Taufik Ikram Jamil

1. Story of Life

Taufik Ikram Jamil born on September 9, 1963 in Teluk Belitung, Bengkalis, Riau, Indonesia. He is a famous poet, writer and journalist. He married Umi Kalsum, and now they have three kids named Tuah Kalti Takwa (the oldest), Megat Kalti Takwa, and Nadim Kalti Takwa (the youngest).

He attended his early education (Elementary School, Junior High School and Senior High School) in Bengkalis. And then continued his study in the Faculty of Education of the University of Riau, and finished in 1987.

Before encapsulated himself in journalism, Taufik had been acknowledged as a pioneer poet. During the 1980s he worked in several print medias as a professional journalist, and eventually, in 1988, he worked in the daily newspaper of Kompas in Jakarta. In 1991, he founded Yayasan Membaca (Membaca Institution) that primarily focused on both studying and developing Malay culture. One of the scholarly activities held by the institution was publishing a cultural journal, namely Menyimak that included so many local literary works. During the 1990s, the institution developed significantly and later, in 1999, its name was changed into Yayasan Pusaka Riau that purpose to develop more various aspects relating to culture, art, and publisher. Taufik spent most of his times to organize his institution. This pushed him to resign from Kompas newspaper in 2002 to be capable of enforcing his thought and creativity for the development of Malay art. In the same year, he was a founder and head of Akademi Kesenian Melayu Riau (The Academy of Riau Malay Art), the only one Academy of Art in Sumatera. After three years of its establishment, the Academy has a significant progress until today. Due to his important role in preserving the Malay art, Taufik was installed as a head of Dewan Kesenian Riau (The Council of Riau Art) for the period of 2002-2007.

His totality service in the Malay art can be seen in his many literary works that were published in both national and local print media such as Riau Pos, Kompas, Berita Buana, Republika, Suara Pembaruan, Kartini, Horison, Kalam, and Ulumul Qur‘an. His first poetry is “Tersebab Haku Melayu”, and then he wrote several short stories and romance: Sandiwara Hang Tuah, Membaca Hang Jebat, and Gelombang Sunyi. His two literary works: Bayang-bayang and Soeharto dalam Cerpen Indonesia are included in the various anthologies that spread in many big cities of Indonesia and Malaysia such as Pekanbaru, Jakarta, Yogjakarta, Lampung, Makasar, Surabaya, and Kuala Lumpur. He also authored one short story in English entitled Menagerie 4.

Most of Taufik‘s literary works, especially the short stories, focused on Malay nature and both social and cultural condition of Riau Malays. His works illustrate the reality of social, cultural and economical condition of the Riau Malays who are in extreme poverty and backwardness. While other Malays in Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore have much better fate. In the process of writing his book, Taufik attempts to see the Riau Malays condition closely to provide his works objectively. His previous experiences help him to make several field trips to many places, from which he published the high quality of literary works that are later taken as a source of reference by the university students, even in Netherlands. Dr. Will Derk, the notable poet from Netherlands, has read critically Taufik‘s works in the collection of literary works published in London in 1998.

In the Malay Archipelago, Taufik is acknowledged as a great poet whose works are widely influential. He has been invited in many events of literature and in many national and international seminars to give speech on art and culture. In 2001 he was the representative of Indonesia who read poetry in International Poetry Festival held by Majelis Sastra Asia Tenggara in which other ten countries participated.

2. Thought

Taufik, as a Malay man, sorrowfully sees the recent sad condition of the Riau Malays, especially the farmers, labors, fishermen and traders. The sad condition could be seen in two aspects: social and economy. Socially, minimum educational facilities – schools, colleges and universities – have an impact on the quality of human resources; while economically, in one hand, they have no enough capital to finance their own home industry or to manage the available natural resources. This circumstance causes the low economical income of the society. In another hand, if they serve as labors in foreign companies, they face an exploitative materialistic relation. Both these conditions trap them in unfinished backwardness.

Due to the centralistic system during the rule of the New Order, the Riau Malays, as Taufik believes, became one of many victims of the injustice policy of the state. Since the 1930s, oil drilling in Riau operated by American company, namely Caltex Pasific Indonesia (CPI), has been endangering local ecosystem. But tragically, the huge profit of oil drilling is seized by both the central government and the foreign explorers. Recently, most of the Riau Malays stand against the state, asking for their rights to be capable of developing their quality of economy, education, social and culture. Furthermore, no less ironic fact is that most of the workers of CPI Company are the outsiders. The local residents are not eligible to work in the company due to their minimum human resources. In Riau there is no the Faculty of Mining and Geology that economically could lead the Riau Malays into the second class society in their own country.  

The fact above is illustrated by Taufik with quoting the saying of his friend, “the Latin-American people had given their gold to Spain, and they got the Spanish language. By contrast, Riau people had given their both language and oil to Indonesia, but they got nothing”. The same saying is stated by Prof. Dr. Tabrani Rab, “Recently, the Riau people realize that they are ignored by the government. They know exactly that their region gives significant economic contributions to the state‘s income. But the state let them in backwardness and poverty. Their educational, social and economical needs are not given enough attention by the state”. Moreover, in the same context, Taufik comments, “the Riau people are just like mousses that die in the storehouse of cheeses”. The statements above obviously describe the bad fate of the Riau Malays due to the injustice system. Such circumstance regularly drive to decrease their self confidence as Malays among others ethnics, even many of them are ashamed to be the Riau Malays.

Taufik attempts strongly to rebuild both mentality and morality of the Riau Malays to be in equal with other ethnics of the world. His endeavors that have been actualized are: first, building educational facilities in Riau. His cultural institution, namely Yayasan Pusaka Riau, where he devotes his life, is undoubtedly plays an important role in revealing the values of the Malay culture. The Riau Malay young generations need such institution to support them to find out their own cultural identity. This institution also becomes a strategic place where intellectuals, poets and students gather to express their cultural and social anxiety. And second, publishing the scholarly works of culture in book, journal and magazine. The publication aims to re-popularize the Malay language as the very identity of the Malay society.

Language, as Taufik believes, is a foundation of culture. When it disappears among the owners, the culture also must be broken. Taufik realizes that there are so many foreign languages that interspersed within the Malay language, reduced the original meaning of the Malay words. Therefore, Taufik, in his endeavors, intends to preserve the Malay language that philosophically has deep meaning, and culturally strengthens the Malays‘ identity. Taufik‘s short story entitled Jumat Pagi Bersama “amuk” and his poetry Tersebab Haku Melayu, show us the importance of the Malay language as a cultural foundation. In the title of poetry above, he uses the term “Haku” with “H” in the first word that in the Malay culture is expressed only in rage. Although the word is simple, it obviously provides deep meaning that represents the feeling of the author.

All above are extremely amazing efforts of Taufik Ikram Jamil in rebuilding identity, morality and mentality of the Riau Malays in order to be equal with other people of the world.

3. Works

Taufik has published several literary works as written below:

1. Tersebab Haku Melayu: Buku Sajak Penggal Pertama. Pekanbaru, Yayasan Membaca, 1994
2. Sandiwara Hang Tuah: Kumpulan Cerpen. Jakarta: Gramedia Widiasarana Indonesia (Grasindo), 1996
3. Membaca Hang Jebat. 1995
4. Gelombang Sunyi: Sebuah Roman. Jakarta: Kompas, 2001
5. Hikayat Batu-Batu: Kumpulan Cerpen. Jakarta: Kompas, 2005
6. Hempasan Gelomang. 1999
7. Negeri Bayang-Bayang, in anthology of poetry, Pekanbaru. 1996
8. Soeharto dalam Cerpen Indonesia, Penerbit Bentang, 2001
9. Menagerie 4, in Anthology of Short Stories, published in English edition
10. Dari Percikan Kasih, Membentuk Provinsi Riau (book of history). Pekanbaru: Yayasan Pusaka Riau, 2001
11. Jumat Pagi Bersama “Amuk”

4. Awards

Due to his works and contributions on the Malay culture and literature, Taufik got the following awards:

1. His short story Menjadi Ratu was awarded as the best short story by Horison magazine (1997).
2. His book Sandiwara Hang Tuah was awarded as the best cultural work by Yayasan Sagang (1997).
3. His short story Jumat Pagi Bersama “Amuk” was awarded as the best short story by Dewan Kesenian Jakarta (1998).
4. His Novel Membaca Hang Jebat was awarded as the best literary work by Departemen Pendidikan Nasional (1999).  
5. He was awarded as the best artist by Yayasan Sagang (2003).