THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

Matang Malays Steeped in Tradition 37
The boria groups chose houses they knew had the means to donate
some money. As soon as they arrived in front of our house, they lined
themselves up in two rows, with their leader carrying a white cane. The
entire group wore identical, hastily made outfits, reminiscent of American
cowboys complete with hats and scarves, while on another occasion, they
wore white ankle-length Arab robes.
Several amateur musicians with bamboo flutes and large drums stood
by in the wings, while a clown and a man in woman’s clothes stood
nearby. Once the music started, with the drums making the most noise,
the boria leader would sing pantun (Malay quatrains), followed by the
chorus from the entire group. I remember one quatrain running like this:
We the Badawi group
Are the stubborn group
We care for no one
As we rule this Jebong town
Most quatrains were composed impromptu, usually showering praises
on the owner of the house being visited. For example, Pak Ban sang that
my father was “the generous and caring Clerk Hussain.” After complimenting
my father no end, he would move to my brother Ahmed, who
everyone knew was a bright student. He sang that my brother would go
far in life, but unfortunately, my brother died just after turning twenty.
To compose these clever impromptu quatrains, the boria leader only
needed to know the names of some of the house residents and other bits
of information, usually obtained from the neighbours. They knew almost
all our names as they came to our home every year.
In between the singing, with the deafening drums going ‘gedumgedum’,
the amateur clown and a male performer in woman’s attire
crudely performed a few popular dances of the day. The clown, who
bloated his belly by securing a kapok-filled pillow under his shirt,
demonstrated funny little stunts that made us guffaw in hilarity. As it was
improper for women to laugh aloud or to be seen, my aunts, sisters and
mother giggled from behind lace window curtains.
When the travelling entertainment was gone, the Malay boys followed
them, leaving our flowerbeds in complete shambles. These boys were
often bare-chested, with some having skin like that of an old rhinoceros.
Without soft fragrant bath soaps, they usually used laundry soap bars, that
is, if their family were lucky enough to afford soap at all.
When a new leader took over the Jebong boria group, a new twist
was introduced to the presentation. The pot-bellied clown took to wearing
a top hat, a monocle and pants. It made me wonder later: did these