Yusmar Yusuf

1. The Story of Life

Yusmar Yusuf is an expert on culture, born on December 5, 1961 in Teluk Belitung, Bengkalis, Riau, Indonesia. He was educated in religious family since his early age. Often, he was punished by his parent when forgetfully practiced Islamic rituals. In such strictly Islamic education, he grew into an adult to uphold religious values. This circumstance led him to be a religious man who headed toward the Islamic teaching. Therefore, in his childhood, he was enthusiastically delivered some religious advices to whom considered guilty, especially to his family.

The family‘s religious education had molded Yusmar‘s character to become ambitious in obtaining various knowledge, as a part of Islamic orders. He attended most of formal education in Riau, finished the first graduate from the Department of Communication of Riau University in 1982, and successfully completed master degree on Psychology at Padjajaran University in Bandung, West Java. In 1994 he obtained doctoral degree on Psychology at the same university with dissertation titled Baba-Tauke Awang Melayu: Relasi Antar Etnik di Riau. Alongside the formal education above, he took some courses on the History of Classical Music at the Center of Germanic Culture in 1990; studied intensively the Dutch language and culture; and learned Germanic language at Goethe Institute.

Yusmar‘s academic activities began in 1993 as a lecturer of Sociology until 1994 at the Faculty of Social and Political Science of the Riau University. During his study in Bandung, he taught the Dutch language, and was a member of Ikatan Pengajar Bahasa Belanda (IPBB-Erasmus), the branch of Bandung.

After having obtained master degree, Yusmar worked at the daily newspaper of Riau Post as a psychological consultant from 1993 to 1994. In 1995, he was a dean of Administrative Science of Lancang Kuning University in Riau. In the meantime, he was also the member of editor team at Riau University press. Today, he is the head of Pusat Pengkajian Bahasa dan Budaya Melayu (Center for Research of Malay Language and Culture) of the Riau University.

Yusmar is acknowledged as one of experts on culture in Indonesia. He has attended and presented his scientific papers in both national and international seminars on culture. In 1999, he was the initiator and the head of committee of Pertemuan Alam Pemikiran Melayu Se-Dunia (The World‘s Meeting of Malay Thought) in Batam. Besides his extensive academic works mentioned above, he also did many researches on social and culture in Riau.

2. The Thought

As other Indonesian intellectuals, Yusmar is apprehensive about Malay society for being divided into several isms, interests and groups in different administrative areas. In such condition, they are incapable of constructing a collective consciousness, called by him as emosi kolektif (collective emotion).

It is understandable that today Malay is perceived as narrow entity, very local and is not integrated within one consciousness (collective emotion). Malay society is therefore separated into Riau Malay, Deli Malay, Palembang Malay, Pontianak Malay, Malaysian Malay, Brunei Malay and so forth. Such local identification certainly creates particular understanding by ignoring a reality that historically Malay society emerged from one ethnic. It is ironic since such a paradigm is constructed by the Malays themselves, and undoubtedly has become the basis of backwardness in their homelands.

It is necessary, as Yusmar urges, to redefine the word “Malay” by stressing ethnic similarity among the Malays. The collective emotion would be gradually constructed through this understanding, and Malay unity would open in front of the Malays in all over the world. The unity among 300 millions Malays scattering in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Philippine, Thailand and other countries must give more opportunity in optimizing the Malays‘ potencies. The Malay history provides very good example how the Malays unified by Crivijaya Kingdom obtained glorious civilization in the seventh century. In the meantime, the Kingdom had successfully become a big empire authorizing large territory in the Malay Archipelago.

 

The Malay history proves the importance of the collective emotion as has been implemented today by the Europeans via their European Union in building huge western civilization.

However, Yusmar notes many obstacles should be overcome before building the Malays‘ collective emotion. The biggest challenge is Malays‘ trauma on the treaty of London between Britain and Holland in 1824. For fulfilling wild material greed, these two colonial countries divided arbitrarily the Malay lands into two parts: north side for Britain and south for Holland. In conjunction with this colonial divisive policy, the Malay society is divided into pieces, and therefore each Malay community held and developed his own culture based on local tradition. Although from 1940s to 1950s the military colonialism had ended, the influences of devious political tactics: divide and conquer profoundly exerted until today. This fact at least can be seen today how Indonesia influenced largely by Holland, while Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore shaped by Britain.

Although that situation is hardly saved, several important steps have been begun by small number of Malay activists. Social activities such as visiting to many Malay settlements in Malay countries have been held by Gabungan Penulis Nasional (GAPENA). The same activity is also held by Perkampungan Penulis Melayu di Selat Malaka that hopefully would increase the collective emotion built on ethnicity consciousness among the Malays in the Malay Archipelago. If the collective emotion has been constructed, the word “Malay” will not be understood merely in the exclusive and particular frame of geographical boundaries, but rather as one large entity with one collective emotion that scatters throughout the Malay Archipelago.

3. The Works

As an expert on culture and social psychology, Yusmar Yusuf has published his scientific works listed below:

1. Dinamika Kelompok. Bandung: Armico, 1989.
2. Psikology Antar Budaya. Bandung: Remaja Rosda Karya, 1991.
3. Kebenaran Itu Merintih: Tamasya Nalar antara Mihrab dan Bukit Kawin (telaah atas dua karya penyair riau). Pekanbaru: Yayasan Membaca, 1992.
4. “Baba-Tauke Awang Melayu: Relasi Antar Etnik di Riau”. Prisma No.12, Jakarta. LP3ES, 1994.
5. Kaji Tindak pada Masyarakat Penerima IDT Desa Dusun Tua, Kecamatan Pasir Penyu Inderagiri Hulu. Pekanbaru: Lembaga Penelitian UNRI, 1995.
6. Percik Air dan Peradaban (collection of Yusmar‘s works edited by Fachri Yasin). Pekanbaru: Unri Press, 1995.
7. Gaya Riau: Sentuhan Fenomologis Budaya Melayu di Tengah Globalisasi. Pekanbaru: Pusat Kajian Bahasa dan Kebudayaan Melayu Unri, 1996.
8. “Kebudayaan Melayu Jadi Pemersatu”, Batam Pos. 2006.
9. “Alam Melayu, Dunia Selat (kita bangsa Hilir)”, Article, 2007.

4. The Awards

For his important works and dedication in the Malay culture, Yusmar Yusuf was awarded as Seniman dan Budayawan Pilihan Sagang by Yayasan Sagang in 2005 in Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia. (RI/ter/10/8-07)

Personal site : www.riaujazzturbulence.com

---

Insert your comment here :