Sometimes I am disappointed with my writer friends. In their enthusiasm to be rich and famous in this country (you must be kidding, right? Is it even possible unless you are writing chic lit or porn materials), they'd stop at nothing.
This includes demanding a ridiculous amount of royalty (when it's just their first work or first international work). Or get politicians to launch their books.Yewl...my allergy! But I guess to each his/her own.
I would not even get someone famous to write my preface.It has to be a scholar or someone known for his/her thinking skills.Not for C4! :) (I get personal here but puhlease, have some respect for your art).
The situation in Malaysia is pretty bad actually.Who do we look up to as a role model when it comes to writing? I wish Anwar Ibrahim didn't have to stop writing.I don't care if he sodomised young idiots/not but he moved people.We need charismatic figures to keep us alive.What they do in their private lives (or private parts) should not be our concern.
I met or rather heard Anies Baswedan in my last trip to Jakarta.He's trained as an Economist, keturunan Arab dan sangat ganteng (muda orangnya, amat refined in speech and manner).Yah, Jakarta is lucky to have a new hero, a role model for their young ones.Kita ini ada apa? Haramjadddah semuanya. I love that word! say it again! :))
Anyway, Anies mengepalai pergerakan baru: Indonesia Mengajar (a scholar friend of mine in the US kata Indonesia Membelasah..jangan dong! Kita ini bukan terrrorists!) Anies dalam ucapannya ingin menjana pemikiran intellectual populasi yang cukup besar...to move as a nation yang bermaruah (bukan rakyatnya diekspot sebagai orang gaji). Jadi Indonesia mengajar is to educate rakyatnya.Bukan untuk membelasah Msia (Ganyang Msia is gone).
Kan berwawasan gitu? Anies bukan politikus.Dia itu Rektor sebuah universiti.
8 comments:
Dr, x kenal azizi abdullah ke?
Ubuntu: Baca, kenapa? Writers yang wajar jadi role models bukan sahaja hidup dalam dunia penulisannya tetapi keluar menjadi wira menggerakkan satu pergerakan (ala2 reformasi gitu.hahaha)dan menjadi ikutan anak2 muda/idola mereka.
saja tanya. saya baca pun sebab dia my father's bff. kadang2 saya tak faham sangat dia punya kiasan tapi one of the novels yang dia pernah tulis masa late 80s adalah berdasarkan family saya.
Ubuntu: Oh iya ke? Saya pun suka baca dia.Very sensible and sincere writing.Some writers try too hard and nampak macam mengada-ngada dan nak tunjuk pandai.
Tunku Aziz is a good read.He used to write in NST, till he joined DAP (I cannot imagine why he joined DAP).
Jooli: I think Ungku and people his age are people of the past (the have-beens).We need young leaders (who can speak and write well..thinker-doers) and who can communicate with ease with young people (you know almost half of our population are below 40? These people do not need org2 mcm kita jadi leaders mereka...handle iphone pun kekok..)
But I don't think there is a proper succession plan installed anywhere in this country.This is the sad part.Kita lagi senang spend juta2 bawak tenaga kerja luar rather than spend it on grooming rakyat sendiri (getting personal here with the recruitment of English teachers..with first degree in tesl ke hapa ke, 2 years experience, they are paid RM10K, tau?Kita ada 2-3 degrees nak dapat tu dalam 20 tahun pun susah)
I meant Tunku Aziz Ismail, who used to serve the UN and write about integrity in the NST. But about Ungku Aziz, I still adore him.
Younger people's minds these days are stifled by our education system that dictates them to think this way or that. But talk to our young around us and be surprised. They've got a lot up there, and want to talk about things that matter.
I agree with you about sucession plans. Universities, especilly need sucession planning, which is now sorely missing. And I do not mean promoting students who graduate from the same university for all their certificates, work in the uni and get promoted in the same uni. Get a life, I say.
Jooli: oops..I have been outa touch...a different Tunku.I am so frustrated with quality of news reporting in this country that I have stopped reading local newspapers (kadang2 kalau kecoh sgt, I just read online news..free)
I don't know...we need people who turun padang as well.Can't lead from the writing desk.
Leaderships at all levels..a few friends and I were discussing this pver lunch...we want new leaders, young leaders (you are right about the quality of minds in our youths...the most educated and well-exposed kids are years ahead us...just read their blogs!Tapi sayang not many are looking at them.Talents not groomed)
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