41 Recent trends and themes in Malaysian children’s fi ction · PDF filePart 2 discusses the signifi cance of popular folktales, ... narratives in the form of tales and folklore

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41 Recent trends and themes

in Malaysian children’s fi ction Sharifah A. Osman , Lai Suat Yan and Siti Rohaini Kassim

This essay examines some of the recent trends and themes in Malaysian children’s fi ction through a discussion of not only canonical texts of Malaysian literature for children, such as classic folktales and legends like Puteri Santubong, Bawang Merah, Bawang Putih and Mahsuri (among those that refl ect and perpetuate an inherently conservative patri-archal ideology) but also revisionary tales like Puteri Pucuk Kelumpang and Dewi Labu Kundur , among others, that illustrate a more inclusive rendering of gender, class and race in Malaysian society. The essay aims to trace the evolution of these literary texts as aesthetic and cultural forms within the context of Malaysia as a former British colony, to its current status as a postcolonial nation refl ecting upon its own identity in the face of modernization and globalization. The essay is in three parts. Part 1 presents a his-torical overview of children’s literature in Malaysia, with a particular emphasis on the infl uence of the English literary canon in the formation of the Malaysian school sylla-bus, from colonial to present times. Part 2 discusses the signifi cance of popular folktales, myths and legends in Malaysian culture and society in the transmission of feudalistic or patriarchal values through the analysis of three representative tales: Puteri Santubong (Princess Santubong); Bawang Merah, Bawang Putih ; and Mahsuri . Part 3 covers various folktales that feature a more progressive outlook in the representation of female charac-ters and/ or marginalized societies. Ultimately, these literary texts highlight the diversity of voices in the contemporary production (and reproduction) of Malaysian children’s fi ction published in English, and the viability of such stories for the promotion of cross- cultural understanding among young readers, not only in Malaysia but also globally.

A historical overview of children’s literature in Malaysia A glimpse into the literature for children available in the Malaysian market reveals that there is no dearth in the supply of material for improvement of literacy for children, par-ticularly children’s books. However, these books and sundry material collectively fall short of showing a defi nite “Malaysian- ness” in content. Because Malaysia is multiracial and multicultural, and each racial component has a cultural tradition of its own, how do we even begin to recognize a Malaysian tradition in children’s literature? What colors should go onto the palette of Malaysian children’s literature to enable a true representation?

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Trends in Malaysian children’s fi ction

And how far has literature for children in English been part of the literary tradition of Malaysian children? These are pertinent issues to consider if ever a single identity in literature for Malaysian children and young adults is to be realized. This section shares some observations on the kinds of literary texts that have had a part in contributing towards the development of children’s literature in Malaysia. It will also indirectly com-ment on the direction of Malaysian children’s literature in its efforts towards developing its own identity.

Children’s literature in Malay The beginnings of literature for children in the Malay language were in the oral tradition— narratives in the form of tales and folklore such as Angan Mat Jenin, Pak Pandir , and Sang Kancil that were told to children to inculcate moral and religious values . Some of the most original stories are found in Sejarah Melayu (the Malay Annals), which includes Hikayat Hang Tuah , the tale of the legendary Malay Muslim warrior Hang Tuah, and the saga of Princess Hang Li Po , the Emperor of China’s daughter offered as a bride to the Sultan of Malacca. Originally meant for older audiences, these tales have also fasci-nated children of all ages.

A brief survey of the literature demonstrates that children’s books in the Malay lan-guage have had a much earlier beginning compared to those in English. Similar to the tradition in the west, these early books were written to develop reading and writing skills. Many such books were written by Christian missionaries who came to Malaya to spread the faith, but realizing that the problem of illiteracy had fi rst to be resolved, pro-duced such titles as Menolong Segala Anak (Helping All Children, 1818), Buku Pelajaran Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language Textbook. 1838, 1847), and Budak Hampir Tenggelam (A Child Almost Drowned, 1844) alongside books that directly or indirectly propagated Christian religious teachings (Ishak 2005 : 25– 45).

At the end of the nineteenth century, with the direct involvement of the British colo-nial government in the education of the local people, school texts and readers fl ooded the market through publishing houses responsible for supplying recommended texts and readers. The contents of these books were mainly translations and adaptations of English classics, but also contained stories from the Quran and well- known Malay hikayat ( stories, often about national heroes) and syair (stanzaic poetry, usually narrative or didactic) such as Hikayat Amir Hamzah , Syair Siti Zubaidah , and Hikayat Hang Tuah (Ishak 2005 : 25– 45).

Local publishing houses, particularly Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), played and continue to play a crucial part in developing literature for children and young adults in the Malay language. A survey of books for children and young adults published by DBP shows clear evidence of the support it gave and still gives to local writers, which directly helps to build an enriched collection of quality works by writers, to the point that Malay literature for children has developed into a local canonical tradition in itself.

Children’s literature in English Based on requests for teaching material made to the Colonial Offi ce in London by British offi cers serving in the Federation of Malaya in the late 1940s (documented in the National Archives, Kew), it can be deduced that Malaysian children’s literature in English had its beginnings with the setting up of the British colonial government in Malaya in the fi rst


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half of the twentieth century. Before this, literature for public consumption was mainly written in the vernacular or Arabic. Through the education system reorganized by the colonial government, English language and literature became a signifi cant component of Malaysia’s colonial heritage. To a certain extent the selected texts brought in by the British colonial government and used in schools formed the beginnings of the shape and nature of literature in English in subsequently independent Malaysia.

Early books in English for children were published mainly to introduce the English language into Malaya, as part of the British government’s colonizing program. Letters and notes from serving offi cers to the Colonial Offi ce indicate that part of the British colonial government’s agenda was to introduce English into the existing education sys-tem without disrupting the local education system, particularly since vernacular schools already existed then, with the eventual purpose to make English the medium of instruc-tion in government- aided schools. The syllabus introduced was the English school sylla-bus, with the teaching of poetry, drama, short stories or novels geared towards preparing students for the English assessment system— the Junior or Senior Cambridge examina-tions. Books were initially brought in from England, and the contents of these were nat-urally Eurocentric in essence. Literature in English was introduced as part of the teaching of the English language. Typical English lessons involved reading excerpts from prose versions of Shakespeare, and poems such as Wordsworth’s “Daffodils” or Noyes’ “The Highwayman”. These texts were often so removed from the Malaysian cultural context that many students found the lessons diffi cult, simply because they could neither visualize what a daffodil looked like, nor imagine who or what a highwayman was. Nevertheless, these problems notwithstanding, this move by the British colonial government paved the way for the development of literacy through an education system in which English was signifi cant, which has now developed into not only an important second language for intercultural and interethnic communication for Malaysians in general but also a valu-able language for global communication.

After independence in 1957, Malaysia developed its own selection of texts to help in nation building, with concerted efforts to make English materials more accessible to local children. Malaysian writers were and are encouraged to produce works that portray a consciously Malaysian cultural background. Hence as far as books and other print material are concerned, these have also provided a rich source for literacy development in general. As part of the endeavor to create and develop a unifi ed Malaysia, amidst its characteristically multicultural attributes, children’s literature in English plays an import-ant role in the nurturing processes of young Malaysians. Children’s literature is now read-ily available in various forms, both print and multimedia. There is also stronger support from the general public and the government for the teaching of literature in schools, spe-cifi cally in the use of children’s and young adult literature as a tool in language teaching. Adjustments have also been made to include literature in English as a separate elective in the curriculum (Syllabus (revised) for the Subjects English Language and Literature for Secondary Schools, 2007).

Literature in English that has been available for Malaysian children may be broadly categorized into either traditional “imports” or local publications. The former include works for young and preadolescent children, directly brought in from Europe, or local reprints or re- presentations of traditional European and British folk and fairy tales, such as those by Hans Christian Andersen and the Grimm Brothers as well as popular nur-sery rhymes. Novels for older age groups include The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Little Women, Robinson Crusoe, Black Beauty , and Bambi , all distinctly


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European in origin and essence, but given the Malaysian touch through illustrations, as represented by Malaysian publishers. Various versions of such tales are readily available, including those translated into Bahasa Melayu. One advantage in having this category of children’s books is that they provide excellent models of idiomatic use of English, and are therefore popular among parents who wish their children to develop a high standard in English.

Alongside “imported” children’s literature, a proliferation of works produced by local writers and publishers now exists. These materials are clearly Malaysian based, and in a multitude of formats— picture books, board books, novels, nursery rhymes, and so on. Many still show infl uences from western traditions, as is common in most postcolonial writings, but there is a clear sense of works developing a Malaysian identity, as in exam-ples such as Daphne Lee’s 1 Red Flower (2007) and Sweet Pink Posies (2007), or collec-tions of local folk tales such as those in Malaysian Children’s Favourite Stories (2004), Timeless Tales of Malaysia (2009), and Legendary Princesses of Malaysia (2013). The continued production of both groups refl ects the directions in which children’s literature is developing in Malaysia.

Children’s literature in English has been enriched by its historical and cultural back-ground, both being relevant infl uences on its growth, either as a genre or as support mater-ial for enhancing literacy among children in Malaysia. As a consequence of Malaysia’s colonial past, children’s literature in English cannot escape from traces of its Eurocentric character, but with growing awareness as well as concerted efforts from various quarters, a Malaysian identity in literature for children and young adults is very much a possibil-ity. Further investigation could be done on how far we have moved towards developing a Malaysian identity in children’s literature in English, to ensure that children’s literature in both Bahasa Melayu and English run on par, which would have broader implications for Malaysian children and their future, to enable them to thrive in a world becoming fi gura-tively smaller through globalization.

Popular folktales, myths and legends in Malaysian children’s literature in English: three case studies

A survey of various Malaysian folktales and legends in locally published literature in English for children reveals stories that share common elements with those in similar genres in the traditional western canon. Like readers who grew up with fairy tales such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty , many Malaysian readers retain fond memories of Malay folktales like Puteri Santubong and Mahsuri from their childhood. As Jack Zipes argues, fairy tales “[communicate] the values and the various preoccupations of different nations”, and were “cultivated for children as part of the civilizing process”, to educate them about morality, charity, virtue, manners and good conduct ( 2006 : x- xi). However, fairy tales also function as “sites for the construction of appropriate gendered behaviour” and play a crucial role in the reproduction of patriarchal values (Parsons 2004 : 135– 137).

The gender stereotyping seen in many traditional Malay folk tales written for children mirrors a similar trend in European fairy tales in that both refl ect and perpetuate patri-archal and feudalistic values by emphasizing female virtue and moral behavior. Based on the discussion of three Malaysian legends, Puteri Santubong, Bawang Merah, Bawang Putih and Mahsuri , this section demonstrates how the defi nition of “feminine” qualities in such tales is infl uenced by an inherently patriarchal ideology, where women appear either as passive “damsels in distress” or dysfunctional fi gures in confl ict with each other,


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awaiting “rescue” by the hero. Exemplary heroines are often physically attractive, chaste, fi lial, and rewarded for their submissiveness by marriage to a rich and/ or powerful man. Conversely, female villains appear as wicked stepmothers or sisters: they are obstacles/ rivals in the heroine’s quest for the love of a worthy man, and consequently punished through death or marginalization.

Puteri Santubong (Salmi 2010 ), from Sarawak, East Malaysia, tells of Puteri (Princess) Santubong and Puteri Sejinjang, sent down to Earth by their father, the King of Kayangan (the land of fairie) to end the feud between the villagers of Pasir Putih and Pasir Kuning. They are warned not to fi ght with each other or to be infl uenced by human folly. However, confl ict arises when both sisters fall for Prince Serapi, a mortal. Unable to decide whom to wed, he proposes to both, leading to a bitter quarrel between the sis-ters. Such selfi shness and lack of fi lial piety incurs the King ’ s wrath, who punishes both daughters by turning them into two mountains, Mount Santubong and Mount Sejinjang, which dominate the landscape of Sarawak until today.

As a cautionary tale, Puteri Santubong illustrates the role of gender stereotyping in emphasizing desirable “ feminine ” traits like docility and fi lial piety over rivalry and the disobedience of patriarchal law. Despite being emissaries of peace, the princesses are admired not for their leadership traits but their beauty and domestic talents (Santubong for weaving, and Sejinjang for threshing paddy). With Prince Serapi as a common object of desire, they reveal their frailties as women and are thus literally petrifi ed into silence and submission. The King ’ s dramatic punishment meted out to his daughters thus warns the generations after of the deadly consequences of defying patriarchal authority.

Similarly, the tale of Bawang Merah, Bawang Putih (Salmi 2011 ) highlights the virtues of female docility and sacrifi ce in the face of persecution and injustice. The hardwork-ing Bawang Merah, daughter of Pak Ali and the kindly Mak Labu, is pitted against the spoilt Bawang Putih, daughter of the wicked second wife Mak Kundur. After Pak Ali ’ s death, Mak Kundur forces Mak Labu and Bawang Merah to do all the household chores while she and Bawang Putih laze about. This culminates in Mak Kundur pushing Mak Labu into the river, where she drowns but magically turns into a fi sh. Mak Kundur serves this fi sh to Bawang Merah, who realizes with horror that she has eaten her own mother, but bears this grief and hardship with patience. Based on a dream she has of her mother, Bawang Merah fi nds a magical swing under a banyan tree and enchants the Sultan with her beautiful voice. Intrigued, the Sultan follows her home. Mak Kundur tries to deceive him by passing Bawang Putih off as the singer but fails as she is unable to make the magical swing move or sing beautifully for the Sultan. This angers the Sultan who feels cheated. Upon searching their house, the Sultan discovers Bawang Merah, falls in love with her, and they marry and live happily ever after.

Like Puteri Santubong , Bawang Merah, Bawang Putih highlights the theme of female rivalry over a man, fi rst between Mak Kundur and Mak Labu for Pak Ali, and later between Bawang Putih and Bawang Merah for the Sultan. Signifi cantly, the orphaned Bawang Merah, like Cinderella, is rewarded for her sufferings through a singular power (her alluring voice) and is thus noticed and “ rescued ” by the Sultan. As Zipes asserts, the fairy tale heroine “ must be passive until the right man comes along to recognize her virtues and marry her ” ( 1979 : 25). Through the distinct oppositional qualities between Bawang Merah and Bawang Putih, the narrative reproduces a familiar trope that rein-forces the subsidiary role of women in a patriarchal society, by suggesting that female desirability lies in the balance between sacrifi ce and the stoic display of virtue in the face of injustice and oppression.


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If the tale of Bawang Merah, Bawang Putih idealizes female passivity and sacrifi ce, then the legend of Mahsuri (Salmi 2010 ) from Langkawi, Kedah, complicates and chal-lenges such notions. In Salmi ’ s retelling, the beautiful Mahsuri is born under mysterious circumstances after an elderly wife becomes pregnant after eating a crust of rice found in their paddy fi eld (the state of Kedah is also known as “ the rice bowl of Malaysia ” ). Mahsuri attracts many suitors, including the village Chieftain, Datuk Karma Jaya, who already has a wife, Mahura, and several grown children. Humiliated by her husband ’ s intention to marry Mahsuri, Mahura bears a grudge against her. Although Mahsuri mar-ries their son Mat Deris, Mahura remains jealous of Mahsuri and vows revenge. When Mat Deris is called to war, Mahura spreads rumors about Mahsuri ’ s apparent infi del-ity, and convinces Datuk Karma Jaya and the entire village of Mahsuri ’ s affair with a poet, Deraman. Both Mahsuri and Deraman are sentenced to death despite their pleas of innocence. The executioner attempts to stab Mahsuri but fails; she confesses that she can only be killed with a sacred keris (dagger). When the executioner fi nally kills Mahsuri, white blood gushes from her wound and white mist surrounds her, proving her innocence and supernatural powers. Before she dies, Mahsuri curses the villagers with seven genera-tions of bad luck for the senseless accusations and injustice infl icted upon her. Langkawi is invaded by the Siamese and left desolate and barren for many generations, proving Mahsuri ’ s curse.

As a means for the transmission of cultural values, characters in the tale conform to gendered roles within Malay feudalistic society: the wronged heroine Mahsuri who bears the injustice against her with fortitude; the evil Mahura who slanders Mahsuri; the vain Datuk Karma Jaya who falls for his wife ’ s deceit; the pawn Deraman, who fails to save Mahsuri, and is thus silenced and emasculated. Furthermore, the potency of Mahsuri ’ s curse affects not only those who directly betrayed her, but all of Langkawi for seven generations, a message that warns against envy, rumor- mongering and cruelty toward the innocent. Mahsuri ’ s supernatural power, combined with the poignancy of her status as a victim of slander, elevates her curse beyond the expression of female anger, vengeance and bitterness, manifesting itself instead as a profound reality with terrible consequences. Although aptly glorifi ed as a symbol of feminine innocence and purity, the legend of Mahsuri also serves as a stark reminder of the power of female agency in the face of societal injustice and patriarchal oppression.

As case studies of how Malaysian folktales refl ect “the aspirations, needs, dreams and wishes of the people, either affi rming the dominant social values or revealing the necessity to change them” (Zipes 2006 : 5), these legends demonstrate how children ’ s lit-erature is crucial not only to the propagation of patriarchal and feudalistic ideology but also highlights moral and cultural values essential to nation- building like hard work, fortitude, benevolence and justice. Other stories in the Asian Legends series can also be read using a similar approach, especially Dang Anum, Puteri Gunung Ledang , and Batu Belah, Batu Bertangkup. While the emphasis on female virtue in Puteri Santubong, Bawang Merah, Bawang Putih , and Mahsuri appears didactic, even incongruous, to contemporary readers inclined to more progressive views of femininity, the conserva-tive depictions of the protagonists in these legends (both male and female) does not have to dilute the enjoyment of such tales nor the absorption of their moral values. Indeed, the understanding of the limited freedom of women in the past only enhances the appreciation of current young readers of the genre, regardless of gender, of a jour-ney towards progress, modernity and independence that cannot, and should not, be taken for granted.


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Revisionary tales of feminine identity of the Malays from Perak and the indigenous peoples from Sabah and Sarawak

This section highlights the diversity and empowerment underlying the revisionary fem-inine identities in Malaysian children’s fi ction through the analysis of four stories: Puteri Pucuk Kelumpang (The Kelumpang Tree Child) from the Malays of Perak (Dutta 2009 ), Dewi Labu Kundur (Dutta 2009 ) and Frog Princess from Sabah, and How the World was Formed from Sarawak. Frog Princess and How the World was Formed are the work of the Women’s Development Collective (WDC), a feminist organization in Malaysia formed in 1987. 1 Such depictions refl ect the aims of the WDC to promote “values…towards building a gender- sensitive, just, equitable and humane future generation of Malaysia” through the retelling of folktales (foreword). Signifi cantly, the female protagonists por-trayed in these tales challenge the stereotypical identity of women as damsels in distress, for they are neither defi ned by nor made to serve the hero as seen in many traditional Western folktales as well as those from Malaysia discussed above.

These revisionary feminine identities are delineated into three main themes: wom-en’s assertion of their autonomy; the expansion of the female subject position in non- traditional domains; and the power and agency of the wise and respected female fi gure. However, these are not rigid delineations, as some values such as mutuality, co- existence and the sharing of household tasks can be found in more than one tale. The stereotyp-ical and binary role of not only women but also men are challenged and reconstructed in these folktales. Nevertheless, at times, this co- exists with patriarchal values.

On woman’s terms The heroines in Puteri Pucuk Kelumpang and Frog Princess are not docile damsels in dis-tress awaiting rescue but instead assert their autonomy by standing up to the unreason-able demands of their husbands. In Puteri Pucuk Kelumpang , Mudalara goes against the wishes of her husband, Sampar, to abandon their baby daughter Puteri. For him, only sons are important. The story contrasts Sampar’s selfi shness, arrogance and devaluing of the female child with Mudalara’s revaluing of their daughter and her privileging of family and communal bonds. In the end, Sampar seeks forgiveness from Mudalara and rejoices over his daughter. Through the emphasis on maternal care, the folktale highlights the civilizing effects of female infl uence over male authority. Read through a feminist lens, the folktale is revisionary as the heroine deviates from the usual trope of Malay folk-tales that focuses on female docility. Instead, wise, resourceful and courageous Mudalara asserts her autonomy to protect her daughter from her husband’s unjust authoritarian rule. Signifi cantly, while maternal love is celebrated as is typical of Malay folktales, there is simultaneously an emphasis on the revaluation of the female child.

Similarly, in Frog Princess , Lingkut defi es her husband’s wish to “disown” her parents. He is embarrassed by them, given his much higher status as a prince. Lingkut decides this after she realizes “they [her parents] loved her and took care of her even when she was only an ugly frog girl”, (WDC, n.d., 15) in contrast to the prince who has only seen the beautiful version of her. As a feminist text, the folktale challenges the conventional emphasis on external beauty by drawing attention to the internal beauty of the brave and discerning heroine.

While the tale highlights the theme of fi lial piety common in Asian societies, it also sets it against the trope of the Malay patriarchal folktale whereby the heroine’s ultimate


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aim is to be happily married. Initially Lingkut obeys her husband’s wish not to see her parents but fi nally returns to their home and erects a barrier to prevent him from pursu-ing her. Instead of subscribing to the stereotypical submissiveness of patriarchal folklore (Craven 2002 : 124), Lingkut asserts her agency as a woman by forgoing her marriage when she decides to stay with her parents and uses her magical powers for herself and her community.

Expansion of the female subject position in non- traditional domains The folktale How the World was Formed from the indigenous peoples of Sarawak expands feminine roles into domains traditionally associated with male spiritual power such as being a co- creator of the world. In this story, Grandma Eti narrates to the village children that a woman has creative powers similar to that of a man, as they both co- create the world. This contrasts with the often powerful and spiritual position of the creator as male identifi ed in the patriarchal worldview. Metaphorically, baking— typically associated with women— is used to depict the creation of human fi gures. The process is described thus: “They [Rigih and Sunang] took some rice fl our, mixed them with water and put in some sugar. They rolled them fl at! And rolled them thin! And they made them into human fi gures” (WDC, n.d. 10). Although the humans created have different names and physical appearances, they all love one another. Rather than equating cooking as solely women’s province, the husband Sunang is shown involved in both cooking and childcare. Indeed, during the Gawai (Harvest) festival, both Rigih and Sunang cook, just as they co- created humans through the metaphor of baking.

This tale as a feminist text illustrates progressive ideas about family values as the “sub-ject position” for women is expanded through their role as co- creators of the world, while those for men expand to include their involvement in domestic tasks as they cook and care for children. This depiction of the family institution in terms of the co- sharing of domestic duties opposes Menon’s assertion that folktales like Bawang Merah, Bawang Putih refl ect the constraints of traditional Asian culture in which “the father is the bread-winner of the family, whilst the mother is the nurturer who looks after the home, spends time with the children and instils good values in them” ( 2009 : 38). The characterization of Rigih and Sunang illustrates how their “subject positions” are expanded as there is no fi xed set of characteristics to which either gender must adhere, challenging the bin-ary notions of masculinity and femininity. The folktale thus highlights the theme of co- existence and mutuality between man and woman, which serves to critique patriarchal culture.

Th e power and agency of the wise and respected female fi gure The tale of Dewi Labu Kundur (The Gift of the Winter Melon) from Sabah highlights the agency of the wise, respected female fi gure, who in her role as a bobohizan (spirit-ual healer) wields the power to reward or punish in the tale. The domestic tasks she sets for Anak and Bongkoron as young men overturn the conventional roles associated with masculinity and femininity. In the absence of the bobohizan , Anak is instructed to care for her children, tend to her farm, and feed her family; he achieves these through kind-ness, hard work and good judgment, and is rewarded by the bobohizan with the gift of a winter melon that transforms magically into a lovely maiden. Her approval of Anak’s behavior demonstrates the endorsement of family values: punctuality, respect, wisdom,


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diligence and patience. In contrast, the bobohizan ’s “punishment” of Bongkoron (whose gift of winter melon turns into a “hideous old hag”) refl ects the rejection of the values he represents: laziness, impatience, selfi shness and greed, all negative traits that hinder the progress of civilization. In highlighting these opposing versions of male behavior, the tale suggests that Anak’s virtues are admired not only by the bobohizan and the commu-nity but also universally, thus indicating how the folk tale functions as the refl ection and reproduction of desirable social values (Parsons 2004 , 139).

However, there is a patriarchal twist to the tale as Anak’s hard work, kindness and wisdom is rewarded with a “lovely maiden”, while Bongkoron’s laziness, selfi shness and greed is repaid with a “hideous old hag”. The tale suggests that a beautiful, young woman is still the trophy wife to be won by deserving men even if bequeathed by a respected female fi gure, an act that displays how the tale remains confi ned in its conformity to patriarchal ideology. Nevertheless, while heroines in folktales such as Mahsuri in the Mahsuri legend and Sita in Ramayana are typically idealized for their innocence, purity and fi delity to the hero, here Anak is glorifi ed for his wisdom, care for the children and the farm— all of which can be symbolically read as traits of a good provider and reliable husband. In short, despite its patriarchal undertones, Dewi Labu Kundur does refl ect pro-gressive ideas of gender in highlighting female agency through the fi gure of the powerful bobohizan who rewards Anak for his ability to provide and care for the family, thus earn-ing his reward.

While the tale of Dewi Labu Kundur overturns gender stereotypes on the care and management of the family and household, it is still replete with patriarchal values and hence falls short of its emancipatory potential. Or, read differently, this tale refl ects the contradictions within a person or society in which one can be feminist in certain ways and patriarchal in others. In comparison, How the World was Formed is devoid of patri-archal values as it primarily emphasizes how both men and women should collaborate in the spirit of mutual respect in tasks both big and small such as co- creating the world and in sharing domestic duties. Different from traditional folktales where the hero is in a position of power, one that is “often exercised to dominate and rule others”, this folktale illustrates how the heroine “assumes a position of power to attain independence and to forge mutual respect”, with the aim of “self- discovery and personal development rather than domination over others” and where “human interdependency, rather than competi-tion” is stressed (Parsons 2004 : 140)

As beings “[s] till in the process of being shaped by ideological beliefs,” children’s minds “can go in multiple directions” (Baecker 2006 : 200). As part of children’s literature in Malaysia, folktales need to offer a range of subject positions that includes a revision-ary perspective of femininity. Emphasizing that the identity of characters should not be stereotyped and oversimplifi ed, Nair and Talif argue that “attention must be paid to mes-sages about gender construction […] because they affect identity construction in young children” ( 2010 : 139). Children who read such revisionary folk tales can thus be empow-ered by the depiction of such heroines in roles not defi ned in opposition to the male, and to view power and agency in terms of interdependency rather than domination over others. As Nair notes, numerous studies of Malaysian children’s literature “show that the majority of books are dominated by male fi gures, and girls are portrayed as acted upon rather than active” ( 2005 : 54). Thus, these folktales, while still within a hetero- normative framework like most patriarchal legends, are inspiring as they provide alternative views of womanhood: wise, courageous and autonomous women, rather than passive, suffering objects of beauty who are frequently acted upon.


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Conclusion In charting the trends and themes in Malaysian children’s literature in English, the most distinctive feature appears to be the dynamic growth of the genre, given the volume, diversity and availability of works currently produced by local writers and publish-ing houses. As a relatively young nation at the crossroads of tradition and modernity, Malaysia and its literary scene provide fertile ground for exploring the vast potential in catering to a young audience eager to understand its place in the world. As the discus-sion above hopes to have shown, the consumption of such classical tales serves a dual purpose and historical relevance for its intended demographic: as didactic emblems and repositories of its literary and cultural heritage, but also to assess its attitudes towards its people in its journey to becoming a progressive and developed nation. Through the analysis of such tales, children can be nurtured to participate in discussions on the roles of both men and women in society (“traditional” and “modern”, past and present) as well as to develop a genuine understanding and appreciation of the cultural and polit-ical dynamics that infl uence their lives as maturing citizens, whether of Malaysia or the world.

Acknowledgments This essay is the collaborative output of a research project funded by the University of Malaya Research Grant UMRG410- 12HNE from Nov 2012– April 2014. We also wish to thank Grace Chin (University of Brunei Darussalam) for her constructive feedback and contribution to our reading of Mahsuri on the role of the curse as an example of female agency in the traditional Malay folk tale.

Note 1 For details on the formation of WDC and the arrest of its members for their social activism see

Lai 2003 , 62 and 202 endnote 13, and for its advocacy work during the 1999 General Election see Lai 2004 , 129– 133. For a summary of its activities see www.hati.my/ women/ womens- development- collective- wdc/ [Accessed 13 October 2014].

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Documents

41 Recent trends and themes in Malaysian children’s fi ction · PDF filePart 2 discusses the signifi cance of popular folktales, ... narratives in the form of tales and folklore