Penang takes pride in having produced an endless string of intellectuals. But when it comes to good fictional writing – a genre that expresses not only literary maturity but also philosophical profundity – we certainly come out short. Why is this so? Is it a question of language, post-colonial lack of confidence, or cultural superficiality? The late Lee Kok Liang is still the best we have had.
Why has penang not produced a writer of note for more than two decades? The last Penangite who could be considered of literary standing was Lee Kok Liang. He died in 1992, not long after bringing out his last major work, Death of a Ceremony and Other Short Stories. Since then, who have we got?
