The tale of Keramat Kuala Bidor

Below is an initial attempt to translate/adapt parts of the chapter called "Dari Perlak ke Perak: Kisah Keramat Kuala Bidor" (From Perlak to Perak: The tale of Keramat Kuala Bidor)... From the Malay novel "Berpetualang ke Aceh: Mencari Diri dan Erti" - (The trip to Aceh: In search of self and meaning?)... Have a look...



Those studying the old history of Aceh must surely know the name Sultan Malikus Salih, the founder of the twin kingdom of Samudera and Pasai, very famous indeed especially in the annals of Islamic history and the Malay Archipelago. Long before the kingdom of Melaka existed and embraced Islam, his royal highness have made his kingdoms the main centre of Islamic knowledge, transmission and missionary activities of this part of the world.
Tales on this Sultan is immortalised in the old text Hikayat Raja-raja Pasai, considered by scholars and historians as the oldest Malay text available. His tomb in Aceh invites many who wants to get acquainted with Islamic civilization of yore. But how many knew his royal highness and the kingdoms would never have existed if not for a certain figure who used to live at Teluk Intan and died there? How many even realise the connection between the Sultan this particular Perak man?
Its just this man’s tomb is alienated inside a palm oil estate, unlike the prominent tomb of Malikus Salih in Sumatera which is marked by Aceh tombstones, symbolising the high status of the person. The one in Perak is only marked with stones picked from the river, enough to show there once existed a certain person who walked on this earth, once upon a time.
What shows this man is not just not any Tom, Dick and Harry is the yellow clothes tied to the stones, marking him as of royal prominence with saintly powers. And thus he was known as the Keramat Kuala Bidor, literally translated, the saintly person of Kuala Bidor (referring to the estuary of the Bidor river where he used to live).

……………

Rasyid came to know of the existence of Keramat Kuala Bidor when he was moved to search from Nenek (his grandma) some old stories regarding Perak. Before this, he had not the slightest interest in such stories, having been branded by his own family of being too Westernised… Maybe because of his four years of study in London sometime ago?
Muhammad Al Aminul Rasyid used to be very proud of his God-given intellectual capacity to digest Western studies like the philosopies of Socrates and Plato. And thus Western ideological texts such as the Das Kapital and Communist Manifesto of Karl Marx, Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith and of course, The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli, the Italian political strategist known for the quote “the ends justify the means” which has become a mantra for politicians became his daily diet.
The guy also happens to have “Western features”. If his younger days in primary school saw him being ashamed of his clear white-reddish complexion plus his rather brownish hair, the tables are turned during his youth. His natural looks which used to be reasons for others to take a pick and make jokes on him became assets instead as the girls began to show interest… And all this happened while many Malay guys were trying to find ways to smoothen and withen their skin and paint their hair in lighter shade to look like Westerners and so be deemed fairer and more good-looking.
Rasyid really enjoyed his assets as more and more girls especially the really good-looking ones praise his “Western” looks, although as far as family history shows, he has not a shred of European or Western blood. And so the Muar, Johor-born lad became sure there was no need to know anything about old Malay folklore and tales… Although he used to really loved it when he was small with local tales like Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa and Hikayat Inderaputra receiving as much interest as the tales of Greek Gods like Zeus and Aphrodite, also the Norse Gods like Odin, Thor and Loki… After all he loves stories with mythical themes and magic in it.
The guy only change his stance when a sort of “Malayness” feeling began to permeate his being, a kind of a bitter-sweet feeling “activated” when he first heard a collection of songs on the CD written by M.Nasir but sung by Hattan particularly the one titled “Lagu Cenderawasih”. This particular song has some sort of mystical tinge to it, at least that’s what he felt upon hearing it one early morning while cleaning the chimneys alone at a Malay restaurant in London. It was in 1995 and Rasyid was in his final year of his Degree in Mathematics. But he had to take a few odd jobs including rearranging the books at the university library, serving customers and cleaning the pots and pans at the University of London Union cafetaria and handing leaflets in front of Dillon’s bookstore nearby to make ends meet after his scholarship was discontinued for breaking the contract.
Too bad, when he returned to Malaysia, he was soon immersed back in Westernised activities which set aside good Islamic and Malay norms. His job as a journalist attached to a prominent English daily often made him lost in enjoyment at prestigious functions and parties… The kind with free mixing accentuated by really sexy and glamorous ladies egged on further by what seemed to be never-ending supply of liquor and beer. Imagine, exclusive Formula One parties at the best night-clubs in town attended only by a list of who’s who… With model-type ladies (waif, alluring, plenty of smiles and ready for action) which one normally found at motor-races to take care of guests, courtesy of the big companies eager to make journalists very happy in exchange for perpetual publicity. Who would ever thought, one day, after spending so much happy-go-lucky time in this Internet age and free-for-all information world, Rasyid had a dream which would force him to study old Perak tales and then on Aceh and anything to do with it? Who would have thought it would go on until this book, a rather weird piece of writing materialised and is now sitting right in front of your face?