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All posts for the month March, 2018

Mabruk @ Siti Nurhaliza Given Birth to A Daughter : Siti Nurhaliza and I – The Story of A Middle Class Malay’s Dream (PhD and Malay Muslim Identity).

Posted by Shahrill Ramli on March 19, 2018
Posted in: News Of The World. Leave a comment

I used to be Siti Nurhaliza’s hardcore fan. Like a real hardcore fan. Where no one could say bad things about her, etc. But everything transpired as I grow up, and after she got married (Haha!). I still like her and enjoy her music but not as hardcore as I used to be. As a Middle Class Malay, it is understandable why Siti Nurhaliza has been part of my “auditory solaces” over the years. Her music represent the Middle Class people – the genre where Upper Class Malays and Westerner-Wannabe Malays look down upon; the typical “Jiwang Melayu” (lovey-dovey Malay) and “Kampung” (backward). But it is her music that really reminds you the essence of Malay. If you were abroad and suddenly you are craving for Malay ambiance just for a while – all you have to do is just to get yourself a dosage of Siti Nurhaliza’s traditional or Malay songs and that longing will be alleviated (from my own experiences).

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Her image as goody-two-shoes Malay poster girl was slightly smeared when she wedded the widower, Datuk Khalid. But over the years, we have seen how sincerity prevailed everything. Their marriage is blessed and even with the exes – they form a large family. Still, audience who have never been in contact with the chanteuse doubt her personality, including me, the ex-hardcore fan. But when you peruse all the interviews involving her family members and her stepsons, you know that that is the real her. She is “born polite” – so said Zainal Alam Kadir, the renowned reporter in Siti Nurhaliza’s Special in History Channel. And the way she speaks about her husband – even during interviews, she never talk ill about her husband; even when she was joking relating about how her romantic relationship with Datuk K wasn’t a love first sight (she profusely apologized for saying that she wasn’t attracted to him at first sight! Haha!). 

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It was quite a controversial news back then. And reporters were excited to “dig” more on the news. And conservative Malays were left bewildered. How could the innocent, Malay poster girl to be connected with a widower? 

Initially, I did have an intention to study her speeches from rhetorical criticism point of view (I am studying speeches). I planned to study her interviews and how her guarded persona was somehow “shaken” when she was questioned on sensitive issues in regards of her fertility (she blatantly fired up to an insensitive reporter from Galaksi TV Programme for poking on her discreet visitations to a fertility hospital). I planned to mould the Pregnancy Issue as the exigence of my PhD research but after submitting the proposal (My Supervisor was very open to any of my suggestion. He let me explore any possibilities. Haha!), I felt that the scenario wasn’t really that strong to be scaffolded as a research; so I abort the topic and resort doing Angelina Jolie’s speech. You guys can check my blog entry dated 5th October 2016 : https://undomiel84.wordpress.com/2016/10/05/gggoooodbbyye-sitii-nuurhaliza-the-country-bumpkin-diva-the-ph-d-revolution-new-discussion-new-direction-image-restoration-image-persuasive-rhetorical-communication/.

Siti Nurhaliza and I have gone a long way in my blog. I have written about her for quite sometimes :-

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My hardcore craze days are already over but I still admire her personality. I like that she still have that Middle Class Malay Muslim essence in her despite now that she has already elevated her social status (she represent me and the rest of my childhood friends). I also love the idea that she now is a devout, practicing Muslim as she always get herself affiliated with Islamic events such as Usrah and performing Umrah and Hajj – whenever I read about her and MizzNina, it sort of giving me the thump on my back saying, I need to detach myself from the Wanton alter-ego (guilty as charged) and get myself in touch with that Malay Muslim side of me.

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Coincidentally, I went there the month after Siti Nurhaliza went there with ALCC Travel (last year’s March!). Perhaps, Siti Nurhaliza’s prayer at Mihrab Zakaria (Zechariah’s Sanctuary) was answered by ALLAH SWT? You guys can read my Al-Aqsa’s visit at https://undomiel84.wordpress.com/2017/04/18/hymn-for-the-soul-the-land-of-the-prophets-my-spiritual-journey-at-the-promised-land-palestine-israel-al-ar%E1%B8%8D-al-muqaddasah-eretz-hakodesh/. I remember that I prayed for someone there but unfortunately he passed away right after I came back to Malaysia. God bless him. 

And lastly, I also admire her patience – her positive outlook in life and put her faith to God. I remember watching one of video interviews (for the sake of my PhD Proposal!) where a foul-mouthed local entertainment reporter harshly asked her what if she is destined not to have a child forever; she calmly replied that she gave everything to the hands of God but deep down, she believed one day she would have a child. And it is, what it is. Kun Fa Ya Kun, if God wants it, let it be. God is Great. And congratulations to Siti Nurhaliza, the Malay icon for having a baby girl!!!! Feeling overwhelmed and amazed by your patience. Inspiring for me.

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You can’t separate Siti Nurhaliza from Malayness – so said Asia Bagus’ Najib Ali. And it’s true.

4th Semester of #ShahrillsRoadToPhD : The Blues of Health – Responsibility As A Teacher, “Advanced Qualitative Research Methods” Class & Communication Convention 2018.

Posted by Shahrill Ramli on March 8, 2018
Posted in: Road To PhD. 1 Comment

It is already March 2018 and this is my second entry for this year. Things are happening so fast with so little time. What are the current updates on my plate? Alhamdulillah, this year I am no more the PIBG Treasurer, a designation I reluctantly succumbed last year when my name was chosen (out of nowhere!); since this year I am serving as the Year 6 class teacher 6 Samudera as well as the only teacher who is teaching both English Language and Science for UPSR classes. But I guess it is not so much a grudge to accept the responsibility as long as it deals with the core task, which is to TEACH, no?

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I am both a Science and English Language teacher. Two different world of academic discipline. One uses the brain’s left hemisphere whereas the other focuses on the right hemisphere.

As for my PhD journey; I am currently now in my 4th semester (February-June 2018). This should be a very crucial semester for me as I have to :-

  1. Prepare myself for the Comprehensive Exam (CE) – oral and written exams on my research;
  2. Start writing 2 journals for submission as prerequisite for graduation;
  3. Focus on the demanding assignments for “Advanced Qualitative Research” class. 

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Today 8th March 2018. I am not feeling well but my head is thinking about my “Advanced Qualitative Research” class at UPM this evening from 6-9 pm. My lecturer for this class is Associate Prof. Dr Abdul Lateef Krauss and he asked all of us to read articles prior to the class so that we would be able to participate actively in the intellectual discourses conducted throughout the lessons. Honestly, I don’t think I am that fit to drive all the way to UPM today but it is aching to think about possibility of missing the class (and I am paying for the class, for God sake!). In addition, I don’t like the prospect of missing any input conveyed in the class!

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Besides that, today is important because I have slotted an appointment with my so-ever busy Supervisor tomorrow at 3 p.m. and I need today to at least have the talk with my Supervisor’s PA. I am now trying to prepare an abstract for submission to the anticipating 12th Biennial Convention of the Pacific and Asian Communication – Communication and Industrial Revolution 4.0 (PACA 2018); so if I could finish it by today, probably we could just skim and scan the flaws of the abstract tomorrow, no? Furthermore, I need to find dates to set the 2nd Committee Members’ Meeting, as well! I have booked 16th March 2018 but that is subject to condition.

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I wish. Amin.

I also don’t feel energetic and perky like my usual self at the school today. But my heart sank when I thought about my academically-abysmal pupils of 6 Samudera; this week is the “Revision Week” as next week would be their 1st Mid Semester Exam – therefore, I need to use this week to really reinforce any last minute lessons vital for next week’s examination! so for the kids’ sake, I am forcing myself to the school today.

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But whatever it is, I must be rationale. If my body isn’t fit for the planned errands I have on my plate today, there is no benefit to be gained as the outcomes will not be as satisfactory as I aspire them to be, no? The other option is to go back home and have a rest after school and then try to finish the abstract for tomorrow’s tete-a-tete with Supervisor. As for the “Advanced Qualitative Research”, I probably need to skip that.

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This is a letter from me to myself; dated 8th March 2018. By Shahrill Ramli, 4th Semester Human Communication PhD candidate, 2018. God bless.