Someday It Will Be Saturday Night..

In a week time we’ll be having another round of Convocation. This time I’ll be alone in managing the preparation, process and eventual ceremony. My partner in crime, Nizar I guess is happy with his EduVenture (no need to listen to early morning tazkirah) while my side kick Nuzah is still in period of confinement. Things are tough nowadays. Nonetheless, I’m still able to keep up with the ‘pace’. Monday it is but I know someday it will be Saturday night…  Bila la tu ya?

Talking about Convo, it is one of the major events of the year. Generally it was not that hectic but one need a high level of stressful balance to deal with it. Lots and lots of protocol. The stage will be set as if it is an event to proclaim a Sultan. The preparation was even tougher. We’ve been asked to prepare 3 sets of different plans (including 2 contingencies) taking into consideration unavailability of Tun M for the event. But the level of stressful balance I was talking just now is no other than to take care of.. well, you know who? (Shhh! takleh sebut kuat2 nanti Malaikat dengar kena tulis belah kiri)

SEVEN WILLS

Talking about Sultan I remember this 7 wills of Malay Sultans, signed upon declaration of constitution of the Federation of Malaya (Persekutuan Tanah Melayu - now known as Malaysia) on 5th August 1957.

The last will leads to article 153 of the Malaysian constitution, which has been long debated, envied by other races. Let’s talk about this later, I'm in no mood to gtalk about racism, just yet.

Anyway, the 7 wills goes like this…

■ Kami namakan dan kami panggil akan dia, bumi yang kamu pijak dan langit yang kamu junjung Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (sekarang dikenali dengan nama Malaysia) – In translation with my laymen understanding, it will be something like this. We named and we called the land that you step in and the sky above you, the Federation of Malaya.

■ Kami isytiharkan dan kami simpan untuk kamu, dan kami benarkan kamu isytihar dan simpan untuk anak cucu kamu, selain gunung-ganang, tasik, dan hutan simpan. Tanah simpanan Melayu sehingga nisbah 50 peratus, selebihnya kamu rebutlah bersama-sama kaum lain - We declared and we held for you, and we allow you to declare and save it to your grandchildren, other than mountains, lakes, and forest reserves, a Malay reserve to a ratio of 50% with the remaining to be shared among other races.

■ Bagi menjaga kamu dan bagi melindungi anak cucu kami serta harta milik kamu, kami tubuhkan Rejiman Askar Melayu selain untuk membanteras kekacauan dalam negara dan ancaman dari luar Negara - To take care of you and to protect our children and grandchildren, and your property, we set up the Malay Regiment in addition to combating the threat of chaos in the country and from abroad.

■ Kami kekalkan dan kami jamin kerajaan dan kedaulatan raja-raja Melayu memerintah negara ini - We ensured and we guaranteed that the government and the sovereignty of the Malay rulers ruled this country.

■ Kami isytiharkan Islam adalah agama Persekutuan – We declared Islam is the religion of the Federation.

■ Kami tetapkan bahasa kebangsaan ialah bahasa Melayu - We set the Malay language as the national language.

■ Kami amanahkan dan kami pertanggungjawabkan kepada raja-raja Melayu untuk melindungi kedudukan istimewa orang Melayu dan kepentingan sah kaum-kaum lain (kemudian ditambah kedudukan istimewa anak negeri Sabah dan Sarawak) - We entrusted and we held for the Malay rulers to protect the position of the Malays and the legitimate interests of other races (and then added the special position of natives of Sabah and Sarawak) - under Article 153.

P/s – Annual leave should do me good after the stressful convo..provided no case of ‘premature ejaculation’ as last year’s.