This is the first newsletter of the year so welcome back to all renewing members and an especially warm welcome to first timers of MCG. Only one MCG New Year resolution: for memberís to be name badge wearers at events, it does help us all put names to faces. The festive season after Christmas and Hari Raya is far from over as it is fast approaching the time to usher out the year of the snake and welcome the year of the horse with the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations. Do you know the difference between Li Yu, Yee Sang and Ang Pow? Come and find out at our Chinese New Year lunch when we will also discover the prospects for the coming year. The horse is the strongest fire element of the twelve zodiac animals. But with this being the year of the water or black horse the combination of water and fire could herald a year of unpredictability or it could bring one of boundless energy, an exhilarating and active year. Come on the 5th to hear the forecast and find out a great deal more. MCG members have not one but two exclusive events this month. The first is on 09 February when we have a guided tour of the excellent Maritime Exhibition at Muzium Negara by Sten Sjostrand, the person responsible for salvaging these wrecks. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear from the man himself the story behind each salvage operation and the treasures they have revealed. The second exclusive on 28th is a performance of Mak Yong the traditional Malay theatre form. Mak Yong is seldom performed, but the students of Akademi Seni Kebangsaan, the National Arts Academy, are especially staging this for the MCG. Our lecture series has a propitious start to the year by having the notable historian Professor Khoo Kay Kim talk to us about the historical development of royalty in Malaysia. Why is Malaysia unique in having nine sultans? The Professor will tell us. The MCG is indeed very privileged to have such an eminent and interesting lecturer to speak to us. As always the MCG is offering a diverse programme for February; however, there is also more to the MCG than events. The Library is constantly expanding and the MCG Librarian Renata Greplova has diligently been adding new books to the collection (see Renataís report on page 14). Also the Web-site is having a New Year make over, but most certainly not a reducing programme, to the contrary it is also expanding to provide members with further useful and interesting information. The Book Group has likewise been fecund and there is now a second chapter, which in January held its first book discussion meeting. And of course there are those other tasks that go on behind the scenes, compiling the newsletter, the secretarial duties, keeping the finances in order, dealing with membership, all of them essential to keep the MCG operating and running smoothly. Many thanks to the whole team for working so hard and making this all possible. Thank you ladies! Finally.
Diana Cooper
BITS AND PIECES Silverfish New Writing 1-
Itís finally out and on the shelves! What started for Raman Krishnan of Silverfishbooks in Bangsar as a seed of an idea only a few months ago, has come to fruition. Raman threw down the gauntlet, his mission being that creative writing and reading in English should be encouraged in Malaysia, resulting in over 200 works received. The criteria was that the works be previously unpublished. As the editor of the anthology, writer and filmmaker Amir Muhammad (known
to MCG through his lecture last year on independent film making in Malaysia)
narrowed it down to 25 stories by 23 writers. His foreword "Canned Goods"
provides a typically forthright insight not only into the
Raman has been a great supporter of our Book Club, sourcing books and extending the "BookBug"* discount to all Malaysian Culture Group members. We wish all those who contributed to this anthology (mostly unpaid) every encouragement. Silverfish New Writing 2 is already on the cards. For more details visit www.silverfishbooks.com. Better still, write your own short story and send it to sbooks@po.jaring.my. Closing date March 31st. If you would like to purchase a copy of the latest anthology, it is available directly from Iolanda for the special MCG price of RM22. *5% for purchases under RM50 and 10% for purchases over RM50
Iolanda Capodanno
Interpreter of Maladies This slim volume of elegant stories is a treat for anyone appreciating
writing that outlines character with simple conciseness.
FESTIVALS BATU CAVES At 250 you will still be counting if you visit the Batu Caves during Thaipusam. You will have another 22 steps to climb before reaching the top. Once there you are at the most famous Hindu Temple in Malaysia and of course the site of the colourful Thaipusam festival. It was the pungent smell of bat guano that led to the "discovery" of these limestone caves back in 1878. An American naturalist William Hornaday who was accompanied by Syers, Commissioner of the Selangor Police on a hunting trip, noticed the strong odour and was taken to the source by local guides. This effectively put the caves on the map, being six kilometres outside KL they became a popular picnic spot at the end of a horse or elephant ride through dense jungle. Just a few years later the caves gained spiritual significance when the main cave was considered as an appropriate place of worship for the Deity Sri Murugan. In 1891 the cave temple was inaugurated and Thaipusam was declared as the annual festival of Batu Caves. At that time there was no proper pathway to the Temple. The first steps were cut from the limestone these were replaced with wooden stairs in 1920ís, which did not survive well in the tropical climate. During this period the Cave Temple committee merged with the Sri Mahamariamman Temple on Jalan Tun HS Lee. It was not until 1939 that two flights of concrete steps were built with funds from the Temple Board of Management. In 1974 a third flight was added creating the familiar postcard image that we associate with Batu Caves. 1990 saw a massive renovation and temple project undertaken to celebrate the centenary of the Batu Caves Temple. Sculptors and skilled artisans from India came to create some of the designs, while devotees helped by forming the "Batu Caves Bucket Brigade". This was a human chain that carried up into the caves almost 400 truckloads of sand, stones, bricks and other building materials required for the plan, in plastic buckets. Brahmin priests came from Tamil Nadu to officiate the inauguration ceremony on the completion of the project in September 1991. The four-million-year-old caves are a complex of about twenty caves; many are not open to the public because of their unsafe structure. This was caused mainly by quarrying, which began as early as 1896. The caves were gazetted in 1930 as an area of public recreation so offering them protection from mining. However the Selangor government altered the status of the ruling and quarrying resumed from the mid 50ís until 1981 when protest groups highlighted the air pollution and damage being caused by the blasting. The campaign was not easily won as the caves were leased until 2019. There was however a requirement for the mining companies to obtain permits for dynamite for the blasting and this was refused. Blasting stopped in 1980 and rock crushing ceased in 1981. There is a diverse and abundant animal life to be found within the caves. Apart from the monkeys there are two types of bats and white snakes. Feeding on the bat guano are a number of insects including a species of small cockroach indigenous to the caves. Then there are the long legged centipedes with elongated antennae to assist them in navigating in total darkness. You are advised not to try to catch them as they have a severe poisonous bite. There are also scorpions, huge toads and lizards. A survey conducted by the Malaysian Nature Society in the late 70ís found 28 species of moss, 38 species of ferns, and 177 other plant species. Guano is a significant element of the caves providing a food source for many insects. For many years the guano, a natural fertiliser, was collected and processed at a factory close to the foot of the steps. As recent as 1998 an attempt to steal large quantities of guano was foiled. The removal would have seriously have affected the ecological balance within the caves. Future visitors to the caves may find they do not have to struggle with the steps. Plans for a cable car system are being considered, with the cars being modelled after a peacock, the bird associated with Sri Murugan. So maybe next year there will be no need to count the steps. Further Reading:
The Malaysian Nature Society offers excursions into the Dark Caves,
adjacent to the Temple Caves. For further details call MNS 2287 9422
THAIPUSAM 28 JANUARY Thaipusam is the most important Hindu festival celebrated in Malaysia. It receives considerable media coverage because of the number of devotees who participate and the spectacular nature of the event. More than one million people are expected to visit the most popular venue, Batu Caves. Muruga temples in Ipoh, Perak, Penang, Pahang and Singapore also celebrate Thaipusam. Several legends give alternative explanations for the festival, but the common thread is that Shivaís son Lord Muruga, also known as Lord Subramaniam, fought against evil forces and won. On Thaipusam, the day of the full moon of the Hindu month of Thai, Murugaís mother Parvati gave him a vel, or spear, to help him in his battle against demons. Often referred to as the god of war, Muruga is regarded as a symbol of virtue, valour and power. In KL the starting point for the three-day festival is the Maha Mariamman Temple on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee. On 27 February the statue of Lord Muruga will be decorated and placed in a silver chariot. After prayers early the next morning, the chariot hauled by bullocks will be drawn in a procession along the main streets of KL arriving at Batu Caves by midday. Later in the afternoon there is a flag-raising ceremony initiating the start of the festival. Thaipusam for devotees is a profoundly religious occasion of atonement and thanksgiving. It is an opportunity to attempt to gain absolution from past sins through penance and a time to fulfil vows and pledges in recognition of answered prayers. To prepare themselves devotees eat a purely vegetarian diet for seven or more days. Those carrying Kavadi spend days before Thaipusam fasting and in deep meditation, to gain spiritual energy and willpower for the ordeal. A kavadi takes several forms, a brass or steel pot containing milk is the simplest and is often carried by women and children. Shaped to support a hammock a sugar cane kavadi is used to carry babies and small children. However the peacock kavadi is the most spectacular and is often highly decorated. The kavadi is named after the peacock feathers that are the main decorative element. Peacocks are the birds associated with Lord Muruga. Weighing up to 30 kg the large wood or steel frame of the kavadi is supported on the bearerís shoulders and is often attached to him by chains with hooks or spikes that are driven into his body. Some devotees also pierce their cheeks, tongues and backs with spears, skewers and hooks and hang limes and other fruits from them. Before the devotee lifts his kavadi, he bathes in the nearby river. The temple authorities now provide water tanks for the ritual bathing. After washing and dressing in yellow, he is put into a trance and surrenders to the spirit of Lord Muruga. Accompanied by family and friends, chanting "Vel,vel" to encourage him, he hoists the kavadi and begins to climb the 272 steps to the temple cave. He appears to feel no pain from the hooks or skewers and there is no bleeding. After entering the caves he is brought out of his trance. The wounds form the piercing are said to heal within minutes, leaving no scars. Not all devotees carry a kavadi, some show their piety by helping as volunteers in the temples during the festival. Others shave their heads or break coconuts as Lord Murugaís chariot passes, to ensure no misfortunes occur during the event. Five million coconuts are broken annually during Thaipusam, 50,000 extra are imported from Indonesia to meet the demand. Early morning on the third day of the festival, the deity begins the return journey to the Maha Mariamman Temple, so ending Thaipusam for another year. Thaipusam is also celebrated in parts of India, but only in Malaysia is it celebrated with such passion. To find further information and details of times call the Malaysian Tourist Board 4041-1295 or visit the website www.tourism.gov.com.my Contributed by Diana Cooper
CHINESE NEW YEAR
Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade. The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-year cycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honour of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family. The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year's Eve with
a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of
the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New
Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the
stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honours the past and present
generations.
The 15-Day Celebration of Chinese New Year The first day of the Lunar New Year is "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth." Many people abstain from meat on the first day of the new year because it is believed that this will ensure long and happy lives for them. On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs. The third and fourth days are for the sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law. The fifth day is called Po Woo. On that day people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on the fifth day because it will bring both parties bad luck. On the sixth to the 10th day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health. The seventh day is considered the birthday of human beings. On this day, many Chinese people eat uncooked lettuce called Sang Choy and raw fish called Yee Sang, especially the carp or any other fresh water fish. To consume Sang Choy (literally means "live" vegetable) and Yee Sang (literally means "live" fish) is symbolic of keeping alive forever. During this period, Yee Sang is sold at atrocious prices in restaurants. On the eighth day the Fujian people have another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven. The ninth day is to make offerings to the Jade Emperor The 10th through the 12th are days that friends and relatives should be invited for dinner. After so much rich food, on the 13th day you should have simple rice congee and mustard greens (choi sum) to cleanse the system The 14th day should be for preparations to celebrate the Lantern Festival
which is to be held on the 15th night.
Chinese New Year Decorations Prior to New Year's Day, Chinese families decorate their living rooms with vases of pretty blossoms, platters of oranges and tangerines and a candy tray with eight varieties of dried sweet fruit. On walls and doors are poetic couplets, happy wishes written on red paper. These messages sound better than the typical fortune cookie messages. For instance, "May you enjoy continuous good health" and "May the Star of Happiness, the Star of Wealth and the Star of Longevity shine on you" are especially positive couplets. Plants and Flowers
House Cleaning
Bringing in the New Year and Expelling the Old
Lion Dance
2002 YEAR OF THE HORSE
30/1/1930-16/2/1931 15/2/1942-4/2/1943
The Horse is a worker, adept at handling money and a good financier.
But unfortunately, he is also famous for suddenly losing interest in something.
In his relationship with the opposite sex, the Horse is weak. He will give
up everything for love.
OTHER COMMUNITY EVENTS EXHIBITION Chinese New Year Exhibition - 22 January - 10
February
Works on Paper - 27 February - 30 March
Mughal Exhibition - 28 February - 28 May
THEATRE
Malaysian Comedy Pest 2002 - 17 - 19, 21 - 26 January,
8 pm - 20 & 27 January, 3 pm
Metamorphosis
DANCE
Alarippu to Moksha 2002
OTHERS
Information obtained from klue.com.my and kakiseni.com
REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS COLOURS OF ASIA It all started with red. Few of us knew it before Monday 26 November, but we all felt it was right. Red indeed is the first colour we experience, in the womb. Red is also the first colour human beings across continents were able to produce and use on corpses in the hope of new life for their dead. Red is basically the mother colour and it is no surprise that this was explained to us by a very nice red-dressed, red-haired and red-nail-polished PHd in Psychology, Gunilla Orwen. A last minute change in venue allowed us to enjoy the hospitality of Renata, in her beautiful house in Ukay heights. Hippocrates (circa 400 BC) was the first one to work on the impact of colours, but more theories have been developed since the 1950ís to enhance use and knowledge of colours. Our relationship to red is so primitive that there would always be one shade of red we love and one we hate, said Gunilla. But itís a bit the same with most real colours (brown is out) and the use of colours is a tool available to any. Just learn to focus on the colours that you like and dislike and start using them when needed said Gunilla, who was helped a great deal recovering from a sickness by yellow. Yellow is widely used in hospitals and is very good against phobias and most kind of pains, either mental or physical. Blue is good for fever. Green is also a very therapeutic colour. Purple is double-edged as it boosts your immune system but also gives depression. Gunilla was adamant bright purple should not be worn by children. Wearing plenty of gold is the surest way to cure yourself from depression (if not the cheapest). If you want to focus, choose green as this is the colour the eye needs no adaptation to see. Red on the other hand requires a lot of eye-tuning, hence brain activity, and this will raise your body temperature and your blood pressure. Blue has the opposite effect, it slows down the blood circulation, hence facilitating analysis and reflection. Obviously the theory does not apply to apparel only but also to our surroundings. Gunilla went through her own coloursí odyssey in her career, when she moved from the white world to the grey one, that is from a hospital environment to the business world... The whole speech was very pleasant indeed, and it may prove useful as well. We learnt for example that hosts are more likely to enjoy their food under a green or a red light, just as men are more likely to look at women wearing red. Pink is the most sexy colour that a women can wear, we heard, and we had to admit that only two of us would have pleased a manís eye on that morning. But there was only one in the assembly anyway. Florence de Changy
FEDERAL HOTEL Twenty-five MCG members meet at the Federal Hotel on 11 December for the final event of 2001. Known as the "Bukit Bintang Skyscraper" when it was first built, this nine-storey hotel marked the start of the Kuala Lumpur building boom. Completion of the hotel was greeted by descriptions in the local press that KL was for the first time looking like a city! Built especially to accommodate the dignitaries that arrived to celebrate the Merdeka celebrations it was an important symbol of the new independent Malaya. Harriet Hoong from the Public Relations Department along with two long standing employees of the Federal; Nancy Huang Room division manager and Peter Thoo from the maintenance department showed us old photographs and articles, while explaining to us the difficulties of establishing an hotel of international standards in time for the Independence Day deadline. Initially there were problems with financing, then with selecting a name. There were also problems with supplies as no local producer could provide sufficient quantities. Consequently there were different curtain materials on each floor and four different brands of air conditioners. Also a team of a hundred staff had to be trained before the opening scheduled for 28 August, 1957. The PM designate, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who had taken a personal interest in the hotel, officiated at the opening. This was followed with a record breaking dim sum party with 2,000 guests ? it was the largest reception ever held in the country at that time. In 1963 a new extension was completed when an extra 21 storeys was added to the hotel which included the revolving restaurant, the first in Southeast Asia. During the building of the extension a storm caused part of the façade to collapse damaging three of the imposing lions at the entrance. But because one had survived unscathed the fortunes of the hotel were still considered to be auspicious. The Low Yat family, responsible for building the Federal, is still actively involved in the management of the hotel. Yow Chuan, son of the founder of the Federal was the first to develop Langkawi; this proved to be a tremendous challenge as there was no electricity and only one road on the island. ëThe commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Federal Hotelí, a book published in 1997 and written by the noted historian Professor Khoo Kay Kim, describes the Low Yat family story and traces how the vicissitudes of the hotel industry have mirrored the economic history of Malaysia. Each participant was given a copy and there is now one in the MCG Library. After being shown the original part of the hotel and the Merdeka extension including the revolving restaurant and the Mandarin Restaurant, which still retains its originally splendid décor of carved wooden panels from Taiwan, we concluded the morning with a lunch of local favourites at the Aseana Brasserie. Diana Cooper
MCG NEWS Hello Fellow Book Clubbers: "Enigma" is the word that springs to mind concerning Nathanielís Nutmeg, our November/December book selection, both in terms of what the book promises versus what it delivers and also in our varied reactions to this discrepancy. Author Giles Milton subtitles his book "How One Manís Courage Changed the Course of History," but this is an impossible task for Nathaniel Courthope who appears quite late in the book and is not developed any more fully than many of the other historical characters such as the Dutchman Jan Coen. Not only does Nathaniel not change the course of history, but neither does he change the course of this book which is not the story of one manís role in the spice trade, but rather the history of the Dutch and English East India Companies. Although some of us were a bit annoyed at being manipulated and/or duped by the title, we all enjoyed having read this history, even if we would not have chosen it for ourselves. Strangely though, no one would consider reading another book by this author. Stranger still was our unwillingness to part with this book even for such a noble cause as a donation (as per Renataís request) to the MCG Library; it seems we all want to pass the Nutmeg on to a spouse or some other history buff that we know. We should note that this book is not for the faint-hearted, containing numerous and graphic portrayals of torture. Diana mentioned that much of the story matches what you can read in Hallís History of Southeast Asia, although Miltonís assumptions about non-recorded material, such as motivations etc., possibly is quite subjective. Kudos to our Dutch member, Leida, who expertly hosted and led the discussion. Very knowledgeable about Dutch history, Leida was well prepared for us with extra books such as Banda: A Journey through Indonesiaís Fabled Isles of Fire and Spice. We were all surprised by the bookís obvious bias in favour of the English traders, but Leida was surprised by the English presence in the spice trade since Dutch history does not emphasize this. However, many of the Dutch records are only slowly coming to light since they are written in Old Dutch, difficult for modern researchers. She was also well prepared with Dutch goodies, many flavoured with the spices mentioned in the book. These treats, by the way, were carried to us from Holland by Leidaís husband, returning from business there ? an interesting reversal in the direction of the spice trade. And one enjoyed by us all! Happy reading, Kathryn MCG Book club is happy to announce Chapter Two, a second book club,
made possible by members Jill Thistlewaite and Jeanne Hunter who will share
leadership responsibilities and by the patience and interest of members
on our waitlist. An organising meeting is scheduled for Novermber 28 and
hopefully the first book discussion will occur in January 2002.
LIBRARY NEWS These are the new books recently added to the MCG Library: Beliefs and Practices among Malaysian Chinese Buddhists ? Traditions,
Customs, Rituals. By Tan Teik Beng
February being the month to celebrate Chinese New Year members might be interested in the following books covering this fascinating subject: Chinese Beliefs by F. Bloomfield
On 09 February the MCG will be having a guided tour of the Maritime
Exhibition at Muzium Negera, the MCG already has two publications in the
library relating to the event.
The Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society Vol LXXIV Part 1 2001 has a paper entitled "The Turiang: A Fourteenth ? Century Chinese Shipwreck Upsetting Southeast Asian Ceramic History" by Sten Sjostrand and Claire Barnes, which highlights what an interesting, and at times controversial, topic this can be. A must read for the 09th. To enquire about these and any other books please call Renata Tel: 4256 0408 or contact via email renata.greplova@seznam.cz Renata Greplova
ADVANCE NOTICE OF MARCH LECTURE The March newsletter will be sent out a little later than normal as your editor will be out of station. To ensure that you all know about the first event for March, the Lecture Series, we will give the information here as well as the next newsletter, to ensure none of you miss out. You can go ahead and put your name down now or wait until late February. Wednesday, 06 March.
The timing and contact details will be as per our lecture for February.
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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