A historical thriller by a legal practitioner

It was the cover with the ‘wayang kulit’ characters and the ancient Beruas kingdom on its title that caught my eye.  I read the blurb on the back cover and was intrigued by the quest for the hidden treasures of Malik Al-Mansur (the ruler of Beruas) by three rival groups - unscrupulous colonial officers, ruthless secret society members (Indera Sakti) and the noble custodians (Darul Kubra) of the royal possessions.   

I flipped the back cover to read the author’s brief bio – Iskandar Al-Bakri, a lawyer, with his own practice in Ipoh and a law graduate from ANU (Canberra).  I scanned the chapters and noted that they commenced with pivotal timelines and familiar places which pushed the narrative forward – Balik Pulau, 1823; Penang, 20 August 1824; Klian Pauh; Bota Kanan; Telok Mak Intan ...

I decided that it’s worth to fork out RM24 (readers get a 20 percent discount if they purchase directly from Silverfish) and started to read the first few chapters as soon as I secured a seat at a nearby cafe .  It’s rather easy reading since the writer clearly established the initial scenes, the rising conflicts (Ya’acob’s single-minded decision to avenge his nephew’s death; Fullerton’s, Lowe’s and Duncan’s obsessive hunt for the royal treasures; and the intense competition among the contending parties for Indera Sakti’s coveted leadership), the climax and denouement.  Iskandar was very meticulous in his selection of backdrops, events and character that drove the tale to its end, which could lead to a sequel, possibly titled the Mystery of Kellie’s Castle. 

Readers, even those who pride themselves for having basic knowledge of ancient Malay kingdoms and British colonial intrusions, would appreciate the writer’s thorough description of Malay kampongs, beliefs and practices such as the various schools of ‘silat’ (Silat Gayung, Silat Cekak, i.e. Malay martial arts), benevolent and malevolent beings who live in different dimensions (Bunians and Mambangs) and the social network which bound the East India Co officers. 

As a debut attempt, it’s very commendable.  I certainly look forward for more historical thrillers written by local writers. However, as voiced by another reviewer (http://roslan828.blogspot.com/2011/12/reviewthe-beruas-prophecy.html), it would be beneficial to readers if the publisher were to provide a short interview with Iskandar so as to differentiate the factual and fictional parts    

Demi Masa

"Demi masa. Sesungguhnya manusia kerugian, melainkan yang beriman dan yang beramal soleh, saling menasihati dalam kebenaran dan saling menasihati dalam kesabaran.”

[al-Ashr [103]: 1-3]

Assalamu'alaikum, sememangnya masa senantiasa menghambat kita. Mungkin dunia akhir zaman, mungkin juga usia yang semakin meningkat. Walau apapun, setiap awal tahun memaksa kita merenung kembali azam yang telah kita tanam tahun lalu - ada yang berhasil, ada yang tidak dan ada yang masih boleh dijadikan kenyataan.

Rasanya baru semalam saya memulakan blog 'Rabiah Hijrah' ini, pada 14 Februari 2011, sebagai mengenang perjalanan hidup seorang ibu yang meninggalkan tempat lahirnya disebabkan keputusan pemimpin yang memaksa penduduk Melayu Singapura membuat pilihan - untuk tetap di pulau itu atau berpindah ke Semenanjung.

Kendatipun terdapat rahmat di sebalik pilihan yang pedih dan adegan perpisahan yang menyedihkan, perhubungan dengan kenangan serta kaum kerabat di tanah tumpah darah bukan seperti debu di mata atau benang kusut yang boleh digunting dan dibuang begitu sahaja. Biarpun jasad jarang berkunjung, namun ingatan pada pengalaman masa lalu - perasaan yang melonjak dan merudum, suasana riang dan suram, suara lunak dan garang, sentuhan halus dan kasar, bau-bauan harum dan hanyir - sering manggamit dan mengimbau hingga sukar dikikis begitu sahaja.

Ada ketika berlaku peristiwa, seperti penyerahan Stesen KTM Tanjong Pagar (antara mercu tanda bukti Singapura dahulunya sebahagian Tanah dan Kepulauan Melayu), memaksa kita meneliti semula liku-liku hidup sekaligus detik-detik penting dalam sejarah bangsa. 

Membuka lembaran tahun baru 2012 ini, saya pautkan video youtube - Tanah Air Beta - yang dikongsikan oleh 'jiran siber', sdr Awang Labu, dalam Kumpulan FB Geylang Serai, Kampungku.  
Selamat menonton, semoga kita mengambil iktibar dari kisah yang dipaparkan, insya'Allah.