Malaysian Literature

Malaysian National Anthem: Negaraku (My Country)

Government Structure: Federal Constitutional Monarchy
Total Land Area: 329,847 km2 (67th)
127,355 sq mi
Currency: Ringgit

TRIVIA

The name "Malaysia" is a combination of the word "Malay" and the LatinGreek suffix "-sia.
The word "melayu" in Malay derived from the Tamil words "malai" and "ur"
meaning "mountain" and "city, land", respectively.
"Malayadvipa" was the word used by ancient Indian traders when referring to
the Malay Peninsula

BRIEF HISTORY OF MALAYSIA

A busy seaport for European and Far East traders for many hundreds of years.
Starts with the history of Melaka, founded in the 13th century by a Sumatran
prince
Became the most influential port city in Southeast Asia

1511

A Portuguese fleet led by Alfonso de Albuquerque sailed into Melaka harbor

He captured the city with canon fire

1641

The Dutch captured the city from the Portuguese

They controlled the spice trade

1819

British administration replaced the Dutch and established a trading post in

Singapore
Penang and Melaka Straits Settlements
The British Administration lasted 138 years.
The British granted independence to Malaya in 1957 in Kuala Lumpur.
Tunku Abdul Rahman first prime minister of Malaya

GOVERNMENT

Yang di-Pertuan Agong

-Current king
-Head of state and serves in a ceremonial role
Najib Tun Razak
-The head of government is the prime minister, presently.
Malaysia has a bicameral parliament, with a 70-member Senate and a 222member House of Representatives. Senators are elected by state legislatures
or appointed by the king; members of the House are directly elected by the
people.

General courts, including the Federal Court, Court of Appeals, high courts,
session courts, etc., hear all types of cases. A separate division of sharia
courts hears cases pertaining only to Muslims.

RELIGION

Malaysia has three main religions: Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

practiced in Malaysia is known as Islam Hadhari, which encourages an open
mind, tolerance, inclusivity, honesty, and hard work.

THE QUR'AN
-the complete book of guidance for mankind
ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES
Five Pillars of Islam

1. Shahadah: declaring there is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is

God's Messenger
2. Salat: ritual prayer five times a day
3. Zakat: giving 2.5% of ones savings to the poor and needy
4. Sawm: fasting and self-control during the holy month of Ramadan
5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if one is able

History of Literature

Malaysian literature is typically written in any of the countrys four main

languages: Malay, English, Chinese, and Tamil.
It portrays various aspects of Malaysian life.
Early Malays literature was influenced by Indian epics, such as
the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
Begins with the coming of Islam in the late 15th century; no literary works
dating from the Hindu period (4th to late 15th centuries) have survived
The earliest works of Malaysian literature were transmitted orally in the
absence of writing scripts.
By the 19th century, written literature occurred.
Traditional Malay poetry was used for entertainment and the recording of
history and laws.

LITERATURE
There are three forms of traditional Malay poetry:
1. the mantera,
2. the pantun
3. the syair.
1.Mantra
-is usually any repeated word or phrase, but it can also refer more specifically
to a word repeated in meditation.
-comes from a Sanskrit word meaning a sacred message or text.
OM
The King of mantras of a single syllable is 'Om'. It is the sound of infinity and
immortality, containing within it all the scriptures of the world.
'Om' is often used at the beginning of meditation to focus the mind, or as a prefix to
other mantras.

OM NAMO
These words are often said before invocation of a particular deity. 'Om' retains its
significance as above. 'Namo', in Sanskrit, means to honor, appreciate and be
humble towards.
Therefore, putting it before the deity's name means something like "praise be to" or
"all thanks to".
The following are different mantras using these prefixes :
OM NAMO GANESHAYA
Ganesha is the God of beginnings and success. Therefore, this mantra is formed at
the beginning of new undertakings and to bring about success by removing
obstacles.
OM NAMO LAKSHMAI
Lakshmi is the Hindu Goddess associated with prosperity in all aspects of life financial, emotional and spiritual. Mantras to Her bring richness to life and a wealth
of good fortune.
OM NAMO SHIVAYA
This mantra represents the tranquil insight to the meditative experience. It helps
destroy negative qualities.
OM NAMO NARAYANA
Narayana is the name of Vishnu, the source of humanity. It is a mantra said in times
of trouble to re-establish harmony and balance. Many powers come from saying this
mantra. It also aids in attaining enlightenment.
2.Pantun
- is consists of a quatrain which employs an abab rhyme scheme. A pantun is
traditionally recited according to a fixed rhythm and as a rule of thumb, in order not
to deviate from the rhythm, every line should contain between eight and 12
syllables.
Example:
I planted sweet-basil in mid-field
Grown, it swarmed with ants,
I loved but am not loved,
I am all confused and helpless.
-Katharine Sim
3.SYAIR
-It is a form of traditional Malay poetry that made up of fourline stanzas or quatrains.
-The syair can be a narrative poem, a didactic poem, or a poem used to
convey ideas on religion or philosophy, or even one to describe historical event.

Other types of Malaysian Poetry:

1. Seloka - a poem, similar to pantun
2. Madah - a kind of rhyming speech, a discourse through poetry
3. Gurindam - poetry, set to music

Fables in Malaysia

Animal fables are often used to explain certain natural phenomena. Other
times, they are simple moral tales.

In almost all instances, the animals in these stories possess the ability to
speak, reason and think like humans, similar to Aesop's Fables.
The kancil or mouse-deer serves as the main character in a number of the
stories. The Malays regard this humble animal in the highest esteem due to
its ability to overcome obstacles and defeat adversaries despite of its rather
small and benign appearance. The mouse-deer appears in the state herald of
Melaka and even plays a part in the legend of Malacca's founding.
Below are listed some of the common fables as well as their approximate title
translations. (Note that the word sang, an Old Malay honorific meaning
"revered", appears in all instances preceding the name kancil to indicate
respect)
Kisah Sang Kancil dengan Buaya - The tale of the mouse-deer and the
crocodile
Kisah Sang Kancil dengan Monyet - The tale of the mouse-deer and the
monkey
Kisah Sang Kancil dengan Harimau - The tale of the mouse-deer and the tiger
Kisah Sang Kancil dengan Sang Sempoh - The tale of the mouse-deer and the
bison
Kisah Anjing dengan Bayang-bayang - The dog and the shadow
Kisah Burung Gagak dan Merak - The crow and the peacock
Kisah Burung Gagak yang Haus - The thirsty crow
Kisah Labah-labah Emas - The golden spider
Kisah Labah-labah dengan Burung Merpati - The spider and the pigeon
Kisah Kerengga dengan Pemburu - The fire-ant and the hunter
Kisah Burung Murai - The mockingbird
Kisah Burung Kakak Tua - The cockatoo

Malay Ghost Myths

The Malay word for ghost is hantu. However, this word also covers all sorts of
demons, goblins and undead creatures and are thought to have real physical
bodies, instead of just apparitions or spectres.
The most famous of these is the pontianak or matianak, the ghost of a
female stillborn child which lures men in the form of a beautiful woman.
Below are listed other popular supernatural beings and ghosts as well as their
descriptions.
Bajang: the spirit of a stillborn child in the form of a civet cat (musang).
Hantu kopek: a female ghost with large bosoms who lures men who cheat on
their wives
Hantu kum-kum: the ghost of an old woman who sucks the blood of virgin
girls to regain her youth
Hantu tinggi: lit. "tall ghost", a type of giant that will flee at the sight of a
naked body
Lang suir: the mother of a pontianak. Able to take the form of an owl with
long talons, and attacks pregnant women out of jealousy
Penanggal: a flying head with its disembodied stomach sac dangling below.
Sucks the blood of infants

Epics (HIKAYAT)

The hikayat or epics are collections of stories and legends of heroism that
often involve mythological and historical figures in a setting usually engaging
the role of protagonists and antagonists.

Fairy tales (kisah dongeng)

Kisah dongeng are a loose collection of bedtime stories, fables and myths
that involves human or non-human characters, often with superhuman
powers along with talking animals, and an unearthly setting.

Malaysian Writers and Poets

1.Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir
1796 Malacca
Died 1854 (aged 5758)
Jeddah, Ottoman Empire
Occupation Author, translator and teacher
Period 19th century
Genres
Non-fiction
Subjects: Early Malay history

His most important works are the Hikayat Abdullah (an autobiography), Kisah
Pelayaran Abdullah ke Kelantan (an account of his trip for the government to
Kelantan), and Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah ke Mekah (a narrative of his
pilgrimage to Mecca 1854). His work was an inspiration to future generations
of writers and marks an early stage in the transition from the classical Malay
literature to modern Malay literature.

2.Ee Tiang Hong

(19331990) was a Malayan poet of Chinese ancestry.

Born at Malacca during the British colonial period, Ee wrote poetry in English.
His first book of poetry appeared in 1960.

He was extremely disturbed by political developments in the newlyindependent Malaysia and, in particular, the May 13 Incident had a profound
impact on him as is demonstrated in his poetry. He subsequently emigrated
to Australia in 1975.

He died of cancer on 27 April 1990 in Perth, Western Australia.

3.Usman Awang
(12 July 1929, Kuala Sedili, Johore - 29 November 2001, Kuala Lumpur)

was a Malaysian poet, playwright and novelist.

Much of his poems are simple, clear, oftentimes romantic, and just beautiful.
He is a master at weaving words into striking phrases, sentences and verses
that are of exceptional classical beauty and sometimes appear to be nostalgic
and even escapist.

4.Huzir Sulaiman

Malaysian actor, director and writer.

One of Malaysia's leading dramatists, acclaimed
for his vibrant, inventive use of language and incisive insight into human
behavior in general and the Asian psyche in particular.
He is best known for his works "Atomic Jaya", "The Smell of Language", "HipHopera" the Musical, "Notes on Life and Love and Painting", "Election Day",
"Those Four Sisters Fernandez", "Occupation" and "Whatever That Is" which
have been published in his collection of "Eight Plays" by Silverfish Books. He

also contributes articles to the The Star (Malaysia).

The Gift of Rain

by: Tan Twang Eng

The Gift of Rain is the first novel by Tan Twan Eng published in 2007 by Myrmidon
Books in the UK and the following year by Weinstein Books in the U.S. It was long
listed for the Man Booker Prize that year.
It is set in Penang in the years leading up to and during the Japanese occupation of
Malaya in World War II. It concerns Philip Hutton, of mixed Chinese-English heritage,
and his relationship with Endo-San, a Japanese diplomat who teaches him aikido. As
war looms and the Japanese invade, both Endo-San and Philip find themselves torn
between their loyalty to each other and to their country and family respectively.
Philip decides to assist the Japanese and Endo-San in administering the country in
an attempt to keep his family safe, but wherever possible passes intelligence to the
guerilla fighters of Force 136, which include his best friend Kon.

Characters
-Philip Hutton - the son of Noel Hutton and his second wife
-Khoo Yu Lian, who became a student of Hayato Endo
-Hayato Endo - Phillip's teacher, a Japanese diplomat with a dark secret, and whose
father was condemned as traitor after he criticised the emperor
-Michiko Murakami - an old widow and Hayato's love interest
-Noel Hutton - the father of William, Edward, Isabel and Philip. His wives were lost
during childbirth
-William Hutton - Philip's half-brother who worked with Prince of Wales and who later
dies when Japanese planes hit British navy
-Isabel Hutton - Philip's half-sister who become close to Philip's mother.
The Gift of Rain is a tale about the bonds of friendship and family, set
amidst Penang Island in the turbulent years leading up to and after the Second
World War. The story is told from the point of view of the protagonist, Philip KhooHutton, a man in his twilight years who seeks to understand the events of his youth
and his role in bringing them about. As he reminisces to a friend, the story unfolds.

SUMMARY:
Philips prominent family, the Huttons, are the 3rd generation descendants of
English settlers who have achieved fame and success in the running of their
business concern, Hutton & Sons which was founded by Philips great-grandfather,
Graham Hutton and now under the control of Philips father, Noel Hutton. Noel
Hutton has 3 other children (William, Edward and Isabel) from a previous marriage
to an Englishwoman. Upon her death, he had remarried a local Chinese lady, Khoo
Yu Lian (Philips mother) from a well to do family. As a child of mixed-parentage, the
young Philip feels torn between two worlds his fathers and his mothers. He is
called a half-breed by the locals and slant-eyed by the European community.
This feeling of non-belonging leads Philip to stay behind one holiday as the
Huttons take one of their regular sojourns home to Mother England. In the solitude
of their palatial sea-side mansion called Istana (which means palace in the local
Malay language), Philip comes to befriend his fathers tenant, a man who has
rented the Huttons small island just a short distance out to sea from Istana. His
name is Hayato Endo or Endo-san, as Philip calls him.

Endo-san is the Deputy Consul at the Japanese Consulate on Penang Island and is
an avid photographer of the local scenery. As Philip begins to spend more time
with Endo-san, each day rowing his boat to the island, Endo-san agrees to impart
his skill in aikijutsu to Philip in return for Philips giving him a tour of Georgetown,
Penang and later, the surrounding Malayan states. (From this point onwards, the
book is littered with various aikijutsu jargon and its underlying philosophy of
violence as an act of last resort)
The world is at war and there are references to the advances made by the Axis in
Europe and the slaughter of innocent civilians in China by the invading Japanese
military. Life in Malaya is relatively tranquil with both the colonials and locals in
agreement that Japan would never invade or successfully mount such an attempt
against the might of the British Empire. Malaya was protected by Fortress Singapore
with its heavy guns all trained at the sea as military tacticians anticipate a Japanese
assault to start from the South China Sea.
The Huttons return from England. Philips eldest half-brother William, wastes no time
in joining the war effort and is assigned to HMS Prince of Wales to form the main
British bulwark at sea near Singapore awaiting the Japanese landing. (Later, the
HMS Prince of Wales would go down at sea together with the HMS Repulse, both
sunk by Japanese aircraft)
Much to his fathers chagrin, Philip spends more and more time with Endo-san,
showing him around Penang and its surroundings and travelling with him to Kuala
Lumpur; sharing his knowledge of Malaya and its peoples. This would also later
prove to have disastrous results as bits and pieces of information from Philip are
gathered and passed back to the Japanese Government, enabling its war planners
to alter the plans for the assault on Malaya by having Japanese invading troops
enter from the South of Thailand and down towards Singapore from its unguarded
rear. To overcome the difficult terrain, the troops transport themselves on bicycles
just like Philip did when exploring with Endo-san earlier.
The relationship between the Sensei (or Master) and student is further forged when
the Japanese Imperial Army takes over and occupies Malaya. The liberation of
Malaya by the Japanese is anything but and soon violence, summary executions,
rape and pillage are exacted on the local populace to ensure total submission. (The
author asks the simple question of how a race that prides itself with so much
cultural refinement and finesse such as the Japanese can resort to such brutal and
barbaric behaviour during war. It is something that I myself find hard to understand
about the Japanese psyche.
Endo-san works within the confines of his duties to protect Philip and on a few
occasions cover up his actions against the Japanese. Throughout the book, there are
instances of Endo-sans inner struggle between what he perceives to be his duty to
his country, that is, to obey and carry out the orders of his superiors, and to walk
away from all the aggression and pursue that which his heart truly yearns for his
love for a woman he left behind in Japan and to practice the discipline and
philosophy of peaceful co-existence advocated by aikijutsu
To survive, Philip offers his service to the Japanese Occupying Forces and
through Endo-san is recruited as a translator at the Consulate. Using his position, he
passes information to his Chinese friends who are in the local resistance groups to
be used in their acts of subterfuge and sabotage against the Japanese. In the
capacity of translator, he is also brought along by the Japanese on raids of villages
to flush out members of the Resistance.
He witnesses (and is helpless to do anything) the capture and massacre of people
he knew. Some locals regard him as a Japanese collaborator and some, a saviour.
His own father is unable to accept his decision to work for the Japanese. His work
with the Japanese also tears apart his family with ruinous results. His close
friend, Kon, joins Force 136 a paramilitary group formed and trained by the

retreating British Forces to stay behind and continue the fight against the Japanese.
Ultimately, the tide turns against the Axis Forces. The bombs are dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Japan concedes defeat shortly thereafter. The British
return to Malaya and though cleared of the charges of being a Japanese
collaborator, Philip remains a person both loved and despised by the locals.
His decision to work for the Japanese is something he comes to terms with and
accepts in the later part of the book as inevitable, destined ... fated. A childhood
prophecy once revealed to his father by a temple fortune-teller that he (Philip)
would bring destruction to his family and those around him; the Gift of Rain
fulfilled. In the end, Philip arrives at the conclusion that:
While I now accept that the course of our lives has been set down long before our
births, I feel that the inscriptions that dictate the directions of our lives merely write
out what is already in our hearts; they can do nothing more. ... we being beings
capable mainly of love and memory. These capabilities are the greatest gifts given
to us, and we can do nothing else but live out the remembered desires and
memories of our hearts.