Our MCG Fall season has begun very successfully and the events planned for the remainder of the year are equally interesting. Our lecture for October is about traditional Malay art forms. We are very fortunate that Eddin Khoo will be speaking to us on this subject about which he is passionate. I hope many of you will join us for our Newcomer's Coffee Morning. Please invite the friends whom you think will enjoy learning more about the MCG. Many of you have requested a night-time event. So we have a fascinating talk by Colette Hassan about Malaysian titles and names, which can be so confusing! We will be celebrating Deepavali in style with not one, but two events. The list is endless, but this should whet your appetite! As always, after the summer break we have many new and current members who are perhaps joining our events after a long break. As an active member of the EP team, I can see firsthand how hard this team works for you, so here are a few ways that you can help us out when attending events: Last but certainly not least, we must say goodbye to our hardworking and creative Newsletter Editor, Olivia Tay. Olivia graciously agreed to continue as editor this past year although her spare time was at a minimum as she is also working for the Malaysian Nature Society, responsible for their publications. Olivia will now devote more of her efforts to the MNS, so she must resign as MCG editor. On behalf of all of us who enjoy reading the newsletter so much every month, I wish her the very best of luck in all future endeavours! Okay, so that wasn't last…we are fortunate that one of our new members, Lorna Wilkinson will be stepping in to take on the Editor's position. She has copywriting and editing experience, so it should be a smooth transition. Welcome, Lorna!
Hope to see you all at one of great events this month!
- Cindy Zeier PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
MCG ANNOUNCEMENTS
EVENTS PLANNING TEAM NEEDS YOU!
We are looking for new blood to infuse our team with ideas, energy, and last but definitely not least, ENTHUSIASM! To ensure the success of the MCG, we need your contribution. Being new to KL is not a deterrent, as we have several oldtimers on the team, but we need some new people to join us to ensure the continuation of our group. It is a great way to make new friends and keep attuned to the happenings in KL. If you are interested in finding out more (and I am sure you will be) please contact Joan or me. We look forward to hearing from you.
REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS
PROSTITUTION IN COLONIAL PENANG - 18 August
If any of the members who booked to attend this talk thought that they would get a glimpse of the salacious lives of 'women of the night', 'fallen women' or any other euphemism used to describe prostitutes, they would have been disappointed. What Neil Khor Jin Keong set out to do in his talk was to describe his research into the sociological problems facing any state which tries to deal with the unfortunate women and children who become victims of the flesh trade. Early 20th century Penang provided the background for his study. As a Penangite and a descendant of one of the forty or so eminent Chinese families there, Neil was well placed to dig up relevant material. Of course, there was no suggestion that he or his family had in any way been connected to the trade! Neil, who is a research executive with Star Publications, has written extensively on various Malaysian topics. His books are widely available here. His latest book, co-authored by Dato' Khoo Keat Siew, is called "The Penang Po Leung Kuk" and details the activities of the Chinese Women, Prostitution and Welfare Organisation. This was set up in 1888 to provide a refuge and rehabilitation services for the victims of the trafficking of Chinese women and girls. It is the founding of this home which formed the basis of his book and talk. These gave us a clear understanding of the need for such an institution. We had a scholarly presentation of details amassed from the National Archives and other sources which managed to survive the war. For example, an illuminating table shows the numbers of Chinese men and women who were arriving in Penang at the turn of the last century. An extract follows:
So the massive influx of men led to the setting up of numerous brothels throughout Georgetown by unscrupulous keepers. This caused much concern to the governing British, to the Chinese leaders and to religious organisations. Hence the need for action and the setting up of the refuge. The talk was well attended and formed the successful launch of the MCG year. We look forward to a full calendar of events of a similar quality. Those of us who are moving to Penang at the end of the year (me) will miss lectures like this, but I am grateful for the timeliness of this one.
MAGIC CARPETS & CUISINE - 26 August
My inner self tells me that most little girls dream of taking a magic carpet ride to a wonderful place filled with friendly faces, beautiful colours and the aroma of exotic foods and spices. The invitation beckoned all little girls who have grown into bigger girls and are now living in exotic and faraway places to 'look at a Persian carpet and to gaze into a world of artistic magnificence nurtured for more than 2,500 years'. It certainly sounded enticing and proved to be a real magic carpet ride when the MCG assembled at Ziba in Bangsar Baru on August 26 to hear more about this ancient and magnificent craft from our host Reza, as well as some charming personal experiences from MCG President Cindy Zeier, whose love of carpets began when she received a carpet from an admirer for her 18th birthday. Her love affair with carpets continued and was further nurtured during her stay with her 'Omar Sharif look-alike' Iranian husband in Tehran. Tracing the history of the Persian carpet is like following a path of cultural growth of one of the greatest civilisations the world has ever known. The element of luxury with which the Persian carpet is associated today provides a marked contrast with its humble beginnings among the nomadic tribes that at one time wandered the great expanse of Persia in search of their livelihood. At that time the carpet was an article of necessity to protect these tribes from the bitterly cold winters of the country. The vibrant colours of the carpets also provided some relief to people who led hardy and uncomfortable lives. The carpet also became a form of writing for these illiterate tribesmen who often wove their life stories into the carpets, giving birth to an industry, which was handed down the generations from father to son. To make a carpet in those days required tremendous perseverance. Even when carpet making developed to the stage of workshops, with several employees working on the same carpet, it was a question of months and often years of painstaking work. The leader would dictate through a series of chants to the other workers the colour of the individual strands of wool to be knotted. When the time came for the tribe to move on, the loom had to be dismantled and the unfinished carpet folded as best they could. The following season it had to be put up again at some new oasis. Not for the Malaysian Culture Group, living in KL in the 21st century, these laborious tasks! We found ourselves draped comfortably on the wonderful selection of carpets available on three floors of the Ziba showroom, being enlightened as to the various types of carpets, the traditional designs and their significance, how to recognise a truly hand-made carpet, the natural fabrics and dyes and all the other attributes of this ancient craft, by our charming host Reza. In addition to his skills as a carpet connoisseur, Reza shared his culinary expertise with all the ladies attending the event and we were treated to a mouth-watering spread prepared by Reza and Cindy. It was indeed a very special experience to be able to sit comfortably on a beautiful, handmade Persian carpet and share a meal with women of many persuasions - long may this annual event continue! If you would like to learn more about Persian carpets or simply enjoy an enchanting 'ride on a magic carpet', Ziba is situated at No. 26 Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar Baru - or you can contact Reza by calling 2283 5066 - he will be happy to welcome you with a cup of tea and he would certainly love to show you around.
SHIPWRECKS & THEIR TREASURES - Antique Porcelain & Pottery Presentation- 01 September
Members were treated to a very interesting presentation by Sten Sjostrand, a naval architect. With his thirty-three years of experience and enthusiasm in marine structures, ceramics, historical trade, shipping, sailing, diving and excavation, he took us on a journey beyond our expectations. The presentation held at Badan Warisan provided ample space for the display of complete and broken pieces of historical and fake ceramic pieces, and books on display and for sale. Before and during Sten's presentation, there was also a video display of the recordings they took of their works on the various shipwrecks. Sten told us that his journey started off from his curiosity as to whether a ceramic piece he bought was truly a genuine antique. He wanted to know the history behind the piece and many others that he was offered in shops. His interest turned into an investment, and today, he has already discovered ten shipwrecks along the coastal waters of Malaysia, most of which are in the South China Sea. He did this with the help and assistance of the Malaysian government and key personnel working with him. Sten briefly shared with us how to identify a genuine antique ceramic from a fake. We would need to have in-depth knowledge of the glaze used, the motifs and the clay used for the piece of ceramic. The wood of the ship that carried the piece of ceramic will also help shed some light on where it came from. If we do not have a strong background on the history of the ceramic piece we are interested in, we were advised not to make the purchase. There was also a piece shown to us that was a copy from the year 1640. Sten told us that the motif and the dynasty printed on the piece do not match. For every piece that was on display, Sten explained in detail the history behind each find and how one piece differs from the other. Marine archaeology is a very tedious process. Sten told us that the initial stage involves surveys done with the Marine Department in the waters of a particular recorded historical route. The search begins after the survey is completed. If the search is successful, a few specimen pieces will be retrieved, recorded and archived. Thereafter, they have to map the ship at its location. This involves numerous dives and recordings on the make of the ship, measuring its current and actual size, according to the detailed measurement of each plank of wood available. The mapping of the ship and estimation of the load it carried are both tedious and critical. The recordings provide valuable information on the history behind the shipwreck. For example, the Desaru Shipwreck took Sten's team two months to do the mapping and to suck out the mud that covered the ship. It then took another six weeks to sketch the whole layout of the ship. Not all shipwrecks are found in deep waters. There are shipwrecks that are only 12 metres deep while there are others which are found 60 metres deep. There are times when the divers only have 11 minutes to work underwater but have to spend about two hours to rise back up to the ship. Hence, with all the work involved in the excavation, they have to engage the services of the Customs, Navy and Marine officers to protect the artifacts and ensure the security of the excavation team. It is usual for them to spot other boats monitoring their activities. Anyone who is interested to know more can buy the book Maritime Archaeology and Shipwreck Ceramics in Malaysia by Roxanna Brown and Sten Sjostrand from Nanhai Marine Archaeology Sdn Bhd. You can contact Ms Karen Loh at 012 203 9126 for more details.
MCG NEWS BOOK CLUB REPORTSTrespassing by Uzma Aslam Khan ISBN: 0007152787 In this book Uzma Aslam Khan explores destinies and how lives can be changed by the imparting or withholding of information. She follows two generations of a Pakistani family. In each generation there are members of the family who leave Pakistan to study. These characters experience a culture alien to their own and discover that Western society is maybe not as free as they had thought and that each culture has its way of keeping individuals to controlled life paths. It takes a brave character to try to break free and in this book we witness several attempts by different characters to escape their fate. Khan tells a love story set in the early 1990's to the backdrop of the first Gulf War, letting her characters explore their reactions to the war from both an American and Pakistani viewpoint. Chapter 2 thought this book was an enjoyable and easy read. The story flows well but we felt some of the characters weren't developed well enough. The title "trespassing" and the continual allusion to silkworms and metamorphosis were not echoed enough among the characters or their actions, leaving us wondering if we had missed the point somewhere during the story. Although we found some "holes" in the book Chapter 2 all agreed it is a good read and would watch for Khan's next book as she has a gift for detailed observation and eloquent story-telling. Thank you to Dipali for hosting this month's meeting. Our next meeting is Wednesday 29th September at 10am. We will be discussing When heaven & Earth Changed Places by Le Ly Hayslip.
LIBRARY REPORT AS Joanna is away until 25 September, I want to tell you about a new book we have in our extensive library, The Penang Po Leung Kuk: Chinese Women, Prostitution and a Welfare Organization by Neil Khor Jin Keong and Khoo Keat Siew. As many of you may know, Neil was our speaker at the August lecture. This is a chronicle of the Penang Po Leung Kuk or PLK, a welfare organisation founded in 1888 for the purpose of providing refuge and rehabilitation for the victims of the trafficking of Chinese women and girls. Prostitution was a difficult problem for the British and this book attempts to bring to light the Colonial adminstration's method of dealing with it. As the PLK's 89-year history is told, you will get a fascinating look into the Colonial and Chinese history of Penang, the social problems relating to these communities and the leading personalities during this period.
I have just finished reading this book and feel confident it will appeal to any of you history buffs.
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