Usman Awang (1929-2001) the People's Poet by Dr Syed Husin Ali
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PP3739/12/2001 ISSN 0127 - 5127 / RM3.00 / 2001:21(10) PEOPLE'SPEOPLE'S POETPOET Aliran Monthly 21(10) Page 1 COVER STORY Usman Awang (1929-2001) The People's Poet by Dr Syed Husin Ali sman Awang looms very tall in any conver- UUU sation, writing or study on modern Malay lit- erature. Also very well-known as Tongkat Warrant, he used about a dozen nom-de-plumes to write poems, dramas, literary criticism and even a series of es- says on Malay courtesy (budi bahasa), especially in the earlier part of his career. But almost all of his outstanding poems were written under Tongkat Warrant, while his views on Malay cour- tesy were usually expressed, most appropriately, under the pseudonym Manis. Just Beautiful Usman is popularly considered, and most justifiably too, as per- haps the best poet in the Malay language. Most important, he is accepted without question as a people’s poet. Writing since 1955, Usman did not produce a very large corpus of poetry, only about Aliran Monthly 21(10) Page 2 EDITOR'S NOTE alaysia mourns the passing of Usman CONTENTS Awang, the people’s poet. In this issue, we MMM feature tributes by Dr Syed Husin Ali and Amir Muhammad. They speak of his im- COVER STORY mense contribution not only to Malaysian literature ••• People's Poet 222 but to society as a whole. ••• Rereading Usman's Poems 777 ••• Death Of A Patriot 111111 Dr Wong Soak Koon takes another look at several of Usman’s well-known poems, highlighting his care- FEATURES ful selection of details and images. She describes ••• Judiciary Under Scrutiny 141414 the poet’s life-long concern for justice and fairplay and his empathy for the suffering of the poor, the ••• New AG 171717 marginalised and the oppressed. Take time to ap- ••• 10 Good Reasons Penang preciate these poems reproduced inside. Does Not Need Third Link 191919 ••• How Ferry Service Scaled Down 212121 The other focus of this issue of AM is the proposed • What Penangites Say 222222 Third Link for Penang. We present a series of arti- ••• Parking Lot Of The Orient 242424 cles arguing that a more comprehensive and sus- ••• STOP Memorandum 272727 tainable transport policy must be developed for ••• Penang Needs LRT 292929 Penang. ••• Aftershocks That Will Shake Us 303030 Ganesh Rasagam gives us 10 reasons why the Third ••• Aliran President Speaks 343434 Link is not needed. We also report on what several Penangites have to say. Anil Netto warns that REGULARS Penang is already turning into a huge expanse of ••• LettersLettersLetters 323232 tar and concrete. He asks: Where is the transpar- ••• Current Concerns 363636 ency in the preparation of feasibility studies and ••• Heart To Heart: Herb Feith 383838 the EIA report? Have the people been consulted? Finally, we reproduce a memorandum to the authori- OTHERSOTHERSOTHERS ties from a newly established network called STOP (Sustainable Transport Options for Penang). We ••• Subscription Form 181818 hope that you will support this endeavour. We wish all readers Selamat Hari Raya, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and belated Deepavali greetings too! Let us celebrate our differences, but Published by let us also remember those detained under the ISA. Aliran Kesedaran Negara (ALIRAN) 103, Medan Penaga, 11600 Jelutong, ALIRANALIRANALIRAN is a Reform Movement dedicated to Penang, Malaysia. Justice, Freedom & Solidarity and listed on the Tel : (04) 658 5251 Fax : (04) 658 5197 roster of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Founded in 1977, Aliran welcomes Homepage : http://www.malaysia.net/aliran all Malaysians above 21 to be members. Contact the Hon. Secretary or visit our webpage. Printed by Angkatan Edaran Enterprise Sdn. Bhd. Lot 6, Jalan Tukang 16/4, Seksyen 16, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Aliran Monthly 21(10) Page 3 200 of them. But the man, his per- gle. The most well known among Usman’s compatriots, young and sonality, his poetry and his ideas them is “Duri dan Api”, a title old alike, loved most of his poems. have a much deeper and wider in- which he used for one of his an- In the fifties, not long after fluence than that number would thologies. After more than a Usman’s works appeared in pub- suggest. Many of his poems are hundred days, the strike was de- lication, a wave of interest devel- simple, clear, oftentimes romantic, feated and almost all the strik- oped, especially in schools and and just beautiful. He was a mas- ing staff lost their jobs. Said was among students, to hold public ter at weaving words into strik- detained in Singapore for 17 declamations of Malay poetry. It ing phrases, sentences and verses years. later spread far and wide to all that are of exceptional classical kinds of literary competitions and beauty and sometimes appear to Secondly, Usman was very sup- cultural functions. Usman’s po- be nostalgic and even escapist. portive of the Palestinian struggle ems, such as “Bunga Popi” and for liberation. He formed and led “Pak Utih” became prominent fea- Although the forms of Usman’s the Malaysia-Palestine Friend- tures in such declamations. The aesthetic creations are strongly ship Association. He was invited wave subsided in the seventies traditional, yet in content they ex- to a Palestinian conference led by and eighties, when there was press many ideas and ideals that none other than Yasser Arafat. more emphasis laid on material- are very modern. Usman was There he recited his poem in hon- istic economic development. deeply against feudal and colo- our of the Palestinian struggle, nial domination, which in his “Salam Benua”, a title also used But in the nineties it was revived. view strangles freedom and for another of his poetry collec- Recently, when a government- progress. Particularly in the early tions. controlled television featured po- part of his career he strongly op- etry reading before its prime news posed poverty, which he saw as Because of the ideas expressed in time, the first poem recited to in- the product of exploitation; and many of his poems, Usman was augurate this short programme he deeply empathised with the considered and even branded as was by Usman. It was recited by desire and attempts to alleviate the a leftist. But Usman was never in- another well-known poet-novelist conditions of the disadvantaged volved directly with party politics, and also national literary laure- and the marginalised. He was although he was very politically ate, A. Samad Said, who regards against class, ethnic and gender conscious. Indirectly he was very Usman as one of his earlier men- discrimination, and in his own close to leftist politicians like tors. There is no doubt that Usman artistic way he always fought for Ahmad Boestamam, Ishak Haji is not only a people’s poet, but also equality, inter-social harmony Muhammad (Pak Sako) and Lim a very popular one. No wonder, a and national unity. He was Chin Siong. He was even support- number of his poems have been against war and always longed ive of them as well as the parties translated into almost a dozen for- for universal peace. All of his emo- that they led, like the Partai Rakyat eign languages, including Eng- tions and ideas on these matters (in Malaya then) and Barisan lish, Russian, Chinese and Ara- are effectively expressed in his Sosialis (in Singapore). In fact, for bic. writings, not just his poetry. a long time, until his health af- fected his creative activities, he As a person Usman was sweet, Duri Dan Api even acted unofficially as edito- gentle, sensitive, humorous, kind, rial advisor of many of the PRM’s hospitable and yet sometimes firm In two cases, Usman combined publications. But Usman did not to the point of being recalcitrant. both poetry and action. The first reserve his kind help only to his All kinds of people from various was when, together with Said leftist political friends. He was al- ethnic and religious backgrounds, Zahari and Tajuddin Kahar, ways ready and willing to extend from school children to senior Usman led a long strike to de- a helping hand to anybody who ambassadors, loved to meet and fend Utusan Publications from sought it, including those in or befriend him. And Usman was being taken over by the ruling close to government, especially ever ready to receive and entertain political party then. During the the young burning with aspira- them. He had the help of a most strike Usman was productive in tions of becoming a famous writer wonderful wife, Hasnah Din, writing poems about their strug- like him. whose delicious cuisine was al- Aliran Monthly 21(10) Page 4 ways a great joy to their guests. In fact they also had the patience A Wonderful Human Being to entertain some stragglers, rela- tives or friends, who came to stay Aliran joins the nation in mourning the passing of Usman much longer in their hospitable Awang, the renowned poet and novelist who stood out as a home. I stayed with them for giant among Malaysia’s literary figures. nearly a year when I was an “un- employed and floating” graduate. Usman was a great patriot and a wonderful human being. So too with poet-artist Latiff His sense of humanity transcended ethnic considerations. In Mohidin, some time later. In 1974, a society where interethnic friendship too often remains an when the police were seeking to ideal rather than reality, he was a consistent and true friend arrest some students, of all communities. Hishamudin Rais, Yunus Ali and others sought refuge with Tongkat His writings always reflected deep and sincere concerns for and Kak Senah, as they were of- the common man.