By Sam Trailerman
Napoleon once said; “What is history but a fable agreed upon?” Mind you I am talking about
Napoleon Bonaparte, later known by his monarch name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars.
It has nothing to do with the ‘Little Napoleons’, subordinate civil servants often described as pugnacious, arrogant and abrasive.
History is always written by the winners. I remember I telling this to one of my students when he asked me the million dollar question, who writes history. But never in my wildest dream I expected this student to give the same answer when his ‘Sejarah’ (History) teacher ask him the same question.
Signalling him to sit down that particular teacher never ask that student any more question throughout the whole year.
Don’t you agree that there is so much truth and pain is in that phrase to be accepted by people who
are either blinded by faulty written facts. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated and the
winner writes the history books, glorifying their own cause thus disparaging as the conquered foe.
For SPM ‘Sejarah’ was never a compulsory subject, until one fine day during a political party AGM a
delegate adamantly insisted that the government of the day make it mandatory for SPM candidates
to pass the ‘Sejarah’ paper to obtain the SPM certificate.
The beginning of countless nightmares but a blessing in disguise for yours truly. What came next was history indeed in the making as every year I had a good flow of students coming for history classes.
If history classes at school was a cure for insomniac, it was totally different at my class as page by
page chapter by chapter I was able to narrate each sentence.
Never had any student dozing off listening to the romantic tales of the Malacca Sultanate where Hang Li Po was reported to be a Chinese princess sent by the Ming Dynasty to be wed to Malaccan Sultan Mansur Shah (1456–1477).
Or having the class in stitches when I elaborated how Chin Peng ,Chen Tien and Rashid Maideen, during the famous ‘Baling Talk’ had asked the first thing for some new singlets and underpants. Years of hiding in the jungle must have made a hole in you know where.
In my history dictionary, Sybil Kathigasu, Gurchan Singh, ‘Two Gun’ Bill Stafford, Subhas Chandra Bose and the likes are my wartime heroes. ‘Two Gun’ Bill Stafford was a fearless officer in charge of detectives in Kuala Lumpur during the war against communist during Malaya undeclared war. The situation was called Malayan Emergency so as to make the Insurance companies accept liabilities and make pay offs.
Coming back to the ‘Sejarah’ SPM paper, some question are labelled as KBAT (Higher Order Thinking
Skills). It’s where the students are suppose to use the thinking capability to answer the question. For
example, should politicians be paid pensions. (Just pulling some politicians legs!) Hope I have not turned
any politician’s face red. Just in case by the stroke of the pen if the present Malaysia Madani government were to execute that order it will definitely go down well as a day to remember in the history of today (Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah).
To master history you need to read and listen to not one but from all available angles either written
or otherwise. Compare the facts laid out, put on your thinking cap and valuate the possibilities.
Travel into the period of time like a time traveller. Feel the fear of being chase by T-Rex, or eating raw meat to survive the ice age. Imagine falling in love at first sight with the person running helter-
skelter in front of you as planes start dropping bombs during the Second World War.
Teaching history should be in historical fiction, students will be able to learn about the people and
events that shaped the modern world time after time. In addition they will also be able to gain
insight into the factors that drove people to challenge the norms of their time, fight oppression, win
freedom, define right from wrongs, or even courage enough to discoveries.
History becomes relatable. Rounding up, students will begin to recognize history as circumstances and problems that echo through time, allowing students to understand the significance of the study of history.
Trailerman Sam, a popular silver-haired living soul from Lunas, Kedah, is much sought-after for his ways of the world and views. When not helping the young, middle-aged or old, he is writing feverishly, drinking plenty of coffee or probably star or planet gazing. He can be reached at trailer17@hotmail.com
The views expressed here are that of the writer’s and not necessarily that of Weekly Echo’s.