The Son of My Father

One fine day Tok Teh travelled to the capital city. It had been a good thirty years since he last travelled to Kuala Lumpur and was eager to see all the development and meet the city folk who had a reputation in his village as being a smart people. He thought the best place to meet intelligent people who have to be the barber shop since it was a hive of local activity and gossip. When he set foot in the barber shop, the patrons ignored him. When it was his turn to get his hair cut, the barber asked him where he was from. Tok Teh told him and the barber smiled wryly because the people from tok Teh's village had a reputation for being a little stupid. The barber decided to have a little fun with the Tok Teh. "If you can answer my riddle, I will cut your hair and shave your face for free," said the barber. Tok Teh wasn't one to turn down a free cut and shave and readily agreed. "Who is the son of my father but not my brother?" asked the barber. Tok Teh thought long and hard, but could not get the answer. After one hour he gave up and asked the barber to reveal the answer. "It's me," replied the barber. When Tok Teh returned to his village, he was eager to relate his experience to the village folk. So he went to the local coffee shop and proudly announced, "I will buy everyone here a cup of tea if they can answer the riddle posed to me by a barber in Kuala Lumpur." The village folk were eager to hear the riddle and inclined their ears towards Tok Teh. "Who is the son of my father but not my brother?" asked Tok Teh. The village folk thought long and hard. The time for prayer passed but the village folk had not answered the riddle. Finally, at midnight, they gave up and asked Tok Teh to reveal the answer. He sat up straight relishing the anticipation and replied, "The barber in Kuala Lumpur."

ISBN 978-983-3698-44-8 (p.71)

The Dream

One night while Pak Mat was sleeping, he began to have a dream. In his dream some people come to him offering him eight gold coins, but Pak Mat wanted ten. So he refused the eight coins thinking he would negotiate. Suddenly he awoke, and saw that his hands were bare. So he quickly closed his eyes again and said, "All right, I will accept eight coins."

Kongres Melayu Pertama

"Ini ialah Tanah Melayu - tanah orang-orang Melayu. Ia adalah hak kepunyaan kita bukan sahaja pada segi sejarah tetapi juga pada sisi undang-undang. Ia tidaklah boleh dilepaskan dengan membuat perjanjian-perjanjian yang ditandatangani dengan cara Sir Harold Mac Michael telah membuatnya. Perjanjian yang telah dibuat oleh datuk nenek kita dahulu itu tidaklah boleh disifatkan sebagai carik-carik kertas sahaja. Orang-orang Melayu tidak boleh membenarkan perkara yang seumpama ini berlaku dengan begitu sahaja. Masa hadapan kita adalah di dalam taruhan. Kita berazam hendak memperolehi apa yang menjadi hak kita"

Dato' Onn Jaafar
Kongres Melayu Pertama
1-4 Mac 1946

CIta Sempurna Warisan Sejarah

Di alam gelap bintang teruna
Di tarik mata hati tertawan
Amalkan tetap cita sempurna
Barulah kata diri pahlawan

Mengganti pisang dengan kedondong
Lain dikunyah lain dirasa
Memanglah musang guru si jadong
Rosak amanah cita binasa

Laung suara tiada hatinya
Hendakkan bangsa gagah dan maju
Sungguhpun mesra semak ertinya
Jangan biasa salah teraju




Nukilan: Almarhum Prof. Dato' Dr. Syed Hussein Alatas
Cita Sempurna Warisan Sejarah, 2000

Mencari Pedoman

Kala mencari pastinya teraba
Mencari-cari kemana penghujungnya
Mencari manusia pastikan terencana
Pasti akhirnya tidak teraniaya

Hidup si daun bertunjang dahannya
Berakar pokok pastinya bertanah
Manusia hidup ada pendorongnya
Supaya nanti kembali tidak bernanah

Petualang berkuasa nafsu jadi tungganggannya
Iblis dan syaitan dijadikan pedoman
Manusia berilmu Guru sandarannya
Agar hidup tidak keruan