Warm greetings to all. Malaysia is gearing up for a wonderful year of cultural events in support of its Visit Malaysia in 2007 campaign. I have pinned to my fridge the program of monthly events so that I can ensure I don't miss out. Like the Malaysian government urging us to sip and sup on Malaysian culture I want to urge you to take advantage of the wonderful events we have planned for you in February and the many others you will read about in the months to come. I realize my enthusiasm for events may sound repetitive, but it is genuine, and this month, I sincerely feel you will find that you want to attend all three events.. If so, remember you are not alone, so do book early. Our February monthly lecture is a little bit different – join us for a celebratory morning about Chinese New Year. You will have an opportunity to learn about the traditions that are practiced, taste special dishes that are served during this festival, see a lion dance and dress-up in festive clothes. All your senses will be inspired about Chinese New Year. On the February 13 we metaphorically visit Sumba, a remote island on the Indonesian Archipelago. This small island is home to 9 main ethnic cultures, whose lives still revolve around their ancestral traditions and ceremonies. A member of the MCG, convener and inspiration for the Friends of Museums group in KL, Marie Tseng, will talk based on her own travel and experiences there. She will also give a presentation of Sumbanese weaving and display from her own private collection. Our final event in February takes place on the 27th at our Explorers' Convener Cheryl Hoffmann's home. Ramsay Ong, a highly regarded artist and collector of Sarawakian art, will join us for a discussion of the traditions of the art and artifacts of indigenous groups of Borneo. We will view museum-quality collections and through these discuss how the traditions are being upheld through the work of current artists from Sarawak. And if you are looking for more ways to enrich your experience of Malaysia come and join one of our book clubs and visit our library which has an interesting and varied collection. You could also join one of our Explorers Groups, which meet once a month to discover the delights of KL. Gong Xi Fa Chai Sunita Varlamos PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS Explorers – Heritage Sites at Dataran Merdeka
Sixteen Explorers toured two Heritage Sites at Dataran Merdeka: The National History Museum and the Royal Selangor Club. The tour of the History Museum was led by Puan Sitti Rabia, the Assistant Director of the Museum, giving us a briefing on the history of the building as well as an overview of the main exhibits. This museum has existed in the present building for the last ten years. The building was built in 1888 and used by the Standard Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China, the first bank to operate in Kuala Lumpur. The original building was demolished and rebuilt with its present Moorish and Islamic architecture around 1910 and continued as a bank until the Japanese Occupation. It returned to banking operations from 1945 to 1965. It then reverted to government use until 1991 when the Department of Museums and Antiquities was given this building for use as a history museum. Sadly we learned that the History Museum which has developed elaborate plans for expansion in Dataran Merdeka, is now being asked to move out and to incorporate its displays into the National Museum (Muzium Negara). This will be a great loss because it will mean an even bigger pinch for space for these exhibits and possibly portends the end of this beautiful building. The museum's 20 galleries are arranged in chronological order so that our tour began on the ground floor with early maps, some of which had Malaya labeled 'Malacca' on earlier ones(16-17 C), much to our surprise. We moved into Prehistory archeological finds of the Stone Age and Bronze Age before spending some time looking at the many Megalithic Cultural artifacts and reproductions. Next was the Protohistoric section with Hindu and Buddhist relics and the introduction of Islam into Malaya. The first floor contained displays of the Malacca Sultanate, the Johore-Riau Empire, the Colonial Periods of the Portuguese, Dutch and British, then the Malay States period of 1824 to 1900, and the development of the Borneo Territories, Sabah and Sarawak. The second floor displays concentrated on the most recent history beginning with the rise of Nationalism, the Second World War with the Japanese Occupation, the Malay States Administration and the Communist Emergency, finally coming to the Formation of Malaysia. We had to say a quick good-bye at the History Museum in order to rush off to the Royal Selangor Club (RSC) where we had a date with Mr. Chris Syer, the Operations Manager for the club and local historian. He gave us a superb power-point presentation of the history of the club and building, tying it in beautifully with the history of its surroundings and much of what we had learned earlier at the museum. This club began in 1884 as a meeting place for recreation and relaxation especially for expatriates, but from the start always had a mixture of Chinese, Indian and Malay members as well. Although this club has had a history of being very much male-oriented, it actually was also a place for ladies to gather after morning shopping or for afternoon tea. In fact, the RSC has always been known as 'The Dog' or originally 'The Spotted Dog' because the first president's wife had a pair of Dalmatians which she kept tied up by the front steps to be seen by all passers-by. The early clubhouse appeared to have been a very modest shack with a field in front, but soon was rebuilt with a nice padang for games. Eventually a golf course was added on Federal Hill in 1926 (this no longer exists). All major sports were played here for the next 100 years. The Padang had a hockey field, a rugby field, a cricket pitch and tennis courts. It was thus a focal point for much of KL's sporting population in those days. In 1988 the Federal Territory took over the Padang to build an underground car park; so in exchange, land in Bukit Kiara was given for the Club to hold its games; this is known as 'the Annex' and is very active nowadays. The Club had 4000 members in 1963 but now has about 6000 members of which 1500 are active. Past presidents were famous names which we used to see on our road signs and still do for some: Stonor, Cochrane, Maxwell, Campbell, Rodgers, Venning, etc. We were given many historical highlights from the Club's annals; among them: the first disco in KL, the beginning of the 'Hash House Harriers, the '69 riots, the fire of '70, the floods of '09, '26, and '71. The club was in limbo for 8 years from 1980 to '88 with the threat of demolition by the government, but fortunately was rescued when the Sultan intervened. It achieved the status of 'Royal' in 1984 when the Sultan of Selangor gave it this designation for its centennial. We ended our morning with a lovely Buffet Lunch in the Ballroom of the 'Dog' overlooking the Padang and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Will this building be allowed to stay: the lease is up in 2020? Mr Chris Syer has some wonderful ideas for its future, as does the History Museum Director, if only they were allowed a say in what happens to these important heritage sites. Joanne Mahendran
Heritage Walk On the 22nd of November a group of 28 ladies including one gentleman arrived at the Merdeka Square to begin our tour through the heart of Kuala Lumpur. We were divided into two groups led by two well informed tourist guides from the Heritage Tour Group, Billy Woo and Maharani. KL in short came about during 1857. It began when Raja Abdullah, a representative of the administrator at that time, came to Ampang and found tin which was greatly demanded by the Americans and British Empire. After which the British moved their administration from Klang to Kuala Lumpur situated at the Merdeka Square. We left the Merdeka Square also known as Little Britain at 10.00 am and walked passed the busy roads of Kula Lumpur ignoring the walking signs of the traffic light. The fountain situated in front of the Malaysian Flag pole was said to be dismantled in England and assembled locally at Merdeka Square by Harpers as Kuala Lumpur's first outdoor entertainment in 1897. The Selangor Club at the Merdeka Square where the expatriates meet to find entertainment, an incident had occurred. The wife of the Victorian Institution Headmaster Sir William Hood Treacher was said to have murdered her lover and caused a huge commotion to hide the tracks leading to her murder case. This was not mentioned in most of the history books. For further information please refer to the book titled 'Murder on the Veranda'. The first bank to open a branch in Kuala Lumpur in 1888 was the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China. Then it moved to the Merdeka Square for its proximity to the police headquarters. During the great floods in 1926, the banks vaults were flooded and millions of dollars of soggy bank notes had to be laid out on the field to dry, under the watchful eye of the police. It is now known as the National History Museum. After the new Government Offices were completed, it was decided to build the Government Printing Offices in 1899.A rare feature for this building is it has no columns, which allowed for a large open interior. This was necessary to house the large printing press machines. Better known now as the Kuala Lumpur Memorial Library. The Sultan Abdul Samad building was completed in 1897 using a Mahometan style also known as 'Neo-Saracenic' which originated from India. The architect for this lovely building was AC Norman and the State Engineer CE Spooner. This building was originally know as the new government Offices and housed the Public Works Department, the Survey Office, the Treasury, the Post and Telegraph Offices. Now where the old Post office (the Court) is located will be replaced with Textile Museum. Behind the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur, Masjid Jamek. It was build in 1907, architecture based on the Islamic Mogul/Indian design. The mosque was build at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang River. Jamek is derived from an Arabic word meaning a meeting place. Next we moved on to the Loh Chow Kit Emporium which opened in 1905, where cigars were sold. It is better known as the Industrial court now. Next to the Emporium is the Loke Yew building, architecture is of Art Deco design. It is said that he printed his own money in Bentong. After the walk from many places we decided to stop at the Seng Nam Restaurant to recharge. It is an old building a place where lawyers meet up to relax and drink 'teh tarik' literally translated as pulled tea or milk tea. This place is also known as the Vatican because of how the Hainanese people call out to each other in a singing voice.We were served with 'roti bakar' (toasted bread) and home made 'kaya' ( coconut jam).Delicious……finger licking good!! Then we moved on to Little India, along the road a huge sign was noticed in front of the Mc Donald food outlet '168 tempat duduk' (seats). The number 168 regards the house number and available seats. It is said in the Chinese folklore it brings luck and prosperity. In the Little India town we were shown a building called Rasull Building with an Arabic numbering 786. Indian muslims and Pakistans use this number as a short form of Bismallah meaning In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, is indeed a difficult temple to find. It is so well hidden behind shop houses that showed windows but no rooms. A slight view of the roof of the temple can be seen through a small creak between the shop houses. It was build 140 years ago in the Feng Shui direction by Yap Ah Loy. He was a very powerful man and a member of the Fui Chu Association. The temple is unique for its many Gods, most famous are cosmetic, examination and the white tiger god as well as the goddess of mercy. On the left and right hand side of the wall red notes are glued, it is to request for fertility. When we arrived the temple was preparing for a big birthday celebration of one of the Gods the next day, a day to worship the main God Sin Sze Ye. Our last stop was the Mariamman Temple. Along the path we stopped at the entrance of Penjaja Tun H.S.Lee. It used to be an open air market, famous among the Chinese people and still is today. Temple Sri Mariamman is connected to the Batu Caves. During Thaipussam festival one of their gods is carried all the way from Batu Caves to this temple. There are 3 golden cups placed on the roof of the temple. These acts as antennas say the devouts as energy from heaven gets distributed throughout the temple. The tour ended with a walk through the temple at 12.45 p.m. Azlind Mohamad
Monthly lecture: Traditional Iban Tattoos of
Sarawak The traditional Iban tattoo is a marker of travel and adventure. It also serves as an opening for a story. Iban tattoo artist Eddy David entertained MCG members with his stories of the history and artistry of Iban tattoos on Dec 6 at Badan Warisan. Eddy David operates a tattoo shop in Sri Hartamas called Borneo Ink. There, when his clients request a very special tattoo, he uses traditional methods learned from Iban men in his village in Sarawak to create beautiful designs on human skin. As a boy, Eddy moved out of the longhouse on the Skrang River in Sarawak, when his parents moved to Kuching. At the time, he didn't mind being separated from his cultural roots. It wasn't until 1999 that he became interested in the traditions of tattooing in his own culture, learned to speak the Iban language and became a master tattoo artist. Eddy was featured in a National Geographic documentary entitled "The Vanishing Tattoos". Eddy gave a brief history of tattoos in Borneo based on the information he has gleaned from talking to people in his community. He is happy to see a resurgent interest in tattooing amongst the Iban. For many years, the Iban interest in tattoos was waning and it was only the old people who continued to use tattoos to mark the important events in their lives. Eddy explained that tattoos are common amongst both men and women but tattoos on men are most important, as an Iban woman would not marry a man without many tattoos. Tattoos are traditionally a right of passage for a young man and reflected the acquisition of wealth, heads and status. It was the women in the Iban villages who instigated a man's desire for adventure and a tattoo to prove it! When Iban men went on head-hunting expeditions, they honoured the event by tattooing each other with basic implements that they carried with them. The pigment was made from soot and sugar cane and was applied with sharp bamboo skewers and crude hammers. The travelers tattooed each other to reflect the accomplishments of the man during the adventure and how they felt at that moment. Tattoos were unique but tended to follow certain cultural patterns in terms of design and placement on the body. The men in the group would work together and it would take several men 5 to 6 hours to complete one tattoo. It was thought that the tattoos actually increased the immune system, which also helped the men survive the scars of battle. It is believed that a spirit lives in each tattoo. Because those spirits are strong, the man must also be strong to be able to carry the tattoo. All Iban tattoos are black. The designs are drawn from the natural world and are sometimes abstract versions of animals, insects, plants and other natural objects. Using illustrations of various tattoos, Eddy explained some of the motifs that are traditional to Iban tattoos and invoke the spirit of the natural world. He showed us the common Buah Terong – the brinjal flower that could be used as a first tattoo because it is a symbol of the beginning of life. There are tattoos that are specifically for women, including the Pala Tumpa which is placed on the forearms and marks the position of bracelets. One such design uses a caterpillar with poison darts and a scorpion head. There are also special tattoos for Iban weavers of the Pua Kumbu which are placed on the thumb and reflect a very high status in Iban society. The men's tattoos are the most prolific and complex. Eddy told us about the Isi Ginti, the fish hook which is a tattoo that men get after circumcision and/or a piercing of the penis. The tattoo is placed on the man's ankle in order to be visible to the women. The Buah Klauh is a filler tattoo that is drawn on a man's neck and is said to protect his head from head hunters! Another tattoo that depicts a scorpion is also put on the neck to protect it. The Perut Mahoh, an edible fungus, is drawn on the wrist to denote artistic talent. The Ukir Lingkang Tuang, translates as the Drunken Frog Dance, and is a very old pattern, placed on the upper arm. Eddy also talked about new motifs in Iban tattoos to show us how historical events can have an impact on the fashion of tattoos. He mentioned that the Iban men who left Sarawak to fight communism during the insurgency tattooed airplanes on their bodies to mark their travels in the modern era. Eddy had many stories to tell us of the history of Iban tattoos and the question period was lively, as the audience tried to find out more about the kinds of tattoos that Eddy himself has! Members who are interested in watching a traditional-style tattoo being drawn are invited to Sri Hartamas to watch this Iban artist in action. Cheryl Hoffmann
Explorers – Visit to Brickfields
Explorers visited the unseen Brickfields; we saw what others don't see. In your visits to Brickfields you might have noticed blind people with canes or seen the signs: AWAS Orang Buta Melintas. Brickfields is home of the Malaysian Association for the Blind, the primary organization in Malaysia serving visually impaired people, and it is there that Explorers began the morning. We were given an overview of MAB by Deputy Executive Director Godfrey Ooi. MAB was founded in 1951 by a British officer in the Department of Welfare Services who had himself been blinded during the war. Mr Ooi spoke about the importance of Braille. Students come from throughout Malaysia for training. The services of MAB are for those born blind as well as those who lose their sight later in life; many of the students have low vision. Only a small portion of the funding is provided by the government; private donations are the main source of support. Mr. Ooi finished by giving us a lesson in using a cane. We went to one of the vocational training workshops, where students learn to make stools and chairs with woven seats (these are for sale at MAB and also at their reflexology shop on the second floor of Mid-Valley Mall.) We visited the day care center, where young children learn Braille and mobility skills. The library was full of Braille books and audio-books. We saw the soundproof room where books are read and recorded—and there is always a need for volunteers to read in English. MAB also sells aids for low vision and blind people: magnifiers, talking clocks, Braille playing cards. MAB publishes works in Braille, particularly textbooks. We saw Braille typewriters and computer-driven Braille printers. These produce written text, but for diagrams, MAB relies on a group of volunteers who make textured pages with string and cardboard pasted onto card stock, which are then used as dies to make molded Braille pages through heat treating special plastic sheets. The volunteers were working on a geometry text, so we saw pages of triangles. The Braille Publishing Unit will do custom work for anyone who needs to produce material in Braille. Later we went for tea and coffee nearby. We tried some Indian sweets made by a sweet master from Chennai. One of the popular training courses offered by MAB is massage. We went to the Blind Massage Unisex Center where some of us opted for a foot massage and others a shoulder massage. We were rubbed, pounded, kneaded and squeezed. Our reactions: "fun, painful, enjoyable and definitely worth it;" "divine and dreamy;" "a little painful but extremely beneficial;" "terrifying! during the head massage I thought she'd squeeze my brains out." Some of us vowed to go back for a full body massage, and others---not. Minna Schwarz Seim
BOOK CLUB REPORTS Group
I We had a very heated discussion on our last meeting this year. The star was the Japanese author Haruki Murakami and a highly intriguing book about…well, only deciding what this book was about took us almost half an hour! It starts with a cat that has disappeared, continues with the main character's wife running away from home and this is only the beginning of very strange(and some occult) things that happen along this 600 pages book about: relationships, the difficulty of one person knowing another, self discovery, the Japanese society and so much more than that. Although a deeply philosophical book, Murakami manages to write it into a very light and musical style, creating moments of sheer beauty and poetry. If we strip away the mystery and color, it turns out to be the story of a husband left by his wife. He doesn't do anything so practical as hire a private detective or search the streets himself, but something altogether different: he launches his quest inwards. He goes down into the earth, into a well, to brood on his past. What he finds there has implications that go far beyond his own inner world… Not everybody enjoyed the book; some of us found it tedious and a difficult read, but, in the end, we all felt that we benefited a lot from the discussion. We found many layers in the book, symbols and clues to the Japanese culture. Although the story is set in the mid 80s, it probes deeply into the violence of the wartime years for the root causes of Japan's modern malaise. The result is a true work of art and a very original one it is, which can be liked or not. But it surely is a very challenging read which promises to stay with you long after you have finished it. Murakami is able to create a very unique world and to get at its core is a journey which lasts longer than reading one of his books.
Luiza Bold
Group
II The meeting was well attended and we had 7 members. Most of them enjoyed the book and thought it was a good well written novel though everyone agreed that the author could be a bit 'long winded' in his descriptive text. This book is a superb achievement where every detail is nuanced, every piece of drama carefully choreographed, even minor characters carefully drawn. Its real power derives, however, from the two main characters, immigrants in England, who are offered an immensely complex life, one sensuous, intelligent and political, the other domestic, fierce in her loyalties and religious beliefs. Both of them are fascinating and memorable. The real core of the story is raw and a window into the life of an Asian family. It opens our eyes to the culture differences and how people of different beliefs lead there lives and respond to various situations. It allows you to think about the story and characters beyond when the text on the page finishes. The story revolves around Pakistani family who emigrated to the UK from the fictional town of Sohni Dharti ("beautiful land"), Pakistan in the 1950s. At the heart of this extraordinary novel lies the characters of Shamas and his wife Kaukab. Shamas is the person to whom his Pakistani and other South Asian neighbours turn for help in navigating the rough patches of their lives in England. His pious wife is considerably more traditional and devout and she and Shamas fail to see eye to eye on many social issues, with frequently tragic consequences We all agreed that Aslam really succeeded in portraying the lives, dreams, and fears of immigrant Pakistanis in the UK. That he does it with magical prose is icing on the cake. Some members of the group did feel that the characters did not show a sense of responsibility for some of their actions. Shameem Sukhia LIBRARY Happy New Year! This month our focus is on the NEW. If your New Year's resolutions include learning more about Malaysia and Southeast Asia, then the MCG library is a good place to start.
There are some new books in the library collection:
The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 10: Religions and Beliefs
The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Vol. 11: Government and Politics 1940-2006. It provides a good overview of all aspects of Malaysia's history and culture, with plenty of good illustrations.
Farish Noor, From Majapahit to Putrajaya. A collection of essays on Malaysia's history and current events from a leading intellectual.
Silverfish New Writing 5. Stories from Malaysian and regional writers.
New Library hours: The library will be open on the first and third Fridays of the month, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., but please send an email (minnasch@gmail.com) by Thursday night to confirm, before you make the trip. If Friday is not convenient for you, we can find another mutually agreeable time.
The location of the library is not new, but here's the map and address: 23 Jalan Teruntong, Damansara Heights
A reminder: Borrowing books from the library requires a library membership: a one-time fee of RM50. This helps provide funding for new purchases for the library.
Are you off to a new home? If you're leaving Malaysia and lightening your load of possessions, please consider donating your books (those that fit within our parameters of being about Malaysia and Southeast Asia) to the library. If you belong to one of MCG's book groups and aren't keeping your books after reading them, the library would welcome them.
I hope to see you at the library, familiar faces and new faces alike.
Minna Schwarz-Seim
NEWSLETTER REPORT You can submit articles, artwork and photographs to the editor at mcgevents@yahoo.com with ''newsletter'' in the subject line.
Please submit all articles for the March newsletter by February 8.
Stories are edited for reasons of clarity, space or accuracy of expression. The opinions expressed in the MCG newsletter are those of the writers concerned and not necessarily those of the MCG.
Jaishree Balasubramanian
BOOKING POLICY FOR EVENTS Reservations Wait List Payments Cancellations Refunds Eligibility Event Participation Eligibility Your co-operation with the Booking Policy would be much appreciated by the Events Planning Team.
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