Sin and Politics

The Book of Sins: Poetry and Prose by Bernice Chauly (Price : RM 24.00). (Sorry, the earlier price shown, as RM25, was wrong. Our apologies.)

Structured loosely around the concept of the "7 Deadly Sins", Chauly's second collection of poems examine the depth and complexity of human experience, maneuvering its way through a range of issues and events that have left profound effects on the poet. Largely confessional in nature, issues like marriage, motherhood, are scrutinised in the first section of "sins" and further explorations of the self are portrayed symbolically and metaphorically in the middle section called "contemplation". The work comes to a resolve under "virtues" where an impending death heralds a forgiveness between mother and daughter and prompts a prophetic summation of the themes at work in this collection.

The Old House & Other Stories by Chuah Guat Eng (RM 28.00)

The Old House and Other Stories brings together 9 Malaysian short stories in English written between 1992 and 2002. Most of the stories have appeared in various local and foreign publications and anthologies. Three of them are being published in Malaysia for the first time. With this collection the stories are more readily accessible to students and scholars of Malaysian literature in English and to the general reading public. Professor Quayum adds a literary dimension to this accessibility with his Introduction, where he discusses the stories' major themes, among them child abuse, greed, hypocrisy, superstition and prejudice. These themes reflect the author's social concerns, which are dealt with in the stories without racial or gender bias, demonstrating her neutrality, objectivity and sense of realism. To provide some insight onto the author's philosophy of life and her relationship with religion, race and literary criticism, Professor Quayum's 2005 interview with Chuah Guat Eng is included in this volume.

History

Penang Trams, Trolleybuses & Railways: Municipal Transport History 1880s-1963 by Ric Francis & Colin Ganley (RM 50.00)

With over 100 old photographs, maps and illustrations, this book gives an overview of the various forms of public transport used in George Town from 1880s to 1963, and the role this transport played in the development of the growth of George Town and Penang.

Penang was one of the first urban centres in Southeast Asia to operate steam trams, horse trams, electric trams and trolleybuses. When the Municipal Commission established its own electric supply, it took over the tram service and started the electric trams in George Town in 1906. This gave the local population excellent public transport around George Town, with one line going up to Ayer Itam. In the late 1920s, the Municipality replaced trams with trolley-buses, experimenting for a while with re-conditioned double-deckers from London Transport!

The Municipality also operated two railways -- firstly, the Penang Hill Railway which was considered an engineering marvel when it was first built, and secondly, the electric railway which transported supplies and tin ingots for Penang's foremost smelting works.

History

Chronicle of Malaysia (1957-2007): Fifty Years of Headline News (RM 120.00, DVD included)

The Chronicle of Malaysia is the Story of Malaysia from January 1957 to 31st August 2007, a vivid, eyewitness account of major news events over the last 50 years. The book gives a grandstand view of events as they unfolded -- the raising of the Malayan flag, the Emergency, the formation of Malaysia, Confrontation, the 1969 riots, political upheavals, financial crisis, judicial landmarks, great sporting moments, cultural delights -- and quirky aspects of daily life
that just happened to make the news. It is history made alive.

Along with the year-by-year review of major news stories from Peninsula, Singapore (from 1963 to 1965) and the Borneo states, there is also a timeline of international events, including developments in other parts of the region.

The Chronicle of Malaysia begins with an Introduction by historian Cheah Boon Kheng who gives a short but authoritative history of the Malay lands from early times to Independence. This is proceeded by a brief Foreword by Tun Mohamed Hanif Omar, a former (and the longest-serving) Inspector General of Police, who puts the whole story into perspective.

The news is interspersed with inimitable cartoons by Lat that have appeared in books and newspapers over the past three decades as well as new drawings specially commissioned.

Research sources for this book included Malaysian newspapers from all the language streams. Foreign publications provided another angle. Photographs, too, came from a variety of archives and greatly enlivened the 'slice of life' that the book provides.

Memories of Trengganu

Growing Up in Trengganu by Awang Goneng (RM 39.90)

Growing Up in Trengganu started life as the blog of Awang Goneng (pen name for writer Wan A. Hulaimi) until it was found to be too good to exist only in cyberspace. Through a collection of memories retold in glorious colour, Awang Goneng evokes the pleasures of a kampung childhood for the benefit of new generations brought up in air-conditioned condominiums. Listen to the azan call to prayer from the surau of Haji Mat Kerinci, order satay with toast for breakfast, meet notables such as Tun Long the laundry man and Cik Wook Payong Locoh, whose umbrella turned inside out in a storm, and relive the pleasure of hearing the rain hammer down on a corrugated-iron roof while reading The Beano and eating kuih putu.

Sultans, sweetmeat sellers and shopkeepers all act as springboards as you meander through Trengganu history, and by the end of this book you will have painlessly mastered the 'Trengganuspeak' that foils even fellow Malaysians.

Collectible Cards

The Negaraku 1957-2007 collection

Five Arts Centre has released the Negaraku 1957-2007 collection, a set of 25 all purpose greeting cards featuring Malaysian artists for this holiday season (and any after that). Here is an excerpt from their website:

The arts are among our best instructors. They help us understand and feel understood. Through stories, written, spoken, sung, danced and illustrated, they help us connect, beyond race, culture, gender and economic circumstances, to our human condition. Reminding us that we are more similar than we are different.

In Malaysia, our diversity is a blessing and lesson in abundance. Countless artists have given voice to the heart and psyche of our nation using both traditional and modern art forms. They are an archive of the soul of a nation, offering a plurality of views of the Malaysian experience at different points in our collective history.


The cards are sold at RM20.00 for a set of five different cards (with thumbnail images behind each pack to make it easier for you to chose). They are well printed, packaged and lovely. You would probably want to buy the whole set for yourself. Instead of sending cards featuring fake snow on fake Chistmas trees, send your friends one of these 'postcards of Malaysia' this holiday season. They will want to collect the whole set too.