Cultures are defined by their literature. In fact, in Chinese – classical or modern – the same term is used for both. What this tells us is that a country’s self-consciousness is vibrant and alive only if writing is strongly encouraged among its population.
Balik kampung – a true Malaysian tradition
One thing common to most Malaysians is the balik kampung tradition. This goes even for those millions who have left the country over the last 50 years, who return whenever they can to visit relatives, friends and old haunts.
Now, there are many salient aspects to this. First, it shows how important family is to Malaysians. That reflects how mobile they are or have become. Second, this tradition is a rich source of experiences that are typically Malaysian, involving joy, excitement and tragedies.
For example, many of us die on the road every Hari Raya Puasa, every Chinese New Year and every Deepavali. That has been taken by us as long as I can remember as an inescapable fact of life, as are the fatal motorcycle accidents on our roads. They are taken to be as unchangeable as the routines of the moon and the monsoons. All part of Malaysiana.
This balik kampung phenomenon holds stories which, if written, would be genuine, bottom-up and authentic narratives about Malaysian realities. It is also an entry point into insights about the Malaysian situation.
Why I bring this up is to make us ponder what it is that we have been engaged in otherwise. Instead of capturing the broad sweep of history (Malaysians in the world and Malaysia in world history, basically) and the individual fates and fortunes of people who live in and experience Malaysia, what have we been captivated by all these years?
