~ Rest in Peace Michael Jackson ~

MJ lived for his fans till the end...often misunderstood, he dedicated his mind BODY and soul for music and for his beloved fans the world over... Alas, it took his life! He gave himself up completely for the happiness of others! A true disciple of love devoted to his passion in a cruel world. He will always be remembered for the best of things...MJ will undoubtedly transcend time and matter! –RIP-

English Literature and The Creation of a Malaysian Education System (1951 – 1979)

Tracing the Source:
The creation of a Malaysian Education System (1951 – 1979)

Since Independence English Literature has continued to lose its recognition as a vital tool in the nation-building process due to a greater emphasis on the national language. The post-May 13 climate further reduced the significance of English, and needless to say Children’s Literature in English.However, in an ongoing research which i am involved in, we hope to highlight the great potential and impact Children’s Literature in English could have as a nation-building tool in a highly pluralized post-colonial Malaysian society, thus inspiring the quest for an identity in a globalized era.

The earliest documents which form the backbone in the creation of a National Education System, dates back to the early 50’s.The entire study of the various education reports begins from the Colonial Central Advisory Committee on Education (Pre-1957) right up to the Post-Colonial Education Committee of the Ministry of Education (Post-1957) covering an entire decade. This is with reference to the Study of the Fenn-Wu Report on Chinese Education and the Barnes Report on Malay Education in 1951 and subsequent Razak and Rahman Talib reports which were published in 1956 and 1960 respectively. Finally in 1979 the Mahathir Report or the Cabinet Committee Report reevaluated the entire national education system in Malaysia giving it a new look. The committee begun its work in 1974 and published its report in 1979. These reports were the foundations upon which a comprehensive Malaysian Education System came into being.The primary purpose of examining these reports is to examine the direct and indirect effect of subsequent policies towards Children’s Literature in English, if any.

In a related update to my previous post, it appears that the Malaysian Foreign Minister has urged the University of Malaya to lift the speech ban of Ms Ebadi.

"We would like Dr. Ebadi to be invited to the forum," Foreign Minister Rais Yatim told the Star daily.

"Malaysia should allow the freedom of expression and criticisms at the highest level. I will go and investigate this matter," he added.

more from AFP

Malaysia Bars Iran Nobel Prize winner !

The University of Malaya has cancelled a scheduled visit by the outspoken human rights lawyer and Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi who was supposed to deliver a speech entitled Islam and Cultural Diversity on 3 November.

Ms Ebadi campaigned for greater rights for women and children.She has faced numerous death threats and hostility in the Iranian media, and the government banned her Centre for Protecting Human Rights in 2006.

The Malaysian foreign ministry had sent a letter "strongly advising" the organisers not to go ahead with the speech."We were told there would be big implications for bilateral relations," the unnamed official said, adding that Iranian diplomats were "pushing for Malaysia to call it off".

The university's vice-chancellor, Rafiah Salim, told the French news agency AFP that the decision was made "out of respect for our Iranian students, who were not very happy".

BBC

French Author wins Nobel Prize for Literature!

The Nobel Foundation announced on Thursday that the French author Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio won this year's Nobel Prize for Literature.

Nobel Prize for Literature, 2008: Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, Mauritian-born French.

The committee said Le Clezio was an "author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization."

Le Clezio has written some 30 books including novels, essays, and short stories. Critics have found him hard to define, with his writing and subject matter having changed considerably over time, according to an article in Label France, a magazine published by the French government.

His work reflects ecological concerns, rebellion against the intolerance of Western nationalist thought, and his fascination with Native Americans, according to the magazine.

Le Clezio told the interviewer his books were less a matter of expressing ideas, and more an

Le Clezio said he has always felt like an exile in his own country because of his family's roots in Mauritius, a mixed culture with Indian, African, and European influences.

"I grew up telling myself that there was a somewhere else which embodied my true homeland," he told the magazine. "One day I would go there and I would know what it was. So in France I always thought of myself a little bit of an 'outsider.' On the other hand, I love the French language, which is perhaps my true country! But thinking of France as a nation, I must say I have rarely identified with its priorities."

more

Although Le Clezio reminds me of V.S.Naipaul, another Nobel Prize winner who constantly speaks about displacement and being in a permanent state of exile he doesnt seem to be totally rootless or unable to find home.There is some kind of hope in him, unlike Naipaul.Will have to read Le Clezio's books to learn more.

Nobel Prize for Literature, 2001: V.S. Naipaul, Trinidad-born Briton of Indian origin.

Who is Cecil Rajendra???

The Malaysian who earned a nomination for the
Nobel Literature prize in 2005!

LAW and literature. Cecil Rajendra dabbles in both, the former he does full-time and poetry whole-heartedly. Using these talents to full measure, he tackles society's ills such as environmental destruction, poverty, oppression, corruption, racism and injustice with persistence and dedication. The poetic output continues with his latest collection Trail n Terror, and he was nominated for this year's Nobel Prize for Literature. To date, he has published 17 books of poems. His works have been published and broadcast in many countries and translated into several languages, including Japanese, Urdu, Tamil, Chinese, German, Tagalog, Danish and Spanish. Besides being president of the National Human Rights Society Of Malaysia, he is also the founding father of free legal aid in the country. BISSME S. finds out what makes this activist tick in Sun2surf's Conversations :

http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=11885