Banjir (flood in) Kuala Lumpur 2007... Apakah ada yang tersirat? (Is there a hidden meaning behind it?)

Gambar kawasan mengambil wuduk di Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur. Perhatikan lumpur yang mengganggu perjalanan...

Picture of the area for taking wuduk (ablution). Note the mud in the way...

Assalamualaikum para pembaca sekalian. Siang tadi saya telah pergi ke beberapa tempat sekitar Kuala Lumpur terutama di pusat bandaraya untuk menyelesaikan beberapa perkara berkaitan buku "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal". Dalam perjalanan, saya dapat melihat bagaimana banjir yang melanda beberapa bahagian kotaraya akibat hujan lebat tak henti lebih 3 jam malam semalam telah mengakibatkan banyak kerosakan barangan terutama di kedai-kedai. Kesan lumpur yang masih tinggal juga sangat nyata di merata tempat malah ada yang meninggalkan bau busuk seperti bau longkang atau tandas yang sudah lama tidak dibersihkan.

Peace be upon you readers. Today, I went to several places in and around Kuala Lumpur especially the city centre to settle a few things regarding the book "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Membela Syiar yang Asal" (literally translated as "The trip to Aceh: Advocating the true faith"). During travel, I witnessed how the flood that ravaged some parts of the metropolis due to the heavy non-stop rain for more than 3 hours last night had destroyed so many goods especially at the shops. The mud left was also very apparent at many places, in fact some left such a bad smell like that of drains or toilet that has not been washed for long.
Pada mulanya, saya tidak mahu mengendahkan kesan peninggalan banjir ini kerana sibuk memikirkan hal-hal berkaitan buku di samping membuat catatan apa yang patut di dalam komputer laptop yang sering dibawa bersama untuk ke mana-mana. Tetapi apabila melihat kesan lumpur dan kotoran di Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur ketika hendak menunaikan solat Asar, saya rasa terpanggil untuk mengambil beberapa gambar lalu mencoretkan kisah berserta tafsiran yang tiba-tiba muncul dalam kalbu akan kejadian ini.
At first, I didn't want to take notice of the flood's aftermath as I was busy figuring out things related to my book while making updates of what is necessary using the laptop computer that is often brought along everywhere. But upon seeing the amount of mud and dirt at Masjid Jamek (main mosque) of Kuala Lumpur while on the way to perform the Asar (late afternoon) prayers, came the urge to take some pictures and then write a story alongside the interpretation of events that came suddenly.

Jemaah terpaksa bersolat di serambi masjid, bukan di dalam ruang utama akibat kekotoran yang ditinggalkan banjir semalam...
The congregation was forced to pray at the mosque's verandah area, not inside the main hall because of all the dirt left by the flood overnight...

Perhatikan gambar di atas di mana para jemaah terpaksa menunaikan solat di serambi masjid. Ketika melihat lumpur dan kotoran yang dibawa air sekeliling kawasan masjid, tiba-tiba hati ini terbetik... Apakah ada makna yang tersirat di sebalik peristiwa ini? Kebetulan banjir malam semalam berlaku sehari selepas berlangsungnya perkahwinan Perdana Menteri ke 5 Malaysia, Pak Lah dengan seorang janda berdarah kacukan Jeanne Abdullah yang pernah menjadi adik ipar kepada mendiang isteri Pak Lah iaitu Datin Endon. Apakah semua ini ada kena-mengena?
Look at the picture above where the congregation was forced to perform the prayers at the mosque's verandah. While looking at the mud and dirt brought by the flood at the mosque's compound, suddenly there emerged a question upon the heart... Is there any hidden meaning behind all these? Coincidently the flood yesterday happened a day after there occurs the marriage of Malaysia's 5th Prime Minister Pak Lah (as Abdullah Badawi is fondly known) to a widow of mixed parentage Jeanne Abdullah who was the sister-in-law to Pak Lah's late wife, Datin Endon. Is there a relationship between all these?
Sebagai seorang Islam, walaupun saya bukan tergolong dalam golongan mereka yang warak ataupun alim, saya rasa sudah patut Pak Lah memilih seorang isteri yang memakai tudung. Ini kerana Pak Lah sedang membawa imej seorang pemimpin warak yang sepatutnya mengenengahkan kelebihan serta kesyumulan Islam dan dia berasal daripada keturunan para ulamak - Datuknya Haji Abdullah Fahim adalah bekas mufti Pulau Pinang dan dikira sebagai seorang ulamak besar. Jika allahyarham Datin Endon tidak mahu memakai tudung, harap-harap isteri baru ini nanti lebih rela untuk menurut syariat Islam, Insyaallah!
As a Muslim, although I don't belong among the pious and knowledgable ones, I feel it is high time Pak Lah choose a wife who wears the head-scarf. This is because Pak Lah is carrying the image of a pious leader who should forward the advantages and purity of Islam and he hails from a lineage of religious scholars - His grandfather Haji Abdullah Fahim was the mufti (head of religious matters) of Pulau Pinang and is considered as a very reputable religious scholar. If the late Datin Endon don't want to wear the headscarf, hopefully the new wife is more willing to follow the prescriptions of Islam, God willing!
Dalam hal pemakaian tudung ini, mungkin ada yang berkata itu hak masing-masing... Lebih baik tak pakai tudung daripada memakainya semata-mata untuk memenuhi kehendak orang lain. Dalam hal ini, saya rasa lebih elok memakai tudung untuk memenuhi kehendak orang walaupun akan dituduh tidak ikhlas. Mungkin kita sendiri tidak bersedia untuk menutup aurat tetapi Tuhan tetap akan mengambil kira niat baik seorang isteri yang sanggup mengenepikan kepentingan diri sendiri lalu sanggup memakai tudung demi menjaga nama baik suaminya dan keluarga lebih-lebih lagi apabila sang suami itu dikaitkan dengan para alim ulamak dan pejuang Islam.
Regarding the wearing of headscarf, perhaps some would argue that it is a matter of individual rights... It is better not to wear the headscarf than to wear it just in order to please other people. In this matter, I feel it is better to wear the headscarf to please people eventhough one will be accused of not being sincere. Maybe one is not ready to cover the aurat (body parts that should not be exposed according to Islamic prescriptions) but God will surely take account of the good intention of a wife who wears the headscarf in order to safeguard the good name of the husband and family especially when the husband is being related to religious scholars and those who fight for Islam.

Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur dilihat daripada hadapan. Dalam gambar ini, lumpur dan kotoran yang dibawa banjir semalam tidak terserlah... Cuba pergi lebih dekat. Nescaya terlihatlah kekotoran yang mengaburi kesucian...
The Masjid Jamek (main mosque) of Kuala Lumpur as seen from the front. The mud and dirt brought by the flood last night was not apparent in the picture... Try going closer. For sure you'll notice the dirt that stains the purity...

OK... Berbalik pada apa yang tersirat. Apakah banjir yang membawa kotoran dan lumpur ke serata Kuala Lumpur itu ada kaitan dengan perkahwinan Pak Lah? Saya tak tahu. Yang saya tahu, hati ini berkata tentu ada makna kenapa semua ini berlaku... Ada makna yang menyebabkan jemaah masjid terpaksa bersolat di serambi, bukannya di dalam ruang utama masjid yang bukan tempat sebarangan - Kedudukannya di pertemuan Sungai Gombak dan Sungai Klang adalah tempat bermulanya asal-usul bandaraya Kuala Lumpur itu sendiri!
OK... Back to the hidden meaning behind things. Is there any relationship between the flood that carries dirt and mud all over Kuala Lumpur to Pak Lah's marriage? I don't know. What I do know, my heart keeps saying that there must be a meaning behind all these happenings... A meaning that forced the mosque's congregation to pray at the verandah, not inside the main hall of the mosque which is not just any ordinary place - Its position at the meeting of the Gombak and Klang rivers is the starting point of the origins of the city of Kuala Lumpur itself!
Seperti yang ramai tahu, pada zaman pentadbiran Pak Lah inilah berlaku banyak kes yang sebelum ini tidak pernah terserlah di Malaysia... Sekumpulan pemimpin bukan Melayu berani mencabar Artikel 11 Perlembagaan lalu menyentuh hak warga Malaysia untuk beragama. Si Lina Joy mencabar mahkamah agar orang Islam dibenarkan murtad melalui proses undang-undang. Selain itu, rasanya ramai tahu bagaimana syarikat-syarikat penting Malaysia sekarang telah mendapat "suntikan dana" daripada negara jiran. Melihat kesan banjir yang berlaku di sekeliling bandaraya terutama di masjid, hati saya berkata... Ini membawa makna yang tidak baik.
As many know, it is during the time of Pak Lah's administration that so many cases happens such that never took stage in Malaysia... A group of non-Malay leaders dared to question Article 11 of the Constitution touching on a Malaysian citizen's right to religion... Lina Joy (which took the limelights because of the gravity of the case) challenged the courts so that a Muslim may be allowed to leave the religion and convert using the process of law. Besides that, I'm sure many knew how the main companies in Malaysia have received "injections of cash" from a neighbouring country. Looking at the flood's aftermath all around the city especially at he mosque, my heart says... This means something is not right.
Adapun dalam ilmu firasat dan tafsir mimpi, air selalunya dikaitkan dengan duit dan rezeki. Maka mimpi di mana kita melihat air yang banyak seperti melihat sungai, laut malah banjir dikatakan adalah tanda kita bakal mendapat duit dan rezeki melimpah. Bagaimana pula kalau air itu membawa kotoran sehingga orang terpaksa keluar daripada masjid lalu bersolat di serambi? Apakah maknanya ini?
As it is, in the art of divination and interpreting dreams, water is often related to money and wealth. So, a dream where we see a lot of water like looking at a river, the sea, even a flood is said to be a sign that we will receive money and overflowing wealth. What if the water brings so much dirt that people are forced to get out of the mosque and pray at the verandah? What is the meaning of this?
Dalam pada itu, saya terfikir... Dari satu segi, "suntikan dana" yang datang dalam bentuk pembelian syarikat-syarikat utama di Malaysia oleh pihak tertentu di negara jiran boleh dikira sebagai kedatangan rezeki yang melimpah ruah sehingga berjaya menaikkan paras Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur ke tahap tertinggi melebihi 1,300 mata. Betul, ia bagus untuk perniagaan tetapi apakah ia bagus untuk masyarakat marhain terutama bangsa Melayu Islam yang merupakan tunjang kewujudan negara ini?
At the same time, a thought occured... From one point of view, the "injection of cash" which came in the form of purchase of Malaysia's main companies (such as through buying of shares) by certain parties from a neighbouring country can be considered as the advent of overflowing wealth which managed to push up the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange to its highest gain above 1,300 points. Of course, it is good for business but is it really good for the man on the street especially the Malay Muslims who form the backbone of the country's existence?
Lihat pada Pasar Seni atau Central Market di mana menurut ceritanya, sewa ruang perniagaan telah dinaikkan daripada RM600 sebulan menjadi RM2,000 sebulan setelah ia diambil alih sebuah syarikat milik negara jiran. Perhatikan, di manakah letaknya para peniaga Melayu yang dahulunya menjadi sebahagian daripada identiti Pasar Seni... Di manakah kedudukan mereka sekarang? Rasanya seperti melukut di tepi gantang!
Look at Pasar Seni (literally translated as "market for arts") or Central Market where the rent for space reputedly has been raised from RM600 a month to RM2,000 a month after it was taken over by a company owned by a neighbouring country. Look, what happened to the Malay traders who used to form a part of the identity of Pasar Seni... Where are they now? Methinks, they've become like those sitting beside bags of rice but with no chance of having a taste of rice!
Hmm... Cukuplah luahan rasa yang timbul tadi. Sila lihat gambar-gambar di bawah untuk mendapat gambaran akan kesan banjir malam tadi yang berlaku sehari selepas berlangsungnya perkahwinan Pak Lah.
Hmm... Enough of letting out steam. Do look at the snapshots below to have a picture of last night's flood aftermath which happened a day after Pah Lah got married.

Gambar di hadapan restoran McDonald berhampiran masjid jamek. Perhatikan longgokan sampah dan barangan yang rosak akibat banjir. Ketika ini, sekitar jam 5 petang, kawasan itu juga sedang mengalami black-out.
Picture in front of the Mc Donald outlet beside the main mosque. Look at the piles of rubbish and goods damaged by the flood. At the time, it was around 5 in the afternoon, the area was having a blackout.

Jalan Melaka yang masih ada kesan lumpur, sebelah stesyen LRT Masjid Jamek.
Jalan Melaka with some parts still immersed in mud, just beside the LRT (Light Railway Transit) of Masjid Jamek.




Kesan peninggalan banjir di kawasan Masjid India. Banyak barang perniagaan terutama kain baju yang rosak akibat banjir yang naik tidak kurang 2 kaki tinggi. Kelihatan dalam gambar ini satu jualan lelong yang diadakan di mana tudung wanita yang biasanya berharga RM10 sebuah dilelong dengan harga RM3 sebuah.
The flood aftermath around the area of Masjid India. Plenty of goods especially clothings where damaged becaused of the flood which went up not less than 2 feet deep. Visible in the picture is a sale where women's headscarf which normally cost RM10 each is being sold at RM3 a piece.
Di sebelah kedai ini (tiada dalam gambar) adalah jualan lelong kain buatan India. Kain yang biasanya berharga RM80 sepasang dijual pada harga RM20 sepasang, semuanya akibat barangan ini telah dicemari banjir maka perlu dibasuh balik oleh para pembeli.
Next to this shop (not visible in picture) is a sale for Indian-made silk. The silk normally cost RM80 a piece but now is being sold at RM20 each, all because it was spoiled by the flood and must be washed and cleaned by prospective buyers.

Kesesakan lalu-lintas di Lebuh Ampang akibat kerja-kerja membersihkan sampah-sarap tinggalan banjir.
The traffic jam at Lebuh Ampang caused by works to clean rubbish left by the flood.

Perhatikan bagaimana jalan ini terpaksa dihalang buat sementara supaya sampah-sarap dapat dipunggah lalu dibawa pergi.
Look, how the road is temporarily blocked so that the rubbish can be carried away.

Ini pula kotoran dan lumpur yang tinggal di sebuah lorong bersebelahan Lebuh Ampang. Bangunan tinggi di latar-belakang itu adalah bangunan Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur!
This is the dirt and mud left at a lane beside Lebuh Ampang. The tall building in the backgroud is the Kuala Lumpur City Hall building!