An Anthology Of Modern Malaysian Chinese Stories

This is the first book to present in English a history of post-colonial and diasporic Chinese literatures in Singapore and Malaysia. The 12 essays collected in it provide an in-depth study of the emergence of the new Chinese literatures by looking at the origins, the themes, the major authors and their works, and how the creativity is closely connected with the experience of immigration and colonialization and the challenge of the post-colonial world. In examining a wide range of post-colonial texts and their relation to the cultures of diasporic Chinese and post-colonial society, the author shows that each of the new literatures has its own traditions which reflect local social, political and cultural history. The essays also show that the literature of Singapore or Malaysia has a tradition of its own, and writers of world class. Besides the Chinese literary tradition, a native literary tradition has been created successfully.

This book covers Singapore's key arts policies and art institutions which have shaped the cultural landscape of the country from the 1950s to the present. The scholars and experts in this volume critically assess arts policies and arts institutions to collectively provide an overview of how arts and culture have been deployed by the state. The chapters are arranged chronologically to cover milestone events from the forging of 'Malayan culture'; the government's 'anti-yellow culture' campaign; the use of 'culture' for tourism; the setting up of the Advisory Council on Arts and Culture, the Renaissance City Report, the setting up of the School of the Arts, and others. Putting to rest the notion that Singapore is a 'cultural desert', this volume is valuable reading for students of cultural policy, policy makers who seek an understanding of Singapore's cultural trajectory, and for international readers interested in Singapore's arts and cultural policy.

"This is a bold project recording the lives of a particular group of Southeast Asians. Most of the people whose biographies are included here have settled down in the ten countries that constitute the region. Each of them has either self-identified as Chinese or is comfortable to be known as someone of Chinese ancestry. There are also those who were born in China or elsewhere who came here to work and do business, including seeking help from others who have ethnic Chinese connections. With the political and economic conditions of the region in a great state of flux for the past two centuries, it is impossible to find consistency in the naming process. Confucius had stressed that correct names make for the best relationships. In this case, Professor Leo Suryadinata has been pursuing for decades the elusive goal of finding the right name to give to the large numbers of people who have, in one way or another, made their homes in, or made some difference to, Southeast Asia. I believe that, when he and his colleagues selected the biographies to be included here, they have taken a big step towards the rectification of identities for many leading personalities. In so doing, he has done us all a great service." - Professor Wang Gungwu, National University of Singapore