,? the s1tua- 'tion by quoting Clause 19 Paragraph 4 ~f the ~cout s Handb_ook ,:, S:011ts are not to indulge in frivolous activities, mcludmg mass suicides. With sulks and long ·rac~s, the weapons w:re dw~l:~r:w:e-arby settlement of villagers where Shufnmg along, we procee e ' · d bl I nded banana plani'~ nourished. Sensing mixe~ ~I_an_n uponksee111g_ _ou e-1a ,l . t k ti e polite 1111tiat1ve to as perm1ss1011. swordsmen ad'j'ancmg, we 00 1 d . •ty "Apa Ju orang mau buat Th e back with marke cunos1 • e answer cam , . he could not comprehend why a group dengan itu batang semua?' Evidently' leaves virtually everything a banana of boys needed banana trunks, banan~ d th' blooming fruit! trees had to offer, but yet adamant!~ re use 1 ~ut none was a coming; Until We fumbled for an appropnate rep Y '. 1 ,, . "M h t buat rumah enc1k. . I Raging Vul burst out, a L ,, f. di akcik nodded approvingly, wit 1 a "Oh! Bual rumah yaa! the r~en Y P grin that unmasked a lone tooth. He had given up on us. Thus, without further ado, we hacked all we wanted and departed with a cheery, "Terima kasih!" The temperature crept to an irritating extreme a couple of hours later. I decided to have a bath, a decision which turned out to be regrettable. You· see, of all the architectural and engineering inconsiderations, the bathrooms had to be located at the highest point in the campsite. Maybe a few years back, water defied the laws of gravity. I don't know. But when I was all unclothed and ready, all tha t I could coax from the stupid tap was a mere ':trickle. It was no joke waiting five minutes each time for my hollow Milo tin to fill. All adjacent bathers used a racecourse technique, namely, screaming, "Go! Go!" at their respective faucets. In the end, I appeared to have been a recent graduate of the Jane Fonda aerobic programme. The afternoon held more surprises. "This is the Deadman's Crawl station. ALI ventures are to slide yourselves over this rope" (pointing to a Oimsy-looking thread suspended four metres above the ground) "at the slowest speed possible," instructed our HQ memberin-charge. You want to know why it's called the Deadman's Crawl? Because if you decide to crawl, you're a dead man . And we all crawled. Believe me, it's tough. Manipulating your whole body to lie perfectly balanced on a rope, then hoisting your dead weight for some IO metres permanently frizzles a few hundred hairs, and gives you blisters in the strangest places. Then there were cases of Ventures falling off midway, with a climatic "Boingg! " followed by a blood-curdling "Yaahh!! " and the ominous "Tho Despite om!!" all the mishaps, the three units came back intact to their campsite to prepare for the highlight event. They survived only for this moment, one which they will savour for the rest of their lives. The Vuls almost succumbed to temptation, and if they had not been leashed to the trees, things might have gotten ·out of hand. They were just impatient. And so were we. It came like a Oash: 1300 hours - "Dismantle gadgets!!" The green light had been given. Howls filled the air as the scene changed dramat'ically. Ventures went amok and swung parangs to the rhythmic chanting of "Kill! Kill! '' They didn't care anymore, the pints of blood wasted and the sleepless nights. An orgy of violence exploded which proved fatal for innocent bystanding shelters. Within a few seconds, all that remained was a heap of mutilated bamboos and massacred rafia strings. I myself viciously slaughtered the clothes-line before putting an end to the na I-pole's misery. It felt' so good ..... . Wtih an abrupt whistle, we laid down our arms and surrendered peacefully to the HQ. There, the results were finally announced. Sitting Yul's unit had won by a great margin. The initial shock changed to deep anger. Dedication, persistence and diligence we could tolerate from the HQ - but fair-play was really the last straw! Hitching up our sleeves, we ambushed Sitting Yul who was by that time, blue with terror. He didn't even have time to scream when we threw him off the cliff. 171
ARAH KE KEBAHAGIAAN - BAHAGIAN III (* ----------------------------i "Arah ke Kebahagiaan - Bahagian I" terdapat dalam majalah 1980) (* "Arah ke Kebahagiaan - Bahagian II" terdapat dalam majalah J 982) (Joi Soon Beng 6 A tas Sastera 1 Setahun sudah berlalu selingkar kisah layu menyerlah kembali dalam memunggah kesepian begini bagaikan kulit-kulit siput mati di pantai dikuis ombak perlahan ... terselit noktah-noktah harapan pada sebuah kehidupan yang nostalgia. Malam itu hujan turun mencurah-curah. Kilat sabung-menyabung dan sckali-sekala menjangkau ke bumi. Suara guruh yang gegak-gempita menggega rkan alam sejenak. Cahaya pelita lampu minyak menari lembut meliuk-lintuk dihembus oleh barisan-barisan deruan angin yang menerobos dari celah-celah lubang dinding. Wajah langit tanpa kerlipan bintang-bintang dan seri rambulan berkelakuan seolah-olah begitu faham dengan si hati penghunl-penghuni rumah sep1 itu. Tiba-tiba satu suara anak perempuan mencelah suasana malam. " Mama, Mimi sejuk,'' anak yang kecil itu menggigil kerana digigil kedicgin:111 malam. "Mama! Mana Papa , Mama? Mengapa Papa selalu tidak balik-balik?" anak itu mengulangi pcrtanyaannya yang sering menggusarkan hati ibunya. 1-Iati Ani diralah kegelisahan dcngan pcrtanyaan itu. Wajah anak kecil yang come! dengan matanya ya ng bundar itu ditatap. Dia meletakkan tangan kanannya ke atas ubun-ubun anak ltu. Diusap-usapnya mesra. "Papa pergi sekejap. Nak! Nanti Papa balik pada kita lagi," Ani menjawab lemah. Dia tahu dia berbohong. Yasyak. suaminya, tak mungkin kembali lagi . Dia tahu itu adalah satu muslihatnya terhadap Mimi. Dia tahu itu satu penipuan yang terpaksa dilakukan demi menjaga hali anaknya yang tidak pernah mengenal ert i kchidupan. Mimi diam. Di wajahnya jelas terpancar rasa kehampaan. Ani tu rut terharu dengan nasib anaknya. Dirinya dicucuk kegelisahan . Segumpan penyesalan terpcla dalam raut mukanya. "Mengapa aku terlalu kejam? Mengap:i aku mahu mcnipu anakku sendiri? Zalimkah aku? Berdosakah aku? Salahkah aku membohongi anakku sendiri? Pertanyaan demi pcrlanyaan bagaikan peluru-peluru tajam melayang menembus kotak fikirannya. Dia _bangun menghadap jcndcla. Pandanganny::i dilemparkan keluar. Suasana malam tambah menggelapkan pintu ha tinya. I-latinya dilambailambai kenangan silarn yang selalu clat:1ng mengusik jiwa nya . 172 "Sayang tidur, ya, hari dah ma lam. Nan ti besok Mama bawa Mimi jalanjalan dan belikan Mimi hadiah." Ani bersuara mengoyak kesepian yang terbentang di antaranya dengan anaknya. Mimi tidak membantah tetapi matanya tidak mahu lelap. Kedua-dua ma ta; nya merenung ke atas, ke bumbung rumah itu. Seketika pandang~nnya beralih mengadap tepat ke wajah ibunya. Dua pasang mata bertentang. A~1 ~uba tersen: yum. Senyuman yang dipaksa. Senyum· untuk mendamaikan hat1 s1 anak. Tap1 senyum itu hambar sekali. Tidak ada balasnya. Wajah Mimi t~ta? _mura~ .. Jel~s menampakkan kehampaannya. Di. kelopak matanya mengah_r t1t1san _air .Jer~1h bagaikan biji-biji manik yang menghiasi tasik mata yang bula'. 1tu. Mamk-mamk~ itu lerai berguguran tanpa dapat dibendung lagi, lalu mengahr deras membasah1 pipi dan terus ke dagu. . Fikiran Mimi melayang jauh. Wajah-wajah Musa, Izah, Kiah dan Liza bermain-main di fikirannya . Hatinya segera diterkami kegeraman dan kebencian yang tidak terperi terhadap mereka . Ejekan-ejekan mereka masih terngiangngiang di gegendang telinganya. " Betulkah Mimi tak ada ayah?" Kiah pura-pura bertanya. "Betul!" sahu t Liza. "Mengapa Mimi tak ada ayah?" Musa-mencelah pula. "Anak haram mana ada ayah." Izah membuat tuduhan melulu sematamata untuk menyakitkan hati Mimi. " Bohong! Bohong! " bentak anak kecil it u untuk mempertahankan dirinya . "Tak percaya, tanya Abang Za ki sendiri." Kiah terus membakar perasaan Mimi. "Zaki pun bohong! Semua orang bohong! " "Kamu semua jahat. Jahat! " Suara Mimi tenggelam dalam gelak-tawa rakan-rakannya. "Siapa yang jahat? Ibumu yang jahat atau kami yang jahat?" perli Kiah dengan disambut oleh gelak-tawa gengnya. "lbu Mimi jahat, ibu Mimi jahat, ibu Mimi jahat, Mimi juga jahat, Eea · eeaaaaah ... ! Mimi jahat," Kiah, Izah, Liza dan Musa terus mencaci-cacinya. ''Diam! Diammm!!! Kalau kamu kata ibu Mimi jahat, jaga kamu !" Mimi cuba mempertahankan ibunya. Segugus kegeraman meliar dalam dadanya yang mmberontak itu. Buku limanya digenggam erat dan diacu-acukan kepada rakan-. rakannya yang terus lari bertempiaran. Hatinya diruntuni sebak mencuka. Ia kesal dirinya tidak berayah. Tuduhan-tuduhan dan tohmah yang melingkar di hatinya kini membelit dan menceru tnya dengan seerat-eratnya. Tiba-tiba Mimi tersentak dari lamunannya bila sepasang tangan merangkulnya penuh manja . Airmatanya masih mengalir perlahan-lahan. Setitik dua singgah di atas lcngan ibunya yang sedang memangkunya. Antara dengar atau tidak Mimi bersuara, "Mimi mahu Papa ... Mimi nak jumpa Papa 1 " Ani jadi gelisah. Dadanya digoncang sedu-sedan . Kenangan-kenanga n silam berputar semula menguasai seluruh benaknya. . "Ya, ~imi! Nanti besok Papa pulang," jawabnya lembut. Satu jawapan ya ng hanya dneka. Jawapan yang tidak pasti. "Kenapa Papa tinggalkan Mimi? Papa dah tak sayangkan Mimi1 _ Mama?"
tambah Mimi dalam suara yang terputus-putus. Ani jacli serba-salah. Dia terlalu ingin menerbi'tkan sel I · · I t· . . . . . uru 1 1s1 1a mya yang sekian lama menJad1 rahsia, tetap1 kepada siap·1 Di·a dap 1 - d b 1 . . . , .. .. . a men uga e apa M1m_1 _rcrlalu nnclukan ayahnya. Dia clapat merasakan betapa perpisahan itu n_1e111n?galkan k~~an yang amat sangat pada diri Mimi. Ani masih ingat betapa ~1ksa _:1wanya d1t111ggal~an_ sebatang kara di dunia ini untuk mengharungi perJalanan h1dupnya apablia 1bunya kembali ke rahmatullah ketika ia berumur 13 tahun. "Mimi tidur ya, bcsok Papa pulang. Nanti Mimi boleh jumpa Papa," Ani bersua_ra tenang. ~1~ n_1engh~rapkan pujukan begitu sudah cukup memberi keyak1nan _kepada d1r1 Mum. Dia mahu persoalan itu mati di situ sahaja. M11111 yang t1dak 111engcrti apa-apa itu hanya mengangguk clan menarik selimutnya yang sudah terlurut ke bawah. Malam semakin sepi. Suara niobil tidak banyak kedengaran lagi. Hujan yang lebat tadi suclah mulai reda. Tinggal rintik-rintiknya sahaja. Hanya suara nafas anak kecilnya saja yang sesekali keclengaran. Tiba-tiba clari jauh Ani terlihat suatu lembaga datang dari suatu daerah yang tcrlalu asing. Lembaga itu melambai-lambai tangan ke arahnya seolaholah 111enyuruh Ani datang kepadanya. Ani terpegun sebentar. Dia menggosok m::itanya beberapa kali untuk memastikan yang ia tidak bermimpi. "Apakah benar itu Yasyak?" bisik hati kecil Ani. Tidak mungkin! Tidak mungkin! Tidak mungkin Yasyak yang datang! Mustahil! Mustahil! " Ani melayan perasaannya sendiri. Lembaga itu semakin dekat. Ya .... tidak salah lagi, itu ialah Yasyak. Ani lihal Yasyak berhenli 50 meter di hadapannya clan memandang ke arahnya sambil terse1iyum. Ani tcrkejut. Tetapi Ani membalas senyuman itu. Mata Yasyak merenung tajam k\') arahnya. Bibirnya terus mengukir senyuman. Tangannya melambai-lambai menyuruh Ani turun ke bawah. Ani berjalan perlahan-lahan ke arahnya. Kedua-dua lembaga itu semakin hampir. Kedua-dua makhluk itu kini sedang bertentang mata. Masing-masing tercegat clan merenung tepat antara salu sama lain. Yasyak menghulurkan tangannya ke arah Ani. Ani menyambulrnya dengan lembut. Tiba-tiba ciaun-daun dan ranting-ranting di sekeliling bergerak-gerak dan mengeluarkan bunyi-bunyian yang amat merdu pula . ~-lembusan angin yang menyentuh daun dan ranting-ranting mengeluarkan des1ran ya_ng amal merdu sehalus gesekan biola. Kcdua-dua makhluk _itupun m_ula rnenan perlahan-lahan mengikut renrak alunan melodi ajaib itu dt bawah s1mbaha~ cahay~ _bulan dengan disaksikan oleh bintang-bintang yang spontan menghad1rkan d1r1. Suasana persekitaran berkelip-kelipan d~ngan Jampu-lampu neon bag~ikan sebuah pesta tari-menari. Burung-burung yang tcrbang melalu1 kawasan Itu turut_ n'.endendangkan lagu mereka masing-masing. Segala mergastua yang berada_ d1 s_nu berhenti dari tugas-tugas mercka masing-masing dan turut m~ngha_yatl tanan dua lembaga ilu yang diiringi oleh irama muzik ya_ng termerdu d1 clunia. _Bunga-bunga yang tumbuh liar di kawasan sekitar itu tiba-t1ba mekar dan menyenkan_suasana . . Buah-buah yang tcrgayu I di pepohonan mcnjadi masak. da_lam sekehp. mata . Dedaun pohon kclapa menari-nari lemah gemalai mcngir111g1 hayunan lan~kah kedua-dua lembaga itu. Seketika kemudian tumbuh bunga-bunga firdaus di batu. Pasir menjelma menjadi rumput sehalus baldu. Ikan-ikan dari sungai-sungai lesu yang mengalir berhampiran meloncak-loncak ingin naik ke darat , seolah-olah tidak rnahu ketinggalan menyaksikan temasya maha ajaib ini. Kedua-dua lembaga itu terus mengalur langkah mereka dalam buaian alam fantasi tanpa menghiraukan kawasan persekitaran seolah-olah mereka berdua sahaja yang berhak ke atas tarnan firdaus ini. . .... tiba-tiba suasana menjadi sepi kembali. Sayup-sayup jauh kedengaran alunan melodi ajaib semakin lernah ditelan dentuman guruh yang· adatang bersama-sama dengan curahan hujan secara mengejut. Wajah rambulan kembali muram dan bintang-bintang mulai mengundurkan diri, tersipu-sipu di celahan gerombolan awan-awan hitam yang berarak megah. Segala unggas dan mergastua lari bertempiaran mencari tempat perlindungan. Bunga-bunga kembali layu , buah-buah yang masak tadi gugur satu demi satu menyembah bumi dan ikanikan menyelam deras menyembunyikan muka mereka dalam lubuk-lubuk. Rumput yang sehalus baldu itu bertukar menjadi lumpur hi tarn pekat. Dan dunia pun mendengar gema sebuah jeritan. Jeritan Ani merayu-rayu mernanggil suaminya, Yasyak, kembali kepadanya. "Yasyak! Yasyak .. . di mana kau? Jangan tinggalkan aku lagi! Pulanglah kepada Ani. Mimi perlukanmu. Yasyak . . . di mana kau? Jangan sembunyikan dirimu lagi. Yasyak! Yasyak . .. oh . . Yasyak ..... . ... . " Ani terus meraungraungkan nama suaminya . Langkahnya terhuyung-hayang di dalam keributan itu. Suaranya timbul-tenggelam bagaikan anjing menyalak bukit. Sayup-sayup jauh kelihatan suatu lembaga yang tidak bermaya meredah kegelapan mencari apa yang tidak mungkin ditemuinya. Telah kususuri jalan penuh liku di antara hati demi hati di an Iara ketawa dengan ketawa namun hanya daun-daun kalendar sahaja yang berguguran mengiringi hari yang paling sepi bagiku bersama sisa sesal kelmarin menjadi simfoni mendayu di dalam .titisan hujan yang berlalu ... _ 173
KHA W CHENG FEI -~~;~~ ' ' ~ii ~ '·~ . j~-- , ~ ~ - r ' ~ ~ _., - .' ~ ~_, .. ,_,..c;~i - -· - - -~~-7 - ' ,, -------~- Age : I 5 Age: 15
LIM SAY LIN Age: 15 CH(!;W SWEE AUN Age: 15 , .•" ~r-:;.y~ -. .{ \.., ; :·. \ .-, • ·.i - ~ ;,-~~:~~ • Ji ·. - --- -,.,,· ,u·- , "-.. .;.J.:";~~~~ . .L ! •1 J, 1 '" . . ,.._(:· ·, I I \ ,. ! ~ '/ I • · - . t,: ·, .... ja ·- . ' . -1.....tf!II ·~ ~ ,,..._~ . . . a ---= LEE EU BENG Age: 15
C J. ~ T. I I I r PHILIP TEOH . , - .I! CHEAH YIN CHAI 1{ 1-1 00 00N CHVE, .....
OGAR BUTTS AND COFFEE DREGS Rene Tan In our living room, on the white wall, above the record shelves, hangs a reproduction of a Delacroix in browns of Chopin, and on the red wall opposite, above our shiny black Yamaha upright grand, a .print in greys of the famous Florentine profile of Franz Liszt. Liszt looks the more striking and intriguing of the two with his strong, tall nose, deep-set eyes, shaggy eyebrows, and long iron-grey mane swept back behind his ears to fall on his shoulders. A slight upward turn at the corner of the visible side of his mouth makes him appear perpetually amused by my playing. I suspect my father put him up there above our piano to remind me that here was a great pianist I could take as a model. I have often wondered what it would be like to take a few lessons from Liszt. The literature about him assures us that he was a wise and brilliant teacher who could "develop the very spirit in you, leave you your own conception, and with a few words give you enough to think about the rest o_f your life." This would suit me: I have never liked teaching that is dogmatic. However, he was likely to be offended and indignant if anyone presumed to comt to him insufficiently prepared and played in a haphazard, slovenly manner To such a student he would not again give his attention. His serious student! regarded him with awe and reverence: "Indeed, f~om the moment he came in. we were all listening to try and catch whatever he might please to say to tl~ose nearest to him." ... .... ....... "Occasionally he went over to some especially attractive bit of femininity and kissed her on the cheek. H became the custom for such fortunate young ladies not to wash, for some days after, the spot thE Master's lips had touched." ........ "Liszt rose to depart, and, as was the _case when he came in all the guests present rose , and remained standing until he had left the room•. When he was gone ....... everything_seemed t? hav~.become all at once flat and dull and uninteresting: conversation languished, it wahs as d h t h'ch a moment before w en if a shadow had fallen on a landscape, an I a w 1 • 1 as n'ow all . . f m ...-.d glowmg co ours, w 11lummed by the sun, was a mass O ':'ar . ,... f h. ounter with young gray, monotonous, and chill." There is tTus st0rY O is enc Bizet that I espedally like. Liszt had just played one of his own compositions and proudly declared that in all Europe only two pianists could play it - Von Bulow and himself. Bizet, after some prodding from his friends, went to the piano and sightread the music with "verve, accuracy, and rapidity." Whereupon Liszt apologised, and announced to the gathering of distinguished musicians, "Now there are three of us, and I must add, to be just, that the youngest of us is perhaps the cleverest and most brilliant." Imagine the sudden rush of confidence the aspiring young Bizet must have felt to be placed in the company of such luminaries, and by Liszt himself, ,he greatest of all nineteenth c·entury virtuosos. Perhaps this was the secret of his success with his students - a certain genius for stimulating and inspiring the genuinely gifted to further effort and awareness. In my iniagination, I have often been bold enough to hurry along the streets of Weimar to seek out the great man and play for him. Would he say of me what he said of the promising Carl Tausig, "He will be the inheritor of my playing," or would he dismiss me with a curt, "No! No! No! .......... Now, forget your dawdling!" and rushing to the piano, nudge·me off the stool and proceed to expose my incompetence. Worse still, without allowing me to play a note, he might announce that anyone who had lived his first eighteen years in the savage atmosphere of the Malay Archipelago could never be a concert pianist and advise me to go home and become a mechanic. Schumann said of Liszt, "With the exception of Paganini, no artist to a like degree possesses this power of subjugating the public, of lifting it, sustaining it, and letting it fall again." And there are stories of women in the audience, countesses and princesses, falling over one another to collect his cigar butts and coffee dregs. Wherever he went, whatever he played, he held his audience captive with his "poetry, passion, grace, wit, coquetry, daring, tenderness," and with his phenomenal technique and showmanship. Watching him perform, I am sure~ would be a most memorable experience. On one occasion, as he thundered out the last chords of a fiendishly difficult piece, he fainted in the arms of the friend who was turning the pages for him and had to be borne away "in a strong fit of hysteria." On another, he stopped playing and rose to remark to Nicholas I of Russia, who had talked while he played, that "music itself should be silent when Nicholas speaks." To be sure, Liszt was not averse to adding a little drama of his own to the evening's proceedings. It was Schumann too who said, "He must be heard - and also seen!" The young pianist who would take Liszt as a model would do well to remember what Liszt feit was important enough to mention to his students, "It is true that I have been successful, but I do not advise you to follow my way, for you lack my personality." Apparently, Arthur Friedham did not take heed and diligently imitated many of de Meister's mannerisms, adding to them quite a few of his own, and in the process earned for himself these remarks from Busoni, "But the loveliest thing is to see him during the tuttis of the orchestra. There he has room to show off all his tricks. He examines his nails, considers the audience, thrusts his hands into his hair, and does other silly things." 177
THE DAWN OF THE COSMOS Ewe Thuan Tit 5 Science 1 Time and again, we wonder about our origin and existence. Some of us go on further to wonder about the existence of our sun, stars and the universe. In other words, we human ponder the very origin and existence of the mighty COSlllOS. Some fifteen billion years ago, the universe began with a big, if not the mightiest, explosion of all _times. Often termed as the 'Big Bang' by modern scientists, it was brought about by something still beyond our present understanding. This hatching scattered an enor111ous amount of matter which was destined to become the stars that illuminate our nights. This 111atter has mutual attraction for one another. As more matter coalesced, this bond is strengthened - gravitation is generated. More matter is pulled in this way, and soon thermonuclear reactions occur in the centr~ of. the sp here. This vast collection of 111atter begins to glow, changing hydrogen inrn helium ; and thus, a star is born. Soon, all hydrogen is turned into helium and the star begins its second stage of stellar evolution - turning heliu111 into other heavier elements. Some stars (due 1 0 their size) perish in a gigantic explosion called supernovae. In its fury. it throws all the heavier ele111ents \hat it has baked for so many millenia , DI PUSARA MAMA 4 Azman Sains 6 Aku melangkah lagi ke situ Bertemankan bayu di pagi sunyi Damai suasana menyentuh kalbu lngin rasanya singgah di sini Kuhampiri pusara mama Dengan hati yang remuk-redam Kutaburkan bunga tanda cinta Terubatlah jua rindu dendam Walaupun hidup terlalu sepi Kutabahkan hati menempuh dugaan Kuhadiahkan mama ayat suci Agar tenang di persemadian Bebayu sepi menghembus mesra Tanpa bicara, tanpa kata Terlerailah mimpi membendung rasa Terkenang kembali kenangn lama Bertekun berusaha duhai anakku Janganlah leka, jangalah jemu Pesanan mama ingat selalu Agar sempurna masa depanmu Pimpinlah adikmu menghadapi dunia Agar menjadi manusia berguna Hingga bercerai badan dan nyawa Curahkan kasihmu pada mereka Airmata tak terbendung lagi Sedih pilu menguasai diri Sayangnya mama tiada di sisi Tak sempat kubalas jasa murni Terbitlah sudah sang suria pagi Mengejutkan aku dari lamunan Tinggallah mama kumohon pergi Pusararnu menjadi peneguh impian into the universe. r-------------------------------- Again , this matter coalesces to form a second generation of stars, this Lower Six C ti111e rich in heavier atoms. In their deaths, these heavy atoms condense into t--------------------------------- grains of dust and ice. Another set of happenings, analogous to the first and second, condense these grains into planets. Complex carbon-based molecules are formed in accordance with the laws of physics and chemistry. Thus, organic molecules come in to being. In pools of water, ultraviolet rays from the sun break down such 111olecules and also assemble them chemically. Through a trial and error process, these molecules are able to produce crude copies of themselves. As time passes. self-replication becomes more accurate. Molecules which copy better produce 111ore copies. Life has begun, natural selection in underway. These molecules group toge ther to form more complex and elaborate organisms. In the millions of years of evolution, oguatic bacteria moves from. its primitive state through fish , amphibians. reptiles, birds and fin ally mammal. and ultimately to the most elaborate and int elligen t - 111an makes his debut. · We 111ust rea lize that we are passengers on a fragile , ever wandering island in the vasl ocean of spa"e. It is necessary to improve our technology so as to decipher the mysteries posed by the cosmos, not by using superstitions or beliefs, but through the 111ost precious gift of 11a1ure to nrnnkind - Science. 178 Vijay Bhandari Lower Six C
THE MONKEY AND THE GOOSE Her behaviour. It was on a hot day, (dedicated to Mr. Tho Lye Keong) The animals were napping, as was their usual way . ------------------------------1 Suddenly did Angsa rush up and say, "To work you beasts, all of you to work!" 5 Parthiban Science 1 Old Farmer Hutchings, he built a white house, And kept all the beasts, from lion to mouse . Oi1der his care, was a young yellow goose, Her name was Angsa , her manner was loose. She never did cease to poke her beak into Ma I ters with which she had nothing to do . If the animals wanted to go on a picnic, She raised a big Cuss and caused great panic. Till finally the plan would be grounded, But Angsa'd've leCt before the meet ended, She had something important, she pretended. The beasts hated her, but none would stack Himself against her, or she'd make an "angsa attack". Each morning, she'd preen herself as robins do, Tt1e only goose the animals had seen to. 01 r imaginary beauty she was vain, And this gave the beasts, in the neck a pain. On their nervous systems, Angsa was a strain , And on their mental resources a drain . They tried to get rid of her, but in vain, " I can't stand her anymore!" some did complain, "On the good record of geese, she's a stain!" On that same farm , there was a monkey, Whose beat friends were a lizard and a donkey. Angsa's beauty he'd appreciate Crom afar, To him she was like the evening star. " But what chance have I, a monkey?" would he wonder, " Against a Lall, dark and handso·me gander." "On her fee lings, I'd better not ponder." "Although her presence fills me with wonder." " And also makes my heart flounder. " "Her nearness makes my tongue blunder." With these thoughts in his head would he wander, All the while making himself blinder. His sentiments the o thers did not share, And there.came a time when no more could they bear "Do not be lazy, do not your duties shirk!" A lounging rat then did ask with a smirk, "Dear Angsa, what work do you do, that thus," "For lazing around, you do reprimand us?" " The beautiful need not work, 'cause they're superior." "All they do is to kick your posterior" "When you're lazy. Now, is that clear?" The rat's features crimsoned, " Do we fear," He shouted, "this fat, ugly, pompous bird, While in her intent our labour she'd shear?" "Nay!" came the reply. "Throw her out!" All the aninia.ls did then take up the show. " Throw her out, yes, tluow Angsa out!" Cows, horses, pigs and dogs did rush towards her, De termined to give poor Angsa no quarter. She hissed, then she cackled, then turned tail and ran, As fast as her legs could carry her. Man! Did the animals enjoy themselves! But a monkey, Whose best friends were a lizard and a donkey, And whose name was Monyet, watched in dismay, As poor Angsa made her way Over the fence surrounding the farm. He said to himself, " I will not let them harm, "My Angsa". So he rushed to her aid, With chivalrous thoughts in his head. He swung o'er the fence, and intq the forest, hot on.her trail, But she was moving not much faster than a snail. And he came upon her quite soon, Even before it had become noon. "Angsa! Angsa!" crie_d Monyet, "O Angsa fair, " I am with you yet; do not despair." " Monyet!" she replied. "Of all my friends you alone "Do not seek to throw at me a stone." " I could not," he said, "My heart would not permit me. "For I love you, as Cupid did fair Psyche." " Do you really?" "Yes, I do! " "Then take me where none will bother us two. "And marry me." So they fled into the forest, Two lovers whom the animals woµld never have let rest, And when they had a child, the monkey and the goose Decided to name the new creature a Mongoose. 179
TINGKATAN 6 ATAS SAINSI Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Chee Wai Meng (Ketua Darjah), En. Ong Beng Sim, En. 0oi Chin Wah, En. Ramakrishnan, En. Toh Seang Chong (Gurn Ting.), Pn. Hoang Seng Hong, En. 0on Hiang Hock, Cik Owong Lai Yong, Sheena Lim O1in . Chin . (Naib Ketua Daijah). Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): S. Kiri Kannan, Victor(ia) Khor, Nurse Lim Tuck Meng, Dicky Kam Wei Tatt TT, Passola Tan Sew O1ing, Jeoi Lim Jia 0ih, lydee Ng Lee Dee, Lee "Spike" Hong Lock, Sundara Raj, Lake Ean "Pak" Bee (Ta.x Man), David Mitch Lo 11,ck Wye. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Prof Tan Kim Chung, James Tung Kam Kai 003, Cheah ( Da-Da) Soon Tatt, Eugene Tan Speedo, Rocky O10ng Kai Min, Roberto Hong Kian Sam(my) Jr. , Misbun Wong Choo Hooi, Hakuren Lim Hean Beng, O1eah Hock Lim(e), Timmy Tan Tiong Teng. Tidak hadir: En. Ismail Hassan, Tracy Khor May Lai, Patricia "Bo" Cheng Sar. TINGKA TAN 6 AT AS SAINS 2 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Lim Siew Kee (Penolong Ketua Darjalz}, En. Tan Chong Eng, En. Loh Hualz Sin, Cik Chan ling Chiu, Cik Choong Lai Yong (Guru Tingkatan), Puan Hoang Seng Hong, Puan 0 011 Hiang Hock , Puan Leong _r;, T-lm1f{. Golz Chai Hock ( K etua Dai1ah ). Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Poon Pak Leng, Ong Phaik Leng, Tan Swee Looi, Wong Phaik Chin, Loh Poh Yeok, Lye Siew Suan, Yang Yeit Mee, Christina Khaw Mei Lin, Cheam Chai Fong, Chan Bee Ling, Fong Pek Siew, Kathrin Tan Siew Choo, Lee Kean Seng. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): He1111y Liaw Woon Loong, K. Ravine/ran, l ake Koon Beng, Lim Chin Leong, Tan Beng Jin, Kasinathan, Goh Seang Lin, Foong King Huat. Tidak hadir: Puan Tan Sai Tee. 180 . .i· '• ~ • ,' ... - "" •t? . ! - - - ·• ~ ~ ---.:.•- - ••- - -~~ . ..... . . .-!~ . ...... . ~ .:_'..;.___H.:.:.~~...:..._,j ____ ._• •-- -"-J.i.., '. _ · ' > ·_ . ... '"::_" • • :
TINGKATAN 6 ATAS SAINS 3 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Lilian lee (Penolong Ketua Darjah), Cik Chan ling Chiu, Puan Leong Kit Hong, Puan Hoang Seng Hong, Puan 0 on Hiang Hock (Gu,u Tingkatan), Cik Choong Lai Yong, En. Loh Huah Sin, En. Tan Chong Eng, Michael Toh Tiong Huat (Ketua Darjalz). Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Tan Wan Clzye, Chong Wan Yin, Yuen Mei Chan, · Koh Ean Hoon, Seow Lan Hoon, Kamaljit Kaur, Teoh Hui Teng, Quah Chong lee, Lim Kheng Kar, Bong Thean Hin. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Ng Cheng Tiang, Chew Teng Jin, Ernest Toh Boon Cheng, lee Thiam Sin, Ong Ewe Lee, B. Allagu, Goh Meng Hong, Devandran, Chiang Cheng Kooi, lee Chin Lee, Surinder Singh, Lim Seng Huat, Teoh Ghee Teik. Tidak hadir: Kam Chen Yuen, Puan Rohani, En. Khoo Kay Tau. TINGKATAN 6 ATAS SAINS 4 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Tliln- 0oi Leng Choo (Ketua Darjah), En. Toh Seng Chong, Cik. Shakita Manan, Puan Hoang Seng Hong, Puan Leong Kit .Hong (Guru Tingkatan), Cik Choong Lai Yong, Puan 0on Hia,ig Hock, En. 0oi Chin Wah, En. Rama kn"shnan. Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Chew Gum, Cheah Kiu Ham, Yeoh "Ah Burr" Lye Huat, Denggy Hong Kian Ewe, Lay Be, Mona Ho (Penolong Ketua Darjah), 0ung Kheng Wooi, Peh 0ay Lin, Ban Yuat Wah, Liew Kor Chon, Chen Chew Sang, Tan Beng Hai, Tan Hun Beng. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Elvis Lim, Hiroshima Yap Fook Sin, Lim Boon Yam, Thong Quek Seang, Alex Lo, Honest Hah, !pp Lucas Chan, Zeasir Lim, Jacky Chan, Enjijik Singh, Gee/a, Own Wei You, Fam Chor Mew, Lian Weng Thim, Chuan Kok. Tidak hadir: Inspector Lim You lee, Kam Kok Chin, Khaw Mooi Hock, Lee Peng Keong.
TlNGKATAN 6 ATAS SASTERA 1 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Cik Shakila Manan, Puan Tan Poh Chiew, Puan Leong Kit Hong, Encik Tan Chong Eng, Encik Lim Chai Keat (Gwu Tingkatan), Lim Chiew Khuan (Ketua Darjah), Encik Ooi Keat Leong, Puan Mashitah, Puan Chan Kian Hin. Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Tan Lip Ga;Y, Ong Guat £an, Cheah Lay Eng, Lim Kay Lee, Lee Gaik Lin, Suzita Mat Som, Punira Visvanathan, Rosnah Yaacob, Anisah Ahmad, Che' Som Saedi11, Azwana Abu, Gayah Yusoff, Goh Boon Leong, Rene Tan. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan ): Shahrn l Amir, Mohd. NasirL, Anuar Ibrahim, Mohd Sani, Anbalahan a/l Shanmugam, Abdul Mana[. Mohd. Haf"tz, Zulfakhry Omar, Mohd. Fuad, Zulkifli Saad, Zulmajdi, Ooi Soon Beng, Soo Hoo Foo Seng (Penolong Ketua Darjah), Lee Boon Kooi. TINGKATAN 6 ATAS SASTERA 2 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Ahmad Shukor (Penolong Ketua Darjah), Cik Lim Hoang Hoang, Pn. Leong Kit Hong, En. Khoo Paiz Kheng, En. Tan Teong Kooi, E11. Nai Bej Sararaks, E11. Johnny Ooi Keat Leong, Pn. Tan Poh Choo, Puan Mashitah, Audrey Cheah Gaik Lean ( Ketua Da,jah), Chew Siew Ghee ( Bendahari ). Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Gurjeet Kaur, Teh Ming Wah, Tamilche!vee, Amaravathi, Low Phik Seah, Santhi a/p Narayanasamy, Choong Chin Chin, Daria Hwang, Ng Poh Wah, Tan Kim Eng, Fatilah Desa, Rozila Rafie, Lily Cheah, Noraidah Mahmud, Tan Siew Suan. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Mohamad Taib, Raz111a11 b. Raclzi, Woo Tuck Foo, Mazlan b. Hamn, Ga,y Chan Jin Liang, Mohar Haji Roz/an, James Ong Beng Siew, Shalleh11ddi11 b. Ismail, S. Linggaraj, Abdullah O,?wr, Abdullah Baharom. 182 I• I .: . .. . . -- ·- - --- ... - -: ,.• •: - .. ~•A -:,._~
TINGKATAN 6 ATAS SASTERA 3 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Encik Tan Teong Kooi, Encik Low 80011 Ewe, Encik Tan .Chong Eng, Jubal Lourdes (Penolong Ketua Darjah}, Haslita Ismail (Ketua Darjah}, Cik Tan Su Ee (Guru Tingkatan}, Puan Leong Kit Hong, Cik Lim Hoang Hoang, Puan Mashitah Sulong. Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Siti Halijah, Zarina, Fodziah, Salbiah Yusuf, Kartini Ahmad, Henyza Idris, Choong Oi Lin, Anne Tan, Yam Shou Kham, Gee Su Lyn, Ng Siew Hong, Thum Cheng Yim. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Lye Choon Huat, Yeoh Ju Seang, Nafe1y Nathanel, Ahmad Zain, Nicky Ng, Gunachegar, Lim Teng /Jooi, Anas Zubedy, Alfred Ogle, Leong Kok Shin, Syed Bakar, Sha1wi11, Mohd Fadzil. Tidak hadir: Mujahid, Khailul Anuar, Lee Thean Yew, Encik Ismail Hassan, Encik Shafie. TINGKA TAN 6 ATAS SASTERA 4 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Tan Theam Hock (Ketua Darjah), En. Tan Teang Kaai, En. Tan Chong Eng, Puan Tan Paiz Chiew, En. Nai Bej Sararaks, Puan Teh Kee Jin, En. Ooi Keat Leung, S, A tl,ai,an (Penolong Ketua Darjah). Berdiri baris pertma (kiri ke kanan): Lye Seen Seen, Tan Lee Yang, Cheah Poh Khim, Oai Ean Hoon, Josephine Manuel, Ho Mooi Teik, Ooi Lay Eng, Bernadine Michael, Tan Lay 1111, Chum Sook Fon. . Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Cheah Ghee Cheong, Lum Chong Chee, Tan Woan Yi, Khor Siew Bee, Chitra DeJJi, Teoh_ Seo Hoon , Joni Lim (Bendalwri}, Mary Wong, Lay Ho1 Cheong, Choo Theam Yew. Tidak hadir: Quah Beng Hang, En. Idris Haji Sudin (Gum Ting_kata11). Lew Pow Lin. 183
TINGKATAN 5 SAINS 1 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Michael Yoong, Parthiban s/o Yuhambarah, Tan Kea( Lin, Sreenivasan s/o G. Krishna Iyer, Goh Chee Kiang, Mr. Chew Keng Peng (Gu111 Tingkatan}, Saw Teong Hooi, Harpal Singh, Ramesh Kumar, Lee Kok Leong, Yeap· Eng Chye, Lim Hong Khoon. Berd.iri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Angappan a/l Regupathi, Teoh Chee Keong, Yeoh Theam Seng, Mukhtar Mohd., Zaibidi Sultan, J. Navinthira11, Badeul Amin, Dasrol Jaapar, Lim Eng Hin, Koay Leong Seng, Low Clwan Teik, Lim Wen Cheon, Kang Keat Soon, Tahi1uddi11 Hamdan. Berd.iri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Koay Eng Lin, Yeoh Tai Seng, Toh Kim Hor, Toh Lye Keong, Lam Leong Poh, Lim Chu Keong, Tan Chong Hoe, Chew Chin Huat, Yeong Meng Yik, Cheoy Yiew Fook, Jerome Tan, Ong Kheng Boon, Loh Kong Gay. Tidak hadir: Goh Choon Aun. TINGKA TAN 5 SAINS 2 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Lim Say Eow, Derrick Boey, Cheah Chee Kong, Damian Oh, Lee Peng Kuan (Monitor}, Puan Rohani, Kwok Kum Kay (Assr. Monitor}. Suresh Kumar, Lim Ken Moon, Vishnu Kumar. Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Raj. Shankar, Mohd. Razlan, Hor Kwai Keong, Chang Kok Yew, Fong Liang Wei, Benedict Teoh. Kong Kok Siang, Ahmad Faiz, Ng Wai Lam, Mohd. Shaha1uddin, Chan Kin Leak, Raymond Teoh, Teoh Sao Seng, Khoo Peng Jin, Aaron Cheah, Lim Lian Chee. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Yunus Yusoff, Noor Muza111mil, Lim .Joo Seng, Sagar, Koay Ban Kuan, Chee Tar Meng, Robin Khoo, Sockalinga111, Abdul Samad, Ku Abdul Hamid, Haizad. 184 :c-~ I. .. 2:,~ <7 (J • h l J •. _ ··ltJ_: . . -·
5 TINGKATAN SAINS 3 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Ong Theam Buan Azh · oh . , arz t man, Lemuel Tan Heng Ping, Koay Tian Tiek Ramz·d Kl .,- · . . . . ' zan, manz- maran T., Czk Molly Ooi Siew Chou, Safari Elis, Khoo Boo Gee, Hui See Loke, H'ng Bah Joon, Andrew Tan Khee Guan & Don Rashid Mustafa. Berdiri baris pertama ,.(kiri ke kanan): Chin Hoo Pieow, Lim Soon Cheng, Cheah Kim Chuan, P'ng Seong Teik, Kang Hoo Chong, Mak Keat Sin, Lee Woon Kee, Mohd. Zamberi, Lim Chee Khoon, Mohd. Yusni, Azhar b. Che Mat, Zu/ki/li Araby Ahmad Zaid. ' Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Khoo Peng Lim, Chan Kin Lip, Dommen Kunjappy, Khoo Seng Keat, Ooi Say Hooi, - Chan Wai Hong, Peh Cheng Keat, Ahmad Najib, Chew Eng Keat, Kenneth Tan Hark Hong & Mohd. Nizar. Tidak hadir: Mohd. Fazmi. TINGKA TAN 5 SAINS 4 _Duduk (kiri ke kanan): ?ubir b. Basir, Abdul Halim Mohd. Salim, Moses Chuah, Yuen Mun Yew (Ketua Darjah), En. John Cheang, Murelidaran, lsmady b. Isa, Arlan Rahimi, Ahmad Berdiri Munir. baris pertarna (kiri ke kanan): Ranjeet Singh, Baljit Singh, Shanmugam, Shaik Ibrahim · Nizam, Hishamudin, Ahmad Subhi, Muhaizad, Sebastian Toh, Saw Soon Seng, Low Kum Loong, Lim Yew Meng. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Stanley Nathan, Jaishanker, Ravindran Robin, Perumal, Rozman, Mohd. Daud, Manjor, Marhalim, Chai Swee Lai. . .. Tidak hadir: Chuah Eng Thiam, Azmi Omar, Cheah Ym Chau, Colin Khoo. ·" : -· · . f '\1 f' . ·r.' ·, .' -ff!IL1 ~ · • .,, ~ .,,~ ., :·~-• ? '. ~-¥ . . . ~: ... - / ~ .. .• ... •' ... ... _-: ) .,; r • :< .'; ::: :· ~• --'---•~..._ l~ ~,. -~~±.~. •~~(·.:(:.:~.::· ,' ·. ' , • ~-::.~-- ~"
TINGKATAN 5 SAINS 5 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Tho Tak Wai, Lim Bian Chai, Lee Eng Teik, Syed Osman (Penolong Ketu.a Darjah}, En. Tan Kai Ming (Gum Tingkatan}, Hanafiah Ahmad (Ketua Darjah), Sheikh Ahmad Jafni, Mohd. A/bar, Kritheran. Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Cheah Wei Soon, Mohd. Munir, Abdul Haim, Faizal Mohd. Zahir, Wee Eng Cheng, Tan Kuan San, Koay Teng Choon, Ridzuan Jaafar, Radu b. RazBerdiri man. baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Rosidi Ahmad, Khalili Khaud, See Kee Hin, Muhd. Ehwal, Haris Hasan, Kamarul Anwar, Sidek Abdul Majid, Jeya Raj, Amarjeet Singh, Mohd. Haris, Mohd Zamri. Tidak hadir: Loh Choon Mien, Zaino! Pureh, Mohd. Dahari b. Sulaiman TING KAT AN 5 SA INS 6 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Wong Chee Keong, Nazari, Anwar Ahmad, Munawir, En. Yong Siew Boo (Guru Tingkatan}, Lee Kiat Hean (Ketua Darjah), Chin Kee Chong, Raja ldnar, Chew Wooi Tuck. Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Tong Veng Leong, A111- ran, Jefri Noor, Nazri Soim, Zakaria, Abdul Muin, Ramlan, Hamzah, Dzilani, Halim, A wang, Jafri . . Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Rosedi, Noordin,_ Sheikh, Kassim, Ahmad, Abu, Radzi, R edzuan, Zaffarollah, Rosian, Othman, Ismail, Rizal, Sim Chee Ghee, Sobri. 186
5 TINGKATAN SAINS 7 Duduk (kiri ke kanan): Abdul Rahim, Badrul, Noozaidi, Cik Shakila Ma11a11, A bdul f\lahab, lzuddi11, Khairil Anuar, Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Md. Zulkifli, Yap Chee Kuang, Abdul Latib, Md. Nasir, Jfd. Ibrah im. Omar, Faiza11, l"i11ce11r . .\Id. Rodzi. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): f-!11sai11i, Nordi11, Maz/an, Akmal. :1/d. Azahar. Siwik Zulkif/i, Md. H11zair Zabri Jalal Sulra11 Aski11, Aznor, ,\Id. Radzua11. ' ' Tidak hadir: Ismail. 5 TINGKATAN SASTERA Duduk (kiri ke kanan): An11, Sug11111ara11, Loh 1'!a11 Coo, Jackson (Kerua Darjah }, Yeo11g Chan Jlla i (C11ru Ti11g. ). /-la11afiwara11r, Ra111011 Ra11do. A1111uar Niswa, Mohd. A11a11g Keror. Berdiri baris pertama (kiri ke kanan): Azma11, Bahar11ddi11, Lam Choon, Boon Chy e, Ronnie, Eddy Megah, Sahar Marley, Johan·, Herma11titisa11, Oh Kok Aun. Berdiri baris kedua (kiri ke kanan): Kiss, Danny, Bo11g Talib Ma11daraa, Bossley , f-lasmadi, Shaharnddin Ce11d11r, Arlene Tidak Lim. haclir: Ritchie, Jimmy, Rudolf I , ' I : , . ! • ,n 't~. ~ ~o.·~'1/ f:1j ~ .,~ - - ·:: ' .. , ~ '. ·,:· .. . . .. .~· ' ·. : '10. . •.• ' . , ~ .. • .., • , ·;i r~ .. · , . . , ,. er,';J ·, . tall!. • f- •'l' :: I "Vt;: ~1;' ,. . ,.~ ... =)J. : ,.,,_,1 -~ 'I ' ..,. .. . \ .. ~ . I • • , . J J_ .'" • .. ·,q., -.; /. - . ' .... ,c_;,. .:A - ~ ·T,-. ~ ,., """' . y .. r :;. .. - ........ - _,, , • . . • "T"~!-'~·~!_ ,;J • ' :wawww 187
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Editorial Board of Penang Free School would like to express its sincere gratitude to:- The Headmaster The Senior Assistant Mr. Loo Shaik Shang Professor Sandosham Mr. David Choong Mr. Ho King Hee Dr. Ooi Tiang Eng, J.P. Hon. Secretary of OF A Photographic Society PFS Focus Photo ·Studio Ruby Photo Studio Szechuan Typesetting Centre l11e following Donors for their kind contributions:- Dr. Saw Choo Teng Lucky Tailor Denis Topper Saloon Minah Restaurant Tinting Beauty & Hair Saloon 188
SCHOOL RALLY CHORUS "Let us march on to fame let the aisfe proclaim, Till our anthem willdare us to do. L~t us onward to wjn and new laurels gain, Free School for the brave & for the true. 1. vERSES It matters neither how strait the gate, nor how charged with dangers the goal, let the tempest rage & fell odds iTiflo.te, we'll to it with heart and soul. 2 . When duty calls be it schooi or state, we to it with god by our 3. side, for the sons of Free School. Dor:.'t he-si•tr-.!1;:, ;;or let cool ilicfr zeal mid pride. L~t's all then j o)J1 i~ this ju-bi.-ke, :ill v,1ifo one i:md ·,,okc to prnclair 1, our true 1uya!t;, ,1 1 1ti ,)t~r c~;t~-~~t ar~•{'Y, h..' O\!f sr}:;ter still r(-:;\1cin. -- -:---·~ ~~:~~ ... .. - . " .. ~-...... ~ ,. ' -- - . .. ' ... ~ f .:~·:_~ ~ -._;~. t,.· ~ :" -, i;: 'ii /~ : "· r, . '
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