23/4 Academician, writer, former PRM deputy president and blogger Rustam A. Sani passed away at 3 am at age 63; funeral in KL after Zohor prayers/STAR.
To the uninitiated of early Malaysian history, Rustam is the son of Ahmad Boestamam, known as an early post WWII political activist and much associated with the Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM), Gerakan Kiri Tanah Air (KITA), Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM) and Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM).These political entities may have been lost from our mainstream history, but I will not betray UMNO to say that the they had their role in our fight for Independence. PKMM was one of the organisation present at Kelab Sultan Sulaiman in one day in 1946 to unite the Malay organisations to oppose Malayan Union. They were bold enough to utter the words to fight for independence.
I met Rustam at a conference in foreign land some more than 20 years ago . Since then, there was a brief encounter (which he need to be reminded where we had met earlier) in his days at ISIS and few times as audience at seminars, forums and lectures he delivered. (Read in his blog his biography, achievement and contribution)
He left an everlasting youthful impression on me in that first encounter. Being one of the first few people with such immense intelligence and articulation I had met early in my life, one has a tendency to try to keep abreast with the progression of the person and his thought.
That is the reason he has been part of my blogroll. In fact, I used to tag him as one blogger I had much admiration.
Time has passed since that first meeting. My life experiance, reading and knowledge have taken its own course of development. Naturally, his ideological and partisan inclination does not appeal any more.
However, I have never cease to not give his words a listen and his writings a read. He presents an example of how ideology provide a framework to a viewpoint on a multitude of issue and in some instances, solutions to problems. I have always been open to new ideas and thoughts and not be narrowed to only my prefered point of views or personality.
Meeting such personality early in my life provided the impetus to appreciatiate the world of the social sciences, despite my right brained discipline of mathematics and pure science, and later the deteriorated into the simplified logic of finance.
For such people like Rustam, I owe much gratitude to my self development.
If I could not reach his funeral in time, my Fatihah for you. I would appreciate my readers to be generous with an Al Fatihah for the late Rustam A Sani.
Update: 4:15 pm
Returned from the prayers for Rustam.
Many notable names from the intellectual and political world were present irrespective of partisan affiliation.
Came with his close friend. The mere mention by the wife that Rustam mentioned his name two days, saw my friend brokedown.
It occurs to me. Even the sons of early independent fighter are leaving this mortal world.
Will our society continue to appreciate what we had went through the suffering before, the struggle for, the long road upon independence? What we have today cannot be taken for granted. In every new achievement the nation reach, will the later generation understand there were ups and downs and more relevant there were blood spilled, sweat poured, and tears trinkling to achieve it.
In this age of "me", will we ever feel that there are a lot of "them" sacrificed to enable many to nourish the benefit of peace, freedom, and prosperity.
All in all, we're just .... Another Brick in the Wall.
1 comment:
Saudara, saya percaya pemergian Rustam adalah satu kehilangan yang besar kepada negara. Kita memerlukan intelektual yang kritis dan berani berbicara sesuatu yang benar. Saya setuju dengan apa yang saudara sebutkan, beliau dihormati oleh pemimpin pelbagai latarbelakang politik. Saya kira masih ramai lagi yang begitu. Sama2lah kita mencari mereka; sementara masih ada hayat dan berguru dengan mereka. Al-Fatihah untuk Sdr Rustam.
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