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BOOK REVIEW | Imaginative retelling of a tale from Kedah s rich folklore
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BOOK REVIEW | Kedah, one of the northernmost states of Malaysia, has a rich and deep history, one that is much older than even Malacca itself.
Besides its history, the state of Kedah is also rich in folk tales and legends. From the widely known story of Mahsuri and the Tasik Dayang Bunting from Langkawi, there are also the tales of Puteri Lindungan Bulan and the myth of Gunung Keriang.
Of course, the most intriguing of all the stories to come out of the state has got to be that of Raja Bersiong (the Fanged King). This intriguing tale, which is recorded in the Kedah Annals (or known as Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa) does contain historical facts, though it is largely to be taken as a work of literary fiction with many incredible assertions.
Friday, 16 Apr 2021 04:50 PM MYT
BY MELANIE CHALIL
Malaysian folktales ‘Si Tanggang’ and ‘Badang’ come to life on stage this weekend at Penangpac. Picture courtesy of Penangpac
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PETALING JAYA, April 16 Why wait for the next Disney film to represent South-east Asian or Malaysian culture when our very own folktales offer the same magic, mystery and marvel, if not more?
To get Malaysians acquainted and re-acquainted with stories from our past, the Performing Arts Centre of Penang (Penangpac) will be bringing audiences a five-part series titled
Once Upon a Time to showcase Malaysian folklore that have captured the imaginations of generations before us.
endIndex: Southeast Asian myths, postcolonial epics, and a massive yet engaging story about foolish English magicians. Photos by JL JAVIER
Reading Life is a monthly column where writers talk about the books they ve read good or bad.
Like many of you, I had hoped that the insane amount of indoor time during the pandemic would mean that my tsundoku pile would finally shrink and my small bedroom would finally be free of some books. Alas, it was not quite. The pandemic has affected the way we read, and along with the numerous cultural shifts that happened, there was a reckoning to be had with our habits and choices. I found myself looking for more books written by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) during the George Floyd protests and as the cultural consumption of my part of the Twittersphere tended towards K-pop and Boys Love (and, eventually, pop music) from Thailand and, motivated me to look for more Southeast Asian books. In bookshops here, books from Japan, South