The tale of the panther
THE organisers of Bersih 5 and Red Shirt rallies should call off their rallies this Saturday at Dataran Merdeka in the interest of peace and security of the nation.
Their organisers did not get any approval from the authorities to stage the rallies.
The IGP has issued stern warnings that tear gas and water cannons will be used in accordance with SOP to avoid ugly incidents.
Protests, demonstrations and rallies on streets and outside embassy buildings, places of worships and public places should not be encouraged.
Although the freedom of assembly is enshrined in our constitution, taking to the streets in a mass congregation will create chaos and affect the economic J.M. GULLICK has written several volumes on the Malays on both sides of the Main Range.
Sir Hugh Clifford (British Resident of Pahang) also wrote a book about the strange Orang Kerinchi who, according to folklore, were able to transform themselves into tigers if there was a need.
They were not the indigenous people of the Malay peninsula but had come from Sumatra. Many of them settled in Tanjung Malim and Telok Anson (now Teluk Intan).
A story had it that a Kerinchi man was caught in a tiger trap near Slim River one night.
It was daylight when the villagers came and the Kerinchi man had already transformed himself back to human form.
They saw fowl feathers, which he had vomited in the trap. He begged for his life but the villagers killed him with their daggers and spears.
Another story was of a man of the same race who left his garments and his belongings in the shrubs, and appeared as a tiger feasting upon the goats of the Malays.
All these strange things happened and tourism sectors.
The large gathering may have peaceful intentions to get the attention of the public but the possibility of things getting out of hand with such large crowds is also great.
All hell can break loose if a single person becomes aggressive, abusive and violent.
The rally can turn into chaos and destruction by a single provocation.
The rally organisers may be peaceful and mature but there is no profile on the crowds that join the rally.
Can the organisers guarantee that there would not be any disturbance or untoward incident?
Such gatherings are a hotbed for people who are jobless and bad hats who have nothing to lose in the ensuing confusion.
There are over two million right in front of their eyes. Thus, the stories of the Kerinchi people were prevalent in Perak.
Similar strange stories were narrated in Kelantan.
Here, the narratives were not about human beings transforming into tigers but about people who had the power to summon the phantom of the black panthers.
These panthers were not maneaters nor did they prey on fowl and goats but they safeguarded their masters and would appear to anyone trying to trespass on the compounds of their masters.
I remember reading a book about the first European who visited Kota Baru. The European had come from Bangkok sometime in the 18th century.
The Malays had never seen a European before, and they were not yet influenced by European progress and Arab culture.
They crowded the palace to have a look at the European. He was a huge man with blue eyes, red hair and a long sharp nose.
The Malays, who were medium in size, thought that the European legal and illegal foreign workers in this country and some of them are involved in crime and acts of aggression.
It will take only a small misunderstanding or scuffle for chaos to set in.
There are many other channels for people to highlight their protests or displeasure.
It will be ideal and in the best interest of everyone that organisers hold their rally in a stadium as it will be easier to check and keep the crowd under control and it will also not disrupt the lives of normal people.
The authorities should issue permits for rallies to be held only in stadiums.
All other assemblies in public places, however peaceful, should not be entertained. looked like a devil.
When night fell, palace officials invited the European to dine with the sultan and all the noblemen (Datuk, Nik and Wan). After dinner, he was led to a room to see something unusual.
When all the people had assembled, one of the noblemen rose up and called out: “Mari sini Awen; mari sini Awen; hon mari sini Awen.”
Suddenly, a black panther appeared in the middle and it gave a wide yawn, before sniffing at everyone.
The panther stopped at the European and snarled at him.
He was told not to be afraid but to keep still in his seat.
Two more noblemen stood up and made the same call. That night, six panthers appeared before the assembly.
After the show, the European was told that these panthers were the guardians of the palace during the time.
Thus, if he happened to see them, he should keep quiet and stay still. Hence, the old flag of Kelantan displayed this panther, which the Malays in Kelantan called hala.