Malaysian Literature in English

Colonial vs. Postcolonial Condition Linguistic Context 1. Malaysia - bilingualism, multilingualism 2. The way English is used in Malaysia differs from standard English in small but distinctive ways that are more noticeable in spoken than in written English

3. Acquisition of English generally retains the influence of other languages/mother tongue This one can wear with many thing one (Chinese pattern). You wait here, I will go and come (Indian). Not good like that, afterwards people talk (Malay). (Platt and Weber 1980)

4. Spoken English varies depending on whether the speaker was educated in an English- medium or a Malay-medium school (Platt et al. 1983) 5. Formal vs. Informal registers Informal : basic education, simplification of grammar and idioms, mixing of rudimentary English and indigenous language

6. Code-mixing (using elements from another language) Englishization vs. Nativization * enables an author to build up a sense of local atmosphere 7. Drama, fictional dialogue and poems usually exhibit local forms of spoken English

10. Early writing, especially poetry, set itself the task of defining a Malayan identity that was to be articulated in English. “ Malayan literature should present accurately this country and its people”. (Puthucheary 1950) 11. Narrative prose, non-fictional prose most likely blurs the distinction between standard and local English.

Social context 1. Malaysia – polyglot & pluralistic society 2. Old vs. new society 3. Tradition vs. modernization

Themes & Issues 1. Plenty and diverse, reflecting the nation’s multi-ethnic, multi-religion and multi- culture background. 2. Themes such as poverty, destitution, class distinction, nation formation, gender hierarchy, victimization of women and race relations seem to occupy the writers predominantly. 3. Primary interest – nationalism & nation formation (Quayum 2007).

4. Malaysian writers writing in English are “more interested in the people who make up this imagined [Malaysian] community – their day-to-day struggles, their personal embrace of cultures, and their private religious beliefs” rather than the nation (Andrew Ng 2011).