3 tahun yang lalu
16 September 2011
Buku Sejarah Adat Istiadat Diraja Johor
SKUDAI - Sultan Johor, Duli Yang Maha Mulia (DYMM) Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar melancarkan buku Sejarah Adat Istiadat Diraja Johor di Dewan Sultan Iskandar, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), di sini, semalam.
Dalam titahnya, baginda tuanku merakamkan rasa sukacita apabila buku yang memberi gambaran terperinci terhadap adat istiadat dan budaya istana Johor dapat dihasilkan tepat pada masanya.
"Penerbitan buku yang memberi gambaran terperinci terhadap adat istiadat dan budaya Istana Johor dari Zaman Temenggong hingga kini adalah sesuatu yang dinantikan sama ada di kalangan rakyat Johor, pengkaji sejarah, ahli akademik dan rakyat Malaysia.
"Sebahagian besar rakyat Johor mungkin tidak berpeluang menyaksikan perlakuan istiadat dalam istana. Justeru, buku ini membolehkan rakyat Johor mengetahui adat resam yang membentuk budaya Johor yang unik tetapi moden,” titah tuanku dalam majlis pelancaran Buku Sejarah Adat Istiadat Diraja Johor, Minyak Wangi Diraja dan perasmian Bangunan IDB.
Turut hadir Menteri Besar Johor, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman dan Naib Canselor UTM, Prof Datuk Ir Dr Zaini Ujang.
Baginda tuanku bertitah, evolusi sejarah dan kebudayaan ikon Johor seperti pakaian Telok Belanga, Askar Timbalan Setia Negeri, Lagu Bangsa Johor dan Mahkota Kerajaan amat perlu diketahui serta disebarkan dengan luas kepada rakyat Johor bagi membina jati diri dan tata susila.
Buku tersebut ditulis oleh Setiausaha Jumaah Majlis Diraja Johor, Datuk Abdul Rahim Ramli berpengalaman luas dalam istiadat Istana Johor kerana telah berkhidmat dengan kerajaan dan Istana Johor selama 40 tahun.
Sementara itu, Abdul Rahim dalam ucapannya berkata, beliau cuba menerangkan kepada pembaca beberapa kemusykilan dan persoalan yang sering timbul berkenaan adat diraja Johor supaya pembaca lebih mengetahui situasi sebenar.
"Misalnya, mengapa rakyat Johor tidak mengangkat sembah apabila menghadap raja, mengapa raja Johor berpakaian cara Bugis, mengapa pakaian istiadat raja Johor mirip pakaian barat dan sebagainya.
"Buku ini menghuraikan asal usul ikon Johor yang dipelopori oleh Sultan Abu Bakar seperti pakaian Telok Belanga dan peranan sumber asli yang menjadikan Johor negeri terkaya dalam zaman Temenggong iaitu getah taban, lada hitam dan gambir.
“Saya juga cuba mengingatkan jasa Sultan Abu Bakar dalam mengharumkan nama Johor yang sentiasa mendahului negeri lain dengan mengilhamkan sebuah mahkota sebagai tindakan berani mengubah pakaian tradisi raja-raja Melayu dan mencipta Undang-Undang Tubuh kerajaan tahun 1895,” katanya.
Beliau menegaskan menerusi pengetahuan sejarah itu, semua pihak diharap dapat menambah kesedaran terhadap perjuangan tokoh-tokoh yang telah membangunkan Johor dan mengukuhkan kesetiaan kepada raja dan negeri bagi mengekalkan kedaulatan Johor.
Dalam titahnya, baginda tuanku merakamkan rasa sukacita apabila buku yang memberi gambaran terperinci terhadap adat istiadat dan budaya istana Johor dapat dihasilkan tepat pada masanya.
"Penerbitan buku yang memberi gambaran terperinci terhadap adat istiadat dan budaya Istana Johor dari Zaman Temenggong hingga kini adalah sesuatu yang dinantikan sama ada di kalangan rakyat Johor, pengkaji sejarah, ahli akademik dan rakyat Malaysia.
"Sebahagian besar rakyat Johor mungkin tidak berpeluang menyaksikan perlakuan istiadat dalam istana. Justeru, buku ini membolehkan rakyat Johor mengetahui adat resam yang membentuk budaya Johor yang unik tetapi moden,” titah tuanku dalam majlis pelancaran Buku Sejarah Adat Istiadat Diraja Johor, Minyak Wangi Diraja dan perasmian Bangunan IDB.
Turut hadir Menteri Besar Johor, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman dan Naib Canselor UTM, Prof Datuk Ir Dr Zaini Ujang.
Baginda tuanku bertitah, evolusi sejarah dan kebudayaan ikon Johor seperti pakaian Telok Belanga, Askar Timbalan Setia Negeri, Lagu Bangsa Johor dan Mahkota Kerajaan amat perlu diketahui serta disebarkan dengan luas kepada rakyat Johor bagi membina jati diri dan tata susila.
Buku tersebut ditulis oleh Setiausaha Jumaah Majlis Diraja Johor, Datuk Abdul Rahim Ramli berpengalaman luas dalam istiadat Istana Johor kerana telah berkhidmat dengan kerajaan dan Istana Johor selama 40 tahun.
Sementara itu, Abdul Rahim dalam ucapannya berkata, beliau cuba menerangkan kepada pembaca beberapa kemusykilan dan persoalan yang sering timbul berkenaan adat diraja Johor supaya pembaca lebih mengetahui situasi sebenar.
"Misalnya, mengapa rakyat Johor tidak mengangkat sembah apabila menghadap raja, mengapa raja Johor berpakaian cara Bugis, mengapa pakaian istiadat raja Johor mirip pakaian barat dan sebagainya.
"Buku ini menghuraikan asal usul ikon Johor yang dipelopori oleh Sultan Abu Bakar seperti pakaian Telok Belanga dan peranan sumber asli yang menjadikan Johor negeri terkaya dalam zaman Temenggong iaitu getah taban, lada hitam dan gambir.
“Saya juga cuba mengingatkan jasa Sultan Abu Bakar dalam mengharumkan nama Johor yang sentiasa mendahului negeri lain dengan mengilhamkan sebuah mahkota sebagai tindakan berani mengubah pakaian tradisi raja-raja Melayu dan mencipta Undang-Undang Tubuh kerajaan tahun 1895,” katanya.
Beliau menegaskan menerusi pengetahuan sejarah itu, semua pihak diharap dapat menambah kesedaran terhadap perjuangan tokoh-tokoh yang telah membangunkan Johor dan mengukuhkan kesetiaan kepada raja dan negeri bagi mengekalkan kedaulatan Johor.
09 September 2011
Sultan Johor lancar buku Sejarah Adat Istiadat Diraja Johor Selasa depan
JOHOR BAHARU, 8 September 2011 : Sultan Johor, Sultan Ibrahim akan melancarkan buku 'Sejarah Adat Istiadat Diraja Johor' Selasa depan (13 September 2011) yang memaparkan adat istiadat Kesultanan Johor.
Naib Canselor Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Prof Datuk Ir Dr Zaini Ujang, berkata buku terbitan Penerbit UTM Press itu ditulis oleh Setiausaha Jumaah Majlis Diraja Johor Datuk Abdul Rahim Ramli yang juga Karyawan Tamu UTM.
Naib Canselor Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Prof Datuk Ir Dr Zaini Ujang, berkata buku terbitan Penerbit UTM Press itu ditulis oleh Setiausaha Jumaah Majlis Diraja Johor Datuk Abdul Rahim Ramli yang juga Karyawan Tamu UTM.
"Buku ini membolehkan pembaca dan masyarakat khususnya penuntut untuk mengetahui dengan lebih mendalam mengenai asal usul adat istana Johor yang sememangnya terkenal dengan ciri-ciri kebudayaan yang unik," katanya kepada pemberita, di sini hari ini.
Zaini berkata, buku setebal 295 muka surat dan dijual pada harga RM180 itu mengambil masa setahun untuk disiapkan, termasuk kerja-kerja mengumpul bahan, suntingan dan cetakan.
Beliau berkata, buku tersebut mengandungi beberapa aspek evolusi sejarah dan kebudayaan ikon Johor termasuk pakaian Teluk Belanga, Askar Timbalan Setia Negeri Johor, Lagu Bangsa Johor dan Mahkota Kerajaan.
Katanya, buku itu turut melatari kemajuan ekonomi Johor yang bermula dengan pertanian lada hitam dan gambir yang menjadi rebutan pedagang antarabangsa sehingga Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar mengabadikan kedua-dua hasil pertanian tersebut sebagai simbol kemajuan Johor di semua peralatan istiadat istana, persuratan dan dokumen.
Abdul Rahim yang juga bekas Setiausaha Kerajaan Johor, pula berkata, idea penulisan buku berkenaan tercetus atas kesedaran bahawa belum ada penulisan lengkap terhadap perlakuan dalam istiadat diraja.
Beliau berkata, buku tersebut mengandungi beberapa aspek evolusi sejarah dan kebudayaan ikon Johor termasuk pakaian Teluk Belanga, Askar Timbalan Setia Negeri Johor, Lagu Bangsa Johor dan Mahkota Kerajaan.
Katanya, buku itu turut melatari kemajuan ekonomi Johor yang bermula dengan pertanian lada hitam dan gambir yang menjadi rebutan pedagang antarabangsa sehingga Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar mengabadikan kedua-dua hasil pertanian tersebut sebagai simbol kemajuan Johor di semua peralatan istiadat istana, persuratan dan dokumen.
Abdul Rahim yang juga bekas Setiausaha Kerajaan Johor, pula berkata, idea penulisan buku berkenaan tercetus atas kesedaran bahawa belum ada penulisan lengkap terhadap perlakuan dalam istiadat diraja.
Beliau berkata, buku berkenaan diharap dapat dijadikan panduan khasnya kepada Pegawai Perkhidmatan Tadbir Negeri Johor yang secara tradisi mengendalikan istiadat diraja mahupun majlis rasmi kerajaan.
Dalam pada itu, Zaini berkata, pada hari sama, Sultan Johor turut dijangka berkenan merasmikan bangunan Institut Pembangunan Bioproduk (IBD) UTM dan melancarkan minyak wangi S1 dan S2 yang direka khas untuk baginda.
Katanya, minyak wangi itu dihasilkan melalui pelbagai proses oleh penyelidik di IBD berkenaan. - BERNAMA
06 Julai 2011
Why I drove the train out (The Star, June 5. 2011)
Farewell....Sultan Ibrahim waving to the crowd before driving the last train out of Singapore. — Bernama
The ruler of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, on why he asked to drive the last KTM train out of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station on June 30 at 11pm.
WHEN I found out last year that Tanjong Pagar Railway Station would be closed, I expressed my desire of driving the last train out of Singapore to the KTM chairman.
What the governments do has got nothing to do with me. To me, it is a sentimental matter.
It was my great grandfather, the late Sultan Ibrahim, who opened the Causeway, designed for both road and rail links. He paved the way, literally, for the first train to rumble into Singapore from Malaysia back in 1923.
Besides trains, I fly jets, helicopters, and I sail my own yacht. I am never a boring person. Everything to me is a challenge. I always like to find something new to do. Every day, I look at the weather and think to myself, what should I do today?
So, when the KTM chairman said OK, the train instructor was sent to my palace.
There was no train simulator. I had to study the diagrams of the controls and learn about the mechanics of how a train moves. After that, we started the practical lessons.
The first time I sat at the controls, it felt a little funny because there was no steering wheel. There was only the throttle and the brake.
It was a little scary too because unlike a car, you cannot swerve when you're driving a train. If there is something on the tracks, you cannot avoid it. You will hit it. It's not like a helicopter, where I can go up and down.
What helps is that there is a note or manifest that the station master hands you before you leave the station, and which you need to sign for. It describes the route you would be taking, what the speed limits are, where the crossings are, etc.
As the lessons progressed, I learnt one other thing: You cannot think only for yourself when you drive a train.
You need to feel it. You need to feel its length, its weight, the momentum and the gradient you are on.
I drove around to places like Negri Sembilan, Kluang and KL after I received my locomotive driving licence.
Last Thursday was the first time I set foot on Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. That's because when I come to Singapore, I usually drive or take my yacht.
I was told not to go more than 60km per hour because these were old tracks and they could be a little unsteady.
There were two safety drivers with me at the controls. One of them was my instructor, because I always feel more comfortable when he is beside me.
I also brought my iPad onto the train because I always like to find out where I am and how fast I am going (Yes, you can do that with an iPad!).
I felt a little sad that it was a night journey and that I couldn't see what was around me as I drove.
But I also felt very honoured because there were so many passengers.
They were a testament to the bond of friendship between the people of Johor and Singapore.
I knew many of them felt sad about the station. Some of them felt that Singapore was developing too fast. But I don't think so.
We cannot control development. It happens at its own pace. But we must always know our history.
In Malaysia and Singapore, when we go to school, we do not learn about ourselves, but about the world.
If you ask a Singaporean on the street: Where is Kazakhstan? Or, say, where is Cape Town? He will probably know.
But Segamat, Malaysia? Probably not.
So this is the message I want to convey to Singaporeans: Learn about the history we share.
More than anything else, that is why I asked to drive the train. - The Straits Times/Asia News Network
19 Jun 2011
Kembara Mahkota Johor 2011 (18 Jun 2011)
RM100,0000 taja Kembara Mahkota Johor (Utusan Malaysia)
SULTAN Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar melambai tangan kepada rakyat sambil memeluk anakandanya, Tunku Abu Bakar di atas bot nelayan ketika menyusuri Sungai Muar dari Jeti Istana Tanjung ke Jeti Jorak pada hari pertama Kembara Mahkota Johor 2011 yang bermula di Muar, semalam. Turut kelihatan Menteri Besar Johor, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman. - MINGGUAN /ISHAK RAHMAD
JOHOR BAHRU 18 Jun - Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) dan Tenaga Nasional Bhd. (TNB) menyumbang RM100,000 untuk menjayakan program Kembara Mahkota Johor (KMJ) edisi ke-14 bermula hari ini.
Penyerahan replika cek TH dan TNB yang masing-masing berjumlah RM50,000 itu dilakukan di Bilik Gerakan Tun Abdul Razak, Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim di sini, kelmarin.
Pengarah TH negeri, Ahmad Sohaimi Abd. Rahim dan Pegawai Kewangan TNB negeri, Mohd. Anas Mohd. Yusof menyerahkan replika cek itu kepada Timbalan Setiausaha Kerajaan negeri, Jamil Salleh.
Jamil dalam ucapannya memberitahu, sumbangan tersebut akan disalurkan untuk projek kebajikan KMJ bagi membantu golongan yang memerlukan.
Sasarannya, kata beliau, ialah golongan miskin dan membina sekolah serta rumah penduduk daif bertujuan meringankan beban mereka.
"Pada masa sama, Sultan Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar sendiri akan menyampaikan sumbangan peribadi berupa dua mesin dialisis kepada bangunan wakaf milik Jabatan Agama Islam Johor di Batu Pahat," katanya.
KMJ 2011 sejauh 800 kilometer itu bermula dari Jeti Istana Tanjung, Muar menuju ke Jeti Jorak sebelum meneruskan perjalanan ke pekan Pagoh, Felda Chempelak (Labis), Felda Ayer Hitam dan konvoi itu akan bermalam di Sri Lambak, Kluang.
Pada hari kedua, ketiga dan terakhir, konvoi turut menemui penduduk di semua 10 daerah di negeri ini, menyertai pelbagai aktiviti kemasyarakatan, kebajikan, gotong-royong, riadah dan sukan yang diadakan.
Konvoi yang disertai kira-kira 30 motosikal berkuasa tinggi dan 40 kenderaan pacuan empat roda itu akan menamatkan penjelajahan di Bangunan Sultan Abu Bakar, Muar pada 21 Jun ini.
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Saksi sejarah tercipta lagi (Sinar Harian)
MUAR – Kembara Mahkota Johor 2011 (KMJ 2011) bagi siri ke-14 sekali lagi melakar sejarah apabila Sultan Johor, Duli Yang Maha Mulia (DYMM) Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar berkenan menyusuri Sungai Muar dengan menaiki bot nelayan.
Perjalanan yang mengambil masa hampir dua jam itu dimulakan dari Jeti Istana Tanjung Muar sehingga Jeti Jorak, Bukit Pasir selepas berlangsungnya Majlis Pelancaran KMJ 2011 di pekarangan Istana Tanjung Muar.
Rombongan baginda tuanku menyusuri Sungai Muar turut diiringi oleh Putera Bongsu, Paduka Putera Tunku Abu Bakar Ibni Sultan Ibrahim; Menteri Besar, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman dan 40 ketua jabatan negeri serta persekutuan.
Aktiviti menyusui Sungai Muar mempunyai mesej yang jelas bertepatan dengan tema KMJ 2011 pada kali ini iaitu 'Penjagaan Alam Sekitar Tanggungjawab Kita'.
Baginda tuanku turut menyertai kempen menjaga alam sekitar serta program kebersihan termasuk aktiviti menanam pokok.
Kelainan yang dilakukan itu sejajar dengan komitmen Kerajaan Negeri dalam memulihara alam sekitar melalui cara mempertahankan hutan simpan, menanam semula pokok hutan, memulih hutan tersorok dan program menanam pokok seluruh negeri.
Sepanjang hampir dua jam perjalanan menyusuri Sungai Muar, baginda tuanku berpeluang melihat sendiri tahap kebersihan di Sungai Muar yang menjadi salah satu daya tarikan pelancongan di sini.
Namun lebih mengujakan apabila ribuan rakyat jelata sabar menanti ketibaan baginda tuanku meskipun terpaksa menunggu lebih tiga jam semata-mata mahu melihat baginda tuanku menaiki bot nelayan dan menyambut ketibaan baginda tuanku di Jeti Jorak.
Perjalanan yang mengambil masa hampir dua jam itu dimulakan dari Jeti Istana Tanjung Muar sehingga Jeti Jorak, Bukit Pasir selepas berlangsungnya Majlis Pelancaran KMJ 2011 di pekarangan Istana Tanjung Muar.
Rombongan baginda tuanku menyusuri Sungai Muar turut diiringi oleh Putera Bongsu, Paduka Putera Tunku Abu Bakar Ibni Sultan Ibrahim; Menteri Besar, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman dan 40 ketua jabatan negeri serta persekutuan.
Aktiviti menyusui Sungai Muar mempunyai mesej yang jelas bertepatan dengan tema KMJ 2011 pada kali ini iaitu 'Penjagaan Alam Sekitar Tanggungjawab Kita'.
Baginda tuanku turut menyertai kempen menjaga alam sekitar serta program kebersihan termasuk aktiviti menanam pokok.
Kelainan yang dilakukan itu sejajar dengan komitmen Kerajaan Negeri dalam memulihara alam sekitar melalui cara mempertahankan hutan simpan, menanam semula pokok hutan, memulih hutan tersorok dan program menanam pokok seluruh negeri.
Sepanjang hampir dua jam perjalanan menyusuri Sungai Muar, baginda tuanku berpeluang melihat sendiri tahap kebersihan di Sungai Muar yang menjadi salah satu daya tarikan pelancongan di sini.
Namun lebih mengujakan apabila ribuan rakyat jelata sabar menanti ketibaan baginda tuanku meskipun terpaksa menunggu lebih tiga jam semata-mata mahu melihat baginda tuanku menaiki bot nelayan dan menyambut ketibaan baginda tuanku di Jeti Jorak.
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Konvoi bermula (Berita Harian)
MUAR: Selepas sebulan dirancang, Kembara Mahkota Johor (KMJ) edisi ke-14 berkonsepkan ‘Penjagaan Alam Sekitar Tanggungjawab Kita’ akhirnya bermula di perkarangan Istana Tanjung, di sini, jam 8 pagi semalam, dengan misi menjelajah 10 daerah di negeri ini dalam tempoh empat hari.
Bagi mendukung misi itu, pada hari pertama, KMJ14 menjelajah ke dua lokasi di sekitar Jorak dan bandar ini menggunakan jalan darat serta air.
Tunku Mahkota Johor, Tunku Ismail memulakan konvoi dengan menunggang motosikal berkuasa tinggi diiringi 30 yang lain manakala ayahandanya, Sultan Johor, Sultan Ibrahim mencemar duli dengan menaiki sebuah bot nelayan.
Lebih 2,000 rakyat jelata di sekitar daerah ini berkumpul seawal jam 7 pagi di perkarangan Istana Tanjung sebelum KMJ14 dimulakan sebagai tanda sokongan.
Kembara yang dirasmikan Sultan Ibrahim tiba di destinasi pertama iaitu Kampung Jorak, dua jam selepas konvoi dimulakan.
Turut hadir, Sultanah Johor, Raja Zarith Sofia dan Menteri Besar, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.
Abdul Ghani berkata, rakyat negeri ini sentiasa menantikan kedatangan KMJ14 kerana ia peluang keemasan bersua muka dan bermesra dengan Sultan Ibrahim.
“Kesanggupan baginda mencemar duli menjelajah ke segenap pelusuk daerah melambangkan keprihatinan dan kesungguhan baginda untuk merasai kehidupan rakyat jelata,” katanya.
17 Jun 2011
Kembara Mahkota Johor (KMJ) 2011
Siri jelajah Kembara Mahkota Johor (KMJ) 2011 akan berlangsung selama empat hari mulai 18 Jun depan, bermula dan berakhir di Muar.
Kembara yang akan merentasi jarak sejauh 797 kilometer meliputi 10 daerah itu akan menggunakan tiga jenis kenderaan, iaitu motosikal berkuasa besar, pacuan empat roda dan bot.
Dalam siri jelajah kali ini, Sultan Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, akan disertai isteri, Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris; Tunku Mahkota Johor, Tunku Ismail Ibrahim; kerabat diraja serta 40 ketua-ketua jabatan diiringi 30 motosikal berkuasa besar.
Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Johor, Obet Tawil, berkata sepanjang KMJ 2011, Sultan Ibrahim akan menyertai program amal, gotong-royong dan program bersama rakyat.
“Tuanku akan memberikan sumbangan kepada golongan kurang bernasib baik termasuk anak-anak yatim, ibu tunggal dan kanak-kanak istimewa.
“Tuanku juga akan singgah di Bandar Tekstil Malaysia, Tangkak, dan Dataran Sungai Rengit, Kota Tinggi yang terkenal dengan makanan laut segar,” katanya.
Selari dengan tema KMJ 2011 “Penjagaan Alam Sekitar Tanggungjawab Kita Bersama”, 20,000 anak pokok teduhan akan diberikan kepada setiap daerah di negeri ini untuk ditanam.
Katanya, anak pokok itu akan ditanam secara serentak di semua daerah kecuali di Jemaluang, Mersing, yang akan ditanam sendiri oleh Sultan Ibrahim pada hari kedua KMJ.
16 Jun 2011
Sultan Johor pengerusi Mesyuarat ke-224 Majlis Raja-Raja
KUALA LUMPUR (15 Jun 2011) : Sultan Johor Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar hari ini mempengerusikan Mesyuarat ke-224 Majlis Raja-Raja di Istana Negara di sini.
Mesyuarat hari pertama itu dihadiri semua Raja Melayu kecuali Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir yang gering.
Terengganu diwakili Tengku Seri Bendahara Raja Tengku Mustaffa Kamel, dan Kedah oleh Tunku Bendahara Datuk Seri Tunku Annuar Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah.
Kecuali Kelantan, Raja-raja Melayu diiringi Menteri Besar masing-masing manakala Yang Dipertua Negeri Pulau Pinang, Sabah dan Melaka oleh Ketua Menteri masing-masing.
Sultan Kelantan diiringi wakil Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah manakala Yang Dipertua Negeri Sarawak diiringi wakil Ketua Menteri Tan Sri Alfred Jabu.
04 Mei 2011
Bandar pencen elemen klasik Muar (Kosmo 4 Mei 2011)
HISTORIOGRAFI bandar Muar yang ditelaah sentiasa menerawang di benak fikiran sehingga terpantul ke dasar mimpi. Penulis juga sentiasa dibayangi dengan ayat yang paling signifikan dalam sebuah naskhah lama yang dibaca.
Pada satu catatan, Muar yang merupakan kota kedua Portugis di Semenanjung Tanah Melayu adalah saksi kepada permulaan keagungan bangsa. Kota itu juga menjadi medan kepada kejatuhan empayar Kesultanan Melayu Melaka yang cukup masyhur pada zaman silam.
Baris ayat-ayat itu sememangnya mempunyai satu takwil yang cukup besar bagi penulis. Ia telah memberi pemahaman kepada penulis bahawa Muar adalah sebuah bandar yang bukan calang-calang pada suatu ketika dahulu. Tidak keterlaluan juga untuk disimpulkan, kekayaan sejarah Muar setanding dengan Melaka.
Benar, seperti kata tokoh sejarah Melaka, Baharam Azit, Muar atau Teluk Dalam dilingkari dengan gugusan pengkisahan lampau yang perdana.
Muar yang menjadi sebahagian daripada jajahan takluk Majapahit pada tahun 1350 sememangnya tidak mewariskan sebarang artifak untuk ditatapi.
Namun, selepas Muar menjadi kubu terakhir serangan Jepun dan kemudian dicengkam oleh Inggeris, bandar itu telah meninggalkan banyak warisan yang kekal utuh sehingga kini.
Penulis dan jurufoto, Amin Farij Hasan menganggap Muar bukanlah sebuah bandar biasa. Jujur kami suarakan, aura zaman kolonial Inggeris di bandar yang pernah dihikayatkan dalam Suma Oriental masih segar menyapa.
Opera kehidupan khalayak Muar juga jauh berbeza dengan kota raya Kuala Lumpur. Masyarakat Muar bercitra tinggi. Semangat mereka memelihara apresiasi seni warisan jelas menunjukkan kesungguhan untuk memberitahu dunia bahawa Muar pernah makmur pada era silam.
Seni bina klasik
Tidak hairanlah jika bandar diraja di selatan Johor itu digelar bandar pencen. Atas faktor itulah, Muar berjaya memukau pandangan si pengembara. Melintasi Jambatan Sultan Ismail, anda seolah-olah berada di ‘dunia’ lain.
Seperti kata seorang anak jati Muar, Salleh Minhat, 62, bandar itu sesungguhnya tewas dalam usaha mendirikan bangunan pencakar langit.
“Namun, Muar telah menjalankan tugas yang paling sukar iaitu mengekalkan seni reka bangunan yang dibangunkan sebelum Perang Dunia Kedua. Malah, di merata ceruk, banyak ejaan bahasa Melayu lama masih dikekalkan oleh si empunya premis,” katanya ketika bersembang bersama penulis baru-baru ini.
Kata lelaki itu lagi, wilayah bandar Muar juga unik kerana ia dikelilingi bangunan yang berciri klasik.
“Sama ada anda berada di Jalan Abdullah, Jalan Maharani, Jalan Sisi hinggalah ke Jalan Petrie, pasti terselit dua tiga buah kedai yang kebanyakannya menjual barang dapur kuno.
MONUMEN yang terletak di tengah-tengah bandar ini mengalu-alukan kehadiran pelancong.
“Terdapat juga bangunan kedai yang berunsur pascakolonial seperti bangunan Hotel Embassy,” ujarnya bangga.
Selain itu, masih terdapat tulisan Cina yang dilukis dengan menggunakan cat merah pada tiang sebesar kayu balak.
Namun, yang paling mencuri tumpuan lensa pelancong ialah Bangunan Kastam. Bangunan itu siap dibina pada tahun 1909 ketika Muar menjadi satu-satunya bandar yang mempunyai landasan kereta api.
Jalan Petrie mungkin layak dilabelkan sebagai lorong bersejarah. Kawasan tersebut membariskan bangunan seperti Mahkamah Tinggi Muar yang berusia 126 tahun dan mempunyai sentuhan neoklasik.
Pejabat Tanah Muar (dulu Bangunan Sultan Abu Bakar) yang terletak bersebelahan juga mempunyai elemen sejarah yang tidak terperi. Begitu juga dengan Sekolah Tinggi Muar yang dibina dalam tahun 1914 dan Balai Polis Cawangan Trafik.
Berjalan kaki mungkin cara terbaik untuk menghayati keindahan dan sejarah yang terpatri di Muar. Jika tidak, para pengembara barangkali gagal menemui hotel-hotel lama seperti Hotel Federal, Hotel Embassy dan Hotel Paris. Premis-premis itu bagaimanapun hanya tinggal nama sahaja.
Kopi Muar
Barangkali ramai yang bersetuju dengan penulis bahawa tidak lengkap rasanya jika tidak menikmati secawan kopi di Jalan Maharani. Bukan setakat rekaan dan susun atur kedainya yang unik, bahkan aroma kopinya mampu mententeramkan gelodak jiwa.
“Kata orang, apabila minum kopi di Muar ibarat mengembalikan nostalgia zaman 60-an kerana corak hidangannya tidak berubah sejak dulu,” kata Kiar Cher Yong, 26, pewaris jenama Kopi 434.
Di kala senja, ziarah terhenti seketika di Masjid Jamek Sultan Ibrahim. Papan tanda masjid masih mengekalkan ejaan lama. Percikan cahaya lampu neon melambai kami untuk singgah sebentar.
Rumah Allah yang dibina pada tahun 1927 itu mempunyai pengaruh Inggeris. Bumbung bangunan utama merupakan bumbung limas beratapkan genting lama. Menariknya tentang masjid yang terletak di tebing Sungai Muar ini, terdapat menara empat tingkat yang mempunyai kontur dan reka corak yang unik.
Mercu tanda terbaru di Bandar Maharani ini ialah Masjid Jamek Sultan Ismail yang didirikan betul-betul di utara tebing Sungai Muar. Pelan arkiteknya persis kepada Masjid Jamek Sultan Ibrahim.
Jika posisi kedudukan anda dari bandar Muar atau dari Jambatan Sultan Ismail, lokasi penyatuan ummah itu dilihat seakan-akan terapung di atas sebatang sungai.
Untuk menikmati panorama masjid atau rutin aktiviti komoditi masyarakat Muar, apa kata anda menaiki bot menyusuri Sungai Muar yang memakan masa lebih kurang sejam.
MASJID Jamek Sultan Ismail yang mempunyai pengaruh Inggeris antara tarikan di Muar.
Dalam lipatan sejarah tertulis akan keunggulan Muar. Bandar itu satu-satunya bandar di negara ini yang mempunyai sistem kereta apinya sendiri yang ditubuhkan pada tahun 1889 dan berakhir pada tahun 1925. Ia menghubungkan Jalan Sulaiman dan Sungai Pulai sejauh 22.5 kilometer (km).
Pencapaian itu dikatakan sungguh luar biasa memandangkan tiada satu bandar pun di Malaya pada ketika itu mengimplemenkan idea yang sedemikian.
Memetik kenyataan dalam beberapa rujukan, pihak pentadbiran Keretapi Kerajaan Muar (MSR) mempunyai perancangan untuk memanjangkan landasan kereta api hingga ke Batu Pahat. Bagaimanapun, impian itu tidak kesampaian ekoran halangan geografi dan kewangan.
Kesan landasan kereta api telah hilang selepas tapaknya digantikan dengan pembinaan Jalan Temenggung Ahmad. Bagi membuktikan cerita tentang kewujudan MSR bukan dongengan, lokomotif MSR yang diiktiraf tertua di Malaysia kini dipamerkan di Taman Tanjung Emas.
Kata seorang pengunjung ketika berbual bersama penulis, Haseena Seelan, 29 : “Saya teruja melihat Muar lebih hebat daripada mana-mana negeri di Malaysia kerana ia memiliki segala-galanya sejak dulu lagi.”
Khazanah berharga
Hari terakhir di Muar, kami mengalihkan stereng menuju ke Kolam Air Panas Sungai Gersik yang terletak di Kampung Sungai Gersik, Mukim Sungai Balang. Lokasi itu kira-kira 30 km dari bandar Muar.
Kolam Air Panas Sungai Gersik merupakan satu-satunya lokasi air panas semulajadi yang kini dikomersialkan. Terpercik perasaan gerun tatkala dikisahkan tentang peristiwa ganjil di kolam berkenaan. Namun kolam yang ditemui oleh seorang penduduk kampung yang bernama Abd. Rahman Harshad pada tahun 1911 merupakan khazanah yang tidak ternilai untuk bandar Muar.
Penerokaan sejarah di bandar Maharani semakin bermakna apabila berpeluang melawati Makam Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah di Kampung Raja, Pagoh. Almarhumah permaisuri Sultan Alauddin juga dimakamkan bersebelahan dengan makam baginda. Batu nisan kedua-duanya dipercayai ditempah khas dari Acheh dan diukir dengan kalimah al-Quran. Kawasan makam dikawal rapi oleh penduduk kampung dan pihak berwajib bagi mengelakkan aktiviti pemujaan di makam itu.
Meskipun Muar dibaluti dengan kepadatan sejarah, bandar pencen itu turut membangun selari dengan arus kemodenan. Program mengindahkan pesisir pantai dan pembukaan penempatan baru yang lebih moden telah memesatkan pembangunan bandar itu.
Seperti kata seorang anak jati Muar, Mohd. Zamani Abdullah, 75 : “Kita telah membangun tapi kita sedikit pun tidak jejaskan elemen-elemen klasik yang di tinggalkan oleh nenek moyang dan penjajah kita. Orang Muar harus berbangga kerana bandar ini sebenarnya telah menyimpan banyak peristiwa sejarah walaupun tiada bukti arkeologi yang mengesahkannya.”
28 April 2011
Johor sultan coming for old time’s sake
MANILA, Philippines—Nothing fancy for this royal though the Palace gardener drives a Porsche. Bagoong will do, thank you.
An informal call by Sultan Ibrahim III of Malaysia on President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday renews a friendship that began 30 years ago with a frequent house guest in Boston dressed in dungarees and fondly called “the king.”
The President’s eldest sister, Maria Elena “Ballsy” Cruz, said that in 1981, the unassuming young Malaysian, who was also called “Yem,” spent most of his free time hanging around in the Aquino residence in Boston.
The then Crown Prince of Johor “did not act like a future king,” said Cruz in a phone interview. “He wasn’t like Prince William in the sense that he had a stately air around him. And he was pleased not to be called ‘Your Highness.’”
Proclaimed Sultan of Johor in 2010 after the death of his father, the Malaysian was a student at Harvard University in 1981 when the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., the President’s father, came to address the students.
A fiery speaker, Senator Aquino was clapped in jail by the dictator Ferdinand Marcos when martial law was declared in September 1972. He was temporarily released to undergo a heart bypass in Boston in May 1980 and remained in the United States as an exile until August 1983 when he returned to Manila to rally a divided opposition against Marcos but was assassinated at the airport.
“There is no specific agenda. This would just be a visit by a friend. This is not an official visit. The king doesn’t want the tour-tour stuff. Probably just a courtesy call and a simple dinner in Malacanang,” said the President’s uncle, Antolin Oreta Jr.
No parade
Formally known as Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Iskandar Al-Haj, the visitor wants no parade, Oreta told the Inquirer. “I want to rest, see Noynoy and visit the Philippines,” the sultan is quoted as saying.
“There wouldn’t even be a tour of the Palace. Perhaps because the king already has many palaces in his country … We’re still thinking of how to keep him occupied here,” Oreta said.
Oreta said the visit was considered after Mr. Aquino and the sultan failed to meet in Singapore during his state visit there last March. Johor, Oreta noted, is the Malaysian state nearest Singapore.
“When P-Noy went to Singapore, a meeting was considered but the sultan had already left for Argentina when P-Noy had free time,” he said.
“Later, the king called and said, “I want to see Noynoy in Manila. Tell him to invite me,” Oreta quoted him saying. The sultan arrives via private jet Wednesday afternoon.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the meeting will take place on Thursday afternoon.
Hanging out with Noy
Perhaps the prince was impressed by the senator’s eloquence in his Harvard address in 1981 that he found himself a frequent guest in the Aquino home for the next two years.
“He was often in the house to eat. He was always in jeans, we called them dungarees then, and a leather jacket. He looked like a typical college kid. He did not have security detail or perhaps it was so covert nobody noticed it,” Cruz said.
She recalled that the prince “would hang out with Noynoy.”
“They were always together because they were both boys,” said Cruz.
“When we would go to the grocery, he would join us in our station wagon, it was very comfortable. There was no awkwardness at all. He did not act like royalty,” she added.
Stalled car and ‘bagoong’
Oreta said there was one time when the late senator convinced the prince to push his car along the highway when the engine conked out.
“Ninoy told the prince that he just had a bypass so he’s not supposed to do any strenuous activity. Of course it was true. It was the reason why he went to America in the first place,” Oreta said.
After that trip, the prince reportedly complained in jest, “I had to push that car in the highway! I am the Crown Prince of Johor!”
One time, Aquino’s wife Corazon cooked bagoong—shrimp paste—for the prince during one of his visits.
Apparently, it was unforgettable. So now, bagoong is one of the things the sultan is looking forward to.
Detour on final journey
The Malaysian royalty’s involvement in the political lives of the Aquinos would probably just be another proverbial footnote in Philippine history had it not been noted by journalist Ken Kashiwahara, an Aquino in-law, in a New York Times article—“Aquino’s Final Journey”—that the senator took an unrecorded detour to Malaysia shortly after landing in Singapore from Los Angeles on Aug. 14, 1983.
“In Singapore, (Aquino) was met by the son of the Sultan of Johor and whisked across the border to Malaysia where he met with high-ranking officials from Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia to explain why he was going home and what he hoped to achieve,” part of Kashiwahara’s NYT account read.
Oreta recalled this incident vividly.
“Ninoy called me to meet him in Singapore with the Crown Prince at that time. He was brought to Johor undetected because when he passed through immigration, he was coursed through the royal lane (reserved for) Malaysian (nobility). At that point, the Philippine authorities did not know where we were,” Oreta said.
“Supposedly we were to have lunch with the king. Yem’s father offered sanctuary to Ninoy. He told Ninoy, “if I were you, if you like, you can go to the Philippines through the back door via Sabah. You can use my people, my helicopter so you will be safe,” he recalled.
Asylum offer rejected
But Ninoy reportedly answered, “Your Majesty, I am a Filipino. I have to pass through the front gates of my country.”
“Ninoy did all the talking for three hours. The king was impressed he forgot to serve lunch. So we had it at 4 p.m.,” Oreta said.
“After that, we were escorted back to our hotel. Our room had security people inside. It was what the king ordered,” he added.
Cruz corroborated this detail. She said the sultan’s father “was grateful to Dad for taking care of his son. So when he visited them in Johor, the sultan asked Dad to stay with them for a while.”
Prior to this visit, the erstwhile prince also came to the country shortly after the 1986 EDSA people power uprising.
“When he was about to get married, he came here in the Philippines. The prince wanted us to meet the woman he was going to marry,” Cruz said.
Porsche gardener’s car
Oreta said the prince also went to Senator Aquino’s tomb at Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City.
“He stayed at the Century Park Sheraton and paid a courtesy call on Cory,” Oreta said.
“In this visit, the king said he will bring his eldest son who is now the new Crown Prince,” the President’s uncle added.
Since the sultan is a known luxury car enthusiast, Oreta expects the two leaders to talk about cars.
“The king has about 350 cars—Benzes, Bugattis, Rolls Royces and Ferraris. He was amused about the furor caused by President Aquino’s second-hand Porsche. Where he comes from, a Porsche is what his gardener drives,” Oreta said. With a report from Christine O. Avendaño
An informal call by Sultan Ibrahim III of Malaysia on President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday renews a friendship that began 30 years ago with a frequent house guest in Boston dressed in dungarees and fondly called “the king.”
The President’s eldest sister, Maria Elena “Ballsy” Cruz, said that in 1981, the unassuming young Malaysian, who was also called “Yem,” spent most of his free time hanging around in the Aquino residence in Boston.
The then Crown Prince of Johor “did not act like a future king,” said Cruz in a phone interview. “He wasn’t like Prince William in the sense that he had a stately air around him. And he was pleased not to be called ‘Your Highness.’”
Proclaimed Sultan of Johor in 2010 after the death of his father, the Malaysian was a student at Harvard University in 1981 when the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., the President’s father, came to address the students.
A fiery speaker, Senator Aquino was clapped in jail by the dictator Ferdinand Marcos when martial law was declared in September 1972. He was temporarily released to undergo a heart bypass in Boston in May 1980 and remained in the United States as an exile until August 1983 when he returned to Manila to rally a divided opposition against Marcos but was assassinated at the airport.
“There is no specific agenda. This would just be a visit by a friend. This is not an official visit. The king doesn’t want the tour-tour stuff. Probably just a courtesy call and a simple dinner in Malacanang,” said the President’s uncle, Antolin Oreta Jr.
No parade
Formally known as Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Iskandar Al-Haj, the visitor wants no parade, Oreta told the Inquirer. “I want to rest, see Noynoy and visit the Philippines,” the sultan is quoted as saying.
“There wouldn’t even be a tour of the Palace. Perhaps because the king already has many palaces in his country … We’re still thinking of how to keep him occupied here,” Oreta said.
Oreta said the visit was considered after Mr. Aquino and the sultan failed to meet in Singapore during his state visit there last March. Johor, Oreta noted, is the Malaysian state nearest Singapore.
“When P-Noy went to Singapore, a meeting was considered but the sultan had already left for Argentina when P-Noy had free time,” he said.
“Later, the king called and said, “I want to see Noynoy in Manila. Tell him to invite me,” Oreta quoted him saying. The sultan arrives via private jet Wednesday afternoon.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the meeting will take place on Thursday afternoon.
Hanging out with Noy
Perhaps the prince was impressed by the senator’s eloquence in his Harvard address in 1981 that he found himself a frequent guest in the Aquino home for the next two years.
“He was often in the house to eat. He was always in jeans, we called them dungarees then, and a leather jacket. He looked like a typical college kid. He did not have security detail or perhaps it was so covert nobody noticed it,” Cruz said.
She recalled that the prince “would hang out with Noynoy.”
“They were always together because they were both boys,” said Cruz.
“When we would go to the grocery, he would join us in our station wagon, it was very comfortable. There was no awkwardness at all. He did not act like royalty,” she added.
Stalled car and ‘bagoong’
Oreta said there was one time when the late senator convinced the prince to push his car along the highway when the engine conked out.
“Ninoy told the prince that he just had a bypass so he’s not supposed to do any strenuous activity. Of course it was true. It was the reason why he went to America in the first place,” Oreta said.
After that trip, the prince reportedly complained in jest, “I had to push that car in the highway! I am the Crown Prince of Johor!”
One time, Aquino’s wife Corazon cooked bagoong—shrimp paste—for the prince during one of his visits.
Apparently, it was unforgettable. So now, bagoong is one of the things the sultan is looking forward to.
Detour on final journey
The Malaysian royalty’s involvement in the political lives of the Aquinos would probably just be another proverbial footnote in Philippine history had it not been noted by journalist Ken Kashiwahara, an Aquino in-law, in a New York Times article—“Aquino’s Final Journey”—that the senator took an unrecorded detour to Malaysia shortly after landing in Singapore from Los Angeles on Aug. 14, 1983.
“In Singapore, (Aquino) was met by the son of the Sultan of Johor and whisked across the border to Malaysia where he met with high-ranking officials from Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia to explain why he was going home and what he hoped to achieve,” part of Kashiwahara’s NYT account read.
Oreta recalled this incident vividly.
“Ninoy called me to meet him in Singapore with the Crown Prince at that time. He was brought to Johor undetected because when he passed through immigration, he was coursed through the royal lane (reserved for) Malaysian (nobility). At that point, the Philippine authorities did not know where we were,” Oreta said.
“Supposedly we were to have lunch with the king. Yem’s father offered sanctuary to Ninoy. He told Ninoy, “if I were you, if you like, you can go to the Philippines through the back door via Sabah. You can use my people, my helicopter so you will be safe,” he recalled.
Asylum offer rejected
But Ninoy reportedly answered, “Your Majesty, I am a Filipino. I have to pass through the front gates of my country.”
“Ninoy did all the talking for three hours. The king was impressed he forgot to serve lunch. So we had it at 4 p.m.,” Oreta said.
“After that, we were escorted back to our hotel. Our room had security people inside. It was what the king ordered,” he added.
Cruz corroborated this detail. She said the sultan’s father “was grateful to Dad for taking care of his son. So when he visited them in Johor, the sultan asked Dad to stay with them for a while.”
Prior to this visit, the erstwhile prince also came to the country shortly after the 1986 EDSA people power uprising.
“When he was about to get married, he came here in the Philippines. The prince wanted us to meet the woman he was going to marry,” Cruz said.
Porsche gardener’s car
Oreta said the prince also went to Senator Aquino’s tomb at Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City.
“He stayed at the Century Park Sheraton and paid a courtesy call on Cory,” Oreta said.
“In this visit, the king said he will bring his eldest son who is now the new Crown Prince,” the President’s uncle added.
Since the sultan is a known luxury car enthusiast, Oreta expects the two leaders to talk about cars.
“The king has about 350 cars—Benzes, Bugattis, Rolls Royces and Ferraris. He was amused about the furor caused by President Aquino’s second-hand Porsche. Where he comes from, a Porsche is what his gardener drives,” Oreta said. With a report from Christine O. Avendaño
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