Passing of a Puppeteer

KUALA LUMPUR , Tue – Kelantan master puppeteer (of Wayang Kulit) Dalang Dollah Baju Merah died of asthma at Kota Bharu hospital today, he was 68 – The New Straits Times 28 Sept 2005.

To most people, this news will pass as ordinary news because he was not a known figure to most Malaysians. News of his demise just occupied small snippets in major dailies yesterday. He was hardly known to me also. But, being born and raised in Kelantan rural area in the 70’s, I can identify with him and relate to his predicament.

I still remember having to walk a distance in excess of 2Km just to watch the shadow show. With TV ownership of one for 100 households, wayang kulit was one of the few sources for entertainment back then. It continued to be so until late 80’s when color TVs were abundant and cheap. After that it was reduced to just a traditional icon, and number of yearly shows could be counted on fingers of your left hand. If that wasn’t bad enough, wayang kulit was banned in Kelantan after a change of state government, apparently a victim of political show of force. Narrating the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, with puppets depicting heroes and Hindu gods, it didn’t bode very well with state government.

The end of wayang kulit shows marked the end to his only source of income. Having been a puppeteer since he was 15, it was the only thing he was good at. In order to feed his family he had to work as a contract laborer in Singapore in the mid 90’s. In his mid 50’s and with no academic qualifications, it was obvious his job in Singapore was not legit, relying on 30-day visa to stay and work in Singapore and he had to make a monthly visit to Johor Bahru to renew his visa. I know well of this modus operandi, my father was once an illegal laborer in Singapore.

Good-bye Mr. Shadowmaster, may god bless you and may you rest in peace.