Highlight: catching Hantaran Buat Mangsa Lupa, a trilogy by Irfan Kasban.
The trilogy consists of three segments which led to the establishment of Islam. The first segment is "genap 40", 2nd is "WC" and third is "94:05"


Who am I? Why do I exist? Irfan Kasban, “Hantaran buat Mangsa Lupa” provokes such universal dilemma pertaining to existentialism. An experimental theatre held at the Substation, “Hantaran” is a trilogy which stimulates the mind through unravelling taboos. It imparts phenomenological and emotional sensations to audiences. Through the unconventional and innovative display of the mise-en-scene, “Hantaran” seamlessly manifest a plethora of themes, encompassing from fate to pre-destination, sacrifices and the pursuit of attaining self-tranquillity.

BUT...

The dialogues are all in Malay. The actors converse in flowery Malay language in the first two scenes and colloquial Malay in the final scene. However, non-Malay speakers solely depending on subtitles might lose out. Translation distorts the beautiful imagery and rhyme scheme of the Malay language. On some level, this mutates the message of the play.

Such linguistic distortions particularly surface especially in “94:05”. Ahmad’s contemplation on the meaning of “hati”, is a fundamental point of his confusion; barricading him from fully attaining self-tranquility. “Hati” possesses multiple meanings. It means liver and also one’s capacity to empathize and sympathize. Nonetheless, such puns got lost in translation. Ahmad personifies the naivety coupled with the ignorance of the current generation. His desire for self-tranquility through elucidating his faith is delivered via nuances in language.


My highlight of watching “Hantaran” is engaging in subconscious characterization of the actors and upon exiting the theatre, realises that I have acquired characterization at its zenith; specifically introspection. The play serves as a good platform that revitalizes faith in this rat-race era of modernization.

I watched the play Singapore, by necessary stage. A very refreshing play that provokes the most contemporary problems pertaining to Singapore landscape, like the intolerance towards the minorities and how native feel socio-politically challenged. It explores the sensitivity underlying the diversity in Singapore and this is done through the actors literally being from varying ethnic group, and adding on, the characters they adopt are no less diverse.

A little bit draggy, but nonetheless, informative ( as history was narrated) through the actors and a video. The colliqualism was pretty humorous and the mise-en-scene despite not lavishly spectacular, was an experimental display which effectively amplifies the voice of the marginalized group, the voice of the Other, the other voice.

The amplification of the Other's voice or indeed the other voice is recurrent motif from the exposition right up to the denouement. In the commencement of the play, we see Princess Hang Li Po repeating Malay verses after the Sultan of Malacca, Sultan Mahmud Shah. This extremely domesticated depiction of the Malaccan royalties life, almost like a vebatim, is not common in today's theatre. The voice of the women is already heard in the start. I interpret this as a conscious teatrical technique to amplify the voice of the women, a traditionally subjugated group in most societies.

In the manifestation of the drama, we are exposed to William Farquhar point of view in regards to his contribution to Singapore. I consider this the other voice as well, as contrary to references to Farquhar, most contemporary, post-colonial work in Singapore associates our forefather wit Raffles and a mere few liners for his comrade Farquhar.

Delving deeper into the complexities of this drama, we get exposed to Farquhar's intimate relationship with a Singaporean girl and leaves her as he was asked to leave Singapore. She was then stigmatized as a loose character girl who associates herself with Ang-Moh by the society she lives in. That somehow signifies the portion of the burden the natives have to carry with the departing colonial masters.

A play which increases my perspective when dealing with minoritiy issues in Singapore instead of superficially pointing an accusatory finger at them when things go wrong.

Yes technology is important
or prints are unfounded
but can it ever exceed in importance
vis a vis philosphy of ethics,
values and humanity?
says some Blur it is, says other it is coherant that
technology seem to have a converse relation with humanity.
As we add
we Subtract
as we see more
we feel Less
as we get richer
we get Robbed
is the gain worth this loss?
especially in a transitional phase
in a surreal place
these ephemeral days
this imbalance is detriment
for an eternal race
we are as what the economic world claims
facing the repercussions of Diminishing marginal returns

an unfinished novel


chapter one
introduction and anticipation
blazing in the soul
hungry for more

in the midst you reach
with eyes all sore
albeit sometimes a bore
the whole jouney u still adore

with tears and sorrows
flipping pages shows

times you intend to throw it
inner-self screams 'NO!'
you listen. sometimes gratified. sometimes
you blame yourself
for listening.

right before the last chapter
the novel dropped
in the trench
so deep
gone.

The annihilation of it all

I go lower as I climb up
And rose higher when I was in trough

A wave of epiphany when I hear something new
And got more confused when I continuously studied

I was poorer when I was rich
And got richer when I became poorer

I was bright when I was dark
And became dark when I turned light

I loved them when I was little
And belittled them when I became loved

And when I have wealth and health
Nothing is what I really have

The state of self

ripped
yet compact

pushed down
yet helped up

forcefully
yet tenderly

starvation
yet filled

thirst
yet quenched

suppression
yet emancipation

entangled
yet free

a physical decline
with an emotional zenith

literal and allegorical

Red roses makes the circumfrance
of pure milky linen,
a satin silk wrap.
And magnolia polished crystal diamond,
adorning the bare neck and delicate ears.
Drapes black and thick
and scent of potpurri
that sents them captive
a victim of her etheral beauty


and then kept captive she however was;
behind the black door
covered with grey canvas.
Rampnants of old furniture scattered in front of the jati cupboards,
at the backyard.

The majority
makes the exterior the main criteria
and distant themselves upon looking at the ramshackles

Only he, that trusted his insticts,
fought superficiality,
manage to penetrate through the dull,
and discover the beauty

when asked, he answered
because his heart has vision
miles and miles further than his eyes
and that vision consciously corresponds with the mind.

Lamentations of the tissue

Just pulled I am
mercilessly,
swiping across the wet and greasy surface
the pain within me,
only God knows.
To clean the area,
I am wrought and wringed
grabbed and crumpled
and in a fit of anger,
flung to the heap of dejects
My initial pureness and whiteness holistically disregarded,
I swallow in silence despite the treatment with such unfairness,
...
...
..

TO ABSTAIN OR TO EMBRACE

Peh Jun Sheng is straddling through Little India
To get Jasmine flowers for his wife Prima
For his sister is going to get engaged
To their neighbour Abdul Kahar.

Smoking the hubbly bubbly in the back lane of Arab St
Was George and his girlfriend Atikah
Romanticizing under the beat of Um Kalthoum
And verbalizing the Shakespearean’s sonnet

While they belong to those who absorb,
There are some who are caught distraught

People know Singapore as a small red dot
A safe place, dangerous not
As if it is forever taken care by God
And anything, most can afford


What lies beneath is a confusion begot
Where individuals are sandwiched
Between referring to the Koran or Oxford encyclopaedia
To wear the tudung or the visor
To tie an amulet or a charm bracelet
To be here or to be there

The Traffic Life


one.pink.ten.tan.
twenty.fair.
forty.off white.
eighty. ambre.
ninety. purple.ninety.dull.
ninety. white. ninety.

green.red.green.red.
______________________
journey of life. where at 'one' you are 'pink' fresh with the innocence of childhood. At 'ten' you get 'tan' with all the sports you expose yourself to due to PE. 'Twenty' ; one leaves jc and enter uni, seeking solace in the air condition classess and the absence of mandatory order to bask in sunlight lest absolutely voluntary, in most cases.

'Forty' where the youth start making way for the medieval age of life, where the "whiteness" starts fading. With experiences, making the once flawless fair surface achieve some sort of transformation. And then they turn "eighty", their off white skin glows. An ephemeral transistory glow. Right before turning 'purple' where their life passes on. Their soul is taken and their blood stops flowing, and their lips turns 'purple'. And then they look very dull as life is taken out of them, literally. As a closure, the white cloth is used to wrap them before depositting them to their new home.

The 'green' 'red' 'green' 'red' then symbolized the destination in the afterlife, a direct symbolism of the heavens and hells. The consciousness of putting 'green' first is sort of a hope for the victim, as well as reminder to self.