Masjid Tuanku Muhriz Negeri Sembilan
THE Negeri Sembilan-level Maal Hijrah celebrations this year were held at Masjid Tuanku Muhriz in Jempol. I first visited this mosque in 2011 and described it in my column as “a beautiful place of worship constructed in the Cordoban style, with a standalone tower in the courtyard and featuring Uzbekistani calligraphy, and quite different from the majority of mosques you will find in Malaysia today”. I had already visited the Mezquita in Cordoba, but I have since prayed at the Bibi-Khanym mosque in Samarkand: both are rather more opulent!
Although I’ve returned to Masjid Tuanku Muhriz many times for normal Friday prayers, coming back to Masjid Tuanku Muhriz for Maal Hijrah carries a special significance since it was on 1 Muharram 1430H—eighteen Hijri years ago—that its namesake was proclaimed as the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan at Istana Besar Seri Menanti.
Thus it was heartening to see so many worshippers from not just Jempol and the other Luak Tanah Mengandung, but also from across the whole state. Inside, I happened to sit next to the Mufti who led the recitation of the Doa Akhir Tahun Hijrah and the Doa Awal Tahun Hijrah either side of Mahgrib with melodious clarity.
Two days later, I was at the Kompleks Islam Tuanku Muhriz at Universiti Saints Islam Malaysia (USIM) of which I am Pro-Chancellor, also for Maal Hijrah. In the congregation were about 2,000 students who have just joined the university’s Tamhidi programme: this is a one year preparatory program that bridges SPM leavers to bachelor’s degree studies while integrating religious (naqli) and secular (aqli) knowledge, which the university is famed for.
The evening saw excellence and generosity being awarded as several categories of Tokoh Maal Hijrah were recognised drawn from the student body, faculty members, and local businesses. After Mahgrib, we heard several recitations of the Quran from the university’s champion reciters and qasidah sung by the university’s nasyid singers.
Although one can make best plans for a new year, sometimes God provides an entirely different path. I am cautiously optimistic that music will feature prominently, given the many coincidences within the first week.
First, I was invited to back-to-back sessions at two neighbouring institutions in Seremban.
At Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia Kampus (IPGK) Raja Melewar, which I first visited in 2010 to recruit teachers to sing ‘Berkatlah Yang-Di Pertuan Besar’ as part of my project to revitalise the state anthem, the music teacher showed me their traditional instruments before cajoling me to join the band for a couple of songs, including the iconic Negeri Sembilan song ‘Apo Nak Dikato’.
Then next door at SMK Dato’ Haji Mohd Redza, I joined a cak lempong workshop with the students who regularly come to Seri Menanti to perform the traditional ensemble in the Balairong Seri during the Yamuna’s Birthday Investiture ceremonies. Cikgu Suzana has long trained students in this music form since her time at SMK Tunku Ampuan Durah, and she led the session where I got to play Malay classics on the keyboard, accordion, and gereteh. Meanwhile, the students were excited to accompany Waris with his new song, Tari Menari (though he was wearing a Megadeth t-shirt that I suggested might not sit well with the ministry).
One scheduled musical appointment was Bijoux Francaise V organised by the Euroasia Association of Performing Arts, providing the usual display of talent and enthusiasm from the community of young musicians and their teachers. Attended by the Austrian and Japanese Ambassadors, it was a reminder of the power of the arts to bridge divides. I typically perform with these musicians twice or thrice a year, but recent events prevented the requisite rehearsal time.
For my mother’s birthday post on social media too, I had to rely on a 2021 video of me playing my version of ‘Ibu’ (originally by the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee). I recall recording that several times, but sometimes, one is thrown into the deep end when it comes to live performances. A coincidental meeting with Finas turned into an invitation to a showcase by Datuk Jamal Abdillah—a tremendously ambitious project to re-record entire albums in a concert format—which turned into a ‘jamming session’, which turned into me being called on stage to accompany the rocker to an audience of 200.
Luckily, the chords for ‘Kekasih Awal Dan Akhir’ are straightforward and as I mentioned in the impromptu interview afterwards, the harmonies come intuitively with the lyrics and melody of this iconic song.
Yet another musical coincidence of the first week of 1448H also holds much promise and excitement. All I can say under the circumstances is: it’s a wild world!
* Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin is Pro-Chancellor of USIM and Royal Patron of the Euroasia Association of Performing Arts.
