Panji Pauh Ulung (Draft)
The photographs that make up this series were taken in the course of th Dari Pusat Tasek performance at the Lumut waterfront on the 25 Dec 2019. The Naan Anaiyttal banner was raised in a performance based on a Malay cleansing ritual. After 7 parts of my body were rubbed with lime, I faced East and spat seven times. I then threw the remains of the limes in the Westerly direction exhorting, "Pergi-lah semua sial jambalang daripada badan aku dan dari tubuh negara, pergilah ke Pusat Pasek Pauh Janggi", (‘Misfortune and spirits of evil begone from my body and from the body of the nation, begone to the Navel of the Seas) Then water was poured over me to complete the cleansing. I am grateful to Percha Artspace and Kapallorek for hosting the Dari Pusat Tasek Performance and Installation. I would like to thank Nur Hanim Khairuddin for kindly officiating the opening reception. I thank Sang Nabil Utama for his his advice on Malay ritual form and for his assistance during the performance. I would also like to thank Mohd Najmi Jamaluddin for the sensitive and articulate photography. I thank Suhaila Hashim for her beautiful and delicious kuih pauh dilayang. I thank Azizan Paiman for curating the event seamlessly. Thanks also to Hamzah Yazd and Zai Kuning who graced the evening with their 'Gazal Pauh di bibir laut' performance. Finally, I thank all those who attended the performance and the opening making it an eventful happening at the Lumut Waterfront. The title of this series derives from a words written by Hamzah Yazd in recollection of the event -
Siuman tengah malam
Sajak sajak redam
Koboi balik kampung
Menghiris pauh ulung