It is hard to believe that summer is nearly over — what happened to all those weeks? I hope that all of you have enjoyed the summer holidays and are now ready to join us for two terrific events. For the MCG team, it has been business as usual and we have a very exiting few months planned for you. We only have two events for August, but they both should be on your ‘must do’ list. Our lecture this month will be held for the first time at Badan Warisan (Heritage Trust) on Jalan Stonor near the Craft Complex. From a cultural aspect this venue is perfect for us, but there is little air conditioning, so dress comfortably. The subject is Prostitution in Colonial Penang and it is a fascinating subject. You won’t want to miss this talk by the most knowledgeable and very amiable Neil Khor. Our second event is learning about Persian carpets and cuisine — I am already busy going through my cookbooks trying to decide what delights to serve you! How do I know about Iran and their cuisine? Just ask me, I love to talk about it! Our library has been moved to Joanna’s home, through the efforts of Renata and Joanna. With over 600 volumes, it was a big project, but Jo is now ‘open for business’, so give her a call and check out our fabulous collection. We are looking for new members for our Events Planning team, so please give Joan or me a call and we will happily tell you more about it. I look forward to seeing you soon.
- Cindy Zeier PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS
COMPLEX TAMIN SENI ISLAM — 26 April
The Komplex Taman Seni Islam sits surrounded by a tranquil setting, adjacent to the well-known Blue Mosque in Shah Alam. KTSI translates as the Selangor Islamic Arts Complex, and is now home for Yayasan Restu, a non-profit organisation responsible for the preservation and cultivation of Islamic arts in Selangor; which has grown from humble beginnings in 1994. Funded by the Yayasan Restu foundation, the work conducted at the KTSI focuses on calligraphy and illumination, more widely known as Mushaf Art. The goal of the work is to “glorify the word of the Prophet”.
The original project undertaken by the Yayasan Restu was to create a truly Malaysian edition of the Quran, the Al-Quran Mushaf Malaysia. Initially, extensive research work was conducted in many Islamic countries, exploring the ways in which different cultures incorporated their uniqueness into their national qurans. Based on these findings, the project to develop a Malaysian Quran, incorporating visual art forms from every Malaysian state was launched. Each of the 14 Malaysian states and territories was asked to develop specific and unique visual art designs, representative of the architecture, vegetation and landforms in their state. Five years later, a magnificent masterpiece of 330 individual designs, surrounding uniform naskh calligraphy is insured for RM 21 million! Puan Pauziah Pauzi, Business Development Manager, conducted our tour of the exhibition galleries and workshops. Puan Paiziah’s knowledge of the work involved in this project is immense; she guided us through the first gallery pointing out the incorporation of state icons, explaining the production process and details such as the native fern stem pens used for calligraphy, and the sources of natural dyes. When the work first commenced, four calligraphers were employed, and then set to work for eight months to perfect their script such that each is identical to the other. In addition, computer graphic artists, colouring artists, designers and proofreaders form part of the overall team. The finished pieces are 3x4 feet, and individually breathtaking in their exquisite design and beauty. Immense planning of details is obvious; from the allocations of the verses to the states (based on the order of introduction of Islam into Malaysia), to the specialised German paper used for the production, guaranteed for up to 500 years. I was reminded of the precious works of art showing the illustrations and calligraphy of medieval monks which I have seen in European museums; just imagine how beautiful it is to see this work as new!
Currently over 20 projects are under way; some commissions, some state works, and some reproductions (the Sultan of Selangor was so impressed he asked for a centre page from the original Mushaf (Book) al-Quran to be delivered to his palace!). The one project of world wide importance if the production of al-Quran Mushaf Nur Fatimah: a Quran produced entirely by women. This work is based on design input from the whole world, divided into 8 regions. Early designs for the African section feature rosella and henna flowers, the colours and art forms of Africa. Puan Pauziah shared much, much more information with us, but in the interests of space, may I urge you to visit the KTSI, on Tuesdays to Sundays from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm. Be sure to take a friend with you who speaks Bahasa Melayu, as the exhibits are currently labelled in this way (there are plans to add an English translation as soon as resources allow). Simplified copies of the Al-Quran Mushaf Malaysia are avaible for purchase in the gift shop for RM 50, and feature a sample of the artwork. Limited edition copies with extensive illuminations can be purchased for RM 35,000; these are popular with corporations.
REHMAN RASHID - "MALAYSIA UNDER BADAWI: Rehman Rashid continues to be one of MCG’s favourite speakers at our lecture series and it could not have been better timing. The country had just gone through some significant changes at the leadership and so has Rehman himself, who has rejoined the New Straits Times as Associate Editor after leaving the place for a short span. We were not to be disappointed as he gave his analysis and views on the topic in his usual candid and sometimes poetic style! There were many questions on everyone’s mind – basically how was this country, which had been under the leadership of Tun Mahathir for 22 years, going to cope politically, economically and socially? Could Abdullah Badawi, or Pak Lah as he is fondly known, cut a niche for himself in a country where growth has been quite phenomenal, especially in the economic sphere? Was this going to be only an interim period? Did he have the vision or the charisma of his predecessor? Below are some snippets of Rehman’s view. As Rehman had predicted last year, Pak Lah led Barisan Nasional to a sweeping election victory in March, never seen before in the history of elections in this country, taking nine-tenths of the Parliamentary seats as well as at State level except for Kelantan, which nearly resulted in the downfall of the ruling PAS Government. Rehman feels that not winning Kelantan is not such a bad thing! Pak Lah got the people’s mandate as well as the popular vote. He can now go before his party UMNO and get the necessary endorsements for his policies and for sure he will not be challenged, in the sense that he can dictate some of the changes that he wants. On the government side he has sent a clear message that he wants to see a transparent, efficient and clean government bent on serving and delivering to the people, hence his call to the people to work with him and not for him. He has formed a bigger cabinet and retained some old faces and this has caused some to question if changes are really coming. He also wants to see government linked companies being run by competent and professional people and for this he may have to tap the younger and well educated talent in the country. On the surface it would appear that it is Pak Lah’s intention to diminish the power of politics in the administration of government and hence reduce individual power. To press his message further some prominent personalities have been charged in court for corrupt practices and again it is interesting to see what these cases will do or tell. There is no denying that his predecessor had made significant contributions to the economic development of the country and Pak Lah is therefore not required for now to build new projects or infrastructure. He will use his time in office to consolidate the various developments and projects. The people and politicians cannot expect more projects money or resources to be made available so easily, and they would need to work on existing resources. Rehman thinks the Telecommunications sector will see further consolidation. On the social front Pak Lah is expected to deal with the escalating problems relating to violence and gangsterism. There may not be a dire need to work on racial interaction issues but to concentrate more on the schism between the urban and rural population which has contributed to many social problems. This is evident from the issues that cropped up during the National Service programmes. In the international arena, Pak Lah can play an effective regional role especially with the problems in Indonesia (Aceh) and South Thailand. Joint development with these regions may just bring about the much-needed stability that economic progress usually brings. On the whole we can expect to see a different style of leadership as well as a focus on different priorities, and as to whether this is an interim period for the country it is unwise to speculate for now!
Explorers Group spends time with KASIM ABAS, The MCG Explorers visited the home of A. Kasim Abas, a Malaysian artist of considerable renown, specialising in pen and ink sketches and watercolours. Kasim was kind enough to spare us a morning for coffee, a tour of his house and a showing of some of his latest work. Kasim was born in a kampung near Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan, where he remained until he had completed his secondary education. He then trained as a primary school teacher and began a teaching career in Kuala Lumpur. After living in a rural setting for so long, Kasim was fascinated by the urban landscape, the hawkers, and the old buildings. He began producing sketches and paintings of these, which were immediately noticed by some American Peace Corps teachers he had met. Once his KL acquaintances got to know his work, he was encouraged to exhibit. Kasim began to perfect his English and also to travel abroad visiting his newfound friends in the USA. Kasim has always been interested in art and is completely self-taught. By 1977 with the encouragement of a few KL friends, he applied and was accepted to the STTI, the Specialist Teacher’s Training Institute, to study art education. This was a great feat for the Institute had never accepted a primary school teacher previously. Kasim was expected to go back to primary school teaching, but by pulling a few strings he became an art teacher in a KL high school. He continued serving in a couple of different high schools until he quit in 1992 while he was teaching at the Victoria Institution in order to pursue his art full-time. Kasim has lived in several different places in Malaysia as well as travelled extensively in Europe, USA, Middle East and Southeast Asia. These travels have made him appreciate his own country and culture even more, so that his sketches, watercolours and acrylics revolve around the rich Malaysian heritage, character and architecture. He has produced several series as a result of his experiences. For example a series from Borneo after living in Kuching for a while, a series on Malay artefacts and architecture after living on the East Coast, series of old heritage buildings and various mosques, street vendors from the urban scene, Malaysian flora and fauna to name a few. They are all beautiful and very much in demand. Kasim has had many exhibitions. One of particular note was held in New York City and Washington DC in 1985 sponsored by Malaysia’s King (the Yang diPertuan Agong) and then Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad. His most recent exhibition was in 1995. His work can be seen not only in most upscale gift shops in Malaysia but also in many hotels, banks, and businesses. He has so many big commissions now that he rarely has time to hold an exhibition. He is currently in the midst of an exciting project doing all the illustrations for another work in the Sketchbook series, “Sarawak Sketchbook”, along the lines of the Kuala Lumpur and Penang Sketchbooks. Kasim showed us several of the many pieces he has prepared for this. Ultimately this will result in a big exhibition and sale of these sketches and paintings. Kasim shares his house with a brother and a former Peace Corps volunteer, John Stupka. Housemate John arrived just as we finished viewing Kasim’s artwork, in time to give us the grand tour. This house has had an interesting evolution; from one two-storey link house it has now been combined with another to make a spacious home with Balinese accents in various areas, such as the rooftop, the garden, the baths, etc. Since John teaches architecture at ISKL, great attention has been given to the architectural detail as well as to spaces needed for the studio, storage of art, a framing workshop, and exhibition areas. We explorers thoroughly enjoyed meeting Kasim and hearing about his past as well as his future plans. Luckily he had a few cards and prints to sell of which our members happily partook, although this was not the point of our visit. If anyone would like to learn a bit more about Kasim, he has a website SYMBOLISM 101: CHINESE SYMBOLS INTERPRETED — 27 May
The House of Susie Wong, the venue for our talk on Chinese Symbols, kept our group of MCG members pleasantly occupied admiring all the artefacts on display.
Susanna Goho-Quek, the well-travelled owner is an art collector, artist and interior designer, who has organised three exhibitions at Muzium Negara: Tiger Rugs (some members may also remember the talk on Tiger rugs Susanna did last year), Chinese Courtyard Home and more recently, Allure of the Bound Foot.
For our talk Susanna showed us two pieces, including an impressive 150 year-old Chinese carpet hung in front of us before she went on to explain the meanings behind the symbols.
The carpet depicts the items used in a study by a scholar, the first being a candle in a metal stand. The scholar studies by candlelight and he in turn is ‘the guiding light’ (strong person) for others to look up to. The books are used for study and a sword depicts a strong person who sticks to his own judgment and will repel evil.
In Buddhism a sword represents cutting away all doubts and perplexities to clear the way for knowledge. The carpet also showed a wine cup.
“Why would a scholar have wine”, Susanna asked.
My first thought was to make studying more enjoyable, but Susanna explained that any man worth his salt should be able to hold his liquor as a lot of business is conducted over a glass of wine and a clear head is needed.
A jade disc hung from the sword handle, one side smooth, and the other perforated. A disc was handed around for us to look at and we were told the Chinese wear jade for its protective properties and as it symbolises excellence and purity.
Our next item was a beautifully carved desk, which Susanna thinks belonged to a Buddhist general as a lot of the carvings have Buddhist connections. The owner of such a desk should have an easy life due to the number of snow-lions carved on it (twenty-two).
The snow-lion is the national symbol of Tibet, a light-hearted creature who darts around, signifying how the Buddhist faith has jumped from one country to another. The lion’s mane symbolises being adorned with mystical teachings, the four paws being love, compassion, equanimity and sympathetic joy. Apparently the Chinese put perforated balls among the hills in the hope that the snow-lions will fill them with milk.
Fu-dogs, also carved, are shown holding a ball (often seen in pairs as door guardians), I’m sure many of us own some of these. Susannah once sold some singly, without realising at the time they need to be in a pair and spent some time trying to make sure the buyers would re-unite them!
Flowers are featured and in general are symbols of beauty, serenity to life and of course fragrance. Probably the most well-known, the lotus means absolute purity but also signifies perfection and compassion. If it contains a seed-pod this means you will have a lot of children and the lotus also has close associations with Buddhism as the Buddhist version of Paradise has a lot of lotus blossoms.
The peony is an omen of good fortune and was usually grown by very wealthy, high-ranking people. The white peony is a symbol of a pure young girl.
Chrysanthemums represent a jovial person with a life of ease. It is a sign of autumn and usually given by the Chinese to older people to represent long-life. On presenting chrysanthemums to a Buddhist a white ribbon should be tied around them (the symbol of a pure mind).
An endless knot is used by the Chinese in sewing; it overlaps without beginning or end and symbolises Buddha’s endless wisdom and compassion. The thread symbolises the hope that a marriage will not end. The knot can also be tied to the wedding bed in the hope that the husband will not stray.
A parasol is an Indian symbol of protection and royalty. Its shadow protects from the heat of the sun. The coolness of its shade symbolises protection from the heat of suffering, desire, illness and harmful forces.
In Tibetan Buddhism the dome symbolises wisdom and the hanging skirt of the parasol symbolises compassion. The Chinese only have open umbrellas in courtyards but never in houses as they believe the house will fall down – not un-similar to Western superstition!
The conch shell symbolises power, authority and is a Buddhist symbol of sovereignty. A blast from the shell will banish evil spirits and also be used to call for troops. The Chinese do not use this symbol.
Money – square coins within a circle signify that on the outside we have to be soft and rounded and shouldn’t allow your anger to be directed at people!
The phoenix is a mythical creature, auspicious and represents longevity and resurrection. It has a feminine quality and is thought to dance in the wind with the dragon (thought to protect from evil/enemies).
The wheel is an ancient symbol of creation, sovereignty, and protection and also of the sun. The hub of the wheel symbolises moral discipline. The eight spokes point to eight directions and symbolise Buddha’s eightfold path of the Aryas (righteous beings).
A pomegranate is another Buddhist sign and represents favourable influences. If a lot of seeds are present there will be a lot of offspring who hopefully will behave in a virtuous way.
Clouds are believed to bring good fortune and peace. Pictures of clouds can also signify separation. Clouds and rain together are a symbol of sexual union.
Susanna’s talk was interspersed with humorous personal anecdotes which kept us entertained. We finished with a cool drink and hot soup, which we were assured gives good well-being and a good complexion – I check the mirror each morning in hope! Thanks to Susanna for an interesting morning.
MCG NEWS The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason ISBN: 0-330-49269-1 The Piano Tuner is the debut novel of a young American author, Daniel Mason, who after receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Biology at Harvard went to Myanmar to study malaria. It is at the Thai-Myanmar border where he conceived the idea for this book. He weaves historical facts of 19th century northern Shan states, where the British are fighting French invasions as well as resistance from the Shan tribes, with imaginative narratives to create this mesmerising novel. His story is spangled with fascinating information about the ancient history of Burma to the history of the Erard Pianos to the mathematical mysteries of Bach. It is a novel about a shy and reserved Piano Tuner who is summoned in 1886 to travel to Burma, to tune an Erard grand Piano. This piano belongs to Surgeon Major Anthony Carroll, in a remote area of the war-torn British empire of Burma. Edgar embarks on this fascinatingly dangerous journey across Europe, the Red Sea, India, Buma and finally into the remote highlands of the Shan states. Here he is captured by the beauty of Burma and of one particular Burmese woman, Mae Lyn, also a friend of Anthony Carroll. This leads to his predicament – returning to his dearly beloved wife or staying, enraptured by the beauties and exotic adventures of Burma. He becomes a Lotus Eater, one who has tasted the honeysweet fruit of the lotus and is unable to extricate himself back to his homeland. Drake is also influenced by the charismatic charm and spell of Anthony Carroll. He believes him to be an eccentric genius and his music he uses in unorthodox ways to bring peace, or is it. At our meeting we agreed that the book had us – with its intrigue and seduction. It left us haunted with its unresolved ending. Edgar’s travels displayed the author’s keen eye for detail and a poetic sense of place. But the author also left his characters undeveloped, and they seemed borrowed representations, schematic cutouts, unable to bear the psychological scope of the story. But the vivid imagery he creates make the characters very ‘see-able’ and I could imagine the piano floating down the river. This book is a must read – it left me with a haunting desire for more.
ISBN: 0-060-50522-2 “Nearly every night I dream of the Shan State, of Mandalay, of the jungle. The landscapes of my dreams resemble real ones, yet they shift like images on silver screens...” For Pascal Khoo Thwe his childhood as part of the Padaung tribe is a time defined by the closeness of his family and the rhythms of life in the small village of Phekhon. As a young man Pascal journeys to Mandalay to study English Literature at the University. Whilst studying Pascal works as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. This leads to a chance encounter with Dr John Casey, a professor at Cambridge University. An unlikely connection is forged between these two men who share a love of the works of James Joyce. Forced to abandon his studies when the government orders the closing of the country’s universities. Pascal returns home to the sanctuary of his village but conflict soon reaches even the most remote parts of Burma. Although Pascal shuns violence he speaks out against the governments atrocities. Soon the Burmese army is on the hunt for Pascal and he is forced to leave the village and join the rebel forces. He spends several months in the jungle around the Thai Burmese border. A second chance encounter occurs in the rebel camp with a Western journalist, who offers to hand-deliver a letter from Pascal to Dr Casey. A correspondence develops between the two men. Dr Casey arranges for Pascal to be smuggled out of Burma and taken to England where he gains a place at Cambridge University to read English Literature. Pascal has not returned to Burma since. Chapter Two thought this was a wonderful book. It explores the joy of growing up in such a close and traditional family and community, and the guilt felt at leaving his family and countrymen. It shows the spirituality in Pascal’s life and the lives of those around him. The stories of his grandparents give an insight to a disappearing way of life and are told with such love and eloquence. Pascal’s writing style is honest and fluid; it conveys a story so unlikely, and at times dramatic, without resorting to sentimentality or hyperbole. In an interview Pascal Khoo Thwe was asked what he would like readers to come away with after reading In the Land of Green Ghosts. His reply, “More than anything this book is about an ordinary person with many kinds of faults and weaknesses wanting to overcome the difficulties with a view of understanding himself and his fellow human beings. In this sense, I hope that the readers will be able to reflect on their own experiences and find a way out of the doldrums of indifference and despair, which seems to be the prevailing trend of our age.” Thank you Noma for hosting this month’s book group. Next month Chapter 2 is reading Waiting: A Novel by Ha Jin (ISBN 0-375-70641-0).
LIBRARY REPORT The library has made the move from Ukay Heights to 15 Jalan Langggak Golf, its new home on simple yet stylish bookshelves from Ikea. There is something of interest for everyone — from history and politics to literature, religion and fine arts. Come and see for yourself! The proposed visiting hours remain as before: Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, from 2.30-5.00 pm, with other times by appointment (phone 2142 0152). I look forward to meeting you at the library.
BOOKING POLICY FOR EVENTS Reservations Wait List Vouchers Cancellations Refunds Eligibility Event Participation
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PLEASE NOTE that the information in this website has been gathered informally within the group and reproduced privately for members' enjoyment only. There may be inaccuracies and these publications are not designed for commercial use. Anyone intending to make formal or outside use of MCG material is requested to contact the President
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