KLAB (KL Alternative Bookfest) 2010

KLAB is something initiated by the good folks at The Annexe KL, together with indie publisher Zulhabri Supian and myself. Our aim was to provide an offbeat alternative to the massive bookfair at the PWTC every year (although we support that one also lah).

It takes place in the context of Art for Grabs, where you can buy all sorts of naughty and nice things for under RM100.

Do come along and see if anything tickles your fancy! 

P. Ramlee and Saloma entertain the troops

From the NST archive.

One of the dozens of gems collected in this book :-)

The popularity of John Milton's PARADISE LOST in 1950s Malay cinema

Well, if you want to be really pedantic, it's the popularity of a single line.

It first occurs, in Malay, in that great sequence of Panggilan Pulau (1954) which cross-cuts between two different things: a 'pagan' victory dance, and P. Ramlee being confronted by villains in a cave who want to steal his treasure. The villain, as he prepares to fight, utters the line "Lebih baik ku memerintah neraka daripada menjadi hamba di dalam syurga!"

Two years later, the line appears again in Semerah Padi but as an English subtitle:

The original line, as said by the adulterous/murderous hussy Normadiah as she's about to get arrested by the proto-JAKIM types represented by P. Ramlee and Nordin Ahmad, is: "Alang-alang menyeluk pekasam, biarlah sampai ke pangkal lengan!"

This is a great transliteration of a popular proverb. I wonder who in Shaw Brothers' Malay Film Production studio used the line in the scripts. It must have been someone familiar with the 17th century Paradise Lost which is, let's be honest, the sort of book that some people know lines from, rather than the whole thing. In the book, it's said by the Devil to show how badass he is.

The novelist Chuah Guat Eng suggested to me that the line probably resonated with people here at that time because it can relate to colonialism. It's better to be independent in a screwed-up country than a non-citizen in a stable one. But the line (in both cases) is spoken by bad people. In fact, both these people were so bad that they would later be killed; the latter situation is the famous sula scene. So perhaps it's not meant to be read as an endorsement of revolution.

But still, it plants a seed ...

How the Devil was reponsible for Putrajaya

The very entertaining Malay film Iman (1954) is about an old geezer who makes a pact with Iblis (the Devil): his soul in exchange for youth! He signs the contract (in blood, of course) and is transformed into Ahmad Mahmood; obviously Ahmad Mahmood circa 1954 lah.

In order to demonstrate how powerful he is, the Devil proceeds to build 'mahligai yang cantik sekali' (the most beautiful palace). He waves his black-clad hand, and lo! This is what happens:







On the one hand, you have to give the Devil his due: his instant method of construction doesn't involve the exploitation of migrant labour. It also, aside from the puff of smoke in the beginning, doesn't seem to involve much damage to the environment: no trees were felled.

This structure is meant to be grand, imposing, and totally out of character with its surrounding area. There would be no love here, just diabolical ambition. (What do you expect when the Devil is your architect? He didn't even consult the client, but went ahead and built just-like-that!)

So now you know where the design inspiration for the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya came from:



The government, for obvious reasons, does not want you to know all this; the folks there have enough public relations headaches as it is! This is why Iman is not even listed as a film in the official Finas database. Coincidence? I think not! But now, the truth can be told. Ain't you glad I'm around?

* Dedicated to all Malaysians who love conspiracies -- which is, let's face it, all of us.

Pop gurindam for SM

(I was asked to ulas the book Sultan Pun Blog on stage at its launch this evening. But I decided to read this out instead. Much of what passes for Malaysian pop culture is excruciatingly banal, but credit must be given to Sultan Muzaffar for being one of the earliest -- and still one of the most popular -- entertainment bloggers in the nation. I believe that his original impulse, or throb, must have been of love. Syabas!)

Selamat petang to all tuan dan mem

We're here to sambut the book by SM

Although near the new Istana Negara

Sultan Pun Blog tak guna cukai anda

According to pakar bidang seksologis

S and M can mean sadis dan masokis

It's often thought as bukan cinta biasa

He knows spanking is part of asmara

SM and pop ditakdirkan go together

They are toast with kaya AND butter

But I can't watch Akademi Fantasia

I find it more fun to listen to Perkasa

Despite kesesakan lalulintas of KL

He will not miss P. Ramlee or PGL

Watching a play lima kali is no hal

It's an addiction, but it is still halal

He has two chapters on filem Sepet

But doesn't include any filem rempit

We all sedia maklum Siti's majesty

But he should explain rahsia Mawi

He can sing praises of seronok gila

When writing of Cinta dan Rangga

But menyumpah with funny vitriol

When describing Cinta Kolesterol

If we want to be gila babinya honest

Our pop culture bukanlah the mostest

Too many folk want to play safe only

Castello wants us to eat biskut Julie

Budaya is not just films, song or stage

It is also how kita PILIH untuk engage

Sultanmuzaffar is a pelopor bloggerati

He helped kembangkan our vocabulary

Some pak menteri do not like bloggers

Then again, some politikus are bonkers

If democratic New Media they tak nak

Feed these guys to a flying pontianak

Scenes from TRAPPED BY MALAYS (1907)

It's one of the novels that I was most looking forward to in the list I had posted earlier of English novels about this country that were written before the country was officially created. Maybe it's the title:

Trapped by Malays: A Tale of Bayonet and Kris is an adventure story aimed solidly at a young English audience a century ago, most of whom would never have been to Malaya.

I now have the book, and these are (rather fanciful, of course) images from it. Click to enlarge and read the captions:






And some extracts, all from the dialogue of white blokes:

"I think they [the natives] are untrustworthy. They dislike us for religious reasons as well as for taking possession of their country. and, in short, there are times when I can't help feeling that we are living on the slopes of a moral volcano which might burst forth at any moment." (pg 41)

"How are you going to get tight hold of a savage's tooth when you can see him ready to pull out his kris, and your hands are trembling like banana leaves in a storm?" (pg. 50)

"This long, narrow Malay peninsula is cut up into countries each ruled over by a petty Rajah, and these half-savage potentates are all as jealous of one another as can be." (pg 64)

Can't wait to read the whole thing. If you want to get the book, let me know and I'd be glad to be of service.

Does reading make you white?

Poster for the 5th anniversary of Borders in Malaysia.

I love Borders, but why only mat salleh kids here?



(Photo via Daphne Lee on Facebook).