Review of ATC in BH2 today

Also available on IG: https://instagram.com/p/BCQQOd1JVB7/ 

ATC is on Goodreads

Please post your comments. Thanks!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28352619-across-the-causeway

Memoir hijrah dua negara Nor Baiti

Oleh GHAZALI ALIAS
Foto FARIZ RUSADIO

NUR BAITI (kanan) bersama anaknya, Izuan menampilkan kelainan dengan mencipta lagu tema untuk buku Across The Causeway: A Singapore Childhood.

MEMBESAR pada sekitar tahun 1960-an tatkala kontroversi pemisahan dua negara Malaysia dan Singapura telah menyingkap 1,001 kenangan yang menjadi rencah dalam kehidupannya.

Pada zaman kanak-kanak yang sepatutnya diwarnai dengan keceriaan, penulis berpengalaman Nor Baiti Badarudin akur dengan keputusan keluarganya untuk berhijrah dari Kaki Bukit, Singapura ke Kampung Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur bagi memulakan kehidupan baharu di sana.

Bertitik tolak daripada penutupan Stesen Kereta Api Tanjong Pagar, Singapura pada 30 Jun 2011, anak kelahiran Singapura itu menghidupkan semula kenangannya dalam semangat Melayu Singapura melalui naskhah Across The Causeway: A Singapore Childhood.

“Buku ini merupakan memoir tentang pengalaman hidup dari sudut pandang seorang kanak-kanak yang hanya menurut arus saat konflik dua negara tercetus.

“Ia juga membawa unsur sejarah yang mencerminkan nilai kemelayuan dan kisah di sebalik setiap perhentian sepanjang perjalanan menaiki tren Senandung Malam,” katanya ketika ditemui Kosmo! di Perpustakaan Awam Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur baru-baru ini.

Lagu tema

Across The Causeway: A Singapore Childhood adalah kisah yang berkisar tentang kronologi perjalanan seorang kanak-kanak untuk menuju masa depan yang belum pasti di Kuala Lumpur.

Ia bukan sahaja berlatarbelakangkan reaksi masyarakat tentang pemisahan dua negara itu, tetapi turut merangkumkan kisah silam keluarganya.

Menurut ibu kepada dua orang cahaya mata itu, idea penulisan naskhah tersebut bermula dengan penglibatannya dalam penulisan blog Rabiah Hijrah pada tahun 2011.

Rentetan kepada perkongsian pada setiap entri dan impiannya untuk berkongsi cerita silam yang terpalit dengan kisah sejarah telah membawa kepada penerbitan buku di bawah syarikat Syurga Media milik anaknya, Izuan Shah.

Membesar sebagai anak Melayu Singapura di tanah Malaysia tidak menghalang insan seni itu untuk berjaya dalam kariernya sebagai pendidik dan penulis.

Pernah berkhidmat sebagai wartawan di sebuah syarikat akhbar tempatan, Nor Baiti melanjutkan pelajaran dalam bidang penulisan kreatif dan deskriptif (kini Jabatan Pengajian Media) di Universiti Malaya melalui biasiswa yang ditawarkan oleh Berita Publishing pada tahun 1977 sehingga 1980.

Pada 1982 hingga 1983, beliau telah melanjutkan pelajaran peringkat sarjana di Boston, Amerika Syarikat di bawah Skim Latihan Akademik Bumiputera sebelum berkhidmat sebagai pensyarah di Universiti Malaya.

Sebelum penerbitan buku Across The Causeway: A Singapore Childhood, Nor Baiti juga bergiat aktif dalam penulisan buku-buku pendidikan dan rujukan dalam bidang media.

Uniknya buku terbaharu yang dihasilkannya mempunyai lagu tema yang memberikan wadah kepada perjalanan cerita Across The Causeway: A Singapore Childhood.

Dua bahasa

Lagu itu dicipta sendiri oleh Izuan dan turut dihasilkan dalam dua bahasa dengan judul Farewell To Foothills dan Senandung Malam.

Tidak lokek untuk berkongsi cerita dan pengalaman, Nor Baiti turut menyuarakan pendapatnya berkenaan trend karya baharu yang semakin kurang nilai sastera.

“Kebanyakan buku hari ini tidak serupa dengan buku yang saya peroleh pada masa dulu. Penerbit buku sekarang juga kurang menekankan perihal struktur bahasa, malah judulnya juga telah dirojakkan supaya dapat menarik minat pembaca,” ujarnya.

Buku Across The Causeway: A Singapore Childhood boleh didapati pada harga RM49.90 di semua kedai buku utama seluruh Malaysia atau membuat pesanan secara dalam talian di laman web www.senisyurga.com.

Untuk maklumat lanjut, orang ramai boleh melayari laman blog Nur Baiti, https://www.rabiahhijrah.blogspot.com

Artikel Penuh: http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2015&dt=1223&pub=Kosmo&sec=Varia&pg=va_01.htm#ixzz3v84YLBkA 
Hakcipta terpelihara 

Kosmo! Online - Varia

Kosmo! and Xmas

With photographer, Fariz Rusadio, and columnist, Ghazali Alias, of Kosmo! 
the Malay daily with the highest circulation

 

Made it to the top shelf of Asian Studies, MPH Subang Parade

Fredrico from Roma who volunteers for a humanitarian organisation, SOLS 24/7, 
would love to read the book aloud to the Orang Asli kids in Temerloh
(Location: MPH NuSentral) 

Look what Anne Schoenebonn gets Hope for Christmas!
Anne, a University of Columbia graduate and humanitarian worker in New York City,
and Hope, her mother who perseveres with her doctoral dissertation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison after 25 years, have been the author's close friends since 1988  

A new friend, Jody Waldron of Jungle Jaunts Tour Agency, NYC,
 couldn't wait to board the Senandong Malam and takes a trip to Sixties Malaysia

The Ambassador Segment, MaTic.fm

Update:

Interview on the Ambassador Segment, MaTiC.fm, December 8 2015, 2:00 - 3:00 PM.

The author talked about the potential of Nostalgic Rail Tours along the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad - KTMB's North-South and Northeastern tracks.

Kelantan, for instance, can exploit the Japanese Army landing on Sabak beach near Kota Bharu, Kelantan, which marked the outbreak of the Pacific War 74 years ago, on December 7, 1941. 

This would require the operations of the railway station at Wakaf Bharu, which was ravaged by the Great Flood of 2014, to be resumed.

Other interesting exchanges were the origins of names of Tampin - little pandan pouches for packing dodol and belacan, and Kajang, mats made of screwpine fronds which inspired a well-known pantun about a well-heeled and a threadbare traveler:

Kajang Pak Malau kajang berlipat,
Kajang saya mengkuang layu,
Dagang Pak Malau dagang bertempat,
Dagang saya musafir lalu. 

Izuan Shah wraps up the interview session with haunting strains from Senandong Malam.

Across the Causeway: A Singapore Childhood - Book Trailer

https://youtu.be/DeD-9f8iJJ4

Hi, here's the latest update. 

The official launch was held at Perbadanan Kota Buku (PKB) on Saturday, October 10th 2015. It was a semi-casual affair graced by old college mates, school mates, former students, family and friends. 

F.R.A.N.C.E. - Friendship Remains and Never Can End!

(Left to right) Dato' Muhammad Alias, former Consular-General to Los Angeles, N.B. Badarudin, Dato' Sri Dr. Noorul Ainur Mohd. Noor, Puan Nor Inchun Salleh, Puan Aminah Khalid and Dato' Zulkifli Ya'acob

Dato' Sri Dr. Noorul Ainur, lovingly known as Anne to close comrades, now Secretary-General of MOSTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations) opened the ceremony by regaling the audience on precious moments among the 20 odd first batch of the Creative and Descriptive Writing Programme, UM, Class of '80. It was followed by a slide show by the author, and a sharing session with a young aunt - Cik Pe'ah - who came all the way from Singapore with two cousins, Asiah and Wati.

BFF - Best Friends Forever!

(Left to right) Sa'odah Ismail, celebrity gossip columnist, Sa'adah Salleh, high-profile PR practitioner, Norisah Sulaiman, another high-profile Corporate Communication person, N.B. Badarudin 

Izuan Shah of Auburn and Mel Tonawarna delivered a poignant performance of 'Senandong Malam', the signature song about the protagonist's journey on the night train in '65. The Golden Duet, Dato' Zulkifli Ya'acob aka Ajoi, former ambassador to Argentina and Puan Nor Inchun aka Norie, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, lightened up the event with renditions of Malay evergreens and contemporaries. Last, but not least, was Loque's personalised version of P. Ramlee's 'Tiada Kata Secantik Bahasa'.      

Loque at the mic.

Mel Tonawarna and Izuan Shah 

poured their hearts out for 'Senandong Malam'.

Former students who are now scholars and entrepreneurs in their own right.

(Left to right) Dr Azalan Shah, Lecturer in Media Studies, Nazri Ibrahim, Lecturer in Communications, N.B. Badarudin and Ab. Jalil Backer, proprietor of Gloria Jean's outlets at Securities Commission and a downtown mall.   

Book signing and photo sessions followed with a Javanese Singaporean lunch.  

[Unfortunately, the author was admitted into UMMC the day after the launch due to inflammation of the right eye. Hence, the delay in posting about the event and other related developments.]

Across the Causeway: A Singapore Childhood will be available in MPH bookstores after November 1, 2015. For those who prefer to purchase online, please get your copy/ies from: https://billplz.com/open/acrossthecau...

Across the Causeway: A Singapore Childhood

God willing, the title will be released on Malaysia Day, September 16 2015. 
All praise be to Allah!

For Rabiah, the love of my life
May you find,
From wherever you are
These words that were left unsaid.

~ Your daughter, Bet

'Cross, across the old Causeway
Aboard the Rhythm Of The Night
Let's start a new home
We're living the history oh
North, to the Valley we go!

~ "Farewell To Foothills" (sung by Emmett)

The Senandong Malam's Swansong

23:00h, 30th June 2011

I have heard and read the news about Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM, or Malayan Railways) ceasing its operations at the Tanjong Pagar Station for more than a year now. The Utusan Melayu, that journalistic relic from 1939 that my mother’s father and his colleagues had shed tears, sweat and blood for, has tried to make the incident its cause celebre. But, what can a Malay language newspaper with a rapidly declining readership and advertising revenue do in the face of the modernity juggernaut?

With that defeated mindset, I switch on the television set and surrender myself to the dispassionate coverage of that moment when crass capitalism triumphs over history, legacy and sovereignty.

The screen captures the motley crowd as it swarms the narrow platform of the railway station. Clueless youth pressed against seasoned, nostalgia junkies with their smart phone cameras on standby. It is a ‘happening’ event that any ‘cool’ dude would be wont to miss.

As the seconds ticked and the temperature rises, they work themselves into frenzy as they wait for the night's event to reach its climax. It seems more like a jubilant celebration to welcome the dawn of a new era than a sad farewell to a remnant of the link between the Johor Sultanate and its former territory.

The mob stirs as they catch a glimpse of the monarch and his men appearing from the belly of the night train that HRH has personally driven from the Woodlands station. The royal entourage humours the pulsating crowd as the Sultan and his bodyguards pose against the banner which hangs on one of the passenger coaches' shells. Video-cams, manual and digital cameras rolled, clicked and flashed to capture the historic moment.

The Ruler raises his hands for the customary do'a, prayers asking the Almighty for a safe journey (perhaps). Then he leads the royal entourage back into the waiting carriage. All aboard the Rhythm of the Night as it wakes up from its idle stupor. He takes over control of the rail car from its designated driver. The Station Master takes a seat in the front coach and feigns a weak smile, relieved of the authority to blow the whistle and flag down the departing locomotive. Instead, someone in KTM uniform rang a cast metal bell that strangely resembles that of the Sun Sun ice cream seller. The other uniformed staff members press their lips as they scan the crowd through the carriage window. The Sultan waves to the excited crowd and press the levers that set the carriage’s wheels in motion.

My heart clenches as the last Senandong Malam sighs, slithers and weeps its way out of the Cape of Fence. It seems like only yesterday when Mak and me were seated in the belly of that ‘iron serpent’ as it glided along the railway tracks and cut its way through that balmy December night.

Through the Brambles of Bukit Timah

New mock-up cover presented for funding

Side profile

Unfortunately, due to brief campaign period, the total for pre-orders was slightly more than $700, before deductions for services and contributions to world literacy programme. Hence, back to fund-raising to cover printing and promotional expenses.

Across the Causeway III

Jan 30th UPDATE:

The date and venue for the book launch is postponed to a later date. Will keep you all posted. Thank you.

NBB

Rabiah's Hijrah evolved into Across the Causeway

Dear loyal blog readers,

I apologise for the sporadic postings. I really should make up for the long absence.

Since last Hari Raya Puasa, I've been busy rewriting and meeting illustrators, designers and printers to turn the scattered entries into a published memoir.

There were several revisions. Many characters were eliminated. Some scenes were sacrificed. The focus is on how the child makes sense of her reality and identity ... her father's absence, her mother's resilience, their disparate origins, their stark differences, the rapid social, economic and political changes that shaped her environment.

This is an independent publishing project. 

It's the first part of a two part series on a child/girlhood in Singapore and Malaysia in the '60s and '70s.   

Pre-orders are welcomed. Only when there are sufficient orders to make 'printing-on-demand' economically viable, will you be requested to make payments.

Or if there are Angel Investors, Compassionate Crowdfunders or Nostalgia Junkies looking to support a creative work on the theme of a truly United Nusantara Nations, please do contact me.    

    

At any rate, a launch is scheduled for February 14, 2015.

Venue: Malaysian National Library, Jalan Tun Razak.

Time: 3-5PM

Programme:

* Very brief speeches 

* '60s tunes by Young and Senior Artists

* Readings of passages 

* Selfies/Wefies at Photo Booth

Dress Code: '60s Retro

See you all there!

  

BLURB

Bet’s wonder years were less than ordinary. Growing up in the turbulent ‘60s was like living on a proverbial minefield. Even before Bet was born, Bapak had been jailed for being a Radical. Mak was a Realist who found no job too small, and did whatever it took to put a roof over their heads and food on the table. 

Mak and Bapak and all the other adults in her neighbourhood were too preoccupied with the big Merger, the Confrontation, the Riots, the Curfews and the Separation. All Bet could think of was the terrible haircut she was stuck with after her trip to the Barber’s, which made her face look rounder; and those hideous marks on her legs from climbing all those trees around her compound; and that horrible school uniform which made her self-conscious.

Bet had to learn early that the world did not owe her a living. She had to be beyond just resourceful to survive. She had to be tough and grow up quicker than the other girls and boys. 

One day, Mak dropped the Bomb on the Big Move. They had to leave their homeland for good.

Genre: Coming-of-age in the Mid '60s