Melati Sarawak Debuts on Stage in Penang
By Rachel Yeoh
January 2023 FOR ART'S SAKE
IT IS SAID that the first modern novel written in Sarawak, and very likely the first in Malaysia, is Melati Sarawak. Written in Jawi and self-published by Muhammad Rakawi Yusuf in 1932, it was only Romanised and published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in 1980.Though known among literary groups in Sarawak, many are still not familiar with its tale, one riddled with local wisdom that subtly tells of the influence of Sarawak White Rajahs and their British culture on its...
Rachel Yeoh
is a former journalist who traded her on-the-go job for a life behind the desk. For the sake of work-life balance, she participates in Penang's performing arts scene after hours.
