Kita Serupa - Headwind

I just finished a book called "Original Wisdom" written by Robert Wolff. The cover is so plain that I thought it's not worth my time, what more when it's written by a psychologist who writes about indigenous people in our country. How interesting can it get? That's what I thought. Now, I just cannot part with it. If it's not because of this beautiful writer, I wouldn't be able to feel all that hope, affirmation and love any kind of society would long for. This book took me very very far away into a better world cos it's filled with messages the world must hear.

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In M'sia, there is a constitution that recognize three large groups of citizens (3 different races, the laws of the land said). These three races were ranked more or less in the order in which they had migrated into what was now a country, earlier arrivals having more rights than later arrivals.

The Malays were considered the first, although the aborigines certainly predated them in what was now Malaysia.

Malays were called Orang Kebangsaan (People of the Nation).

Most of US had probably forgotten that the word we use for the strange, primitive, very shy people living in the deep jungle of the mountains (sakai) means "slave".

Aborigines were politely called Orang Asli (The Ancient Ones), or in common usage, Sakai (Slaves) as mentioned above!

Let me share with you an excerpt from the book:

My (referring to Wolff) apology was a simple phrase. I said I hoped they did not mind that I had called them Sakai. I was not sure whether I had said it right, and for a long time there was no reaction at all.

A rather adventuresome young man, I was told later-spoke slowly, simply, for my benefit perhaps. "No," he said, "we do not mind when others call us Sakai. We look at the people down below-they have to get up at a certain time in the morning, they have to pay for everything with money, which they have to earn doing things for other people. They are constantly told what they can and cannot do." He paused, and then added, "No, we do not mind when they call us slaves."

Today, they may still be called slaves, but they are among few peoples left on earth who are truly free.

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I am glad to learn that the TTDI Community Hall reopened the library. 'Ceritalah Lagi' books are still available! But I brought back 'Kisah Dongeng Indonesia' books. One is titled "Sangkuriang", another is "Si Leungli".