Entries from August 2007
With the onset of the half century since Malaya became independent, my thoughts turn to history. In 1957 Malaya was granted independence but Sabah and Sarawak remained British. Those two states only became independent when they joined Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963.
So I wonder if there’ll be another large celebration in 2013 which will be Sabah and Sarawak’s own 50 anniversary? Will Singapore also mark 2013 or will 2015 be more appropriate as it will be 50 years since the island was ejected like a faulty CD from Malaysia. Malaysian history is not so clear cut. And how different would the course of history be if Brunei had joined Malaysia? And what if Singapore had stayed on?
I have books on my shelves. Details from that time can be found in their pages. Where better to start that Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra’s Looking Back. A tome I frequently refer to are A History of Malaysia by Barbara and Leonard Andaya. Easier reads though are Virginia Hooker’s A Short History of Malaysia and Jim Baker’s Crossroads: A Popular History or Malaysia and Singapore. There’s of course my own book A Children’s History of Malaysia.
My grandfather became the first Agong. In the above photo you’ll see the two Tunku Abdul Rahmans, on either side of the group. One is the Prime Minister, the other the Agong. It is independence day. The man in the middle with the feathered hat is Sir Donald MacGillivray, the last High Commissioner of Malaya.
This nascent country’s form of rotating monarchy existed nowhere else in the world. The PM must have wondered if it really would work. And it has. But for the Rulers, challenges to their dignity, their very constitutional position, lay ahead.
What strikes me about 1957 was how much a simpler time that was. No mobile phones. No PCs. No internet. No traffic jams. Maybe even no corruption. It was a time of gentlemanly politics.
Yet this was a period of great uncertainty. The Emergency still existed. The Vietnam war still raged. Confrontation with Indonesia and Singapore’s ejection was only a few years away. The bloody streets of May 13th were still to come.
A lot has happened since those early days . . .
But recall Tunku Abdul Rahman’s words as he spoke to the crowd that day:
“Independence is only the threshold to high endeavour. At this solemn moment I call on you all to dedicate yourselves to the service of the new Malaya.”
I wish all Malaysians a happy Merdeka day!
Categories: Uncategorized
I’ve just realised that it’s only 6 days to Merdeka Day!
That’s also the same day as my Favourite Tales Competition closes – yeah, 31 August.
So far I’ve received less than 10 entries which means you stand a very good chance at winning. That’s because the 2nd and 3rd prizes are pulled at random from all the entries.
Entering is also very easy. In 50 words or more tell me what you favourite stories are from my book 44 Cemetery Road.
Just a reminder of the prizes:
* 1st prize – A RM100 MPH voucher
* 2nd prize – A RM50 MPH voucher
* 3rd prize – A RM30 MPH voucher
Hope to see your entry soon!
Categories: Uncategorized
A couple of days back I came across an article by Daniel Stacey about John Ajvide Lindqvist, author of the vampire novel Let the Right One In. This first novel is a huge success and the film version will be out this year.
The author’s love for horror was so powerful that a vampire rape scene he had presumably lovingly written had to be toned down by the publisher. The film version will have the pedophilia scenes removed. It all sounds pretty horrific!
What captivated me about the article was what the author said about the horror genre:
“What I find nice about the horror genre…is that it is a great vehicle to portray human psychology. With the supernatural, with a vampire, with the dead coming back to life, we don’t really have any models or preconceptions about how to react, there are no given answers. These answers are tests of character. The vampire is the litmus paper and you dip it into the community as a test.”
Do you agree?
P.S Only another 10 days or so left to get your entry in for the FAVOURITE TALES COMPETITION.
Categories: Horror
Over the weekend, we went to a friends 40th birthday party. It was one of those dress up ones. The invite said “come as your favourite character”!
The best dressed I reckon was Homer and Marge Simpson (I really wish I had a photo!). There was Ziggy Stardust who was really cool. Elvis and the Bananas in pajamas were hitting the dance floor too. My wife went as Moriticia, from the Addams family.
As for me, did I have to think long and hard about this one? Course not.
I didn’t have a pontianak outfit so I choose second best, Dracula!
Hmmmm . . . I’m not sure how I ended up in a graveyard though. It’s just one of those places I tend to gravitate to!
Bram Stoker, author of that esteemed novel, was inspired by the historical figure Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was a particularly evil prince and was rumoured to drink blood.
One of the early Dracula movies was Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens released in 1922. It was a silent, black and white movie and quite deliciously disturbing. I really enjoyed it. And in that movie Count Dracula, like yours truly, was irreedemably bald!
So if I invited you to a dress-up party, which character would you come as?
Categories: Uncategorized
Not likely!
The hero in my comic was called “Daring Defender”. I drew it on Parlimen Malaysia letterhead as my dad was a Member of Parliament. He had then only recently retired. I don’t draw anymore. I found out in school that I was never good at Art. These old drawings below will tell you why I’m not an artist!
My step mum, very kindly and to my surprise, kept these drawings all these years. I drew them one school holidays when I was about 10. Recently, she posted them to me. How the memories come flooding back!
The other document I still have, this one from my teenage years, is the first short story I wrote called “The Thing in the Jungle”.
It’s good to keep some old stuff.
In case you’ve forgotten, here’s only about 3 weeks until my FAVOURITE TALES COMPETITION closes. So get those entries in!
Categories: Uncategorized
The Kakiseni Playwriting Competition has been extended to 30 August.
What’s it all about?
We’re looking for engaging plays that explore and define issues of the Malaysian experience, in all its social, political, historical, spiritual and emotional complexity.
Each play must run for duration of around 10 minutes, plus or minus two minutes. Submissions can be plays written in either English or Malay — or a combination of both — and must thematically touch on issues concerning Malaysia
If you’ve got some spare time (I know, who has?, but perhaps MAKE some time) you could come up with something that works. Heck, it’s only a ten minute play! Whether you win or not, whether you submit or not, the experience in putting your own words together is invaluable. If you’ve got your own blog, you’re half way there, because you’ve got writing experience!
One thing to remember, as Raymond Hull in How to Write A Play puts it “An audience pays to see a play, they expect it to give them a satisfying emotional experience. Success of failure in this is the criterion of good or bad playwriting. The spectator is always right.”
Also have a look at my other post: Does A Play Live Inside You?.
Do you think you could write a 10 minute play?
Oh, talking about competitions, don’t forget my FAVOURITE TALES competition. Closing date’s very soon: 31 August!
Categories: Uncategorized
