Dear Friends,
The anticipated book on the Life and Literary Journey of poet-writer, Salleh Ben Joned : ‘Truth, Beauty, Amok & Belonging – a journey through Sajak-Sajak Saleh (Poems Sacred & Profane)’, was meticulously compiled and written by his devoted daughter, Anna Salleh.
As such, the launch, held at Cult Gallery (Bukit Tunku) of artist Zaki Anwar, was greeted with much fanfare and celebration by the Malaysian artist community.
The launch brought together the camaraderie of a strong gathering of mainly independent senior writers, artists and actors who were ardent followers of Salleh’s writings. They were the creative avant-garde once, and they were not disappointed.
Flamboyant multi-mediator Vernon Adrian Emuang emceed the proceedings; Prof Malachi Edwin Vethamani conducted an engaging conversation with Anna Salleh, who answered with clarity of one who was, not just an expert but passionate about her subject.
Anna, mentioned Sheila Raman, who had been the wind beneath the wings of the project beside several others who contributed to the publication of the book and saw it their collective responsibility to champion the cause of Salleh’s rebellious but relevant message.
Several friends such as Sabera Shaik, Sharon Chin, Jack Malik, Ramli Ibrahim, Antares Maiteraya and Kee Thuan Chye shared intimate and poignant anecdotes of their interactions with this Jebat of contemporary Malaysian literature.
They read with sensitivity and artistic flair their favourite poems by Salleh.
‘Sajak sajak Saleh (Poems Sacred and Profane)’ is an only anthology by Salleh, one of the finest minds to grace the Malaysian literary scene. Salleh, who spoke with brutal honesty in his works, challenged the prevailing issues of race, religion, language and identity. At the same time he wanted to reach out and be accepted by his fellow Malaysians but was tacitly labelled as an apostate by the Malay literatti.
His column, ‘As I Please’ eventually accorded him with the brief popularity and recognition he hankered when the column became the most read and popular column of New Straits Times.
Kee Thuan Chye shared his complicit role in getting the rebel Salleh to contribute to the NST (an Umno political stronghold) of his not-so-subtle social critique of the hypocrisy of the current Malay intelligentsia, religious towel heads and ‘bumi-geois’. The column featured Salleh’s pungent, insightful, incisive and critical anti-establishment perspectives and critic on Malaysian culture and lives. Even poet laureate Usman Awang, a good friend of Salleh, once said that he looked forward to reading ‘Salleh’s amok’ from the weekly column.
Not surprisingly, Salleh’s highly controversial body of poems in both English and Malay were never acknowledged by the establishment.
Antares Maitreya described Salleh as a literary beacon who represented the quintessential free spirit of multicultural Malaysia, who championed a living culture that grows without the artificial constriction of staid regulations and laws. For Antares the presence of Salleh reaffirmed that this nation had the intellectual capacity and potential to rise above the malaise it was wallowing in.
Kee Thuan Chye, former Editor of New Straits Times was visibly emotional when he pithily summarised Salleh’s role as a critical thinker and a rebel with a cause, who loved his country and spoke the truth to power but was swimming against the current of moral and spiritual disintegration.
The highlight was when Anna Salleh sang her father’s favourite song ‘Semalam di Malaya’, that brought the guests to that ‘once upon a time’ realm where things were less messy…
Sutra