Jasni won SEA Write Award

Sabah-born writer, Jasni Matlani has been named as the recipient for the Malaysian's SEA Write Award. SEA Write Award has been given by Thailand annually since 1979 with each of the ASEAN country name their recipient respectively.

Matlani write in various genres in literature from poetry to short story and essay while actively involve in literary activism. He also the President of Badan Bahasa dan Sastera Sabah (BAHASA). This year is a remarkable year for Matlani because he just won ITBM-PENA-BH's writing competition when both his short stories compilation and anthology of poetry swept for third place.

A new polemic on language and education in Malaysia

There is round table closed meeting organized at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) which participated by various key figures, writers and activists to discuss about dual language programme (DLP) dan high immersive programme (HIP). Those two initiatives especially DLP suspected as strategic move to re-implement  the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI). The implementation of PPSMI had been hotly debated among various group and opposed by many people including academics, writers and cultural activists. The PPSMI then scrapped in 2009 and replaced by Upholding Malay Language, Strengthening English (MBMMBI) policy.

Read, Pertemuan Meja Bulat Isu Sistem Dwibahasa Pendidikan Negara bermula (in Malay language).

The vision of poet

There is a hadith which said 'for the vision of a Muslim is the forty-fifth part of Prophecy.' Without our conscious, Rahimidin Zahari had left his vision time after time. Yet we never saw its except just like an ordinary poetry.

Poetry Gala
by Rahimidin Zahari
translated by Nazmi Yaakub

people seem to be drunk and possessed
mounted to the dais to recite poem by poem -
rolling on the main stage, scattering
words, sparing not of the words
true or false, they continued partying

bonfires were lit - they forgot night
had turned into day; day also
had turned back to night

when the poetry gala lasted several days,
some nights; I were asleep a few days
some nights, without wake.

Poem for and by Rahimidin Zahari

Noktah Itu (That Dot) by Rosli K Matari for me like a lighthouse on an island that its bright light make us forget how beutiful of its panorama. Hanya Langit Meratap (Only Sky Grief*) like that island.

That Dot had been written by Rosli not just as a brilliant poet, but also he was a teacher to Rahimidin Zahari. It was their story begun from the early age; Rosli as a young teacher and Rahimidin as a student. They bound together to be closed friend ever until Rahimidin died on Thursday afternoon, May 14th this year after suffered a severe stroke. Because of that, That Dot has a soul of history, friendship and brotherhood which to some extend would not happen to other poets as far as Malay literary concern.

Certainly, I could not translated this poem as good as the original one not just because the limit of my language and ability, but because that friendship and brotherhood which bound those two poets of par excellence. But it not hurt to try to translate both poems from Rosli and Rahimidin.

And the second poem is taken from Rahimidin last book, Sehelai Daun Kenangan (A Piece of Memory Leaf*). This title will be at a special place forever, insya-Allah.


That Dot
(Remembering Allahyarham Rahimidin Zahari)
by Rosli K Matari
translated by Nazmi Yaakub


1
I recall you
who came with letters
incomplete to spell
frangipani.

2
Still you were ready
with a dot
at the tip of leaf,
because the leaves shall shed.

In ink there is letters
in letters there is a soul
in soul, the pool is calm
sky, as well as waves.

Don't confuse ink
to the clouds, I said
because love of the sky
is white, blue.

Sadly red, yellow
but its soul
has others
gray, black.

You chose dawn, but I teached
you to stare at horizon,
there is another meaning
why sun has to set.

You must know
why there aren't different
light and life,
dot with a shadow.

3
Now, between dusk
frangipani and your gravestone,
I recall you
in my tears.

Among horizon
and your tombstone,
it is not easy for me to imagine
a drop of dot.

Tok Canggah Cemetery,
Peringat



A Piece of Memory Leaf
by Rahimidin Zahari
translated by Nazmi Yaakub


trees leap
looking for spring
at the edge of village

but the village had long
burnt - no
spring from bowels of the earth

villagers became invisible
disappeared behind a wave of cloud -
leaving only a name and
shadow also a piece
of memory leaf.

October 2014

*not translated

4,600 manuscripts have not been studied

There are a total of 4,600 manuscripts written in Jawi in various disciplines which in the collection of the Malaysia National Library (PNM) have not been studied until today.

Director General of the National Library, Nafisa Ahmad, said the collection of manuscript was gathered over 30 years ago, when National Centre for Malay Manuscripts established in 1985.

Read about it in '4,600 manuskrip tulisan jawi belum dikaji' (link in Malay language). Until today, Malaysia has only a handfull of researcher in manuscript field and the number seem is not going to increase right now.

Today, PNM organized Discourse of Sulalatus Salatin in their headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Sulalatus Salatin or Malay Annals give a romanticised account about the evolution of Kesultanan Melayu Malaka or Malaka empire from the beginning to it's downfall. UNESCO listed it as Memory of the World Programme International Register in 2001.

Announcement of Thailand SEA Write Award

As always, The Thai SEA Write Award had been announced early than other country including Malaysia. Veeraporn Nitiprapha won the prestigious literary award via A Blind Earthworm In a Labyrinth. Bangkok Post mentioned she as an unknown author and first-time published writer.

It also said that all the seven SEA Write judges committee unanimously chose the book because of its unique, evocative, and powerful prose which is encapsulated and well told by imaginative narrative plots that can deeply touch human hearts.

Malaysia will announce their candidate this Friday after the selection made by secrecy manner as always. Last year, the award sparked an uproar among the writer community. Hope now we learn from any mistake and give it based on merit.

The polemic of National Laureate

Recently, Datuk Zurinah Hassan has been named as the recipient for the 13th National Laureate Award which will carry the title of Sasterawan Negara (SN). She is the first ever female author who recieve such award since it introduced in 1981.

The announcement was made by Education Minister, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid who also said the selection was based on her outstanding contributions to the development of literature in the country through creative work, thinking and high quality literary activities.

Zurinah had produced a numerous writing especially in poetry collections which some of them had been translated into English such as Facing the Harbour (Menghadap ke Pelabuhan).

Since the announcement, we at Berita Harian (BH) ran a serie of polemics begining with a writer from young generation, Wan Nor Azriq, who wrote 'Hebat sangatkah menjadi sasterawan negara?' (Are national laureate is so great?) and received response by SEA Write Award winner, Rahman Shaari with the title Hanya pengkarya hebat jadi SN (Only great author will be a SN).

But far from over, this polemics still in initial phase.

List of Malaysian National Laureate
 
1981: Kamaludin Mohamad (Keris Mas)
1982: Shahnon Ahmad
1983: Usman Awang
1985: A Samad Said
1987: Arena Wati
1991: Muhammad Haji Salleh
1993: Noordin Hassan
1996: Abdullah Hussain
2003: S Othman Kelantan
2009: Anwar Ridhwan
2010: Ahmad Kamal Abdullah (Kamala)
2013: Baharuddin Zainal (Baha Zain)

Talking about Kokoro and post-modern human quest

A good input and discussion at Borak Buku yesterday when our guest, Ariff Mohamad whom also author and academician shared his view on Kokoro, a novel by the Japanese author Natsume Soseki which translated to the bahasa as Kalbu.

The selection of Japanese novel not because losing his faith to Malaysian literature, Ariff said, but largely because he want to capture back his reading in younger time. At those time, he said, there a lot of good choice foreign novels which translated to bahasa by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP).

And he went on to share his exciting experience in reading Kokoro either in bahasa or English translatation to the extend he disclosed all the plot of that novel!

But Borak Buku not just about sharing reading experience nor elaborating the whole plot or scene. We just not talked about the novel, its author and literary aspect but philosophical background and impact of modernization in east world including Japan.

For some reason, early discussion centralized in suicide element in this novel but not only in term of religion. We had some length in discussion to differentiate between suicide in term of postwar time and suicide in context of Japanese traditional (harakiri/seppuku).

Fellow author such as Zainal Rashid Ahmad, Muhammad Lutfi Ishak and Saifullizan Yahaya gave a good input about historical, cultural and philosophical background which happen in Japan post Meiji period. We had come to conclusion about loneliness or alienation of post-modernism human in particular author and intellectual, beside their quest of happiness which happen in this era and translated to literary writing including Soseki.

Borak Buku is monthly literary event organized by Young Writer Bureau from Malaysian National Writers Association (PENA) which gave a platform to fellow author or artist to shared their favourite book with audience.

Two poems from T Alias Taib

I tried to translate two poems from Malaysian poet, T Alias Taib (1943-2004). He never won SEA Write Award nor awarded as Malaysia's laureate, but he certainly 'win' our hearts till now.

a solitary lady
by T Alias Taib
translated by Nazmi Yaakub

a solitary lady
her heart is a cup of coffee

a flock of winds at the window
wingless
rippleless

she leaned on her fate
witnessed by a silence wall
beaten by a blue sorrow

moonlight at a curtain
waveless
ruffleless

a solitary lady
she drank her own heart



a loaf of incense
by T Alias Taib
translated by Nazmi Yaakub

night flowed
and soaked
by a death

the air melted
and restless
by a loss

a loaf of incense
sluggishly burning
in the middle of room
its smoke
floating

a child
suddenly floundered
at the corner of room
his voice
wailing

night flowed
and soaked
its air melted
and tossed