The Elusive Journey, Searching One's Roots.

If I am not mistaken, the Afro-American who wrote his family odyssey with the title " Roots" became the title of a box-office movie , and also there was a cartoon by Lat depicting the same with the dialogue way back in the eighties. Of course the writer became rich and he even went back to trace his village in the Western part of Africa to see for himself the birthplace of his ancestors. He was also generous enough to contribute towards the mosque fund of the village. The roaring success of the book and the movie then started a frenzy of sorts whereby people began to trace who were their ancestors with the hope that it would unearth some surprising discovery, albeit even unsavoury past for some such as the former US President Jimmy Carter who found out that his ancestors died after a fight in a tavern because he had one too many and landed himself in a brawl. So the search was terminated prematurely because it could save a further embarassment if it did not show up a better pedigree. So when I had the meeting yesterday, Sunday 19 October 2008 of BERKAT-Rasah at 16 A Jalan Rasah, Seremban, and this time with improved attendance compared to the last, we had a hilarious time when we discussed the design of the crest to be adopted for the family association. The motto which I proposed at first was " Keberanian-Kebenaran " below the shield in the centre of the Coat of Arms. But remembering that the motto for the Federation is " Unity is Strength ", I suggested a change to " Berani kerana Benar " to denote our ancestor's struggle to uphold the Faith and his fight against the Dutch in the province of what is today known as Riau in Indonesia. The elders in the larger family circle known as Tambusai were fond of telling the younger people ( my generation then )that we possess a not so admirable trait of being " quick-tempered " or in Malay the tendency to become " Panas Baran". For so long this description of the blood relatives on my father's side seemed to go unchallenged. But I have been saying to the now younger generation that this " stereotyping" got to be erased from our dictionary because the character of our ancestor as depicted in the drama shown on TV way back in 1992 was the opposite from what we believed it to be. So now I aim to find out the real version if I can say so when I travel the path of the " Benteng 7 Lapis " in the village of Dalu Dalu in the Kabupaten Rokan Hulu on the 24 November 2008, InshaALLAH! I look forward to meet the descendants of Tuanku Tambusai who still reside in Dalu Dalu and reestablish the " Silaturrahim " from the other side of the Straits of Malacca. Once our roots are rediscovered from the feeling of being at his birthplace, the aura perhaps would be transferred to our spirit as the man of honour and dignity who fought not for personal glory but in service of mankind and ultimately his Creator, ALLAH Azzawajalla. Let this journey bring back the memory of his heroic last stand even though defeated and beat the retreat. I want to seek my roots in Riau in particular Dalu Dalu.