RSS FEED
Showing posts with label Malaysia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malaysia. Show all posts

An Ode to MH17 (The Arrival)



















Atop lonely asphalt
anxious vessels land
with cargo most precious
as sorrowed tarmac waits

ramp dipped finality clanked
sombre miened men marched
bearing beloved remains
loved ones and friends

their dignified trudge
closure to saddened hearts
the coffins bearing more
than just mortal flesh

sweet tender memories
glorious tales of life
their smile filled hearts
and others they had touched

as our beloved return
remember their precious gifts
and may the Almighty
bless their souls with peace.

Bangunlah media Malaysia

Bila dengar, derap sepatu
gerun seru, teriakan soldadu
bila riuh, keriuk rantai belenggu
bangunlah wahai, rakan mediaku.

Hayun kaki, hentakan nan padu
Geramm rasa, dada menderu
kita tuju, revolusi baru
bina kebebasan, media Malaysiaku.

Dalam diam, membakar sekam
semangat kental, kita sulam
ayuh bangun, ayuhlah serang
Ini masa kita, bina gelombang.

Dalam Geramm, berganding semua
alternatif, atau arus perdana
elektronik, cetak, online jua
kita media, bebas bersama.


~ A love letter to the Malaysian media, in the mode of the late Tok Mat's patriotic songs of the the 80s/90s~

Hembus Intifada (Media Malaysia)

















Di sirna senja
tenggelam kebebasan
di tika durja
cangkumi ufukan.

Ayuh!

Bangun tepuk dada
rakan media sekalian
hembus intifada
hak kita perjuangkan.

Ayuh!

Amanah suci kita
dari rakyat juga tuhan
tugas juang kita
singkap tirai kebenaran.

Ayuh! Bangun! Bangkit!

Biar tuai jati kita
jadi amanat masa depan
bebas media Malaysia
hanya rakyat jadi tuan!

~ Hazlan Zakaria Dec 12 2013

WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED: A manifesto.

















You can cut our fibre to terminate our internet connection, we will string new cables or use wireless broadband.

You can DDOS our servers flood them to kingdom come, we will prepare new ones and move on into the clouds.

You can threaten us with law suits and harass our reporters, we will face you down and show you true grit, that even John Wayne would be proud.

We will not be silenced.

And we are not alone.

With every attack, every law suit and every harassment, every journalist threatened, punched, kicked or cajoled...

You swell our ranks of readers, broaden our reach to the rakyat and drum up new recruits for our fight.

We will not be silenced.

If needs be we shall tell our stories via word of mouth, strung-up strings and empty cans or bootleg pages and smuggled art.

Enlightenment is not new-tech. It is old-school democra-tech.

It is truth, it is knowledge, it is the full-fledged right of the governed.

The LIBERATION of the rakyat.

Hazlan Zakaria
June 30 2012

Gempa


















Ragas besi pagar UPSI
walau bisu tegar saksi
penumbuk belantan sepatu kuasa
menolak hak suara siswa
terkujur tubuh dilokap jasad
namun semangat tiada lumat.

Dari lubuk dulu perca
tindas AUKU paksa penguasa
bangkit bangun tegak semula
megah gagah tegap perkasa
semangat juang aktivis siswa
pemangkin hala tuju negara.

Asas hakiki natijah pemuda
semangat juang untuk semua
sebar tebar ikrar war-war
kudrat istilah ikhlas wajar
bebas adil hak minda
kanun fitrah alam semesta.

Dengar gema sabung petir
hentak kaki ratusan hadir
semangat jitu jiwa raga
titis darah nafas nyawa
rentak pencak tari muda
deru derau arus gempa.

Dulu kelam kembali nyala
tegas cergas tegak siaga
obor jomong api mahligai
menara gading dulu digadai
kini kembali terang cahya
singkir kelam angkara senja.

*Didekasikan semula untuk aktivis-aktivis pelajar yang diserbu polis ketika perhimpunan aman di UPSI Tg Malim.

Gema

Dengar!

Bunyi keringat nan menitis
degup jantung bagai petir
deru darah yang mengalir
putar minda yang berfikir.

Dengar!

Mergastua nan menangis
rimba tumbang bukit hakis
tanah adat tinggal nipis
harta alam jarah habis.

Dengar!

Suara rakyat hidup derita
Pribumi dihalau dihumban papa
tangis rintih anak bangsa
hidup sisih dibumi merdeka.

Bangun!

Bangkit berdiri penyair muda
biar puisi jadi senjata
angkat pena jadi gerila
lawan penjajah akal dan minda.

Satu nada satu suara
titik tanda cetus acara
susun alun dibina gema
nukilan tinta nurani kata.

Dulu diikat kini terbuka
jangan diikut pembunuh idea
buang tempurung keluar segera
kita generasi harapan negara.

Sedar!

Buka mata segar telinga
lihat dengar peka segala
betul salah jangan teka
mesti tahu tengok periksa.

Lapuk usang di atas takhta
diundi rakyat tidaknya berjasa
tanya alasan sebab alpa
nasib kita jadi perca.

Jerit tak dengar kita dilupa
mungkin masa diajar belaka
bila masa toba pangkah
biar penindas jadi noktah.

Gema! Gema! Gema!

Biar beralun gegar udara
suara tinta hasrat sirna
canang rancak rentak irama
merubah nasib diri negara.

Shopping paradise for 'first ladies'

Discordant voices rose in concert,
to critique Saudagar Najib's mimpi to construct,
a tower 100-storeys in magnitude,
in a KL a-glut with slow-trafficked malls,
unoccupied offices.

But they are blind to his genius,
cheap luxury goods famously branded,
will turn Malaysia into a haven,
a shopping paradise of for 'first ladies',
of all shapes and sizes.

Harken the conference recently held,
the monies spent and pomp ceremonious,
the self-gratification richly laid,
to a 'first lady' not,
who wants to becometh.

Hence the logic neatly compiled,
a new 100 storeys for a mall to fill,
cheap lingerie, perfumes, worked leather and frills,
the thrills that rose Najib to the occasion

Hence another phallic structure rose to fulfill
trusting above KL to rise and instill,
this pride self-evident in the rush to show,
hey Mahathir, my tower beats yours.

A five billion price tag stood,
as one man's one-upmanship brood,
more money than can be mortgaged
from petroleum dwindling, natural wealth drained.

The GLCs are being squeezed
to fork up the billions Najib wants to see
to fund his feel good fashion filled 'discounts'
what 'first lady' wants and fancies.

Political fangs already in their necks,
the GLCs are drained if not strapped,
with more holes poking collapsing jugular,
they will soon go bonkers at the bankers,
more rakyat's wealth poured down the goners.

But maybe this is the last of gasps,
the ruling coalition's final spree,
their bid to strip this country of cash,
clear our coffers before they run free.

Knowing their loss awaiting the ballot,
they deem this chance to turn the maggot
to eat us inside out and thence to flee
departing very rich once they are voted out.

But sadly still if we were to buy this wholesale
accept their goodies at face not value
to say 'we forgive you' and close our eyes
blinded by the gains of cheap thrills and spills.

Are we that shallow? the truth has been told,
as we often return the ballot to their choice,
voting our rights for mere Ringgits in the wallet,
as they get away with billions wrongly pocketed.

On the passing of Benjamin McKay

For a soul transplanted
he was more than apt
a passion for moving pictures
more than matched his step

a bright spot he was
upon a scene he polished
a twinkle of a lark
whose light helped it flourish

good night and good luck
into the other sided veil
the silvery screened contrails
as shiny as his heart

to Benjamin our kind thoughts
may his good humour prevail
his journey star studded
as he blaze new trails.

What is wrong with Malaysia?

What is the matter with Malaysia?
what is wrong with us?

building's collapsing
court roofs a-leaking
leaders a-lying
babies a-dumping

taxes a-rising
toll fuel a-climbing
ministers a-flying
public funds a-wasting

what is wrong with us?

see there another
white elephant direct nego
sub money dive under
cronies grow fatter

sports they want to gamble
betting our preamble
while parliamentarians bicker
empty political chatter

roads lie unfinished
cities choked in rubbish
poverty flourish
schools left malnourished

what the PERMATA
first lady my... stars
persian cat who cares
what freedom, where are our rights

ISA stood tall
EO stands ready
DDA will call
hope you are ready

while Pudu Jail's a goner
Kamunting awaits
history may not matter
but Simpang Renggam sits

PPPA smothers
seditious they accuse us
what is the matter
when speaking out the truth

what is wrong with Malaysia?
what is the matter with us?
Return top