-, ONAMALAY WORLD - core.ac.uk · 2015. - TheMalays,explains Pauzi,specialised inmetal works like...
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f· 2 I NEW SUNDAY TIMES / sUNDAYVIBEs MARCH 26, 2017 people/ ON A MALAY - / WORLD QUEST The artistry of the Malay world has always captured the imagination of Dr Muhammad Pauzi Abdul Latif,an avid collector of its artefacts, writes ninotaziz .. ' A BOUT 100 years ago, one could travel bysampan from Kampung Bukit Kuda in Klang right up to Sungai Gombak and all the way to Masjid Jamek. We can only imagine what the view from such a trip would have-been like. Virgin jungle. Sounds of the wild. Rivers so crystal-clear that you could probably see tiger prawns and little fishes dancing in the water. An avid collector of Malay world artifacts and "rescuer" of traditional Malay houses, Dr Muhammad PauziAbd Latif remembers his grandfather Pak Sarriad Majid regaling him with tales of such waterways and how the sampan could take you to the city in dayslong gone by.Supplies and goodswere transported to Kuala Lumpur from Klang via this route. A sampan maker, Pak Samad moved from Temerloh, Pahang to Kampung Kuda in the,1940s to practise his trade by the Klang River. CALL OF HISTORY In school, history was Pauzi's favourite subject even as he aspired to be a lawyer, Yethis passion for the written word led him finally to the world of communications. However. the love for history remained. His daughter Zainab and then-grandson Smiling, he confides that healways yearned Muhammad Pauzi, or Poji as he was fondly to see, touch and collect items that connect called, were both born in Kampung Bukit . us to our history, . Kuda. Poji used to-spend hours watching - Healso enjoyedtravelling locally,to little his grandfather build his boats. ' towns and villages like Besut and Pasir The boy was eventually allowed to help Mas. Very quickly the East Coast became with minor woodwork and carpentry, Po]i his favourite-toea I destination and it Was learnt to check for leaks by filling up new there that hemet with woodwork adigvru boatswith water andto check the alignment (master) Norhaiza Noordin. Thismade him of the boats by immersing them in the river, appreciate the beauty and heritage of wood Pausing for a moment to recall his carving even more. . childhood, Pauzi, the director of Universiti Soon, it dawned on the professor that Putra Malaysia's (UPM) Malay Heritage the artistry of the Malay Wor.ld was not Museu,m, shares that sailing out to sea limited to woo.d-carving, but also in metal with his grandfather on a new sampan to. . works, textiles and manuscripts, . test its worthiness number among the best His collection quickly grew bigger: and memories he has of his childhood. he found himself travelling far and wide to obtain wood carvings, textiles, traditional' weapons, manuscripts and ceramics artifacts. He scoured krrown collectors' , havens such as Patani, lndonesia.fhe UK and the Netherlands. One of his prized pieces. is a Malay matchlock' gun or the /stinggar. The /stinggar was used as early as the 1500s and,according to the Malay Annals, was used against the Portuguese in the 1511 invasion in Malacca. In the story of Hikayat Megat Terawis, for instance, the hero Megat Terawis defeated his opponent Tok Saban using a specially- made bullet fired through an /stinggar. Pauzi, through his friend Arjan Hollestelle in Portugaal, Netherlands. acquired an /stinggar in prime condition in . 2015. - The Malays, explains Pauzi, specialised in metal works like pewter and brass and silver and gold. Silver pieces are not only exquisite and functional. They also.have a longstanding history in Kelantan. . Silver boxes,jewellery and dining-wgre are of the highest quality and have been used in royal households for ceremonies since ancient times. Sadly, the famed silversmiths are disappearing. Pauzi's·friend Pak Daud of Kota Baru Vo!hotaught hi~ about silverware, is MARCH 26,2017 Exquisite siLver pieces dispLayed at the MaLay Heritage Museum. perhaps among the last silversmiths in the.country, ' . In 2016, UPM .published a book co-written byPauzitogether with Professor Abdul Muati Ahmad titled Keris Warisan MeLayu. , The art of keris-making, 'says Pauz],is a culmination ofthe knowledge in metalwork. A good kerisis made of, in some instances, up to 22 types of metal. Really superior keris should beable to "stand" on its dagger point or on its holder, being balanced and symmetrical in its design. Ifs a marvel of sorts that lead many who viewthis phenomenon for the first time to attribute it to magic. . But Malay manuscripts continue to be Pauzi's favourite collection as he considers them to be the pinnacle of Malay art and' thought leadership. His history teacher, none other than the renowned Professor Dr Harun Mat Piah, once told him; "If you want to see the I intellectual fhought of the Malay people and their wisdom, read the Malay manuscripts. Then you will know how knowledgeable they are," By reading t!:lese manuscripts, we can understand the intellectual thinking of our ancestors from days past, believes Pauzi. He continues by saying that the wide variety of topics in Malay manuscripts is proof and testimony that our ancestors were rich in knowledge, smart, and were .great inventors, . At UPM's Malay Heritage Museum which houses many of Pauzi's collection, there's a display of manuscripts that focus If you want to see the intellectual . thought ofthe Malaypeople and their wisdom, . . .read the Malay manuscripts. Then you will know how knowledgeable they are. Harun Mat Piah . SUNDAY VIBES \NEWSUNDAYTIMES I 3 \people -, 'Sundang Pang Lima Muar', a traditinaL weapon used by ancient Bugis and SuLu warriors. on skills and knowledge - on metallurgy, star charting, literature, spiritual, religious - ana even one on the rules of football! works of art are fast disappearing. It's no longer viable or sustainable for a craftsman or adiguru (master) as the demand is niche' and select." . His tone sombre, he concludes: "The younger qeneration today doesn't. seem to recognise the value of these heirlooms and therefore they are slowly fading away." Just like.the rivers that used to connect Pauzi's hometown to Kuala Lumpur and the sampans that used to be such an important mode of transportation in our not too distant past. our heritage too will fade away like the forgotten waterways of the forest. Never to be recovered. TIMELESS Taking a bite of goreng pis'cmg at his favourite spot at Warung Selera Kampung in the compounds of the university, Pauzi .appears to be lost in thought. A long pause ensues before he eventually offers: "Malay craftsmanship, beauty and function come together to produce an artifact that is timeless and enduring. Unfortunately, the skills and craftsmanship needed to produce these Kendi with siLver top.
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Transcript of -, ONAMALAY WORLD - core.ac.uk · 2015. - TheMalays,explains Pauzi,specialised inmetal works like...
f·2 I NEW SUNDAY TIMES / sUNDAYVIBEs MARCH 26, 2017
people/
ON A MALAY- /
WORLD QUESTThe artistry of the Malayworld has always captured the imagination of Dr Muhammad PauziAbdul Latif, an avid collector of its artefacts, writes ninotaziz
..'
ABOUT 100 years ago, one couldtravel bysampan from KampungBukit Kuda in Klang right up toSungai Gombak and all the wayto Masjid Jamek.
We can only imagine what the viewfrom such a trip would have-been like.Virgin jungle. Sounds of the wild. Rivers socrystal-clear that you could probably seetiger prawns and little fishes dancing inthe water.
An avid collector of Malay world artifactsand "rescuer" of traditional Malay houses,Dr Muhammad PauziAbd Latif remembershis grandfather Pak Sarriad Majid regalinghim with tales of such waterways and howthe sampan could take you to the city indayslong gone by.Supplies and goodsweretransported to Kuala Lumpur from Klangvia this route.
A sampan maker, Pak Samad movedfrom Temerloh, Pahang to Kampung Kudain the,1940s to practise his trade by theKlang River.
CALL OF HISTORYIn school, history was Pauzi's favouritesubject even as he aspired to be a lawyer,Yet his passion for the written word led himfinally to the world of communications.
However. the love for history remained.
His daughter Zainab and then-grandson Smiling, he confides that healways yearnedMuhammad Pauzi, or Poji as hewas fondly to see, touch and collect items that connectcalled, were both born in Kampung Bukit . us to our history, .Kuda. Poji used to-spend hours watching - Healso enjoyed travelling locally, to littlehis grandfather build his boats. ' towns and villages like Besut and Pasir
The boy was eventually allowed to help Mas. Very quickly the East Coast becamewith minor woodwork and carpentry, Po]i his favourite-toea I destination and it Waslearnt to check for leaks by filling up new there that hemet with woodwork adigvruboatswith water and to check the alignment (master) Norhaiza Noordin. Thismade himof the boats by immersing them in the river, appreciate the beauty and heritage of wood
Pausing for a moment to recall his carving even more. .childhood, Pauzi, the director of Universiti Soon, it dawned on the professor thatPutra Malaysia's (UPM) Malay Heritage the artistry of the Malay Wor.ld was notMuseu,m, shares that sailing out to sea limited to woo.d-carving, but also in metalwith his grandfather on a new sampan to. . works, textiles and manuscripts,
. test its worthiness number among the best His collection quickly grew bigger: andmemories he has of his childhood. he found himself travelling far and wide to
obtain wood carvings, textiles, traditional'weapons, manuscripts and ceramicsartifacts. He scoured krrown collectors'
, havens such as Patani, lndonesia.fhe UKand the Netherlands.
One of his prized pieces. is a Malaymatchlock' gun or the /stinggar. The
/stinggar was used as early as the 1500sand,according to the Malay Annals, wasused against the Portuguese in the 1511invasion in Malacca.
In the story of Hikayat Megat Terawis, forinstance, the hero Megat Terawis defeatedhis opponent Tok Saban using a specially-made bullet fired through an /stinggar.
Pauzi, through his friend ArjanHollestelle in Portugaal, Netherlands.acquired an /stinggar in prime condition in .2015. -
The Malays, explains Pauzi, specialisedin metal works like pewter and brass andsilver and gold. Silver pieces are not onlyexquisite and functional. They also.have alongstanding history in Kelantan. .
Silver boxes, jewellery and dining-wgreare of the highest quality and have beenused in royal households for ceremoniessince ancient times. Sadly, the famedsilversmiths are disappearing.
Pauzi's·friend Pak Daud of Kota BaruVo!hotaught hi~ about silverware, is
MARCH 26,2017
Exquisite siLver pieces dispLayed at the MaLay Heritage Museum.
perhaps among the last silversmiths inthe.country, ' .
In 2016, UPM .published a bookco-written byPauzi together with ProfessorAbdul Muati Ahmad titled Keris WarisanMeLayu. ,
The art of keris-making, 'says Pauz], is aculmination ofthe knowledge in metalwork.A good kerisis made of, in some instances,up to 22 types of metal. Really superiorkeris should beable to "stand" on its daggerpoint or on its holder, being balanced andsymmetrical in its design.
Ifs a marvel of sorts that lead many whoviewthis phenomenon for the first time toattribute it to magic. .
But Malay manuscripts continue to bePauzi's favourite collection as he considersthem to be the pinnacle of Malay art and'thought leadership.
His history teacher, none other thanthe renowned Professor Dr Harun MatPiah, once told him; "If you want to see the I
intellectual fhought of the Malay people andtheir wisdom, read the Malay manuscripts.Then you will know how knowledgeablethey are,"
By reading t!:lese manuscripts, we canunderstand the intellectual thinking of ourancestors from days past, believes Pauzi.
He continues by saying that the widevariety of topics in Malay manuscripts isproof and testimony that our ancestorswere rich in knowledge, smart, and were.great inventors, .
At UPM's Malay Heritage Museumwhich houses many of Pauzi's collection,there's a display of manuscripts that focus
Ifyou want to seethe intellectual. thought of theMalaypeople andtheir wisdom, .
. .read the Malaymanuscripts. Thenyou will know howknowledgeable
they are.Harun Mat Piah
. SUNDAY VIBES \NEWSUNDAYTIMES I 3
\people
-,
'Sundang Pang Lima Muar', a traditinaL weapon used by ancient Bugis and SuLu warriors.
on skills and knowledge - on metallurgy,star charting, literature, spiritual, religious- ana even one on the rules of football!
works of art are fast disappearing. It's nolonger viable or sustainable for a craftsmanor adiguru (master) as the demand is niche'and select." .
His tone sombre, he concludes: "Theyounger qeneration today doesn't. seemto recognise the value of these heirloomsand therefore they are slowly fading away."
Just like.the rivers that used to connectPauzi's hometown to Kuala Lumpur andthe sampans that used to be such animportant mode of transportation in ournot too distant past. our heritage too willfade away like the forgotten waterways ofthe forest. Never to be recovered.
TIMELESSTaking a bite of goreng pis'cmg at hisfavourite spot at Warung Selera Kampungin the compounds of the university, Pauzi.appears to be lost in thought.
A long pause ensues before heeventually offers: "Malay craftsmanship,beauty and function come together toproduce an artifact that is timeless andenduring. Unfortunately, the skills andcraftsmanship needed to produce these
Kendi with siLver top.
