AN ANALYSIS of ALI BABA BUJANG LAPOK and TIGA ABDUL Idea
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
e-ISSN 2785-9444 VOL 1, NO 1 (JUNE) 2021: 39-48 Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM) Malaysian Journal of Islamic Movements and Muslim Societies مجلة ماليزية للحركات والمجتمعات اﻹسﻻمية Submission Date: 18/04/2021 Accepted Date: 3/05/2021 Publication Date: 30/06/2021 THE IDEAS OF COSMOPOLITAN ISLAM IN FILMS: AN ANALYSIS OF ALI BABA BUJANG LAPOK AND TIGA ABDUL Idea Kosmopolitan Islam di dalam Filem: Sebuah Analisis Terhadap Filem Ali Baba Bujang Lapok dan Tiga Abdul Mohammad Syazwannuddin Bin Shaharuddin1 International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) [email protected] Abstract This paper aims to examine the notion of cosmopolitan Islam in the selected P. Ramlee films, Ali Baba Bujang Lapok (1960) and Tiga Abdul (1964). These films were chosen since it contained the theme of familial relationship and wealth by telling the story using the fantasy setting that had similarity to the city of Baghdad or Istanbul. By analyzing the main themes of each film, it had been found that his films contained ideas related to the changing family values in Malaya and Singapore, the effect of modernity and globalization to Malay language and the influences of Arab, Persian, and Turkish culture in the modern Malay society. As a man of his time, P. Ramlee’s film helps us to understand the aspirations and concerns of the Muslims at the onset of Malayan independence and Malaysia formations. Keywords: film, P. Ramlee, cosmopolitan, modernity, globalization Abstrak Artikel ini ditulis untuk mengkaji tanggapan mengenai Islam kosmpolitan di dalam filem-filem P. Ramlee yang terpilih iaitu Ali Baba Bujang Lapok (1960) dan Tiga Abdul (1964). Filem ini dipilih kerana mengandungi tema perhubungan keluarga dan kekayaan serta kaedah penceritaan filem menggunakan ruang fantasi yang mempunyai persamaan dengan Baghdad dan Istanbul. Dengan menggunakan menganalisis tema-tema utama filem-filem tersebut, penulis telah menemui idea-idea mengenai perubahan nilai keluarga di Malaya dan Singapura, kesan kemodenan dan globalisasi ke atas Bahasa Melayu dan pengaruh Arab, Parsi dan Turki di dalam masyarakat Melayu moden. Sebagai seorang yang berpengaruh pada zamannya, filem-filem P. Ramlee membantu kita memahami aspirasi dan kebimbangan umat Islam di Malaysia pada era kemerdekaan Malaya dan pembentukan negara Malaysia. Katakunci: filem, P. Ramlee, kosmpolitan, kemodenan, globalisasi 1 The writer is completing his Master of Arts in Islamic Thought and Civilization at ISTAC-IIUM. Malaysian Journal of Islamic Movements and Muslim Societies Vol. 1, No. 1, 2021 INTRODUCTION The period after 1948 was considered a turbulent time for Malaysia and Singapore history. The nation at the time was just recently coming out from the Japanese occupation and the entire nation was being put under the British military administration. The peace was yet to be achieved since the Communist launched the insurgency. Their intention was to overrun the British from Malaya because of the formation of the Malayan Federation of 1948 that was considered a British agenda to keep a grip on Malayan administration. The British were also determined to grant independence to their colonies in accordance with the new international norms created by the United Nations who believed in the right of a nation for self-rules. After India had been granted independence, Malaya was a probable next. Independence also came comes with certain conditions such as that the new nation would not fall into the hands of the Communists. The period of the 1950s was to become a turbulent period for many groups to achieves independence and self-ruled government based on their preference and ideologies. The prospect of independence had allowed more Malays and Malayan political activists to form their own groups and political parties to fill the vacuum when the British left. Several prominent political parties were formed such as UMNO, PAS, PKMM and MCA. These parties were formed either based on ideologies or based on ethnicities, since Malaya was a nation that featured a multiracial composition among the citizens, especially Malay, Chinese and Indians. The political activities in Singapore also reached their height with the rivalry between PAP and Workers Party to control the city council. There was also the question on whether Singapore should continue to become a British colony or achieve independence with Malaya. With this background, the Malay film industry centered in Singapore was becoming an important historical document for understanding the notions of nation-building and political ideologies of the Malays and the Malayan people in general. While films made in Singapore at the time was mainly for Malay audiences, it was directed by Indians and bankrolled by the Chinese through companies such as Shaw Brothers and Cathay-Keris. P. Ramlee become a prominent director during the turbulent period of Malaysian history. He directed and starred in almost 30 films during his time in Singapore. Islam had been an important element for Malay national awakening and continued to play a role in the new nation. By understanding the main themes of P. Ramlee’s selected films, this study identified the idea of cosmopolitan Islam subsisted in his film and this idea should be studied in relation to how people in Malaya and Singapore saw their position after being ruled by colonial British for hundreds of years. COSMPOLITANISM AND MODERNITY AS THE MAIN THEME OF THE FILM The idea of cosmopolitan and modernity in relations to the family values was prominent in P. Ramlee films’ Seniman Bujang Lapok (1960) and Tiga Abdul (1964). Cosmopolitan in the context of the Malay World is creating a society that is more inclusive, fairer, and pluralistic without having to compromise the basic precepts of Islam2. The idea of Muslim cosmopolitanism is embracing everyone as part of humanity and receptive to the universal values. A Muslim that embraces cosmopolitanism will be at ease with his or her own identity, while maintaining tolerant attitude toward people of other backgrounds3. The cosmopolitan setting was at the forefront in P. Ramlee films where the Malay language was infused in the Arabs, Persian and Turkish setting. The confluence of many languages and cultures creates a sense of a contemporary world that was modernized and advanced in the form of cities and societies, but with certain aspects such as familial relationship still underdeveloped. Modernity in the Malay World means separation of colonial people in Malaya from existing social, economic, and religious communities to re-embedding the diverse inhabitants of Malaya to colonial capitalism and modern state. This colonial construct later inherited by the nationalist government in Malaysia as a response to restore proper Malay society, while purposely leaving 2 Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied. (2018). Hamka and Islam: Cosmopolitan Reform in the Malay World. Singapore: ISEAS, 5-7. 3 Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied. (2017). Muslim Cosmopolitanism: Southeast Asian Islam in Comparative Perspective. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, xix. 40 The Ideas of Cosmopolitan Islam in Films: An Analysis of Ali Baba Bujang Lapok and Tiga Abdul elements that did not favor their mission.4 The modern political institution created by the nation-state measured modernity based on Western precepts such as political hegemony, civil society, and liberal democracy5. This idea of modernity would be in confluence with Muslim cosmopolitanism that strived to re-examine traditional family values. To understand Muslim cosmopolitanism in P. Ramlee film, a synopsis of the story of Ali Baba Bujang Lapok film was needed. The film was released in 1961, written and directed by P. Ramlee. In this film, P. Ramlee played a villain character called “Ketua Penyamun” (Leader of the 40 Thieves) or affectionately called “Chief” by his followers. The main character of Ali Baba was played by Aziz Sattar, while his brother, Kassim Baba, played by S. Shamsuddin. Other supporting characters were Norsiah, the wife of Ali Baba, Aloyah, the wife of Kassim Baba, and Marjina, the house helper of Kassim Baba, played by Sarimah. The story starts with Ali Baba sending his wife to his rich brother, Kassim Baba to ask for money and food material to cook. Their family was poor because Ali Baba did not do any work and this resulted in his wife complaining to his brother, Kassim Baba. After being scolded by his family, Ali Baba relented and went to the woods to gather firewood. While cutting the woods, he stumbled upon a band of thieves who emerged from a hidden cave that was filled with stolen treasures. Ali Baba pretends to be a reporter and manages to trick the Chief to give him the password to the cave. When the band of thieves leaves, Ali Baba goes inside the cave and takes only one box of gold coins. Ali Baba emerges in the city as a rich man and pays off his debt to his brother. Kassim Baba is curious and asks for the secret of his instant riches. Ali Baba relents due to his brother persuasion and reveals the secret about the cave of stolen treasures and Kassim Baba greedily steals the entire treasure in the cave by fitting it into a truck. He is caught by the thieves while stealing the treasures after they return to the cave because Kassim Baba took a long time. The Chief executes Kassim Baba and sends back his head to his house in the city. His house helper, Marjina seeks help from a nearby Chinese tailor to stitch back Kassim Baba’s head. The Chief hears about the richness of Ali Baba and plans to raid his house next. He sends his underlings to mark the house, but Marjina thwarts their plan by putting up a false mark. The Chief eventually decides to disguise himself as a trader to meet Ali Baba and brought 40 barrels hidden with his underlings to be stored at Ali Baba house.