Yayasan Hasanah sheds light on the evolution of Malaysian literature

By, Shaireza Jaafar

SHAH ALAM, 15 December 2024: Yayasan Hasanah, a foundation of Khazanah Nasional hosted an insightful event under the educational series named ‘ILMU Hasanah,’ titled, ‘The Evolution of Malaysian Literature: From Traditions to Contemporary’ on 12 November at Yayasan Hasanah, Shah Alam, Selangor. 

The two-hour event, held from 2 pm to 4 pm, explored the rich tapestry of Malaysian literature by distinguished speakers — namely, the first Malaysian National Female Laureate, known as “Sasterawan Negara,” Datuk Dr. Zurinah Hassan, the author of ‘The Sum of Our Follies,’ Shih Li Kow, and the founder of the bookshop “Tintabudi,” Nazir Harith Fadzilah — and was moderated by award-winning author and founder of the Hikayat fandom, Ninot Aziz.

The discussion first delve into the traditonal forms of Malaysian literature by Datuk Dr. Zurinah Hassan, where she recounted that her upbringing were mostly tied to the essence of literature, particularly oral literature. “Listening to pantun (poetries) from my mother as lullabies in which I vividly recall to this day. It was from there moments that I began to craft my own ‘little verses’ and learn the symbolism and other literary devices woven between the lines,” she said. 

“As literature started to be documented, I began reading Sejarah Melayu (History of The Malays), including Sulalatus Salatin (The Malay Annals), Puteri Gunung Ledang, Tun Teja, and Malay homorous folk stories like Pak Kaduk and Pak Pandir. I was highly influenced by these characters, which explains why I adopted some of them into my works,” she added. 

On the question about whether the materials of Malaysian literature were widely available in the local bookshop today, Nazir asserted, “there is always room for Malay literature in bookstores, but the challenge is we lack in the reproduction of Malay literature in contemporary writings, making the modern generations more attuned to Western literature.”

“For example, the works of William Shakespeare are reproduced multiple times in modern writings and movies, but the moral messages remained unchanged, making modern audiences able to still recognise the playwright,” he explained.

Other than that, Shih Li Kow expressed that digital media, especially visual media is an author’s best-friend, and not using it to its full potential would mean missing the opportunities for Malaysian literature to grow and become relevant among modern audiences.

The event concluded with a Question-and-Answer (Q&A) session, and token of appreciation to the speakers.

ILMU Hasanah is a series of knowledge-sharing events designed to promote internal learning and support for Hasanah’s civil society partners, stakeholders, and the community through interactive discussions on relevant topics — led by sectoral experts and to ensure education access for all, according to Yayasan Hasanah.***