Welcome to another newsletter of the Malaysian Culture Group. To new members - thank you for joining MCG, there are numerous activities that we offer to members. For example the dynamic Explorers' Group are doing exactly that, discovering little known places in Kuala Lumpur, that even KL-ites are not aware of. Explorers' meets once a month with one member of the group taking fellow members to their 'discovery'. If you would like to know more, then please contact the convenor Cindy Peters-Zeier for further information. For armchair travellers, you can join the Book Group, which at present has three chapters. The groups read literature from Malaysia and Southeast Asia with one book club member leading the discussion and with one person hosting. These meetings always promise a lively debate on the book and the topics that it generates. Jean Wingfield, the Book Group convenor, can tell you more. Please also take time to visit the MCG Library, which now has over 500 books that cover culture, religion, art, crafts, history and literature of the region. A catalogue can be found on the website. To use the Library all you are required to do is pay a refundable RM50 deposit. Please talk to the Librarian Renata Greplova if you would like more details. The MCG website: www.malaysianculturegroup.com managed by Noma Nainar not only has the Library catalogue but has an archive of past newsletters, so those new to the Group might enjoy browsing through these editions to read about past meetings of the Explorers' and Book Groups. Activities for this month are, thanks to the Events Planning Team, as diverse as usual. The month starts with celebrating the Hinamatsuri, Japanese Girls Day when we will appreciate the significance of the festival and the beautiful 'hina' dolls arranged on their special step altars. For the monthly lecture the MCG is very privileged to have Zainah Anwar, a lady with a very busy schedule, to speak to us. As the Executive Director of Sisters in Islam we could have no better person to come and talk to us about SIS and its objectives. This will be followed up later in the month with the first Delving Deeper of the year. This is a discussion group, which will explore and debate issues that arise from the lecture. Participants are asked to have done some background reading beforehand so that we all have something to share during the session. Other activities are the rescheduling of the visit to the training division of the Craft Complex which gives instruction in a number of Malay crafts and we will be able to see the students' workshops in progress, along with some special demonstrations for our benefit. In October, the artist Sharifah Zuriah Aljeffri spoke to MCG about 'Art and Spirituality'. At the end of the morning we received an invitation to the artist's studio; this we will be doing on 17 March. Many thanks to Sharifah for extending this invitation to MCG. This month gives you another opportunity to say Happy New Year! March 4 is Awal Muharram also known as Hijrah and marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year. Twelve lunar months giving a total of 354 days comprise the Islamic calendar, so the beginning of the year moves backwards each year. The present Islamic calendar came into being during the 7th century when, with the expansion of the Islamic Empire, there was a need to standardise the numerous calendars used throughout the many regions. It was decided to establish a new calendar system based on the year of the Hijrah, as the starting point of the Islamic era. Hijrah being the Prophet's migration from Mecca to Medina. The Western method of designating Islamic dates is by the abbreviation A.H. for Anno Hegirae or 'Year of the Hijrah' or year of the departure. Although the 4th will be a public holiday there are no major celebrations and many Muslims use this time for quiet reflection. Welcome to the year 1424! Diana Cooper PROGRAMME OF EVENTS 1ST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH LECTURE SERIES: MUSLIM WOMEN CHALLENGE RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM IN MALAYSIA - 05 March By popular request we have invited the enigmatic and tireless Zainah Anwar to talk to us on a subject that she is all too familiar with and which she is relentlessly pursuing to ensure that all Malaysians and women in particular live in an environment that promotes equality and justice. Very few people living in Malaysia would not have heard of her name or reputation as a result of her work and the issues that she advocates. Subjects that she deliberates on include polygamy, apostasy, guardianship of children, and human rights. Zainah has worked in various capacities prior to her position as Executive Director of Sisters in Islam (SIS): as a journalist with NSTP, a writer, a senior research analyst at ISIS, as well as working overseas for the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. She had her initial tertiary education in Malaysia and later earned two Masters' degrees in the United States. We invite all members to participate in this event, and to discuss with Zainah issues that concern all of us in this country, and we think you would not find a more articulate and clearer speaker on this subject !!!! KRAFTANGAN (CRAFT COMPLEX) TRAINING CENTRE VISIT - 13 March Have you ever wondered who keeps the labour-intensive Malaysian craft industry alive and how beautiful articles such as woven songket cloth are actually made? Please join us for a visit to the Kraftangan Training Centre and watch classes in action as students undertaking a two or three year degree in Craft Techniques are being trained in six different artistic disciplines: batik painting on fabric, songket weaving, rattan weaving, ceramics, woodcarving, and copper and silver jewellery making. The Training Centre will host morning tea for the group. VISIT TO SHARIFAH ZURIAH ALJEFFRI'S STUDIO - 17 March This is a wonderful opportunity to visit the studio of noted artist Sharifah Zuriah Aljeffri, who spoke to MCG in October 2002. Described by the New Straits Times as a 'Gifted chameleon', Sharifah is always extending the boundaries of her art. Sharifah mastered the technique of Chinese brush painting and then was inspired to apply it to Arabic calligraphy. As Sharifah explains, "I paint calligraphy but I am not a calligrapher". A new talent that Sharifah has acquired is silk painting with bold motifs and strong colours. Come and join us at her studio to learn more from this dynamic artist. DELVING DEEPER We are restarting the Delving Deeper series for 2003 with a very topical and interesting, if not controversial subject. This topic has stirred us in so many ways, causing us to be concerned with the way the world dynamics is moving as well as the responses that we see in relation to the issues of religious extremism. The subject has gripped the political, economic and social life of many countries in this region, and many wonder how this has happened. When did it all start and why?
Many have associated extremism with just Islam, but those that have followed the scenario will note that there is in fact an uprise in religious fundamentalism or extremism in all the major religions and in many countries. And more importantly, the issue that needs some discussion is whether the problems that we are facing today are really about religious extremism or really about politics and power/control?? Let us share our understanding and reading with each other on this subject, with the realisation that there is no right or wrong answer. We do however expect our participating members to do some background reading prior to the event, so that we all can share and benefit from this session. REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS GUARDIANS OF THE FOREST - 21 November
With the present government in place, their interests are represented through the Department of Orang Asli. They were evacuated from their forest homes to remote, near-city locations surrounded by marsh land with an unfulfilled promise of reclamation; with cut electric and telephone lines due to unpaid bills; and prison-like homes in exchange for their rich unlimited forest domain. There are no consistent jobs that can provide an income to put food on the table, assist in the schooling of children, or hospital facilities for the sick. They are simply not citizens of the state. A group of them were starting to benefit from tourists trying to explore the jungle as they were experts in forest terrain and rivers. This soon ended when a dam was built on that part of the river which flooded nearly 600 hectares of land, most of which was their homeland. This group was once again relocated to similar conditions of their brothers elsewhere with little or no compensation, resulting in the same humanitarian crisis. The film concluded with a Q&A session with Alan D' Cruz, the photographer and Mary McGuire, the producer of the film. Why were the Orang Asli still considered as non-citizens? How could they support their children without income? Why was the dam built when alternatives were possible? Why did the Orang Asli Department have no orang asli people who could present their concerns. There were other open questions on the film itself: What were the makers hoping would be the future of the Orang Asli: (to return back to the forest or to be integrated into the society and lose track of their old ways)? A DVD of the film and a CD of McMena's songs were on sale with part of the income going to support the Orang Asli community.
EXPLORERS' MEETING - 13 January
Such an endeavour is never easy, as it is both tedious and time consuming, and also because it is seen as part of the religious obligation, hence the heavier responsibility of doing a good job. It was decided that they would recruit a group of young people fresh from school, preferably from the religious stream that would be trained by foreign experts in the art of calligraphy. Since the young people had basic Islamic training, it would be easier to train them in calligraphy. We are told that this could be the only place in the world that actually takes in young people for this sort of activity. The Quran that was created has 630 pages and they all had to be handwritten. It took some four to five years to complete the whole work, and was done by about five people. The other unusual aspect of the creation is the illumination or designs that go along with the Quranic verses, and a lot of research had to be carried out to reflect the unique Malaysianness of the Quran. Noraini explained that the designs were drawn from carvings or motifs found in old mosques, Malay houses or palaces. Traditional Malaysian flowers or plants were copied, as well as designs found on a Sultan's buckle and costumes from Princess Hang Li Po of Malacca. An important element was that each State of Malaysia would be represented in the Quran, either in the form of flowers found in that State or something historically unique that represents it. We were shown the various steps in the process, including the calligraphy work, colouring, and application of the gold leaf. For purposes of writing the script, the tool used was quite fascinating,. It was a simple local fern known as the resam or the handam. After much experimentation this was found to be the best writing tool. We then observed the more technical and commercial aspects of the process, which enabled the printing of the Quran into book form. This is where modern technology is being used extensively, so that the Quran could be printed for commercial sale. For discerning collectors, Yayasan has available a higher priced gilt-edged version as well as the leather-bound ones. The Yayasan is currently working on two other projects, one called the Al-Quran Mushaf Noor Fatimah and the other the creation of a Collector's Illuminated Quran, priced at RM35,000. The latter will be much sought after by collectors and institutions and will be made of very high quality German paper envisaged to last some 500 years. The Noor Fatimah project is unique, as an all-ladies team will do the work. Fatimah was the daughter of the Prophet; much revered by Muslims and the project is named in her honour. The project is for the creation of a book of handwritten Quranic verses with specific references to women, that will be written and decorated by young Malay women, the first such project in the world. The young ladies will undertake every aspect of the work ranging from the concept, design, copying and colouring. An exhibition was held in Iran recently to showcase part of the work. The designs for the illumination are taken from all the regions of the world subdivided into eight parts including Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The motifs will be based on leaves, plants and flowers, including medicinal flowers. In terms of colours, they intend to use natural and subtle colours. Because of the recognition given to the work of Yayasan, they will be given a bigger space in Shah Alam in the next few months. It is hoped that with a bigger area, they can showcase the original manuscripts, and the other work which they do, such as Islamic art and crafts, which can be appreciated by a bigger audience. They also plan to hold more calligraphy classes for young children. At the end of the visit, we all had the opportunity to buy copies of some of the lovely work, but before that we were shown some very nice Malaysian hospitality. This place is recommended as a must see!
HARI RAYA LUNCH AND COOKING DEMONSTRATION - 15 January
We then learnt how to stuff rice and coconut milk into bamboo stalks cut in the correct manner and placed near the embers of a fire to cook slowly (nasi lemang). A copper fenestrated container to pour the batter for making roti jala proved a challenge and a lot of fun to get the right speed and circular movement to create the desired lacy pancakes. We kept returning for one last try to achieve the perfect result, not as easy as it looked! Then came a demonstration of the slow-cooked classic- rendang daging, utilising amongst other things freshly grated coconut milk, galangal and turmeric root, assam keping and kaffir lime leaves, ingredients unfamiliar to many of us. Rohani also provided us with sample Malay sweets served during Hari Raya as an appetiser and we got to eat the delicious food she taught us how to prepare, in addition to chicken and vegetarian curries, all washed down with a delightfully fragrant lemon-grass tea. For those who missed out on our event, and whose appetites have been whet to try Kampung or provincial cooking, Rohani has published a set of three cookbooks on Malay food available at local bookstores.
MALAYSIAN NAMES AND TITLES - 22 January
Colette briefly explained to the group that she had been in the country for many years, had worked in the Swiss Embassy for 27 years and is married to a Malaysian . In the Embassy she was involved with protocol and fully understands why the majority of us are a little confused with names and titles. In one hour, Colette managed to explain how to interpret Malay, Chinese, Indian and Portuguese names. She also outlined the basic structure of the Royal families and explained how to decode their names and titles. Furthermore she briefly outlined the three levels of government and the honorific titles associated with the positions, and believe it or not - she very clearly explained the meanings of the titles bestowed by the King and Heads of State. From the talk I learned that at any one stage there are only 50 Tun titles held. Similarly there are only 75 Tan Sri and 120 Tan titles. Each year the King, and each Head of State on their respective birthdays, present citizens within their jurisdiction with awards. The Sultan of Perak recently presented just over 1000 titles on his birthday. Many of his citizens received the title of Datuk or Dato'. Titles are much esteemed in Malaysia. We were amused to hear that although only the man receiving a title and his wife/wives can use it, offspring, wishing to impress, will incorporate the title into their name eg Mohammad bin Datuk Daud. Colette stressed that although the whole area of names and titles is complex we should listen to how the individuals are introduced and be prepared for a different variation next meeting. She added that if you get it wrong not to worry, at least you tried. The various Federal and State protocol departments are happy to assist with enquiries. Colette recommended a book titled Malaysian Protocol 3rd edition by Abdullah Ali. We were all very impressed with Colette's smooth presentation and her competent handling of the Q & A session. Many heads were swimming with a new insight into Malaysian life and we left the cinema eager to decipher the names in the daily press. Thank you Colette for a very informative session.
Of Dreams and Etching: A Morning with Ilse Noor - 30 January
Lembah Beringin is a small residential area (if you blink you'd miss it), that was originally devised as a satellite town and leisure centre for the technicians working at nearby Proton City. To that effect, an 18-hole golf course open to the public has already been built, although development on the swimming and shopping complexes has stalled due in part to the post-1997 economic slowdown. The other reason for the near abandonment stems from the fact that KLIA, which was supposed to be built in the vicinity, was moved south to Seremban instead. This thwarted development, however, has been to the advantage of German-born Ilse Noor, etcher-sketcher extraordinaire. Ilse, resident in Malaysia for almost 30 years, has just built a beautiful home-cum-studio overlooking the golf course and a meandering stream. The house, named Kunang Kunang after the fireflies that light up the area, is a labour of love that has taken a year to be constructed. It combines traditional Malaysian architectural features with modern amenities. Wherever possible Ilse has made use of local building materials, including the use of Merbau amongst other types of wood for shutters and door jambs. Members were also delighted by the jade-green Chinese tiles that perforate the walls and the panels of Malaccan openwork woodcarving that top each portal. These are not only decorative but functional, acting as air vents so that the entire house makes do without air-conditioners or fans - the only modern convenience Ilse does without. There are also no ceilings, so we could see the roof's wooden beams and struts that were all built in the traditional way without metal brackets. The layout of the house is open plan and the vestibule leads to a small courtyard with rooms on either side. Straight across the courtyard is a verandah open to the elements - the perfect vantage point to literally shoot the breeze. Just a few short steps to the side is Ilse's studio, a compact two-storey building. After the quick tour, Ilse led us down to the studio workshop where the offset press takes up most of a back room. Here she gave us a dummies-guide and demonstration to intaglio printmaking.* Etching is actually a very old European artform, dating over 500 years. In fact, the design and mechanics of the offset press Ilse uses has been virtually unchanged over the entire history of etching! Most people do not understand the techniques in etching and confuse it with lithography or other forms of printing. However, the painstaking process in etching that include preparing the plate with wax, etching, and acid treatments, means that prints from each plate are limited. We also learned that skill and infinite patience are definite prerequisites. Ilse places great emphasis on the artisanal aspects of etching and without the proper skills, good work is impossible. The copper plates Ilse uses have limited lifespans while each artwork itself requires at least a few prints to perfect. Ilse cited the perfectionist, Rembrandt, who although famous for his oils, was in his lifetime known more for his accomplished etchings. It is said that Rembrandt would only be happy after at least 16 tries. As another indication, Ilse told us that she took two years to prepare for her Petronas commission, while the Shell calendar, another commission, also took two years. She is very strict about reproductions and 'cancels' each plate after the series has finished to ensure the integrity of each artistic commission. So for potential buyers, beware of etchings that purport to be part of any series more than 30! Inspiration for her incredibly detailed, dreamlike works is drawn from nature and its bounty: from the morning mist to glistening dewdrops on spiderwebs like jewelled necklaces, and of course the art subjects themselves, which are mainly marine in theme. For example, fierce warrior prawns and Guggenheim conch shells. Ilse has also been inspired by keroncong music which sounds soothingly like the sea. Apart from Ilse, there are other Malaysian artists who have produced etchings, like Latiff Mohidin, but as it is a time-consuming artform, it is not as popular as other printing techniques. That said, art schools are beginning to teach students this technique and we can only hope that this tradition will live on, in exciting and innovative ways. The studio space upstairs reminds us of the rumah ibu areas in traditional kampung houses. The impression was helped by the carpets that Ilse had spread so we could sit and enjoy the idyllic view while we had a very tasty local lunch. For an artist who seems to love the sea, being so far away from it must be trying, although Kunang Kunang's bucolic surroundings with Fraser's hill, Genting highlands and on a very clear day, even the Cameronian hills framing the distance, is some compensation. Yet, Lembah Beringin is slowly being revived. In an effort to save some of the wild plants from the bulldozers, Ilse has replanted a few wild orchids and pitcher plants in the garden of her driveway. Wild orchids are abundant here and with the help of the local orang asli, Ilse even found out which are edible! We hope for her sake and especially ours that these delicate beauties, like Ilse's style of etching, survive and prosper.
* Interested members can refer to MORE INFO: For the budding etcher, Ilse has a few tips:
BITS AND PIECES Istana Budaya East Meets West - Musical concert 07 March - 08 May Billed as a dynamic, emotional musical concert that takes you on a cultural journey to the East and West through a simple love story. The concert features five leading musical theatre artists, eight classical singers, eight dancers and a 40 piece Asian and European orchestra. Further details on 4025 5932. BOOK REVIEWS: Journeys through Southeast Asia. Ceritalah 2 By Karim Raslan This is Karim Raslan's third and latest book. And is a must read. A lawyer by profession Karim is also an art critic, a social observer and commentator. Since his second book, Ceritalah : Malaysia in Transition, Raslan has broadened his focus beyond Malaysia, travelling to neighbouring countries and making comparisons between the new perspectives he has gained. Both books are a collection of articles that were previously published in the now defunct Australian magazine The Eye, as well as The Business Times of Singapore, The Sun and The Star (for which he still contributes a regular column). This collection is mainly from 2000-2002, with a few articles that date from 1996. Ceritalah 2 is divided into sections covering: Art and Literature, Culture and Society, People and Places and Political Life, providing a variety of material for the reader. So the range extends from an amusing reflection on being swept up in the frenzy of The Dot com Boo' in Singapore to observing Malaysia at Fort' and in between reflecting on the Clash of Liberal and Literal Islam in 'Culture and Society'. 'People and Places' travels from Cambodia, where we are given an insight into the life of a young bank clerk dealing with the legacy of the Pol Pot regime, to the women of Ban Krua, a small Muslim community living in the heart of Bangkok. 'People' also includes a eulogy of Michelle Yeoh and personal memories of a long-time influential family friend. 'Political Life' finds Ho Chi Minh, Dr M, Paul Keating and Pak Lah sharing this section, which makes for some interesting contrasts. The last part is a series of art essays which displays Raslan's skill as a wordsmith. Particularly notable is an account of the life of the Thai artist Moontein Boonma and 'Kampong Girl' exploring Simryn Gill's exhibitions at the National Art Gallery and Galeri Petronas last year which challenged Malaysian perceptions of their own identity. And one final reason that this is a good read - come April, Karim Raslan will be talking to the MCG about his work and maybe tell us when his novel will be finished!
The Quiet American By Graham Green
The book is relatively short (less than 200 pages) but the story is so vividly written that when it comes to an end the mind of the reader is left spinning. Of course the tragedy for Vietnam is that the story did not come to an end when Green put down his pen. In the film, Michael Caine plays Fowler-the cynical, aging, British reporter who sees and hears everything without letting himself become emotionally involved. Into his 1952 world comes Pyle (Brendan Fraser), a young American idealist who wants to change all the bad things around him into good, and sets out to do so with all the fervour that only the naive can possess. Fowler wants to remain detached and keep out of the conflict in Vietnam while Pyle plunges headfirst into it and in the process falls in love with Fowler's Vietnamese mistress, Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen). Not a moment is wasted either in the book or in the film. The dialogue is as sharp and clever as one would expect from a journalist who was later employed by the British Foreign Office. The moralistic intervention that America made in Asia is frighteningly portrayed in this tale with subtle intensity. Did Green use the world-weary Fowler as the metaphor for the decline of colonial power, and the vigorous, young Pyle to represent the 'all-American-way' of dealing with issues? Whatever he intended, Pyle is the clean-cut college boy who does immense harm because he believes what he reads rather than what he sees. The book he carries everywhere with him urges a creation of a 'Third Force' to counteract the communists, which the French appear to be unable to contain. With all the ardour of an innocent, Pyle sets out to 'make what is wrong, right' and because he is so totally unaware of what he is getting himself - and others into- he becomes responsible for even more wrongs than he can ever imagine. Brilliant concise writing in the book translates into an atmospheric film that will carry you along in a whirlwind of tense emotions. The pity of it is that this is no Hollywood fairytale but the true depiction of the intervention in another country's conflict by people who did not understand what they were doing.
Malaysia's 'enfant terrible' launches The Other Malaysia By Dr. Farish A. Noor
In January this year, Silverfishbooks, Bangsar published a collection of Farish's articles written between 1999 and 2002 for the independent online daily news website malaysiakini.com. His online column 'The Other Malaysia' started in the wake of the economic and political crises of 1997-98. Though the articles tended to focus on politics, Farish explains that they "were more focused towards the reactivation of the memory of the past and to bring to light aspects of Malaysia's marginalised and subaltern histories and narratives that had been buried for so long." He added, "The articles are about a country that is here and real, and one that is yet to come". A believer in the transforming potential of progressive Islam, Farish continues, "Over the years, malaysiakini has offered me a space where I could write about issues and concerns such as gender, politics, race, and religion. I have been struck by the myopic perspective clearly evident in the collective imaginary of the Malaysian nation. The contribution of 'other' ethnic and racial groups, the role of women in the country's historical development and the pre-Islamic past of the country have been conveniently relegated to the footnotes of history. 'The Other Malaysia' tries to show that there exists another Malaysia, in fact many other Malaysias." In his foreword to Farish's 354-page book, Sumit Mandal, academic from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia adds, "The articles are an attempt at a sustained critique of Malaysian historiography and an effort to deconstruct some of the more settled and essentialist understandings upon which Malaysian politics, culture and social life are premised. The very act of writing independently, often taking risks, and the substance of his articles together demonstrates the salience and power of freedom of expression." In addition to giving a different perspective to historical events and individuals from the past, Farish also deals with contemporary issues in his writings. Among his provocative articles which appear in the book are 'How Mahathir became Mahazalim', 'Progressive Islam won't be born behind bars', 'Sex and the Asian woman', 'Porn and the Sheikh' and 'Why hudud (Why not?)'. Author's Bio: Dr Farish Noor, associate fellow at the Institute for Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Malaysia, is also a member of the National Human Rights Society of Malaysia (HAKAM) and Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM). He has served as the secretary-general of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), has taught at the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, University of Malaya, and the Institute for Islamic Studies, Freie University of Berlin, as well as the Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM), Leiden, Netherlands. In February 2003 he took up a two-year research fellowship at Humboldt University in Berlin. His columns have appeared in Malaysiakini.com, Saksi.com, Freemalaysia.com, the New Straits Times, Sin Chew Jit Poh, Pakistan Daily Times, Impact International and Harakah. His previous works include 'Terrorising the Truth: The Demonisation of Islam and Muslims in Global Media and Political Discourse' (JUST, 1997) and 'New Voices of Islam' (ISIM, 2002). He is currently working on 'Islam Embedded: The Historical Development of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party PAS' (MSRI, 2003).
For a copy of Journey through Southeast Asia (MCG member price RM25.50) or The Other Malaysia (MCG member price RM31.50), please contact Iolanda - 2282 9199, czyk2@tm.net.my
MCG NEWS BOOK CLUB NEWS Chapter I
All but one of the group who attended the meeting enjoyed this book. Nien Cheng was certainly not one of the masses. She was well-educated, had a responsible position within Shell and an elegant, if rather solitary, lifestyle. She was surrounded by the luxuries of life. She loved her home, her books, and her collection of fine porcelain. After her husband's death she had raised their daughter, an only child, on her own. She had to endure seeing her home destroyed by the Red Guards, being unable to see her daughter, the interrogations as to whether she was a spy and finally imprisonment. She had to be strong to survive. The cruellest blow was to discover that her daughter had been killed. Why was she able to endure the harsh conditions of prison, the death of her daughter and the years of harassment? For the answers you must read the book.
Chapter II - November
by the members of Chapter 2 Book Group. A story of several generations, headed by the matriarch, Lakshmi, it relates the whole gamut of happiness and hardship, love and betrayal, rape and murder, alcohol and gambling addiction encountered by the family. Through all these adversities, Lakshmi struggles to provide a good life for her children, only to find her cohesive family splintered as they attain adulthood. Lakshmi's childhood in Ceylon is idyllic. She runs free with her brothers and sisters in the village but when she reaches puberty, her life is changed forever. She is married off to a supposedly rich man from Malaysia but discovers when she arrives in Malaysia that he is only a poor clerk. Her determination to make a happy life in spite of this inauspicious start reveals her intelligence and optimism which carries her and the family through many a dark hour. Her inability to let go the control of the family as they begin to manifest themselves as individuals is perhaps part of the reason for the disintegration of the family unit. The group agreed that, although the book was very easy to read and was one of those where one wants to keep turning the pages, there was still a depth to it. The characters on the whole were believable and we felt that at times the author was drawing on real experiences. Many of us recognised the places and incidents she was describing in KL. For instance, the wonderful mansion built by the Chinese millionaire for Lakshmi's granddaughter was surmised to be Bok House and formerly Coq D'Or restaurant on Jalan Ampang. The story of the family's and the country's sufferings through the nightmare of the Japanese Occupation during the Second World War is riveting and horrifying. It felt as if the author must have experienced some of it, although she looks too young to have been through it. Perhaps she has first hand stories from her own family. Many of us could relate to the thoughts and feelings of the various characters, which, we felt, indicated that Rani Manicka has a good insight into people's emotions. We look forward to further novels from this writer.
LIBRARY REPORT We were very lucky this month to receive two books by Dr. Farish A. Noor - The Other Malaysia and New Voices of Islam. Dr. Farish A. Noor is a Malaysian political scientist and human rights activist. He was our speaker in October 2001 with a lecture on Religion and Politics in Malaysia - Past, Present and Future. We really enjoyed his presentation. New Voices of Islam - this book was published in 2002 by the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM). This publication contains interviews with Muslim intellectuals. They were interviewed by Dr Noor at an ISIM workshop 'Muslim Intellectuals and Modern Challenges' held in the Netherlands in April 2000. They cover issues of modernity, from human rights to political Islam, and demonstrate the broad scope of Muslim intellectuals' reaction to such issues. The Other Malaysia - Writings on Malaysia s Subaltern History is a compilation of some of the articles by Farish W. Noor that were published for the online daily Malaysiakini.com. Refer to Book Review (page 13) for more information. For those members who attended the Malaysian Names and Titles talk given by Colette Hassan, you will be interested to know that the Library has an edition of the book mentioned in the write up by Bridger Tesch Malaysian Protocol and Correct Forms of Address by Abdullah Ali. Also in the Library is another book on the subject: Malaysian Customs and Etiquette A Practical Handbook written by Datin Noor Aini Syed Amir.
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE BOOK CLUB?
If you are interested in joining us, please send an email to thewingfields@pd.jaring.my and the date of its receipt will determine your placement on the waitlist.
BOOKING POLICY FOR EVENTS Reservations - When making email reservations for events, please send one email for each event and place the event title on the subject line. Telephone reservations can be made Monday to Friday. Wait List - Events Planning follows a policy of booking places for events on a first come first served basis. If an event becomes full then a wait list is created and participants will be informed as soon as possible if a place becomes available. Vouchers - For events requiring pre-payment with a voucher, please book by email or phone before sending the voucher. Cancellations - If for some reason you cannot attend a programme when you have reserved a place please let the Events Planning Team know as soon as you can. Cancellations received within less than 48 hours are only eligible for a refund if the vacancy can be filled from the wait list or if the person can find another member to take their place. Refunds - Refunds can only be given if EP has 48 hours notice of a cancellation. Please note that some events have a cancellation time of longer than 48 hours, this will be indicated in the description of the event. Eligibility - Please note that all events, apart from the monthly lecture are for Members only, unless otherwise stated. The co-operation of Members with the Booking Policy would be much appreciated by the Events Planning Team. 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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