Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Massardi

Demi menjelaskan konteks penciptaan puisi 'Kalau...' oleh Noorca Mahendra Massardi di bawah tadi (26 Mac, Patah Balek), sengaja diterbitkan di sini lebih awal dua berita (daripada koleksi Universiti Ohio, Amerika Syarikat).

Indonesian Artists Demand More Liberal Attitude to Arts

A group of some 50 Indonesian artists, in a meeting with House of Representatives [DPR] members Wednesday, said the government should adopt a more liberal approach to the arts and eliminate official interference in arts development in the country.

The artists filed a statement saying that in an open society police should not be called on to judge the merits of art.

Their demand follows the banning last week by police of performances in Indonesia of "Opera Kecoa," meaning "Cockroach Opera," a satirical comedy by the Teater Koma about a poverty-stricken transvestite and other street people.

The Jakarta Post last week quoted a police area chief as saying the play was banned because its social content and message are sensitive and could create public unrest.

The opera is scheduled to be shown in Japan in February.

Nano Riantiarno, 41, director of the Teater Koma performers, said at the meeting that his group would go to Japan but he still hopes for government clearance to stage Opera Kecoa during the tour.

The chief of the Arts Council of Jakarta (DKJ) Noorca M. Massardi said society as a whole should be the arbiter of the arts.

He urged the House of Representatives to scrap laws which require performers to obtain police permits, adding that it is inappropriate for a work of art to be evaluated by a law enforcement agency.

Meanwhile, popular Indonesian poet Rendra warned that a lack of democracy and the country's restrictions on cultural and artistic expression would stifle creativity and that Indonesia risks becoming a society of "robots or zombies."

Police last month also banned Rendra from reading two of his works, prompting him to cancel his entire performance in protest. Many of Rendra's poems are also about the lives of street people and other poverty-stricken groups in Indonesia.

Since the Teater Koma group was established in 1977, it has been prohibited from performing plays twice in Jakarta and once in Medan, North Sumatra.

Teater Koma is scheduled to perform in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Maebashi, Gunma prefecture, from February 22 to March 7 next year at the invitation of the Japan Foundation.

The bans come only months after President Suharto called for greater observance of human rights in his August 16 speech commemorating the 45th anniversary of Indonesian independence. (Sumber: Kyodo, 5 Dis 1990)

Rendra's Poetry Reading at Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR)

A long big clap reverberated as soon as poet W.S. Rendra (55) finished reading his Demi Orang-orang Rangkasbitung (For the Sake of Rangkasbitung People) in a DPR (People's Representative Council) Commission I hearing for DKJ (Jakarta Arts Council) and some artists last Wednesday.

At the same moment, a long standing ovation was given by about 50 artists attending the hearing. Rendra, also known as the "Peacock Poet," responded to the audience by raising his closed fist. Rendra's power to mesmerize his audience during the 15-minute poetry reading had reached its climax.

An almost similar scene was also witnessed during a special hearing between Rendra and F-PDI (Indonesian Democracy Party Faction in DPR) which was attended by faction member Soerjadi, the General Chairman of PDI.

In addition to reading his Demi Orang-orang Rangkasbitung, Rendra was also asked to read his other poem, Doa Seorang Pemuda Rangkas Bitung di Rotterdam (The Prayer of a Rangkasbitung Youth in Rotterdam). While listening to this last poem, some of the people's representatives were seen to have been deeply touched by the poem.

"A beautiful poem. I hope it can be read in front of the general public soon," said Ipik Asmasubrata, a member of the PDI Faction, followed by other DPR members' nods, indicating their general agreement.

Indeed, Rendra had done his best to express all of his charisma, ability to act, and mime as well as showing his vocal capacity, the same standard he always maintains everytime he performs in front of his audience.

For example, in "Demi Orang-orang Rangkasbitung" which actualized Multatuli's presence, he changed his voice and accent to fit a Dutchman speaking Indonesian.

The Jakarta artists asked for a hearing as a result of the banning of a number of art performances in Jakarta during these last two months. They departed from PKJ-TIM (Jakarta Arts Center--Taman Ismail Marzuki).

The participating artists among others were Dr. Salim Said, Isma Savitri, Yulianti Parani, Sutarji Calzoum Bachri, Putu Widjaya, Eros Djarot, Bur Rasuanto, Ramadhan KH, Adi Kurdi and Riantiarno. Both hearings took place until 5 p.m. and were chaired by H. Imron Rosyadi SH (at the Commission I hearing) and Fatimah Ahmad SH (at the PDI Faction hearing).

Public Opinion
The chairman of Dewan Kesenian Jakarta (Jakarta Arts Council), Noorca M. Massardi, who read the artists' petition in both hearings, mentioned that the banning of art performances had created deep concerns as well as restlessness, not only among the artists and cultural figures, arts managers, patrons, and spectators, but also among the Indonesian and international publics.

"If having a permit to perform is still deemed necessary, it should have been issued without time limit. It should be like holding a Press Publications Business Permit (SIUPP) for print media. The newspaper's editor does not have to ask a permit for every single publication," said Noorca.

He added that, basically, a permit to conduct an art performance is not needed at all. In case an art work is legally proved to be a misdemeanor, then it is the artist and his manager who should be brought to the court.

Many members of the People Representative Council in Commission I and the PDI Faction were puzzled about the government's recent ban on art performances.

"This is a big issue," said Anang Adenansi, a member of Commission I from F-KP (Development Unity, or Golkar, Faction). However, he suggested that the artists should be more mature in expressing themselves.
(Sumber asal: Kompas, 6 Dis 1990)

Sebahagian isu ini saya pernah bangkitkan dalam beberapa catatan saya tentang kawalan Orde Baru terhadap seniman, intelektual, aktivis dan siswa Indonesia.

Tahun-tahun awal ini pernah mendapat jolokan "era keterbukaan" tetapi tidak lama selepas itu tekanan dan kawalan berlangsung semula, berakhir dengan penutupan majalah Tempo pada Jun, 1994 dan di hujungnya penangkapan aktivis-aktivis muda dalam Partai Rakyat Demokratik (PRD) pada Julai 1996.

Untuk bacaan latar, rujuk koleksi artikel saya di Selak Lagi: Awal kebodohan di Indonesia, Puisi dalam trauma bahasa, Kritik agama untuk 'Islam sivil' [bahagian 1], [bahagian 2], [bahagian 3] dan [bahagian 4].

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Kalau

Sebagai dedikasi yang teramat sangat kepada pengarang ini, saya terbitkan kembali sebuah puisi ringkas Noorca M Massardi, yang kelihatan ditulis sebagai jeritan suara kebebasan sewaktu kebodohan dan penindasan bermaharajalela di bawah (tapak kaki) Soeharto:

Kalau...

Kalau larangan telah menjadi kebiasaan
untuk apakah akal sehat?

Kalau pengawasan telah menjadi hiburan
untuk apakah kesenian?

Kalau keserakahan telah menjadi pemandangan
untuk apakah kesederhanaan?

Kalau kekejaman telah menjadi kebijaksanaan
untuk apakah pengadilan?

Kalau penindasan telah menjadi sarapan
untuk apakah pembangunan?

Kalau penyelewengan telah menjadi kebudayaan
untuk apakah masih di sini?

Jakarta 24 Disember 1990

Duri

Siapakah yang pernah menonton filem Sekuntum Duri, terbitan Indonesia? Atau, pernah membaca novelnya Sekuntum Duri, karya seorang pengarang republik itu yang kemudian belajar ke Paris?

Novel dan lakon layar filem ini ditulis oleh orang yang sama, kemudian bertugas sebagai wartawan, Noorca Marendra Massardi.

OK-lah, anda mungkin tidak faham apa-apa dengan dua pertanyaan di awal tadi. Lagi pun, jika anda tidak pernah mendengar nama filem dan novel ini, atau tidak pernah mendengar nama pengarangnya, sukar sekali untuk menyatakan perasaan saya saat ini.

Ia semacama deja vu, semacam kenangan di musim asmara sewaktu langit petang dibasahi rintik-rintik manja, atau lambaian kekasih (waktu itu anda tidak menduga itulah yang "terakhir") yang tidak ditemui lagi --- selama-lamanya.

Entah, ada suatu rasa yang pelik muncul, tiba-tiba. Dan kini semacam menghantui dan mengganggu fikiran. Nostalgia, kira-kira.

Aduh, bagaimana, ya? Bagaimana saya harus mulakan?

+ * + * +

Untuk mereka yang belum membaca wawancara dengan Meredith Weiss tentang Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti dan nasib siswa yang terkekang di kampus IPTA, sila lihat artikel 'Budaya kampus bantutkan modal insan' (24 Mac 2008) di mStar Online.

Kebetulan mantan perdana menteri Dr Mahathir Mohamad juga bercakap tentang AUKU di sebuah kampus di Utara pada hari yang sama (dilaporkan keesokannya, 'Pelajar diperalat jika AUKU dimansuh' Utusan Malaysia, 25 Mac) dan diberikan pula reaksi oleh timbalan perdana menteri Najib Razak hari ini, 'Kerajaan tidak bercadang mansuh AUKU' (Mingguan Malaysia, 26 Mac).

Saya menulis berita ringkas tentang filem Amir Muhammad 'Lelaki Komunis Terakhir' ke pawagam Mei ini (25 Mac) [edisi Inggeris, Nod for 'Last Communist', 27 March] dan juga Menonton Osama Laden di 'sarang pengganas' (20 Mac) [edisi Inggeris, 'Osama tapes part of course', 22 March].

Isu Osama ini catatan kedua saya di akhbar web ini. Artikel pertama saya sejak bertugas dengan mStar Online, 'Jualan jatuh, Harakah cari arah baru' (27 Feb 2006).

Saya akan lebih kerap menulis di akhbar web ini, jika tidak disibukkan dengan hal-hal lain.

(Kemas kini terakhir 27 Mac 2006)

Friday, March 24, 2006

Vendetta

Ada masalah dengan V for Vendetta, masalah dengan penulis novel grafiknya Alan Moore, penulis yang mengilhami idea utama filem ini.

(Filem ini dilakonkan oleh seorang aktres manis, Natalie Portman si gadis Yahudi yang pernah berkata beliau tidak akan berlakon kecuali untuk filem yang serasi dengan nilai perjuangannya, nilainya juga political. Oh ya! Jangan takut klik di atas foto ini untuk mengenali Nat dengan lebih 'jelas', hehehe)

Moore mahu namanya digugurkan daripada kredit filem tersebut, dan enggan dikaitkan dengannya.

Di satu laman peminat Moore, ada satu petikan artikel yang diambil dari New York Times ('The Vendetta behind V for Vendetta', 12 Mac 2006, catatan Dave Itzkoff):

On consulting for the V for Vendetta film:

"I explained to [Larry Wachowski] that I'd had some bad experiences in Hollywood," Mr. Moore said. "I didn't want any input in it, didn't want to see it and didn't want to meet him to have coffee and talk about ideas for the film."

But at a press conference on March 4, 2005, to announce the start of production on the V for Vendetta film, the producer Joel Silver said Mr. Moore was "very excited about what Larry had to say and Larry sent the script, so we hope to see him sometime before we're in the U.K."

This, Mr. Moore said, "was a flat lie."

"Given that I'd already published statements saying I wasn't interested in the film, it actually made me look duplicitous," he said.

Through his editors at DC Comics (like Warner Brothers, a subsidiary of Time Warner), Mr. Moore insisted that the studio publicly retract Mr. Silver's remarks.

When no retraction was made, Mr. Moore once again quit his association with DC (and Wildstorm along with it), and demanded that his name be removed from the V for Vendetta film, as well as from any of his work that DC might reprint in the future.

The producers of V for Vendetta reluctantly agreed to strip Mr. Moore's name from the film's credits, a move that saddened Mr. Lloyd, who still endorses the film.

"Alan and I were like Laurel and Hardy when we worked on that," Mr. Lloyd said. "We clicked. I felt bad about not seeing a credit for that team preserved, but there you go."


Dan semalam, akhbar tersohor itu (yang memenangi lebih 90 Hadiah Pulitzer) menerbitkan satu artikel menarik 'Bring 'Em Home Now' Concert: Music's Power of Protest (New York Times, 23 Mac 2006, catatan Kelefa Sanneh).

> Bimbang artikel tersebut akan diarkibkan dan tidak sempat dibaca, saya akan lampirkan di bahagian ulasan catatan ini, di bawah!

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Selesema

Ayam, itik dan burung tidak (atau, belum?) mati tetapi di dalamnya terdapat virus berbahaya H5N1, punca wabak selesema burung.

Di dua lokasi di Perak semalam -- Changkat Legong dekat Gopeng dan Titi Gantung, Bota -- ujian swab hasil pemantauan mendapati wujudnya jangkitan wabak ini, yang mengerikan di serata dunia.

Changkat Legong berada dalam jarak lingkungan (radius) 5 kilometer dari wabak awal minggu lepas, Changkat Tualang.

Tetapi Titi Gantung berada lebih jauh, 60 kilometer dari kawasan ini.

Satu lagi daerah wabak di Perak di Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, kira-kira 150 kilometer dari sini.

Justeru, kerajaan mengambil langkah drastik dengan memulakan pengambilan sampel (contoh) di seluruh negara, demikian diarahkan oleh kementerian terbabit semalam.

Kini, seperti dilaporkan, sudah ada berpuluh-puluh ribu sampel (menunggu diuji?). Langkah mendadak kerajaan ini akan menambahkan lagi angka yang sedia ada.

Memetik kenyataan menteri pertanian seperti dilaporkan: "Bermakna jumlah sampel akan menjadi lebih banyak lagi, sekarang pun dan mencecah berpuluh-puluh ribu. Tetapi setakat ini kita boleh uruskan lagi."

Rupa-rupanya, air yang tenang jangan disangka tiada buaya; ayam, itik dan burung yang sihat jangan disangka tiada H5N1 [foto kiri, bawah].

Dan, virus ini telah terbelah kepada dua cabang (sub-jenis) yang lebih rumit untuk ditangani, lapor Reuters (20 Mac).

Sub-jenis pertama menyerang beberapa negara -- Vietnam, Kemboja dan Thailand -- pada 2003 dan 2004.

Sementara sub-jenis kedua mengorbankan manusia di Indonesia pada 2004, kenyataan ahli-ahli sains Amerika Syarikat (konspirasi Yahudi?) dipetik.

Beberapa bahan rujukan penting:

> Soal jawab tentang selesema burung
> Apa yang kita patut tahu tentang selesema burung (boleh dimuat turun)
> Urutan peristiwa dan perkembangan wabak sejak 2001

Monday, March 20, 2006

Osama

Setiap Khamis sepanjang 2001, pelajar dalam bidang bahasa Muhammad Khairi Mohd Nor, 27, mengambil video-video dari pejabat pensyarah di Universiti al-Iman untuk ditayangkan di kelasnya.

Tayangan filem ini dianggap satu mata pelajaran "wajib" untuk latihan bahasa Arab kepada pelajar, khususnya yang datang dari luar Yaman.

Kira-kira 5,000 pelajar dari 50 negara, termasuk Eropah, melanjutkan pengajian Islam di kampus ini yang dibangunkan pada 1994.

Pada waktu itu, menurut Muhammad Khairi, terdapat 50 hingga 60 pelajar dari Malaysia. Di kelasnya sahaja terdapat empat lagi pelajar rakyat Malaysia, semuanya lelaki.

Universiti al-Iman, dengan rektornya Abdul Majeed al-Zindani, didakwa oleh beberapa negara Barat sebagai sebahagian jaringan al-Qaeda. Zindani sendiri dianggap sebagai pemimpin rohani (spiritual leader) kepada Osama.

Seorang tokoh politik pembangkang dan tokoh agama, Zindani juga dituduh membiayai kegiatan Osama.

Pemimpin kanan Parti Islah Yaman, parti kedua terbesar selepas parti kerajaan, pernah terbabit dengan kumpulan Osama di Afghanistan pada 1980-an sewaktu negara itu diduduki tentera Soviet. Banyak negara Islam dan Barat, termasuk Amerika Syarikat, menyokong gerakan-gerakan gerila Islam ini dalam usaha mengepung pengaruh komunisme.

Teks lengkap (kolum di bahagian bawah) di mStar Online (20 Mac) Menonton Osama Laden di 'sarang pengganas' Isu ini catatan kedua saya di akhbar web ini. Artikel pertama saya sejak bertugas dengan mStar Online, 'Jualan jatuh, Harakah cari arah baru' (27 Feb 2006)

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Tolongggg!

Tolong siarkan iklan ini, tolonglah!

Jika anda ada rasa hati, masih ada iman, inginkan kebebasan, tolonglah minta kawan-kawan anda siarkan iklan ini di media masing-masing, termasuk blog.

Akbar Ganji, kini ditahan dan dipercayai didera di penjara regim Iran, seorang wartawan yang pernah menyertai sebuah persidangan di Berlin, Jerman pada 2000.

Sejurus selepas itu regim Tehran menangkap beliau dan kemudian dikenakan tuduhan "menghina kepercayaan dan tokoh agama, mengancam keselamatan negara dan menyebarkan propaganda yang boleh memudaratkan sistem Islam."

Beliau sebelum ini pernah mendedahkan, dalam satu artikelnya, komplot beberapa pegawai kerajaan yang terbabit dalam siri-siri pembunuhan beberapa orang penulis dan intelektual Iran.

Akbar Ganji memenangi anugerah 'Pena Emas Kebebasan', Golden Pen of Freedom, 2006 yang disediakan oleh International PEN, United Kingdom.

Dalam tahanan, beliau kini dilaporkan mengalami masalah kesihatan yang serius.

Awal Ogos tahun lepas, pihak keselamatan mengancam isteri dan anak perempuan Akbar Ganji dengan tuduhan "mengintip". Polis juga menceroboh kediaman beliau lebih sejam, menggari dan memukul isterinya Massoumeh Shafiie. Polis turut merampas disket komputer, catatan harian, album foto dan beberapa dokumen.

Beberapa hari sebelumnya, pihak berkuasa regim ini secara sulit menahan Abdol Fattah Soltani, salah seorang peguam bela Akbar Ganji, dan kemudiannya beliau dipenjara tanpa pengetahuan sesiapa (di luar proses hukum).

Soltani pernah mengadakan bantahan sambil duduk (sit-in protest) di pejabat persatuan peguam-peguam Iran apabila beliau dikenakan waran tangkap. Beliau diduga ditahan di satu penjara untuk tujuan penyiasatan polis.

Soltani juga peguam bagi keluarga seorang lagi jurugambar wanita yang dibunuh dalam tahanan Iran, Zahra Kazemi. Beberapa hari sebelum ditangkap oleh beberapa agen keselamatan berpakaian biasa dan tidak dikenali, rumah Soltani telah diceroboh.

Dua insiden ini terjadi sewaktu Akbar Ganji sedang menjalani mogok lapar kira-kira dua bulan.

Kempen rayuan iklan ini digerakkan oleh sebuah pertubuhan terbesar pejuang hak wartawan sedunia, World Association of Newspapers (WAN) yang berpangkalan di Paris.

Organisasi ini juga menyeru wartawan sedunia menerbitkan dan menaja penyiaran iklan ini di akhbar masing-masing.

> Untuk mendapatkan imej iklan ini, sila ke halaman ini.

> Untuk tindakan kempen selanjutnya, sila ke laman web IFEX (International Freedom of Expression Exchange), sebuah rangkaian terbesar organisasi aktivis media bebas.

Friday, March 10, 2006

Daun

Tidak pasti, sama ada saya terpikat pada belalang daun atau pada kajian serangga (entomology) atau pada namanya 'selangor-ensis'. Atau, pada ketiga-tiganya sekali gus!

Kalau Selangor, apa istimewanya nama dan negeri ini? Saya belajar entomologi di Perlis, bukan Selangor!

Hari ini, agensi berita Bernama melaporkan kemunculan (rasmi!) belalang daun kedua di Semenanjung -- ia dikenali Rhomboptera selangorensis Muzamil, selepas R honorabilis Brunner pada tahun 1895.

Foto hitam putih belalang ini, seperti terpapar di edisi cetak Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 8 (4) 2005, boleh dilihat di bawah.

Sementara foto warna, imej yang sama, boleh dilihat di mStar Online dan Bernama hari ini. Atau, imej belalang mati terkangkang kepaknya seumpama ini.

Yang saya agak cemburu, macam mana sesungutnya di sebelah kanan telah patah! Mujur tidak patah balek!

Apakah tidak ada sampel lain yang 'lebih sopan' untuk rakaman jurugambar? Dan kenapa pula jurugambar ini mengambil latar berwarna putih (atau cerah) di bawah sampel belalang daun ini? Sehingga sayap sebelah dalam (di bawah) yang berwarna cerah (atau, lut cahaya) tidak kelihatan dengan jelas.

Belalang ini mula dijumpai (hehehe, ya ke?) pada 6 Mac 1961, diawet dan disimpan dalam koleksi Unit Entomologi, Institut Penyelidikan Perhutanan Malaysia (FRIM), Kepong.

"Hanya pada tahun 2005 sahaja penemuan baru itu dikenal pasti, disah dan diterbitkan," kata penemunya Muzamil Mustaffa, ahli akademik di Fakulti Sains Gunaan UiTM Pahang.

Selangorensis

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Moore

Describing where V for Vendetta lies in the comics cannon is tricky.

Without wanting to over-state its importance, this particular reviewer considers it as fascinating and enjoyable a piece of serious science fiction as George Orwell's 1984 and Rildey Scott's Blade Runner.

On our first reading, over 10 years ago, it really felt that big, that important and that much of a classic. Rereading it, despite the fact that the dark near-future predictions remain thankfully off mark, the distopian vision remains as horrific and potent as ever.

We won't expose too much of the story, as the unfurling mystery is a roller-coaster ride of twists and turns. It's set in a fascist, post-apocalyptic Britain, with a cowed population ruled by a police state that, like Orwell's, is always watching.

Like a modern day Guy Fawkes, the story's lead character (known only as 'V') is committed to bringing down the government of his day.

We see his plans unfold through the eyes of Evey Hammond, an innocent and impressionable young woman V rescues from the clutches the corrupt police force.

Because all culture is controlled by the state, V is a cultural oasis, allowing Moore to flex his erudite muscles, quoting liberally from literature, music and other media.

This can be overwhelming at times, though it serves the purpose of enhancing the stark difference between the sparse official media controlled by the state and church, and the rich cultural heritage that is kept hidden from the populace.

David Lloyd uses gorgeous subtle shading throughout the book, creating a gloomy London bathed in an inky wash.

At times this can evoke a sense of noir thirties nostalgia, again showing the debt it owes to George Orwell, while simultaneously twisting everything into a gloomy futuristic world of overt control.

This is book has an eloquence and beauty to it, stemming from both the writing and the artwork, both of which are at the peak of their craft.

The book remains one of Alan Moore's finest works, no mean feat considering we consider Moore to be up there amongst the all-time best writers to grace comics with their work.

If you're interested in the medium, this book is an absolute must.

And if you're new to comics, this provides an excellent place to start for anyone who likes edgy science fiction thrillers, especially if they like their sci-fi to come with a little politics, a little culture and the odd explosion.

Nota: Huruf tebal (bold) di atas oleh penulis blog ini sendiri. Sumber asal teks: Laman web yang khusus mengulas novel-novel grafik, berpangkalan di London sejak 2002, maka dinamakan 'grovel' atau graphic novel. Teks di atas boleh dibaca di sini. Satu lagi analisa tentang komik di sini dan tiga foto eksklusif, selain blog tentang filem berkenaan. Selebihnya di sini, banyak lagi.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

V for Nat




V, simbol kebebasan, untuk sebuah dendam!

"Rakyat tidak perlu takut pada kerajaan mereka; kerajaan yang harus takut pada rakyatnya." People should not be afraid of their Governments. Governments should be afraid of their people -- tagline yang memikat.

Kebebasan, pada akhirnya, sekadar sebahagian tagline produk konsumerisme!

Di negara kita, yang autokratik, "kebebasan" sekadar beberapa baris kata di papan iklan, termasuk di billboards pinggir lebuh raya, dan untuk melariskan jualan produk dan servis, termasuk yang dibekalkan oleh syarikat-syarikat kroni elit!

(Apa kurangnya aktivis NGO dan pembangkang kita? Memperjuangkan kebebasan bersuara, freedom of expression [dengan sungguh-sungguh] atau sekadar melaung-laungkan [niat] kebebasan, expression of freedom?)

V untuk dendam -- dendam yang dilepaskan oleh orang yang tertindas akibat elit berkuasa memerintah dengan kuku besi, autoritarianisme.

Lakonan si manis Natalie Portman, V for Vendetta akan ke panggung kita pada 16 Mac ini, kira-kira dua minggu lagi. Laman web rasmi di sini. Untuk koleksi imej filem, klik di sini.

Seorang pejuang, khabarnya sebagai gerila pengganas, yang hanya dikenali sebagai "V" pada suatu hari menyelamatkan seorang gadis daripada tekanan dan penindasan sebuah regim di Britain. Evey, lakonan Natalie, kemudian berpakat dengan V untuk perjuangan pembebasan dalam dunia sarat masa depan.

V, seorang tokoh pejuang yang berkarisma dan licik, menyeru rakyat menentang kezaliman kerajaan.

Jadi, mahu nonton, 'nggak?

Filem futuristik ini karya Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski (adik-beradik yang suka ketawa, dan pembaca buku serius [agak saya!], seperti dilihat pada tiga siri filem Matrix), Dave Gibbons & Alan Moore (penulis asal novel grafik yang menjadi ilham filem ini), dan arahan James McTeigue, seorang pengarah (penuh) baru.

Untuk lihat dengan jelas, untuk besarkan foto-foto di atas, sila klik di atas gambar.

Warni



Si kembar Warni (tengah), adiknya Warna... di sebuah daerah yang jauh

Friday, March 03, 2006

Main

Khabarnya, timbulan yang diukir di dinding-dinding tempat suci ada wajah seks yang menarik.

Dan, imej seksual ini ditimbulkan bukan di sebarang tempat, tetapi tempat sembahan atau dalam bahasa Arab, masjid (tempat sujud).

Di sebuah kuil di Nepal, yang dibangunkan sekitar 1562 (Masihi, tentunya), terdapat 64 simbol seks di dindingnya.

Untuk apa? Kenapa harus tempat suci dihiasi timbulan-timbulan yang membawa maksud dan hasrat seks, ala kamasutra?

Seorang pakar memberitahu, zaman itu masyarakatnya hidup bertani -- kadar kelahiran meningkat, begitu juga kadar kematian. Untuk terus berkembang, dalam sistem komunikasi yang terbatas dan tidak secanggih zaman sekarang, penduduk didedahkan dengan pendidikan seks!

Oh, jadi timbulan ini rupa-rupanya untuk pendidikan ...

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Rencana berita (news feature) saya, asal di mStar Online, akhirnya diterbitkan di akhbar The Star (2 Mac 2006; hal. 10) dengan tajuk 'PAS' Harakah hits new lows'. Teks lengkap seperti di bawah:

PETALING JAYA: Sales of the PAS mouthpiece Harakah has plunged to 124,000 copies – its lowest in seven years. Some say that infighting within the party's management is part of the cause for the paper's low sales figure.

However, former Harakah editor-in-chief Zulkifli Sulong blamed the drop on the Government's media control efforts, citing conditions imposed by the Home Ministry, which made distribution and publication of the tabloid difficult.

“Sales are still dropping although the political issues raised are still interesting. Harakah reports seem to have lost their momentum (with current political developments),” he added.

Harakah was popular during the Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim saga in 1999, selling almost 380,000 copies near the general election.

However, sales dropped to 270,000 copies in 2000 and 2001, and to 145,000 in 2003. It plunged to 124,000 early this year.

The drop in sales started gradually from February 2000 when the frequency of its publication was reduced from eight times a month to bi-monthly.

The tabloid cannot be sold in public and is available only at PAS operations centres.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia political science lecturer Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff said sales of the tabloid dropped mainly because it was now published twice a month, which made issues raised in the paper no longer current.

The second reason, he said, was that the hot reaction to the Anwar issue had died down from its height between 1998 and 2000.

Two weeks ago, TranungKite.net, an online newspaper published by the Dungun PAS Youth in Terengganu, revealed alleged political games played by the party's main leaders, especially those involving board members of the tabloid.

The online paper published a story entitled Harakahku, Kabinetku claiming that problems within the tabloid's management eventually led to the termination of its then managing director Datuk Hishamuddin Yahya's services.

Efforts by mStar Online to verify some serious claims made in the article were unsuccessful.

Ahmad Lufti Othman, Harakah editor-in-chief since last month, told mStar Online that he acknowledged the weaknesses faced by the tabloid, and said the Home Ministry's actions were stunting the tabloid's development.

“Now, the ministry's conditions are punishing PAS members, as not all party members are willing to go to the operations centres just to get a copy of Harakah,” he said.

He said the March 1 issue would have several new features including eight additional pages, more state reports and interviews with PAS members who are not active in politics.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Samba

Lihat koleksi foto pesta Samba di Brazil di koran Jepang ini, Mainichi Daily News. Selain menghiburkan fikiran daripada kekalutan isu kartun, foto ini mengingatkan saya pada kontroversi kartun di negara kita --- pada nasib editor atau wartawan yang bertanggungjawab menerbitkan kartun Wiley Miller di New Straits Times, dan karikatur/imej dari Jyllands-Posten di Sarawak Tribune, Guang Ming Daily, Berita Petang Sarawak, TV2, TV3 dan ntv7.

Lihat foto ini --- apakah yang anda perhatikan? Dan apa pula yang anda temui? Atau, fokus mata anda sebetulnya ke mana, dan di mana? Ha, ha, ha!

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Artikel pertama saya sejak menyertai awal bulan lepas kumpulan wartawan laman web berbahasa Melayu, satu projek The Star Publications (M) Bhd, 'Jualan jatuh, Harakah cari arah baru' (27 Feb 2006) di mStar Online.

Rencana berita (news feature) ini mengupas pergolakan dalaman yang sedang melanda PAS, khususnya jentera penerbitan Harakah (cetak) dan Harakahdaily.net.