What event was this? Who’s in the circle?
Tunku Abdul Rahman
• He was a great fighter
who had fought really
hard to achieve
independence for
Tanah Melayu.
• He is called the
Father of
Independence (Bapa
Kemerdekaan)
• He was Malaysia’s first
Prime Minister.
Lieutenant Adnan Bin Saidi
• He was one of the
soldiers who fought
the Japanese army in
Malaya during World
War II.
• He was killed while
fighting the Japanese
army at the age of 27.
Aung San Suu Kyi
• She fought for the
rights of the people of
Myanmar.
• In 1990, her political
party won the 1990
election.
• However, the
Myanmar’s military
Junta detained her in
her own house for 15
years. She was fully
released in 2010.
These people are fighters for the
independence of their own country.
A Fighter’s Lines
by Marzuki Ali
Luahan hati seorang pejuang
What is the poem about?
• Who’s the persona in the poem?
– The persona in this poem is a veteran
fighter / soldier / war hero
• The persona had fought for our country’s
independence.
• The persona urges the younger generation to
continue fighting for their country’s
independence.
Stanza 1
I am old and worn
I am old and tired
• Who is I in this line?
– I is a veteran fighter / a war hero / a soldier
• Why is I tired?
– I had fought really hard for his country’s
independence.
and have lost all my strength
I am weak
• Why is the persona weak?
• The persona is weak because
– he is old and tired
– he was badly injured from the war
– he became disabled from the war
sufferings
I had suffered a lot of difficulties
when I fought for the country’s
independence
and the history of the fight for independence
have forced sacrifices
that know no name
or life
1) The persona explains that the war for
independence sacrificed many lives.
2) The fight for independence have forced the
persona to make sacrifices.
What were the sacrifices that the persona had
to make?
The persona had to sacrifice his youth,
strength, soul, energy and was separated from
his loved ones.
Stanza 2
from the wheelchair of the rest of my days
The word ‘wheelchair’ tells us that the persona
is weak and crippled.
I, body and energy crushed
see and cannot do much
I am weak and crippled. I do not have energy
and strength to contribute to the country as
much as I want to.
these times are too big a challenge
The persona realises that the threats faced by his
country are now a different nature.
• What kind of challenge did the persona face
when he was young?
– He had to fight for his country’s freedom from
the colonizer like the British, the Japanese
army and the Communists.
• What kind of threats or challenges does our
country face today?
– Corruption / The abuse of power / Moral decay
/ Hedonism
for the remnants of my crippled years
remnants: bits and pieces of the persona’s life
(saki-baki kehidupan persona)
my crippled years: the persona is now living as
an old and weak person (hari-hari tua persona)
The meaning of this line:
Even though the persona is worried about the
challenges faced by his country, he is too old
and weak to do anything.
the net of deceit spread everywhere
disturbs me
deceit:
• lie (penipuan)
• dishonesty (ketidakjujuran)
• betrayal (pengkhianatan)
• corruption / abuse of power (salah guna
kuasa/rasuah)
The meaning of this line:
The net of deceit disturbs and worries the
persona.
Stanza 3
In the name of justice
Wake up and form ranks sons of our ancestors
Be brave
And erect a wall of people
Stand up heirs of our freedom
1. justice: fairness (keadilan)
2. ancestors: forefathers (nenek moyang)
3. heirs of our freedom: the younger generation
(anak merdeka)
4. erect - build
5. form ranks / erect a wall of people / stand up
• the younger generation must unite regardless of
their age, gender, race and religion
• We must be brave to fight for our rights
We must stay unite to protect Malaysia’s freedom!
FORM
RANKS!
ERECT A WALL
OF PEOPLE!
STAND
UP!
Stanza 4
I have no more voice
I am old and weak. I do not have the energy to
speak.
It is you now who should speak!
1. It is now the younger generation’s turn to
protect the freedom of their country.
2. The younger generation must speak for their
rights.
What can we learn from the poem?
• We must love our country.
• We must appreciate the fighters’ sacrifices in
achieving independence for our country.
• We have to respect each other regardless of
our age, gender, race and religion.
• We must stay unite in order to protect the
freedom of our country.