{
  "id": 19587364,
  "title": "Perihal penyamun",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/perihal-penyamun",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-12T01:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2026/11/12/perihal-penyamun"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "One unique feature in my mother's bookshelf captured my attention: the work of Raja Ali Haji titled \"Gurindam Dua Belas\", believed to have been created around 1847. What appealed to me about this piece was its elusive nature; it could be interlinked or not. For the linked Gurindam, it consists of two lines of rhyming couplets, each containing three to six words with an 'a-a' rhyme scheme. A single chain of rhymes would form a thought or idea that could be deciphered.\n\nAs I penned my novel \"Koro\", one of the driving forces behind its creation was the Gurindam. Koro was published in Indonesia by Circa Publishers in 2022, subsequently translated to English by Brigitte Bresson and released as The Koro Riots (2023). The story depicts a fictional nation, the Republic of Endless Horn, plagued by a disease called Koro, where men experience sudden erections. As a political satire, I aimed to highlight the root causes of corruption and moral decay among the populace and how the protagonists, the True Patriots, upheld justice and carried out reform.\n\nTo convince the public of the existence of this imagined nation, I composed a national anthem, the history of which involved being occupied by the French, social-political and economic considerations, borders, and most importantly, this nation also had its own cultural heritage - Gurindam. In this fictional republic, Gurindam Six is known and remembered by its citizens. Gurindam Six outlines six articles that must be taken into account by any nation to remain free and safe from enemy attacks. Of course, I myself cannot explain how the inspiration or idea for Gurindam Six came to me; it simply emerged from reading and contemplation of traditional works, inspired by the great writings of the past. In essence, my mind, half-conscious when writing Koro between 2000 and 2022, wandered through the vast galaxy or wild imagination and eventually returned to the bookshelf in my mother's room. Gurindam Six speaks thus: \"Listen to the plan of a people to write our pledge and gifts. Otherwise, we fear our nation. Honesty is essential for a government. Petua and conditions must bring benefits. Four enemies are extremely detestable. Above the people, we burden them unjustly. Even criminals come in various forms. Know all, imagine the najis. First, the traitor king. Followed by the traitorous judges, the traitor lawyer, the traitorous merchants. If the merchants follow orders, the nation will be plundered. If the merchants comply with the government, the kingdom will be destroyed. If the merchants are rich, the nation will be sold. Perihal negeri tidak dapat dibayangkan. If it is willing to be corrupted, the nation will be sold. This concludes the six articles of Gurindam Six, written by Otto Ali in 1263 Hijrah, a time that spans twenty-three days of the lunar month of Syaban. It occurred on a Thursday at 05:00 AM in the nation of Endless Horn.",
  "summary": "Di dalam Gurindam Enam saya mengungkapkan keseluruhan idea dan gagasan akal budi Melayu dengan pesan besar terdapatnya musuh atau ancaman terhadap bangsa.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}