SERI MENANTI, the royal capital of Negri Sembilan and located in the district of Kuala Pilah, is ancient. From quaint Minangkabau houses with their buffalo horn-inspired rooftops that dot the winding roads, to the hills surrounding the valley that is Seri Menanti, old stories abound.
The 100-year-old Istana Seri Menanti is a grand palace built at the turn of the century with four tiang seri (main pillars) from a single cengal tree 20m tall. The locals love to share how Raja Melewar opened the land after arriving from distant shores. It’s no wonder then that Tok Selampit Pak Syukor Daud lives here in his house “near the post office behind the shop at the junction” as he tells everyone who cares to ask for him.
With his slightly greying hair tucked neatly into his destar (headgear) and looking splendid in his traditional garb, Pak Syukor’s storytelling session is a treat many still look forward to, especially at weddings and traditional family gatherings.
As the gong signals the beginning of his performance, all is quiet in the dark courtyard, with only a single light illuminating Pak Syukor’s face. The audience waits with bated breath for him to begin.
Then, his low and commanding voice pierces the night. Pak Syukor opens court with a pantun. And the story begins.
STORIES OF CHILDHOOD DAYS
It’s at the Traditional Architecture Appreciation Camp held at Seri Siantan, Kampung Gunung Pasir, Seri Menanti recently that I met with Pak Syukor. He’d been invited to share his treasure-trove of folklores with a gathering of university students. He recounted the legends surrounding the Palembang prince Sang Sapurba dan Demang Lebar Daun, an ancient epic on how the people accepted their first king. He also told stories about how Singapore got its name when Sang Tri Buana had to throw overboard all his treasures to keep the most important treasure on board — his life and honour. There were also stories about the early days of Melaka. It’s important for these stories to be retold again and again, for as soon as the stories disappear, our belief in ourselves and who we are will also diminish, he emphasised.
Born in Kampung Petasih Hilir, Pak Syukor is a true blue son of Negri Sembilan who has travelled all over the country since childhood only to return to his roots to retire. It’s here that he shares stories he had picked up throughout his lifetime. Among his earliest memories is of sitting on a hydrant box, a square red structure that houses the hydrant, telling stories to his classmates when he was only 8 or 9 years old.
The children, he recalls, loved his stories so much they paid him 5 sen or 10 sen, money that helped cover the young bard’s own pocket money. His favourite stories included classics such as Pak Pandir, Pak Belalang and Pak Kadok. Meanwhile, for the older kids he’d reserve the gruesome horror folklores such as Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup, Kukuran Timah and Anak Raja Gondang — folktales his grandmother used to regale him with, complete with folk songs. As a treat, his mother used to sing to him the syair Siti Zubaidah before going to bed.
Later on, when he was slightly older, wittier and admittedly, naughtier, the young Syukor would pick exciting historical excerpts from the Quran such as stories of the prophets Musa, Isa and Muhammad (PBUH). And normally after 45 minutes or so into his story, he’d stop, leaving a cliffhanger and his audience hungry for more. This way he got to extend his stories over a longer time. Pausing a moment as he recalls his younger days, Pak Syukor shares in perfect Queen’s English: “Even at a very young age, I knew how to hold the attention of the crowd. Just like the Persian princess Shaharezad, this is how storytellers of old did it. You have to tell a story and inject enough suspense so that your audience will come back for more.”
He’s certainly not the typical storyteller that one might expect. His English is eloquent, something he learnt from a Christian Father he befriended when he was young. He can also speak Cantonese, Tamil and smatterings of Japanese, German and Arabic. This affinity for languages came naturally to him as he attended a Chinese school followed by a Tamil school when he lived in Jabor, Pahang as a child. Along the way, he picked up other languages and this helped him to connect effortlessly with people. He found it interesting to add stories others tell him to spice up his storytelling. He admits to being a voracious reader, and from the pool of stories he inherited from his mother and grandmother, these quickly extended to stories he read like Sejarah Melayu, the Panji and the Hikayat like Malim Deman and Awang Sulong Merah Muda. One of his favourite publications is 101 Puteri Melayu published by Muzium Negara. The names of princesses and heroes from these books are uttered as if they’re his long lost friends. When he weaves them into his storytelling, they all come to life almost magically.
He chuckles as he recalls one Cikgu Salasiah from his schooldays who, according to him, always asked him to take part in the Lakun Seni Penceritaan (storytelling sessions). The laughter subsides as Pak Syukor reflects: “It’s sad that today our children do not share this love for our folklores and legends. There’s so much they can learn. Communication. Confidence. Connection with people.”
CONNECTING PEOPLE
One of Pak Syukor’s favourite pastimes is writing poetry. Throughout his working life, he lived in Kuala Lumpur and the big city inspired his writing. He wrote about love, and love lost. He wrote about the desperate search for material things. He wrote about the modern city that hid the vices as well as the human stories behind its concrete walls. Like his storytelling, he shares his life experience and observations through his poetry.
Today, Pak Syukor also enjoys helping people trace their common ancestors. It’s easy for people he meets to open up to a storyteller. Very often, they reveal stories from long ago that he can connect to other people he might have met in the past. This adds to the pool of his stories as well as his network. It’s not surprising that he considers Facebook a wonderful medium for sharing his stories and poetry daily.
Pak Syukor Daud Abdul Ghani Mohd Lazim Lebai Maadil is certainly a treasure. It’s hoped that the stories he shares, ancient and new, will continue their journey in connecting people from one generation to another.So the gift of stories never end.
ninotaziz believes that our legends and folklores are the memories of our ancient civilisation. She can be contacted at ninotaziz@gmail.com