There are many talks of Malaysians boleh. But how boleh they are please read the sour parts of it.
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Hail our literary talents moored overseas
By: David Tneh (Fri, 03 Nov 2006) It is always encouraging to see how proud we are at Malaysians' exploits abroad. In the true spirit of (again) "Malaysia Boleh", we take pride in almost anything that bears a semblance of a whisker to our beloved country. From the scandalous affairs of David Beckham, of which a prominent local English daily proudly proclaimed that Rebecca Loos had spent a fragment of her childhood days in Malaysia to an assortment of other far-fetched and often ludicrous record-breaking stunts, we are, as always, so desperate to lay claim and expand on the Malaysian brand and identity above and beyond.In the instance of a first runner-up beauty queen in America, again, we see this happening when we sink our fangs and claws into the fact that she was born in Malaysia, and therefore, we must put on her the "Malaysian straitjacket".Irony has a way of creeping up to the most bizarre of situations and slapping you right across your cheeks when you least expect it. It is truly depressing when local media give so much attention to Malaysians (or ex-Malaysians) abroad and their exploits while refusing to acknowledge the "other" Malaysians overseas and their notable contributions to Malaysian nationhood.Why is it that we are so selective in glorifying certain individuals but we play the role of the wicked stepmother ala Bawang Merah Bawang Putih to our past fellow Malaysians who now are mostly denizens of other countries. A case in point would be the wonderful talent in writing that we had way back in the 1940s and 60s. An example closer to home would be the heroic freedom fighter Sybil Karthigesu, whose heroic exploits against the Japanese army in Malaya were documented in her memoir, No Dram of Mercy. There is not even a whisper of her and her sacrifices nor was she officially given any recognition by the powers-that-be. This is despite the fact that she played a great role in providing healthcare to the terrorised local community during Japanese rule. She remains an icon of bravery and courage, and her only literary work was a significant herald of English language writing in Malaysia.What about the likes of Prof Dr Shirley Lim who resides in California, USA. For the benefit of the uninitiated, Lim is a prominent academician in America and an authority on Asian women's writing in English. To top it off, she is the winner of the 1980 Commonwealth Poetry Prize, being the first Asian and the first woman to accomplish such a feat. Also, she won the American Book Award twice. Yet, there was no buzz in the local media when such international accolades were bestowed upon her in the 1980s and 1990s. Similarly, Hilary Tham is another brilliant Malaysian poet who migrated to the US in the 1970s and made such an impact on the American literary scene that she is listed in the Writers' Who's Who in America, Directory of American Poets and Fiction Writers and Asia Pacific Literature in English, to name a few. Her death last year was a tragic loss to the American literary scene and even the Washington Post featured a full- page obituary on her. A major English daily in Malaysia was told of Hilary Tham's passing at that time but the newspaper did not even feature a two-by-two-inch column in memory of her.Let us also not forget writers like K.S. Maniam, Beth Yahp, Margaret Leong, Wong May, Rani Manicka and the rest whose contributions to the Malaysian literary scene were enormous. Their only fault was to write in English. It is indeed ironic that most of the writers mentioned had to migrate to write in English, and countries abroad recognise their achievements and talents, but not us. I am not contradicting myself and imposing the Malaysian seal on them but believe me when I say that such writers would be proud that their creative talents are at least recognised and acknowledged in Malaysia.At least, let us not "close one eye" on these fellow Malaysians and remember them for their ingenuity and passion in creative writing in English. They are worth more acknowledging than all the foreign authors that we worship or the longest satay, the highest teh tarik to be poured off the roof of a hotel, or draping a flag over a pyramid that is not even ours. These Malaysian authors are the strands of colourful fibres that also make up the Malaysian flag. Let us not lose a part of our heritage, a reflection of our world, to indifference, apathy, and senseless policies that only inhibit and stifle our true Malaysian identity.Tneh is an academician and an optimistic literary buff. Comments: feedback@thesundaily.com--- end ---
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