Puisi Night - 51st Radio Anniversary

Full of concentration. What actually that facinated these two senior RTB staffs. Oh, the poems delivered by ministers, veterans and of course new blood of pendeklamasi sajak.


I was invited to Malam Puisi by RTB, marking the 51st annivesary of Radio Brunei held at Royal Brunei Polo & Riding Club Jerudong on 16th May 2008. As in the pic, other few former staff were invited. I persuaded them to join POP, Penulis Orang Pencen. If not writing for radio, TV, magazine, or newspaper, may be just suka-suka, throw away your stress, do write in a blog.


Of course most of the attendees were radio staffs. That was their night, the 51st anniversary radio service in Brunei. "Inilah Radio Brunei" was first announced back in May 1957. Another half of the hall was filled by those kaki bahasa; students, SEA Write Awardees, DBP staff and people like me who just wanted to hear how people deliver the sajak without understand the meaning.



I should have learn from this well known sajakis, Haji Suib. These are the tunas pendiklamasi sajak including his children. Kemana tumpah kuah kalau tidak ke nasi ? .... Kalau nasi mahal tidak terbeli, gimana ? Right now I don't even know how to compose one line of sajak.


Semangat naik beb ! I thought Haji Kifli (in red baju Melayu) would scream at the top of his voice as he usually did when presenting a sajak. When I met him just before he went up the stage, he mentioned the sajak was written by Yahya MS. Still memorising while biting the fruits.

Oh ya, those sitting with him complained they did not have nasi that night; just cakes, fruit coffee and tea. I think it was a wrong arrangement. The other side of the hall had plenty of rice , meat and vege but no coffee, fruits and cakes. It was difficult to cross with food in the plate. The hall was packed with tables and chairs.


Tunas Bangsa delivered a sajak. There're many many ways/techniques presenting a sajak. Lighter mood, angry, sad and suddenly like lightning strike the hearing cord of the audience.
"Tiada yang lurus dan tiada yang salah" That was quoted by a UBD lecturer.


A veteran, Sukri Zain delivering a sajak, I suppose, full of religious reminders.


Another veteran, Wijaya. He had pages of sajak. Also with religious connatations. Kasihan Pehin orang tetua, the light was dim. He had a difficult time to express the lines he wrote himself. Next time his secretary should use bigger fonds...bigger than 14 pt perhaps.


Badarudiin HO, a prominent sajakis since his school days in Singapore and Malaya. I salute him for delivering his sajak recorded on his handphone.(of course latest brand kali). Simple image that delivered the message, use ICT. While others struggling reading poems from papers and books, Pehin had relax time to express his ideas using handphone.



Awang Perkasa, veteran budayawan. He requested a gulintangan to accompany his sajak. He knew what was best to deliver a sajak. He is a singer and song composer. Friends knew he had a problem with his sight but a strong hearing sense and voice.


Haji Hashim Hamid. Memang menyengat malam atu prof. I sensed you were voicing the fall of Labuan. Labuan Inda Bebukit....Your pendeklimasian at padang during Nasional Day 2008 night, I felt also menyengat. If I could understand it was about an old man from kampung air who wished to attend the merdeka celebration but no seat was allocated to this group of people. Dia pun pulang, inilah merdeka. Sakastik banar eh.....

The function was broadcast live on National FM and recorded on TV service. Zain, the captain of the TV programme production crew. Not that simple to produce cos the artists (pendiklamasi sajak) were static; standing on one spot. I tell u beb, you should consider the lighting next time around. The yellow light flooded the audience throught out the prog was really sickening. And of course not enough light on the rostrum. Inda kau kasihan kan orang tetua kah, kial-kial baca sajak ?

This production unit is called Fly Away With Kit. May be kos it is easy to assemble at any place and any time. But U still need full crew to operate.

The two presenters were hiding on the side stage. When the prog commmenced, audience were searching around where the two were seated( or standing). Only the familiar voices were heard.

My comment: The way U deliver the presentation was still like Radio DJ. The night was suppose to be poetic. Ada lenggang lengguk bahasalah sikit. You've to learn from Dewan Bahasa the composition of a sentence and how to say it. Baru ngam dengan Malam Puisi.

Malam Puisi just concluded. The radio people have to struggle hard. As the Pmk Pengarah pointed out in his opening speech, that puisi had a significant role and function in nation building. Now, orang radio, proof it. If U check within five rangkaian radio, nobody produce a programme containing sajak. (lagi daulu pernah ada. Bisai kalau di revive). Where do those kaki sajak send their bahan ?

Zairis MS another veteran sajakis from the college day in 60ies. I still remember the debate in KL hostel canteen (where we stay) in 1969 when Apollo landed on the moon. The motion of the debate was: The beautiful moon . Pg took the stand saying moon was beautiful; of course it was seen from creative and artistic view.(orang seni katakan) Another friend put up the points from scientific point of view. Cant't remember who won. Bekaras-karasan bah. At the end, we did'nt sleep that night just to put up our own points.

Now you are deputy minister, sir. Inda lagi dapat beibun cam daulu.


Nama penanya membari ijap, Lipan Beranang. Haji Bahmin Hamdan , a senior radio staff who are now on leave prior to retirement. Inda batah sama tah kitani. Hope you will not rawan hati leaving a place of work for such a long time. Sad, happy, angry, jauh ati, tersisih. No need to tell you lah. You will know later.