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MCG Newsletter - June 2002

Following Month's Newsletter

This newsletter marks the first from the new committee, voted in at the May AGM. On behalf of the MCG members I would like to profoundly thank the outgoing Committee for their dedication, enthusiasm and for giving so generously of their energy and time. Thank You All!
To the new Committee: thank you for those who are staying on and a welcome to the new faces. Cindy Peters-Zeier is the new Vice President. Many of you who have been in Malaysia for two years or more may know Cindy as the former events Planning Coordinator, so with Cindy's knowledge it is excellent that MCG have her back on board the Committee. Suzanne Davey is Events Planning Coordinator, taking over from the ultra capable Alison Ross who is leaving Malaysia late July. Meanwhile, Sophie Lindeskog will take over as Membership Secretary mid July. By the time you read this Sophie will have had her baby. We will be thinking of you Sophie!. In the meantime Cindy will be acting as Membership Secretary. Nisha Dobberstein as well as being on the Events Planning Team (EP) is now acting as Secretary. The new Webmaster is the enthusiastic Catriona Turlier. Succeeding the super efficient Book Group Convenor, Kathryn Dupuis who is leaving early July, is Jean Wingfield. Welcome Ladies!
The new team is looking forward to the year ahead and to providing members with an interesting programme of events. On the agenda for the upcoming year is expanding the Library. A reminder here to stock up with books for your June/July read before the Librarian Renata Greplova takes a vacation, from mid June to July. Plans are afoot to upgrade the website and to relaunch the "Explorers Group". Further information will be in the July newsletter.
Start of a new Committee year is an appropriate opportunity to explain how membership fees are spent. A large proportion is spent on printing and mailing what you are presently reading - the newsletter. There are administrative fees like the audit of accounts and registration with the Registrar of Societies. The remainder is used to stock up the Library and buying any necessary equipment. Recent purchases for example have included a screen and a portable microphone. Any remaining monies are used to give donations to cultural concerns that like MCG are Non Government Organisations. Events are charged only to cover costs, which include items such as room rental, catering, transport costs, and a gift or donation to the person or organisation presenting or hosting the event.
Occasionally it is necessary to subsidise events, but MCG endeavour to cover costs within the charge made for each event.
To move on to June and the month have to offer - some outstanding events. Datin Halimah Said will present the monthly lecture discussing the history behind the "Mamak" community of Malaysia. This will be followed up with Delving Deeper when a further study of other ethnic communities living in Malaysia is considered.
A dominant theme of June is the significance of rubber to Malaysia. Rubber, along with tin, has shaped the economic development and influenced the history of this country. We will hear from someone who has many years experience in the plantation industry when Mahbob Abdullah talks to the Group about his experiences. This is followed by a visit to the wonderful green space of The Rubber Research Institute at Sungei Buloh, when we will be able to appreciate the practical aspects of this industry, and maybe even have a chance to try our hand at rubber tapping.
June also marks the beginning of the second phase of Religion 101 when members have the opportunity to explore Buddhism with a visit to the International Buddhist Pagoda followed by a presentation on appreciating Buddha images.
There is a further treat during the month, a visit to NN Gallery to have a presentation and talk by the multi-disciplined artist Yeoh Jin Leng. MCG is privileged to have such an exceptional artist to speak to us and the gallery is stunning.
So the Committee are hoping that members can join one or all of the upcoming events. We look forward to seeing you.
Diana Cooper

BITS AND PIECES

ISLAMIC ARTS MUSEUM SEMINARS
IAMM has two upcoming seminars in June and July.
Admission to both events is free. Venue is the Auditorium at the Rehal Terrace of IAMM, Jalan Lembah Perdana.
Saturday 08 June: at 10.00am
Two speakers will discuss the topic of Miniature Paintings.
Dr.Dzul Haimi Md Zain will present "Formal Aspects in Islamic Miniature Painting". Head of IAMM Curatorial Affairs, Dr Mandana Barkeshli will present the second lecture "Materials used in Indian Miniature Painting". Those MCG members that had the guided tour of "Islamic Arts of India" exhibition with Dr Mandana will know what a knowledgeable and entertaining speaker this lady is, so this is an opportunity not to be missed.

Saturday 06 July: at 10.00am
Topic for this seminar is Islamic architecture and gardens.
Dr Arshad Islam will present the first lecture "The Development of Muslim Architecture Under the Delhi Sultanate". Dr Shaukat Mahmood will conclude by discussing "Paradise on Earth- The Concept of the Islamic Garden".

IAMM Exhibitions:
"Islamic Art of India" Exhibition continues until 30 June. Take the opportunity to take a final look at some of the treasures loaned from the National Museum of New Delhi. The MCG Library has an Exhibition Catalogue that details every item on display.
"The Spiritual Edifices of Islam" Exhibition continues until 03 July.
The Exhibition features 33 graphite sketches of some of the most important mosques of the world spanning a period of twelve centuries: mosques from Guangzhou, Istanbul, Pakistan, Spain, Morocco and many other countries are highlighted. Also included in the Exhibition are eighteen works, a variety of prints, watercolours and pastel sketches of significant architectural monuments in America, Europe and the Middle East. All these are the works of the Syrian artist Wahbi al-Harir Rifai, described as the last of the Classicists.
IAMM is open 10.00 am to 6.00pm Tuesday to Sunday. Entrance fee is RM8.

EVENTS AT THE WOMEN'S INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT.
7, Jalan Abang Haji Openg, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Website: www.wimnet.org.my
Friday 07 June 5.30 to 7.30 pm - "Unconscious Competence"
Discussion by Dr Muruga on the concept of using the power of the subconscious mind to achieve high performance levels.
Fee:RM25 members RM30 non-members, includes refreshments.
Friday 14 June 6.30-8.30pm - Networking Cocktail Nite
Fee: RM30 member, RM40 non-members.

TOMLINSON'S ART TALK
Bangsar Gallery: 30 Jalan Telawi Lima, Bangsar Baru.
Sunday 23 June, 11.30am - 12.30pm
Chinese Motif in Chinese Furniture
Discover the symbolic aspect of Chinese furniture. Explore the decorative Chinese motif and understand the hopes and beliefs of one of the oldest surviving civilisations.
Call 2283 2196 to reserve a place

. HOME OF PEACE
Is a charitable organisation set up by Justine Morain to assist girls from squatters' areas in KL and to attempt to give them a future. At present Justine is providing a home and education to eight girls and is providing free tuition to 30 other girls at Kampong Muhiba in Puchong.The girls range in age from pre-school to secondary school.
  Individual donations and fund raising bazaars held at the end of the year fund the Home of Peace. Funds are urgently required to cover school expenses and to pay the household and medical bills. Volunteers are needed to assist with the craft group and a music teacher is needed to teach guitar and piano. Towards the end of the year volunteers are required to help with the Bazaars.
If you would like to volunteer or would like to have more information about Home of Peace, please call Justine 2273 8176

BOOK REVIEWS

The Straits Chinese by Dr Khoo Joo Ee
This exquisite book should be on every expat's shopping list while they live in this part of the world. It is bursting with information and photographs that will have you absorbed totally in the history and culture of a unique group of people.
The Peranakan or Straits born Chinese are also called the Baba Nyonya. They are a proud but dwindling community; as decades pass their numbers decrease and their way of life could easily be lost if it were not for the existence of books like this.
Dr Khoo Joo Ee has focused more than 20 years on researching South East Asian cultures and has produced this beautiful book giving the first comprehensive publication on the Straits Chinese.
She gives us the background about where these people originated, through information on their everyday past lives and on to where they are today. Their influence on architecture, the arts and food has been tremendous, and this book tells it all.
The photographs contained here are a feast for the senses and a must for anyone who is a serious collector of Asian antiques.
Put on a coffee table it will be a magnet for any visitor, as the only description that could be given to this is 'simply stunning'.
For any spouse who is looking for a gift for birthday or Christmas, this could be the answer to a desperate prayer.
Jan Thornton

Adventure Series by Jean Adnan
Many adults (particularly if they are female) will remember the Enid Blyton books that always contained five friends who had amazing adventures (Five Set Out In A Caravan etc). Jean Adnan appears to have repeated the theme (only four children this time) but set her adventures in Malaysia, where she has lived for many decades since coming here from UK.
Her stories centre on the siblings, Zul and Mimi, and their good friends, Kenny and Lyn. They all live in Perak and so far Adnan's stories have been set in three of the state's best known areas: Larut Hill, Pangkor Island and the country around the well known landmark, Kellie's Castle.
For any pre-teens living with their parents in Malaysia, these books could be a way of 'connecting' with their temporary home, as well as giving them some good reading entertainment.
Adnan includes references to the local wildlife as well as touching lightly on some of Malaysia's history, all of which could be fascinating for a child who is new to this country. The local foods and fruits are mentioned and with just a few Bahasa Malayu words slipped in, these books could encourage some children to look up what they mean and try out a few for themselves.
The stories could also provide a reason why some parents may be pressured to take the family where 'Zul's Gang' have their exciting times!
Adnan has written three books (Adventure On Pangkor Island, Adventure At Kellie's Castle and Adventure On Larut Hill), which are on sale now at MPH bookshops for around RM11.
The stories all contain feisty well-mannered children and end up showing that bad deeds always get the retribution they deserve.Well, after all, this is make-believe!
Jan Thornton

Danceworks & Friends
29 June 8.30pm. and 30 June 3.00pm and 8.30pm
Venue: Securities Commission Auditorium, Mont Kiara.
All proceeds will be donated to the Lion's Lyfe Line Leukaemia Fund
Contact Dr. Chen Wei 016-371-1440 for seat reservations and donation details.
The highlight of this event will be the White Swan Grand Pas de Deux from "Swan Lake" performed by Tan Yuan-Yuan, principal dancer of the San Francisco Ballet and David Arce, also from SFB. Yuan-Yuan will also dance a solo piece based on the opera "Carmen". Other works will include three contemporary pieces "Circus Dream", "The Sea" and "Opus 2 Firefly", along with "Li Bai" a Chinese influenced dance and "Ghost" a Spanish piece by Ong E-mae from Perth.

"Enchanting Sarong" Exhibition, until 30 June at the Craft Complex, 63, Jalan Conlay.K.L.
This exhibition in two galleries showcases the history of sarongs-a garment that has remained popular in Asia for centuries. On display are a variety of different styles and sarong fashions that have developed in time, along with explanations of the significance of sarongs in Malay society.
There are also examples of contemporary interpretations of the sarong to be viewed.

REPORTS ON PREVIOUS EVENTS

HINAMATSURI-JAPANESE GIRL'S DAY
On April 18, 2002, our Japanese members Junko Harada and Masako Ishikawa, together with some of their friends, were kind enough to enlighten us about the Japanese celebration of Hinamatsuri or Girl's day, originally an ancient Chinese purification ceremony modified by the Japanese in the Heian era (8thC to 12thC) to involve the floating of dolls in a river to symbolise cleansing. However in the Muromachi era (17thC to 19thC) the Japanese began to decorate their homes with these dolls. Today girls receive a set of these beautiful dolls from their grandmother when they are born and they take them as a treasure to their matrimonial home. A full set consists of 15 dolls: the Emperor and Empress, 3 ladies in waiting, 2 ministers, 5 musicians and 3 male servants, arranged as in the Japanese Courts of the Heian period. They are extremely expensive! Mothers and daughters nowadays display their dolls for Girl's Day, in honour of the girls in their family.
We then made an origami Emperor and Empress with varying degrees of success and with a great deal of help from Junko and Masako and their friends!
Our venue was the Restaurant Chiko Tei at the Istana Hotel and we proceeded to both a visual and a gastronomic experience - a delicious meal served on a tray in the style of Teishoku, Japanese cuisine derived from Kaiiiaeki-ryori - a series of dishes served before the tea ceremony and also at Haiku parties where dishes were served on one or two trays.
We ate vegetables marinated with tofu cream, a seafood bouillon, egg roll, raw tuna, cherry blossom flavoured stewed tofu, steamed fish, glutinous rice, and small quantities of shrimp, crab meat and squid in various guises, followed by green tea flavoured ice cream.
Many thanks to Junko and Matsuko for all the hard work they put into making this such a memorable event for us all and apologies to them if my memory for the details described above does not do justice to their words to us!
Here is a Hinamatsuri song called "Ureshii Hinamatsuri (Happy Hinamatsuri)".
Akari o tsukemashou bonbori ni
Ohana o agemashou momo no hana
Go-nin bayashi no fue taiko
Kyo wa tanoshii Hinamatsuri
Let's light the lanterns
Let's set peach flowers
Five court musicians are playing flutes and drums
Today is a joyful Dolls' Festival
Suzanne Davey

THE CITY OF MALACCA TOUR
On 23 April a group of 30 of us travelled by bus to the culture-rich city of Malacca. We arrived just after 10.00 am to be greeted by a row of 15 trishaws and their eagerly awaiting drivers. It was such a sight to see this cluster of masalas on trishaws, that even a tourist rushed past us in order to take our photograph! We travelled through the historical part of the city with a stopover at the remnants of the A'Famosa fortress and Bukit St. Paul. We then rushed off to the magnificently restored Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (Temple of the Evergreen Clouds). There we met Josephine Chua, our well-learned and informative Temple guide, who is on the restorative committee for both the Temple and No.8 Heeren St.
The Temple is a typical Chinese Temple comprising the 3 religions Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism and is the oldest one in Malaysia. It has now been meticulously restored to its former beauty. All the wooden beams and the roof tiles have been replaced; a very ancient traditional Chinese method for all the Temple surfaces was applied, using treated wood resin which was then highly polished with human hair to give it a smooth lacquered finish. The hair was specially imported from China for this purpose. A lot of the writings and pictures on the wall are made out of 24-carat gold leaf giving the Temple a majestic look. Luckily they were also able to restore the original terracotta floor throughout the Temple.
Inside, worshippers were busy offering joysticks to their gods and shaking the divination sticks. With the kind Chinese translation help of Rebecca, I was able to try my luck with the divination sticks, which you shake in their container whilst asking a silent question. The first stick that comes out will have the answer, which I then had to bring to the Temple assistant who gave me the Chinese explanation on a piece of paper. An interesting way of fortune telling!
From there we went to No.8 Heeren St. which is being renovated; Badan Warisan hopes it will be the model used for future renovations in Malacca. They are trying to maintain the original style of the old Dutch homes. Of course plumbing is now allowed but can be a bit perplexing in those old homes.
The piece de resistance was No 111 Heeren Street, where our delightful hostess Tan Siok Choo gave us a tour of her ancestral home. This was an exclusive tour, thanks to Diana and Alison, that was offered to MCG as the house is not usually open to the public. Tan Siok's great-great grandfather bought the home from the Dutch. He made his fortune in the shipping industry and believed that the next generation should work for their fortune, he thus refused to leave the home to the next generation and left it in a trust until Siok Choo's father inherited it. The family has had it magnificently restored with its three typical interior courtyards, lending the long, narrow and almost windowless home ample light. There were also interesting pieces of English Victorian and Art Deco furniture in the home, giving it a wonderful feel.
It is here that we were invited to partake of a delicious buffet of Baba Nonya specialties (catered by Nancy's Kitchen) which were rich in flavour and spice. A truly wonderful way to end a very interesting day before departing for KL.
Annie Downes

NUMBER 8 HEEREN STREET, MALACCA
In April MCG made a trip to Malacca to visit the ancestral residence of Tan Siok Choo at No 111, Heeren Street, now renamed Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock after Siok Choo's grandfather. En route to Siok Choo's home we made a brief visit to Number 8, Heeren Street. Many of the trip participants have asked for further information about this house, so here are a few details about the property.
Number 8 is a modest two-storey building that is presently being restored as a joint project between Badan Warisan Malaysia and the owners Cheng Hoon Teng Temple Trust. Extending back 26 metres the house has one open courtyard providing light and ventilation and shares a well with No 6. Originally the ground floor would have been used as a shop and the living accommodation would have been above.
Standing inside the building seeing it being carefully returned to its original condition, one could not help but speculate about the former occupants. Who were they? Since only its recent history is known, this will alas remain a mystery. The original title of the property dates from 1790, but gives no information about the owner. However a study of construction materials does give an indication of the status of the original owner as the threshold of No 8 is made of granite indicating they were of relatively high social standing.
Before the Second World War the property was given in trust to Cheng Hoon Teng Temple Trust. Consequently the recent history of the property has been well recorded. For over fifty years (1938-1989) the house was used as a Kuli Keng - these were living quarters for the harbour workers. Malacca had only three such properties, all of them located close to the river. Gradually the demand for such workers declined and the usage of No 8 changed. Until the repeal of the rent act in 2000, the house served as storerooms for various antique dealers.
Heeren Street is known to have been in existence since the early 1700s as it can be found on maps of that date. Buildings like No. 8 are significant in that they mark a point when the town started to urbanise, and timber and thatch structures were replaced with those constructed from more permanent materials such as brick and clay roof tiles. Shophouses like No 8 are only found in Malacca and consequently they have a significant place in the architectural history of Malaysia.
Restoration of No 8 began in September 2001. Fortunately, many of the original fitments and features remain; for example the original wrought iron brackets of the exterior windows were still in place. The front façade facing the street has altered little in appearance since it was built. An important feature is the large front window with two timber shutters. When open, the lower shutter provides a counter for displaying goods. Typical of Dutch buildings of the period the front door has an upper and lower half.
There have been two floor excavations during the restoration process. The first one did discover not a skeleton but a few small bones thought to be chicken! What was also discovered was that terracotta tiles were used in the hallway, while the front room old Dutch bricks were unearthed. The bricks were used as ballast by the Dutch and were used in the construction of many Malaccan buildings during this time.
The major purpose of the project has been to serve as a model of how a restoration can be achieved and to also develop an awareness of the potential of such buildings. An important factor has been addressing practical considerations, which has meant installing plumbing in the restoration process. Restoration of the house is expected to be completed by mid-June, when Badan Warisan will use No 8 as an exhibition space to showcase the project works and demonstrate early shophouse architecture.
Diana Cooper

RELIGION ONE ON ONE- HINDU MARRIAGE RITES
On 29 April, 2002, we met at the Laxshmi Narayan Temple to hear Panditji Tiwari Shastri give us a Powerpoint presentation on Hindu Marriage Rites.
According to the Scriptures, Vivah Sanskar is the rite by which man and woman, having received a complete course of education, having acquired strength and beauty, good qualities and tenderness of youth, come together to assume their responsibilities (Grihastashram) in their married life together. The man and woman have to be suitably qualified to marry, and marriage is the most important of the 16 sanskaras that are to be performed during the course of one's life in the Hindu faith.
The ceremony takes place on the mandap (elevated platform or altar)
The bride's family welcomes the bridegroom's family. The bride's father offers Madhuparka (honey, curd and ghee mixture) to the bridegroom, in a brass vessel. Honey symbolises sweetness in speaking, ghee symbolises affection and curd represents flexibility and clarity of mind. The bride's family thus give full responsibility for their daughter to the groom.
The bride and groom then exchange pledges and the sacrificial fire is lit, symbolising the illumination of the body and mind with spirituality, knowledge, virtue, happiness and wealth.
Other symbolic rites follow. The groom ties a taali or golden necklace around the bride's neck. They each place their right feet on a piece of rock symbolising firm support and strength to face life's troubles.
The bride and groom then walk seven steps together. The first step is to provide for home, food and clothing. The second is to develop physical, mental and spiritual strength. The third step is to increase wealth by just means, the fourth to acquire knowledge and harmony, the fifth to be blessed with children, the sixth for self restraint and longevity and the seventh to symbolise a lifelong marriage.
Various blessings follow and the groom applies Sindoor (red powder) to his wife's forehead, symbolising good luck and a long life together. The Panditji assured us that couples married in this way stay married for life.
A vegetarian snack at the temple then followed.
Suzanne Davey-Brown

BOOK CLUB NEWS

Chapter I - April 19 Discussion of Tracing it Home by Lyn Pan
This month we met another multi-generational family spanning two continents in a tale of the turmoil of 20th century China. The author, a journalist who has also written Sons of the Yellow Emperor and Into China's Heart as well as other books, highlights here the Shanghai of the 40s and 50s with its drug addictions, Japanese occupation, unhappy wives and concubines and loyal family servants. Since much of this territory has been covered by us with other bookclub selections such as Falling Leaves and The Private Life of Chairman Mao, most of our interest focused on characterization - or the lack of it. Even though this is a biography of a Chinese woman, she remains quite detached from her own story and we are left to guess much about her personal life including her motivation for writing.
The most memorable character, because he is the only one we get to know, is Hanze. What motivates a family servant to endure 24 years in a labour camp simply for refusing to deny his master? Similar to the gardener in our previous read, The Samurai's Garden, this character made us examine the role of the individual in his culture and generated a lively discussion about behavior that many of us could not see a logical reason for. We also voiced many opinions about the vital role of servants not only in Asian households but in any household where the time of parents is demanded elsewhere.
There were many protests about the choppy sentence constructions and coherence problems encountered because the text jumped around. The author's English education came under fire as the source for boarding school language and inappropriate expressions. Even those of us who enjoyed the book for the information it provides about an interesting era, such as the how-to of Chinese emigration, conceded that it was easy to get lost in the often repetitive text.
One matter that was touched upon by members who had read or who are currently reading Life and Death in Shanghai may be worthy of further examination, especially as we prepare to vote on a new year of selections. Should books about the same era and country be read in tandem?
Kathryn Dupuis

Chapter II - The Malayan Trilogy by Antony Burgess
Chapter 2 had a welcome change this month with a very enjoyable and easy read of a brilliant portrayal of life in Malaya in the twilight years of British rule.
Azima had researched the life of John Burgess Wilson (later Antony Burgess) who was born to Irish Catholic immigrants in Manchester in 1917 and taught in the Malay College at Kuala Kangsar in the late 1950s. Azima even identified some of Burgess's former students living in KL who were unfortunately unable to join our discussions. The three novels that make up the trilogy were originally published separately in the UK in 1956, 1958 and 1959 before Antony Burgess left the Colonial Service in 1959 having been (mis)diagnosed with a brain tumour and given 12 months to live. He became a prolific novelist, composer and critic to support his ailing first wife in her expected widowhood but he didn't actually die until 1993.
The three novels follow the life of Victor Crabbe in postings across Malaya as teacher, headmaster and administrator in the Educational Service. We watch as Crabbe, an idealist ready to preach democracy and racial harmony, tries unsuccessfully to achieve a fusion of the races and finally appears to give up after hearing of his second wife's 'success' back home and revelations shattering his illusions about his first wife.
Fuelled by Margaret's wonderful home baking we launched into a discussion mirroring the first chapter of Time for a Tiger in which Burgess skilfully portrays the different characteristics of some British colonials (English, Irish and Scottish) discussing the nature of the East. Burgess goes on to provide us with very balanced views of all the races in Malaya (Chinese, Indian, Malay and even a glimpse of Orang Asli) and their interactions not only with the colonists but with each other. We agreed that although the modern appearance of Malaysia today is very different from 45 years ago, Burgess's view of the underlying fabric of Malaysian society was still valid. We could feel the hopes and fears of all the races as they are bemused and bedazzled by the turmoil surrounding independence.

We delighted in Burgess's sharp observation skills and that we could see, hear, smell and feel the settings in his writing. Azima filled us in on some of the verbal inventiveness, that we missed by not understanding Malay, especially Burgess's curious tendency to juxtapose the sacred and profane, apparently mocking the fixed ideas of learned scholars. The female characters are very well drawn but certainly not favourably and the author points out the selfishness of all.
We'd certainly recommend this book and although we didn't feel it could be called a comedy you'll certainly find times when you laugh out loud. The books in the Trilogy can be read independently (in chronological order) but would be best appreciated when you've been in Malaysia a few months.
Jill Thistlethwaite

LIBRARY REPORT
The new subject for the series of religion lectures from this month is Buddhism. Here are some of the few books we have on this subject in the library. You are welcome to borrow them any time. I hope see you.
Fickle D.H. - Images of Buddha in Thailand
Tan Teik Beng - Malaysian Chinese Buddhist
Burt E.A.- Compassionate Buddha
Kuang Ming - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism
Guruge A.W.P.- Buddhism
Piyasilo - Images of Buddha
Piyasilo- Buddhist culture
Teoh Eng Soon - Malayan Buddhism

Another major topic this month is that of plantations. In 1930's a Dutch novel about planters was published, it sent shock waves through European society. The book was translated into English with the title "Rubber, A Romance of the Dutch East Indies". "White Money. A novel of East Indies" was the chosen title for the American market. Madelen Szekely-Lulofs the author had arrived in the Dutch East Indies in the mid 1920's. "Rubber" was her first novel and it was an expose of life on the plantations and gave an honest detailed account of day to day life. Two years later Lulofs wrote another novel that delivered the same shock treatment called "Coolie". Both books are on the MCG Library shelves. For another viewpoint of life on a plantation, there is an account by a plantation manager W.E. Klippert entitled "Reflection of a Rubber Planter".

New Books
The Library has two splendid books recently published by the Islamic Arts Museum. Islamic Art of India catalogues the items in the ongoing exhibition of the same name. It is lavishly illustrated with photographs of the exhibits. The text details the various categories on display covering, calligraphy, jewellery, armour, coins and manuscripts. The second acquisition is simply entitled Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia that describes the story behind the origins of the Museum. There are also detailed accounts of the artefacts to be found in each of the Museum's galleries. Again it is a book that is a feast for the eye with numerous photographs of many items.
Please note that the Library will be closed from 14 June until 24 July.
Renata Greplova

MyDance Alliance
MyDance Alliance is an independent, non-profit society; members are both dance practitioners and dance enthusiasts. The objectives of MyDance Alliance is to present the diversity of Malaysia's multi-genre, multi-cultural dance scene and to provide a platform for local talents to showcase their works. To this end MyDance hopes to foster closer ties within the dance community and so encourage an exchange of ideas and to nurture Malaysia's unique cultural diversity.
MyDance is a relatively young society; it came into existence in 1994 but was only registered in 2001. In recognition of its new status it organised the "First MyDance Festival, 2001, Our Dance our life- celebrating a new millennium of Malaysian Dance". The society continues to maintain its profile by organising monthly "Dance Box Series 2002"in collaboration with The Actors Studio. It is associated with the global body, World Dance Alliance International.
The MCG has given MyDance Alliance a donation so that they can establish a website to help promote awareness of the group and its objectives. MyDance plan to have the website functioning within two months, details will be given of the launch in the next newsletter.

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