Greetings members Welcome to the first (well officially the first) MCG newsletter circulated solely electronically – I did send last month’s newsletter via email as we needed to ensure you all received the necessary reports for the AGM etc 8 days before the meeting and we had experienced some production delays. The AGM is an important event for MCG. As a registered society in Malaysia, we have certain legal duties we must perform for our members and the Registrar’s Office. It is an important event in our year and your Board really appreciates those members who came along and participated in the process last week. The formalities were very brief and I hope painless! To those who gave their time to come along to the AGM, please accept my sincere thanks. We had 46 members, who registered to attend the event, which was pleasing. It is one “official occasion” where you can all get behind the team that brings you MCG and show them your support – in return for attending and participating in the AGM, you are treated to a nice luncheon – but remember – the AGM is the most important part of the day for you to be at - please be sure to come along next year. The lecture given by Professor Joseph Stimpfl was a highlight of our year for many I am sure. He was a very knowledgeable and interesting speaker and many questions were asked after his presentation – he also very kindly sat chatting with a group of us after the luncheon and that was fascinating. As mentioned at the AGM, we are still seeking a Vice President and an Events Planning Team Convenor, so there are still a couple of opportunities for other members to participate on the Board – new people are always welcome to join our Events Planning Team also, so don’t be shy. Please feel free to contact me via email or my hand phone if you are interested in a position in the MCG team. To those heading off on “summer holidays”, safe travels and we look forward to seeing you again soon. There are a few things coming up, so please be sure to support these events before you head away. Best wishes and kind regards - Lin Streefkerk PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS Explorers' joint group visit to Taman Warisan Pertanian A and B groups visited a new location - Taman Warisan Pertanian (TWP) in Putrajaya. Located about half an hour from the city on an old rubber plantation, TWP showcases the agricultural development of more than 170 traditional Malaysian crops such as rubber, cocoa, palm oil, fruits, herbs and spices. After arriving at the Visitor Centre we were escorted along the paved, sloping path through various orchard areas. Our guide stopped and explained the usage and growing methods of the various trees and plants. It was a great way to see various plants such as cloves and poisonous banana. The complex has a Herb and Spices Track, Rubber Clonal Plot and a Viewing Deck with great views over Putrajaya. At the top of the path, visitors are given a demonstration of rubber tapping and its coagulation before being rolled into rubber sheets. There is also a traditional Malay house for viewers to enter. We finished our morning with lunch at the Food Court. This was very clean and had a great selection of food items from soup to satay. We tried Papa John's famous snack, which, I was told, people come from miles around to try. The area also has a florist, pet shop and handicraft stalls.. This location is a great place for visitors and relatives to see, feel and taste various Malaysian plants. This site could also be combined with the Taman Botani and also a sight seeing drive around Putrajaya for a day long outing. Open daily from 9am to 7pm Tel - 03- 8888- 0099. Pam Boucher
Explorers' walking tour of Brickfields Our two wonderful guides, Ravi and Narin, were great storytellers and happily walked us through different parts of Brickfields. Brickfields got its name from the word “brick”. The area was the centre for brick making in the early days when the whole area was a clay pit with cows grazing everywhere. Brickfields produced the best bricks. We saw well known institution “La Salle” school which was established by missionaries. The number of schools in Brickfields is unusually high. We spotted schools almost everywhere. The Lady of Fatima is one of the oldest churches in Kuala Lumpur. We continued our walk to the St Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Cathedral. Arriving here Ravi and Narin arranged for us to go inside the church and see the beautiful windows and colorful paintings. Ineke Latour
We met in front of the weaving house at Kampung Sungai Bumbon at Pulau Carey. Reita Rahim, our guide and more than a full time volunteer for this Orang Asli community introduced us to Maznah and Julida. These 2 women of the Hma’Meri group are very proud of their heritage, customs and culture and wanted to show us their village. They understood a little English but the questions that popped up in our minds were, if necessary, translated by Reita. Although Reita has a lot of knowledge of these indigenous people, she still involved Maznah and Julida in the answering, which was really appreciated by all of us. While walking through the very green and quiet area we saw and learned how they live, about their spiritual beliefs and how they earned their living by selling palm fruits; making woodcarvings and weaving products. It was very interesting to see how they used trees and plants in a very sustainable way, replanting seedlings wherever possible for current and future needs. Brigit Van Tilborg
Travel Tips & Experiences: The Philippines, a country of 7107 islands full of beautiful scenery, colourful history and warm, engaging people. On Wednesday April 24, 15 MCG members and friends gathered at Cathy Weston’s spacious apartment in Mont Kiara to hear about her experiences living and traveling in the Philippines. Cathy and her husband, Peter, lived in Manila for several years before coming to KL. Being adventurous travelers, they made the most of their time there and explored many interesting and beautiful locations in the island chain. For the MCG group, Cathy prepared a Power Point presentation that illustrated her talk with wonderful pictures of her travels. She had displays of handicrafts and textiles from the country, and photographs and posters on the walls. Thanks to Lin S. for once again assisting with the computer. Cathy started her presentation by giving some facts about the history, national flag, and population of the Philippines. She showed us pictures and talked about things to see and do in Manila, including the historical walled city of Intramuros, the Light and Sound Museum, the Coconut Palace, the famous monthly American Women’s Club Bazaar and the Greenhills shopping area with its fascinating Pearl Market. She included some pictures of the Tondo squatter area that showed the extreme poverty of some areas of the city. We learned some new words and expressions, such as… Life in Manila can be overwhelming, at times, with overcrowding, bad traffic, poverty, and pollution being ever-present problems. However, there are several attractive day-trips nearby for a quick escape such as Taal Lake, Corregidor Island, and Mt Pinatubo. The many islands in the Philippines make for unique and varied traveling. Cathy and Peter, often with friends and family, traveled to many of these fascinating destinations. Some of the beautiful places she showed us were the rice terraces of Banaue and the village of Batad below, the busy and popular tourist area of Boracay, and several other lovely beach resort areas. Cathy had great close-up, underwater pictures of whale sharks taken while swimming at Donsol, in the Bicol region of southern Luzon. A highlight of their time in the Philippines was meeting and spending time with the extended family of their daughter-in-law, Rhea, who is of Filipino heritage, although born and raised in Canada. It is always a wonderful experience to get to know local people when you travel and even more so when they are related to you! Cathy stayed in a variety of accommodation on her various trips, from rustic chalets on the beach to luxurious resort living at El Nido. She would be a good source of information for anyone planning a trip to the country. To add to the Philippines experience, Cathy consulted with Filipino friends both here and in Manila for recipes, and then prepared some delicious, authentic local food. We enjoyed lumpia (fresh spring rolls), adobo chicken with rice, fresh fruit salad with mango, pomelo and papaya, buko (young coconut) pie, a frozen mango dessert and local snacks including pili nuts, dried mango, pastillas de leche and polvoron. Cathy talked about the beauty of the Philippines, but also about the problems facing the country. It has gone from one of the most prosperous countries in South-East Asia to one of the poorest. There does not presently seem to be much hope of economic improvement for the vast majority of its ever-growing population which is now over 86 million people. We all enjoyed the presentation, displays, and delicious food. Thanks to Cathy for her hospitality and colourful, interesting look at the Philippines. Pam Boucher
Explorers' trip to the Prince Court Medical Centre Arriving at Prince Court Medical Centre is more like stepping into a luxury hotel than entering a medical facility. With its modern Australian design, chrome and glass fixtures, high ceilings and open overhead walkways, Prince Court is quite stunning. Twelve ladies from Explorers Group A were treated to a tour of the new hospital on May 5. This new hospital is an affiliation of the Petronas Group, and is currently being managed by a health care facilities management group from the Medical University of Vienna. Although it commenced operations in October 2007, its grand opening is scheduled for July of this year. Prince Court is a private healthcare facility designed for 300 beds for inpatient care. Special suites are available for booking to accommodate family members of patients being treated at the hospital. These suites have a hotel feel, with flat-screen televisions and views of the Petronas Towers. It is anticipated that 25% of the patients being treated at Prince Court will come from countries outside of Malaysia. Within the hospital there are five Centres of Excellence: Heart & Lung, Woman & Child, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, and Men’s Health. Other services include Emergency and Primary Care, and Executive Health. The Executive Health facility is an out-patient centre where a complete medical checkup can be completed in a few hours time, including bloodwork and mammogram. Prince Court also has a coffee shop, an eatery and a restaurant offering quick snacks and gourmet meals. A gift shop and concierge services complete the complex. Annette Long
Dear Members, Our MCG AGM lecture was a big hit. Prof Stimpfl’s talk was appreciated by many of us and it was evident we were impressed with his observations going by the extended question and answer session after his lecture. Newsletter Editor "ILMU: Knowledge and Status in Traditional Malay Culture" We were very fortunate to have Prof. Joseph Stimpfl talk to us about the far-reaching concept of ‘Ilmu’. Our guest speaker is Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Webster University in St Louis and holds a PhD and MA in anthropology (Pittsburgh) and a BA and M.Ed. (Missouri). I shall try, very humbly, to do him credit by reporting on the fascinating foray he took us on that morning. Apart from Malaysia, Prof. Stimpfl has traveled throughout Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore to carry out research into the complexities of one particular aspect of Malay culture, that of ‘Ilmu’. If you look up the dictionary, ‘Ilmu’ - from Arabic ‘ilm’ - means knowledge. However, traditionally, the meaning goes much further. It is the knowledge that controls unbridled power and includes the elements of ‘kuasa’ (power) and ‘semangat’ (spirit). ‘Ilmu’ has been in existence since the beginning of Malay civilisation and pre-dates islam. Since ancient times, Malay society has been shaped by the idea that the world is fraught with ever present danger, be it in the jungle or at sea and this is an intrinsic part of daily life. Therefore there has always been someone possessing ‘ilmu’ who has the knowledge that controls unbridled power to help (or harm) and who plays an important role in guiding the community through the challenges of day-to-day life. The highest ranking person recognized to possess such knowledge is the Sultan. Furthermore, being the custodian of religion, he will be perceived as having ancestral ties with Prophet Mohamed SAW and the holy land. And that will be enough reasons for the people to be ready and willing to work for him with a deep sense of respect. On other levels, we find that the quality of ‘ilmu’ is projected by the Malays onto other persons of influence such as religious heads, politicians and the omnipresent ‘bomoh’ or traditional healer. Prof. Stimpfl then drew our attention to ‘ilmu’ taken in the sense of ‘semangat’ or the knowledge of unbridled spirit. Here we touch on Malay practices and the recognition of the existence of ‘semangat’ in a multitude of objects which are therefore handled with great respect and even reverence. In the many examples we were given, we find the symbolism of God-Spirit-Body which can be transposed into the three elements of maker (who has the knowledge), content (which is the unbridled spirit/power) and envelope (which is a means of control). Here are but a few examples of objects created by men of ‘ilmu’ (i.e. who have the knowledge to control unbridled power/spirit): This presentation served to remind me, yet again, that there is so much more to Malay culture than meets the eye. The concept of ‘ilmu’ is reaching far and deep into the Malay psyche, something which we could never have fathomed without our speaker. Thank you Prof. Stimpfl for sharing your vast knowledge and research with us and for being so generous with your time. Colette Hassan
“ILMU: KNOWLEDGE AND STATUS IN TRADITIONAL MALAY MCG members who attended the AGM at the Royal Selangor Golf Club on Wednesday May 7 were fortunate to hear a very interesting talk by Professor Joseph Stimpfl, Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He is a currently a Fulbright visiting professor in anthropology at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Professor Stimpfl has spent a good deal of time studying the lives and beliefs of villagers living in small kampungs in Malaysia. He has also conducted research on Malay culture in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand and therefore has a broad knowledge of Malay traditions and beliefs. One of his areas of interest is discovering how traditional village life was structured and the relationship between the villagers and people of status in the community. “Ilmu” is a Malay word for knowledge. In traditional Malay society, ilmu is only available to men and this knowledge is seen as a way to control unbridled power. Men with ilmu were respected and also somewhat feared because of the power they had over village life. Traditional village life was dangerous with villages surrounded by jungle and often close to the sea. Both the jungle and the sea are powerful forces with the ability to unleash destruction upon the village. Many of the customs and beliefs of the village resulted from this mixture of fear and respect. The three traditional areas of knowledge, and therefore control of power, are raja (royalty), agama (religion) and adat (traditional customs). Members of the royal family and the religious leaders are usually people of power but power was also given to the men in the community with knowledge of “adat”. In present-day society, belief in this power continues to be seen in the respect given to a bomoh, a man with knowledge of adat. Professor Stimpfl talked about three types of bomoh. A bomoh hujan is believed to have the power to affect weather (at least on a short- term basis). A bomoh cinta can help with your love life, and a bomoh sakit can be consulted in case of illness. Some practitioners of traditional crafts are believed to have power and to infuse it into the things that they create. Some examples of things believed to have power are “songket”, a beautiful hand-woven cloth, “keris”, a small dagger with a wavy blade, “wayang kulit”, shadow puppets and “kepal”, traditional boats. There is power in “suara burung” the fascinating bird-singing contests loved by Malays. Also, residual power is believed to reside in a “keramat”, the grave of a holy man. Most of these beliefs are not in keeping with the teachings of Islam, and therefore Islamic authorities do not approve of them. They remain, however, an important factor in life in the kampung. The audience was very interested in the talk and there were many questions and comments afterward. We all learned more about this fascinating country and its varied customs and beliefs. And, if anyone knows the location of a bird singing contest in the KL area, please let us know! Pam Boucher
BOOK CLUB
BOOK CLUB REPORTS Group
I A resounding ‘thumbs up’ was given by everyone for this classic prize-winning novel written 1931. It presents a very realistic view of rural life in pre-Revolutionary China as seen through the eyes of a poor, hard-working farmer, Wang Lung, struggling to make a living from his land. His long-suffering wife, O-Lan, a former slave from a rich man’s house, faithfully bears his children and helps till the land. Their lives cycle from success to failure and back again. Famine and poverty resulted in a move to the city to beg, and then an unexpected windfall allows return to the land to rebuild. A great drought follows, then another phase of wealth, so that eventually Wang Lung owned all the land as well as the house of the rich man who had originally enslaved O-Lan. But wealth had its complications; conniving family members, marriages, births, deaths, wars, natural disasters, concubines, rebellious adolescents, and opium addiction all play out in a very engrossing story that still rings true. In the end, Wang Lung had to keep returning to ‘the good earth’ to find peace and spiritual rejuvenation This is a timeless tale of many layers with characters flawed but somehow familiar. Many universal themes such as women’s rights, class conflict, the importance of family, moral trials, and hardships that come with modernization still resonate. The group thought the rather simple, straight-forward style was no doubt influenced by Buck’s many years in China and her ability to speak Chinese. At times it had an almost Biblical tone probably resulting from her missionary family background. The Good Earth is historically important because it demystified China for Western readers but also endures as a reminder, that in spite of all our differences (language, culture, religion), there are certain qualities that we all share as humans. Joanne Mahendran
Group
II A very small group of three persons met to discuss ‘Tanah Tujuh by Antares, a well-known figure in Malaysian literary, musical and theatre circles. He has written, directed and acted in plays; composed and performed music and contributed reviews and illustrations to magazines and newspapers. Antares moved to the Orang Asli village to write about their myths and beliefs, because he believes that the Orang Asli is a dying society and the world may never know about them unless someone records their thoughts and beliefs. Reading the book, with some interesting pictures, we know that life, which for most of us has become complicated over the years, remains simple for the Orang Aslis. They don’t want to change and would not like their connection with their land lost by their forests cut down and their rivers contaminated by urbanization. Antares helps them to fight for their cause by becoming their voice in the newspapers and magazines. Tanah Tujuh, literally translated means the seventh Land, and the Orang Aslis truly believe theirs is a precious and protected land and that seven is an auspicious number which is blessed by the gods. They believe that God will protect them. Maybe they saw Antares as their redeemer, as he stood up for them and became one of them, only more educated and articulate. We agreed that it was a book that could have been better written but were glad that the simple aborigines had found Antares. Renu Sharan
NEWSLETTER REPORT Newsletter This is the March issue of the newsletter. The next issue will be in August. The deadline for sending in your articles/photos is July 8. Please email your write ups to The write-ups should not be more than 350 words. They should be in Times New Roman font size 11. Jaishree Balasubramanian
BOOKING POLICY FOR EVENTS Reservations Wait List Payments Cancellations Refunds Eligibility Event Participation Eligibility Your co-operation with the Booking Policy would be much appreciated by the Events Planning Team.
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