Ada mantra dari langit

Kuasa dari langit, an extension of God’s power (?)

Semasa menyelongkar buku-buku yang tersimpan di rumah ibu di Sungai Petani, kita menemui  buku di bawah ini.  Walaupun almarhum pengarang “Senja di Jakarta”  ini bercakap tentang bangsanya ― bangsa Indonesia namun isinya seakan-akan menimpa batang hidung kita, di Malaysia.   Bayangkan kegawatan Sang Penguasa itu sat-saat berdepan dengan PRU13 yang semakin dekat; apa saja akan di’kerkau’nya demi untuk meminta nyawa politiknya.  Hatta nombor bertuah pun menjadi seluruh mesinnya haru biru sedangkan kehidupan rakyat biasa semakin dirongrong oleh persoalan keamanan yang tidak lagi terjamin.  Mana dia Mochtar Lubis kita?

Mochtar Lubis, The Indonesian Dilemma (translated by F. Lamoureux), published by Graham Brash (Pte) Ltd, Singapore.

1977, originally published in Indonesia as Manusia Indonesia by Idayu Press, Jakarta.

“The feudal mentality has always exerted a pressure on the Indonesian attitude toward the authority.  In ancient days the king’s power was believed to be an extension of God’s power.  In those times Malay people were forbidden to wear anything yellow because that colour signified the king’s power.  This sacred quality applied not only to the king, but to his entire family and even to his possession such as his sword, his kris, his clothes, and his destar (Malay or Sumatran head-dress).  It was believed that the Javanese kings had God-given vision, and therefore, they could do no wrong and every word they spoke was the truth.  As long as they adhered to these divine revelations their actions and words would always be correct.  This belief held through for all Indonesians throughout our archipelago.  The kings of ancient Java, Bali, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Malay Peninsula all had this type of ruler-subject relationship.  It continues right up to today.  The king’s title has given way to president, minister, general, secretary general, director general, university president, governor, president or director of a large privately owned business, plantation manager, etc.  Although their forms have changed, feudal relationships are alive and well in Indonesia society.

Those in power do like to be criticized, and their subordinates are very reluctant to criticize them.  The result is the same as before.  The power centre maintains very little communication with the common people.  Communication is always from the top downwards and never the other way around.  The traffic is strictly one way.”

(Page 23)