Posted on by Kit

“Pornographic” poetry for our teens?

Letters
by Mrs. Sheela R

The study of Malay literature for students of the Upper Secondary level features a poem by Raja Ali Haji, a scholar and a prominent literary figure of the nineteenth century. Raja Ali Haji was noted for his numerous literary gems such as the “Tuhfat Al-nafis” (The precious gift) and “Syair Kitab al-Nikah” (The book of marriage).

The poem selected for study at the Form four level is an excerpt from his lesser-known literary work entitled “Syair Siti Sianah”. The foreword written in Malay includes an explanation as to whom the poem is intended for and the purported advice it contains. I reproduce this extract below:

“Syair Siti Sianah pula mengandungi nasihat yang tujukan khas kepada golongan wanita supaya mereka sentiasa menjaga maruah diri, etika dan nama baik keluarga serta tidak melanggar ajaran, norma masyarakat dan budaya”.

(Translation: “Syair Siti Sianah” contains advice which is specially directed towards women to always guard their virtue, ethics and uphold their family name whilst not going against the teachings of religion, societal norms and culture”).

Now, to the poem itself. A total of 11 verses have been selected for inclusion in the text. As an example, I reproduce three verses below with a brief/approximate translation:

Verse 7
“Setengah perempuan yang makan angkat,
Memakai gelang bertingkat-tingkat,
Memandang laki-laki matanya lekat
Dengan jantan suka berdekat”
(Some women bedeck themselves with jewellery and seek to entice men with flirtatious looks)

Verse 8
Kaki dan tangan dinaikkan pula,
Pura-pura dikatakan ubat segala,
Hakikatnya diketahui Allah Taala,
Supaya laki-laki berhati gila
(With hands and legs lifted in a lascivious manner they try to seduce men)

Verse 11
Laki-laki perempuan bertindih lutut
Banyak kelakuan yang tidak patut
Sembahyang ibadat sudah bantut
Kerana syaitan duduk di buntut
(Men and women indulge in close proximity, with piety forgotten, for the devil has trapped them, literally in the derriere with lustful behaviour!)

Exactly how is a poem of this genre expected to encourage sixteen year olds not to “stray from the path of virtue”?

While poetic license is a virtue, poetry that denigrates women and at that too in a highly graphic manner cannot be considered appropriate study material for secondary schoolchildren. After all¸ the study of literature is to educate not titillate.

CategoriesUncategorized

10 Replies to ““Pornographic” poetry for our teens?”

  2. Verse 8 – Ah now we know why Utusan Malaysia criticised Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching for the aerobic exercises (“Kaki dan tangan dinaikkan pula”) and the track pants and a white tee shirt worn “tight” by her!

  3. There is no doubt in my mind.we have NUTS making sickening decisions and comments in the Govt…and there is nothing Najib can do…as these NUTS are loyal UMNO B voters and are able to round up large numbers of fanatics and low class racists to support Najib too.
    You can complaint and shout out loud…as much as you want…but Najib is powerless…so was Dollah.
    And the man behind all these is Mahathir.
    For that….UMNO B will kill itself ..as vast majority Malays hates him and know who he is.
    Najib can keep performing and juggling…but one can only observe…he is an appointed PM for show only…..no more or less powerful …like all UMNO B ministers.
    But they have cliques and are planning to play each other out.
    At least smart Khairy knows his days are numbered and announced he is not defend his Rambau seat.
    At least that young man knows Najib will never appoint him as a minister…as long as Mahathir is around.
    Can you imagine Mahathir’s son…a nobody become a Deputy Minster…while Khairy.. the elected Youth Chief.. .not given a ministerial post?
    You think Najib is so smart to make all those decisions…including his hypocritical and nonsensical slogans?

  4. Hope all of us can make this your New Year Resolution ,
    which is make sure you get at least one person to
    vote for PR — the more the merrier. And if every one of us can convince
    just one family member, neighbour, friend, office colleague — and again the
    more the merrier too, to do the same then half the battle is won.Just
    through your efforts alone we shall have A BETTER Malaysia for ALL
    Malaysians*…

  7. Wah, so shiok 1, like Lady Chatterley’s Lover oh
    If I were 16 years old, me also want 2 read Malay literature, better than sex education
    After graphic Malay literature n news items on sodomy n ministers raping maids, bcome boh sia n mat rempit lah, explore bodies n limbs, poke here poke there, then C4 mah as d last solution

  9. Well, to be fair, the works of Geoffrey Chaucer were taught to us years back in college…and these works are definitely and intensely pornographic by even today’s standards…. but it didnt make us wanna rape any maids mind you….

Leave a Reply