First experience meeting a Malaysian playwright – Kee Thuan Chye

As a stranger walked into the lecture hall, my mind was telling me, “This guy looks familiar!” I could not recall where I’ve seen him but Samantha told me he was on the series Kopitiam. I also found out towards the end of the session that he acted as Tan Cheng Lock in Hati Malaya. Cool. A journalist, an actor, a playwright and a writer. Wow. That’s 4 in 1!


I felt privileged to meet our very own Malaysian writer, Kee Thuan Chye. He was very frank in telling us about himself. This session has been beneficial especially in my understanding of the play The Swordfish, Then the Concubine. I see a manipulation of two historical events in highlighting the issues that we are facing in this modern era. Kee Thuan Chye also informed us that he has revised his manuscript again! Some parts in the version I have read has been changed and new issues have been added. He will only stop revising when he is satisfied with his writing. But when will that be? This shows the perfectionism in writers who intend to write their best.


Kee Thuan Chye also brought up issues that are worth thinking about. The truth that we read in newspapers, are they the real truth? We should never read from one source only. Reading about an issue from several perspectives gives better insight towards the issue discussed and we can judge better and decide which stand we want to take.


Politics is complicated. It is filled with power crazy people who have their own agenda and will not hesitate to bring others down to reach their goal. Are the charges that Anwar is accused of true? Or is it just a way to smear his good name, to take away the trust that people have for Anwar? How much of what is written in the newspaper can we trust?


History. After the session, I am confused. Can history the Malaysian history we read be trusted? History is written by people. Kee Thuan Chye thinks that the movie Hati Malaya is UMNO’s propaganda. How about our history? Can it be manipulated to influence us to think in the way that is intended?


Before the session ended, Kee Thuan Chye read an essay from his book March 8 TheDay Malaysian Woke Up. It is written by a student in Monash University. I admire him for having such far insight, such a dream for Malaysia. He looked beyond his race and hoped for a united Malaysia. Can every Malaysian be like him? Perhaps the politicians should stop politicizing racial issues and focus on more important issue for a progressive Malaysia.


When I opened the book March 8 TheDay Malaysian Woke Up, I realized that Kee Thuan Chye’s children’s names are very special. Soraya Sunitra Kee Xiang Yin and Jebat Arjuna Kee Jia Ling. I think that KeeThuan Chye has a strong reason for naming his children in such. It shows his belief in Bangsa Malaysia. A hope for a better future, a better Malaysia.

King Lear - A Father's Love

In the play King Lear, we read about a king, who broke the covenant given by God to be king as he divded his kingdom to be ruled by his daughters.

In my opinion, why should Lear test his daughter's love for him. Even if he hears their professed love, won't he doubt them? How true can words be? As I have a friend who always reminds me, "Words are only words. You can say anything in this world, but can you prove it?" Lear, a king, can also fall from his elevated place before of false flattery. His two elder daughter Genoril and Regan professed great love for their father but had evil intention.

Cordelia, on the other hand had little words to offer. Sometimes, one may say little but mean a lot more than one who has a lot to say. It is the action, thoughts and concern that matter, not words because it is easy to say but not easy to accomplish. Furthermore, promises are easy to be broken. I find her foolish in a way because since her sisters has given so much flattering words, her few words would be an insult to her father. Maybe she can say more to avoid disappointing her father.

In Lear, I could see how much a father loves his daughters. He is willing to let them rule his kingdom and he surrenders all he has to live with them and to depend on them. His actions remind me how loving and how sacrificial a father can be. It makes me think of my father, although he does not say much, but I know that he loves me. (ok, a little out of topic here) However, his love was betrayed as his daughters mistreated him. Why must Regan and Genoril have evil intentions? Why can't they be grateful for what their father has given them and live with what they have? I felt that that two daughters should be thankful and treat their father well, not deny him of a place to stay or to reduce his knights. He has his own pride too.

This play makes me think a lot about human nature, the greediness of human beings and how unkind they can be even to their own kin. Edmund, although a bastard, is still his father's son. He betrayed Gloucester, his father to earn recognition from Cronwall, and to take over his title. Gloucester has treated him well although not every aspect but still he does not deserve such a treatment as Gloucester eyes are blinded as a punishment. Edmund, Regan and Genoril all show ingratitude, greediness in man and the desire for more power. We can aim for more but there should be a limit to it also.

In short, King Lear may not be an epic drama but it has made me think a lot.

Set Induction

Weddings. A once in a life time moment. A long anticipated moment.



Which comes with commitment, responsibility, love and trust.

That was the main message that I wanted to convey through my set induction. I showed students a series of photos related to weddings. This is to activate their schemata on weddings that they might have seen or attended. Later I asked questions on how much are they willing to give to their partner and what do they expect from them.

My set induction may be something not done by my teachers in school but I am disappointed with my set induction as I could not think of any other better ideas to present my set induction. It was hte usual powerpoint with pictures and questioning.
Mr Harold gave a different and interesting example of set induction after the whole class finished the set induction. It was the teacher coming in and talking to himself to portray the idea of imaginery friend. Never have i thought of that.

Besides, I was also nervous during the presentation and that affected my voice projection. I did not discuss students' responses either. Therefore I felt that I have done badly for my set induction.

If I were to deliver the lesson again, I must do it differently. I know that the questions that I have asked are from Dr Edwin, now i feel embarassed to have used it. I would probably focused on characters instead. I would show pictures of a few characters and ask students to name their character traits. It is hope that this idea would be more different.

I'll have to start preparing for my pre and while reading activities. =)

Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical

14 February 2009 is a date to remember. It is the first time I went to watch a theatre - Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical at Istana Budaya.

I have always wanted to watch Puteri Gunung Ledang the movie but I never had the chance to, so the theatre is sort of a compensation for missing the movie. However, the musical turned out to be more than compensation, it was an eye opener! Never would I have imagined going to watch a theatre. During the first lesson, Dr Edwin asked if anyone has been to a theatre before, less than five people has been to the theater. This shows our ignorance and lack of interest towards theatre. I was not even aware of Istana Budaya or KLPAC.

Student priced tickets are bought and the day to watch came. I was in awe as I walked into Panggung Seri. The Panggung Seri has royal boxes on each side and is patterned after the windows of a Malay House. The entrance to the theatre immitates a palace's main hall, or the Balairong Seri which is said to be modelled after one in Malacca. I goggled Istana Budaya and found out that Istana Budaya is among the top ten most sophisticated theatres in the world, at par with Royal Albert Hall, London. Aren't we proud of that achievement? (However the cost of the building is RM210 million. WOW. )

The musical was fantastic! The cast acted perfectly, they portrayed the character successfully. They must have practiced hard for the performances as they have to sing, dance and act at the same time and all the timing for speeches and songs seemed all to perfect!Their actions were fast and eye catching, keeping audiences glued to the performance the whole 3 hours. The subtitles were a great help because the play was staged in poetic Malay and Javanese accented Malay.

The musical was worth watching. It has nurtured the interest of theatre in me and I can't wait to watch more shows in the future. If it is not for this course EDU 3217, I do not know when will I step into a theatre.

Yea! Grateful to be doing TESL, exploring and learning new things!

THe SwordFish, Then the Concubine

The Swordfish, Then the Concubine was an interesting read. The play started with a covenant between Demang Lebar Daun dan Sri Tri Buana. Demang Lebar Daun’s descendants shall never be disgraced and his descendants shall never be disloyal. This covenant contributes to the development of the play.Nurhaliza, the Sultan’s favourite concubine was accused of participating in the activities of the deviationist sect led by Ibu Zin and accused of attempting to his the Sultan’s consort, Tun Dara. Although Nurhaliza was found not guilty, the Sultan was too egoistic to take back his execution order. Sultan Iskandar did not abide to the covenant; he publicly disgraced Nurhaliza by sentencing her to impalement. As a result, Sang Ranjuna Tapa, Nurhaliza’s father decided to betray the Sultan by helping Majapahit attack Singapura. Sang Ranjuna Tapa was also punished for going against the covenant. He and his wife, Kesuma became stone.

Throughout the story, I find that there are issues in the play which seems to be criticizing the lawmakers. Nurhalisa was accused of participating in the activities of the deviationist sect led by Ibu Zin. Nurhaliza questioned whether it is wrong for her for wanting to learn, wanting to open her mind. Leaders of the country have always encouraged the people to broaden their mind and be progressive thinkers, but at times, there are people who are prosecuted for being progressive. It seems to be an irony to me.

This play also appears to portray the Maharaja and his son, Iskandar as foolish leaders. The Maharaja gave insensible idea to form a rampart with legs to tackle the Todak attack. He justifies that it would demonstrate the warriors’ solidarity. The Maharaja must be out of his mind. Also, the Maharaja does not have a mind of his own. He follows what the majority of his ministers say. They talked him into killing Hang Nadim for fearing that they would appear silly compared to a boy. It also shows how far a person is willing to go to protect his position.

This play also invokes a thought in me. Do leaders of the country create hype about something to distract the people from depressing issues such as price hikes and recession? The phrase “the illusion of people power” worries me as the people may be tricked into believing that they have a say in the country when they do not really have the power.

Several issues have been brought up. One is about National Service. I am not sure if it is talking about the National Service in Malaysia or Singapore. If it is Malaysia then probably it is trying to ridicule the National Service programme that was introduced, thinking that National Service can solve problems. Another issue is the freedom of speech in mass media. The mass media is usually controlled by the government and they have limits to how much they can report. This is evident in the play “the media should write only about things that bring about harmony.”

My interpretation might be wrong. Therefore, I am looking forward for Dr Edwin’s explanation of this play.

One Act Play: Endless Tears

I never think of myself to have any creative cells to write stories, what more to write a one act play! I did not know where to start. However, the work still has to be done. My partner for this assignment, Nur Adli and I brainstormed for the possible themes we want to write about. We agreed to a play that central around family problems, broken family and the effects on the children.

Ideas started to come, so we wrote on a girl, a bright girl name Betty who is from a happy and loving family. However, the happiness does not last as Betty’s father is retrenched due to the economic downturn. Betty’s mother has to look for job to share the family’s financial burden but Betty’s father fails to find a job. He resorts to gambling and drinking. He intends to make fast money but he make matters worse. He accumulates debts and blames others for his misfortune. He becomes abusive and abuses Betty. As Betty’s father can not even afford a workbook for his son, Betty decides to take up a part time job to earn some extra pocket money to reduce her parents’ burden. Betty’s teacher notices the change of behavior in Betty – from an active and participative student to a student who falls asleep in class. Betty does not want to reveal her family problem. Then comes the day for Betty to receive her first pay for working at a cafe. Betty is overjoyed when her employer decides to reward her RM50 for being hardworking. She wants to give the money to her parents but she is ran over by a car on her way home. Betty passed away and the play ends with Betty's father crying in regret after reading Betty's Diary.

This issue of family problem is chosen because it is undeniable that there are students in school who are facing such problems. Their family might be financial problems, they might be child abuse victims, who knows? I think that this play would appeal to secondary school students better because they have the maturity level to comprehend the hardship felt by Betty. This play is also intended to create an awareness that the people around them might need some caring friends. In this era of technology and advancement, we human beings tend to be more individualistic. We care about ourselves only and neglect others. A listening ear or a sincere smile will brighten others' day. Also, students might take things for granted, not realising how blessed they are. This play is hope to instill a grateful heart in the students.

As for now, it has been an enriching experience to create a one act play and the teacher's notes. Without the teacher's note, I will not realise that my one act play can actually be taught in class. It seems convincing to me that it could be put into practice. It actually gives me a little authority, that I am in control of what my students will learn.

A reminder for myself: Be grateful and thankful for what I have! :)

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Firstly, I would like to thank Dr Edwin for letting us watch this movie.

I have always been interested in some parts of England’s history, especially the House of Tudor, King Henry VIII, because he married six wives! Elizabeth was the last ruler from the House of Tudor as she was childless.

After watching the movie, I find King Philip II of Spain a crooked man. He made used of Mary, Queen of Scots to achieve what he wants. He knew that Walsingham has been intercepting the letters between him and Mary. He knew that Mary would be charged of treason. He used the death of Mary to gain the pope’s permission to go to war. He intended for his young daughter Isabella to be queen of England. In lives, there will be people who will try to achieve what they want, by hook or by crook.

As i watch the movie, I am again reminded that overconfidence is never beneficial. King Philip II was too confident that his Spanish Armada would successfully invade England. However, it might be fated that he would not win. He might be going against God by launching the Spanish Armada. There was a part when the candle suddenly went off. I think that foreshadows his defeat. Even the nature was against him. A major storm began to blow the Armada towards the beaches, endangering their formation and ships. When they drop their anchor, the English ships took the opportunity to burn their ships before evacuating from the ship and let the burning ship sail into the armada. As a result, Spanish naval fleet suffers their most humiliating lost in history.

King Philip II tries to play God, judging that Queen Elizabeth is not fit to be Queen. He tries to bring down Elizabeth. It makes me wonder, if I were to be in that era, would I accept Queen Elizabeth as queen as she is a Protestant? The Catholics would not know whether this new teaching is something from God or is it a totally new teaching.

The Queen’s portrayal shows the difference in appearance and reality. Elizabeth may appear to be strong outwardly but deep inside; she is also scared, fearful and lonely. When Dr Dee, an astrologer prophesized that two empires will go to war and one would triumph, Elizabeth feared for the worst for her country and her people. Besides, Elizabeth also longs for love and comfort. she is no different compared to any other human being. It is sad that being a queen limits her in many ways and deprived her of genuine love from others. That is why no one is perfect, you may have power but you may lack in other areas.

Another lesson that i have learnt from the movie is FORGIVENESS. The Queen forgives Raleigh and Bess although she felt betrayed by them. She finally changed her perspective and chooses to forgive them as she also longs for forgiveness. She might have felt guilty for the execution of Mary. This value is applicable to us as we all need forgiveness from others and we need to forgive others. We need to forgive to be forgiven. This would take the many burdens away from us.

In short, This movie is a great movie not to be missed!

One question I have in mind is “Why does the Queen wear a wig?”