Fadillah's Reviews > Wajah Sastera Sarawak: Sebuah Kumpulan Esei

"Saya sokong PBB!" Kata lelaki muda itu. Rawnahim melongo. Sebenarnya, jiwanya membenci nama itu. PBB adalah nama besar. PBB - Persatuan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu.
Atau sesekali dia terasa lelucon tersangkut pada nama besar - PBB - itu, kerana kadang-kadang PBB disebut sebagai: PEMBOHONGAN BANGSA-BANGSA BERTAMADUN. Semua orang cakap PBB tidak berfungsi lagi. Semua orang kata PBB tidak boleh diharap lagi. Dan semua orang bilang PBB tidak berkokok, menyalak dan mengaum lagi. Kalau disinonimkan PBB sebagai jantan, dia sememangaya sudah mati “. Tetapi saya tidak! Saya bukanlah seperti PBB itu! Saya bersimpati terhadap golongan miskin itu. Ada anak kecil yang masih bayi dibuang ke dalam tong sampah! Bukankah itu kejam?
Mengapa encik sokong PBB?" Rawnahim tunduk seperti ber-sedih. Dia benci PBB, dan dia marah PBB dan dia tidak suka lagi PBB seperti dulu-dulu. Sesekali perasaan itu dilontarkan jauh dipojok hatinya. Entah mengapa dia tidak tahu, adakah kerana nama itu PBB atau karutnya PBB kepada para anggotanya?
- Penjual Surat Khabar dan Lampu Isyarat by Buang Haji Umar (Wajah Kita - Antologi Karya Penulis Sarawak)
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Full disclosure - Aside from Jeniri Amir and Jong Chian Lai, i have never read any of these authors. I think whenever local authors is being mentioned especially from Sabah And Sarawak, the exposure is still not much especially if they are writing it in Malay. But, this book was compiled in such a solid manner. I enjoyed almost all the short stories in it despite some themes were quite outdated but it is understandable considering the publication year. The poems compiled also were penned by 16 poets in such an emotive and intense manner. The only drawback i can share from these poems is that some of it focused the place that located oversea. I would rather much read about places in Sarawak rather than poems about edinburgh and so on (even though it is written by Sarawakian Poets). None of the themes were repetitive and you can see the diversity in what they are trying to point out in the poem. I think the essays is the most surprising part of the book - it brought forward so many arguments and convincing points in highlighting the strengths and weakness of one of the prominent sarawakian literature - Melati Sarawak by Muhammad Rakawi Yusuf and Kelingkang by Douglas Jaga. I have read Kelingkang so i am able to take it in what the author trying to argue in his essays but I have not yet read Melati Sarawak. The thing is once you have read the critical essay of a novel, you already know the story and ‘the supposed theory of what went wrong with the book’ - which i find at the end of the day did cause me not wanting to read the book anymore despite its being the first modern novel written in Sarawak. Overall, this has been a great read! I did provide content below just in case if you are curious on the list of works that has been compiled in this book.
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ESSAY / ESEI
1. Saiee Driss - Masyarakat Melayu di Kuching Akhir Tahun 1920-an: Analisis Sosiobudaya Novel Melati Sarawak
2. Jeniri Amir - Puisi Mutakhir Penyair Sarawak : antara Konvensi, Inovasi dan Estetika
3. Awang Azman Awang Pawi
- Kritikan Sastera Sarawak : Dahulu, Kini dan Masa Depan
- Ikon Kebudayaan Kelingkang*
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SHORT STORIES / CERPEN
Jali Haji Kenoi - Tidak Semuanya Sama
Jong Chian Lai
- Bulan Bercanda
- Jalur Gemilang
Hajijah Jais
- Anak Cucu Berbelang-belang
Dahiri Saini
- Aneh @ Fitrah
- Monolog
Jais Sahok
- Munajat di Pusara
Douglas Jaga
- Tumbuhnya Sepohon Kelapa ...
- Fajar Yang Merah
Awangku Merali Pengeran Mohammed
- Air Hati
Buang Haji Umar
- Penjual Surat Khabar dan Lampu Isyarat
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POEMS / PUISI
Roslan Jomel
- Surat kepada Aying
- Gelas di Tepi Tasik
Adi Badiozaman Tuah
- Pertemuan di Hyde Park
- Tetamu Malam di Paris
- Pertemuan di Edinburgh
Abizai
- ilham
- ilham (2)
Mohd. Taufek Mohd. Saed Merasa Khuatir
- Menjadi Sentimental
- Menterjemah Bibir
Hajah Latifah Haji Mohd. Shebli
- Kabut di Padang Merdeka
- Pertemuan Ini
- Khabarkan kepada Nusantara Il
Poul Nanggang
- Senapang Ayah
- Melakarkan Ego
Zahirah Zaidani
- Cinta Rasulullah
- Bahasa yang Paling Ibu
Jeli Bohari Bihar
- Bulan Terlalu Jauh
- Di Matamu Nestapa
Saiee Driss
- Burung Pungguk
- Banjir 2001
- Menerka
Pharo Abdul Hakim
- Namanya Suhana a/p Marina
- Sayonara
Jali Haji Kenoi
- Siang Ini
Hipani Alwi
- Sungai
- Daun
Yusuf Mustanir
- Mona Lisa dan Menara Condong Pisa
- Alam Melayu Baru
- Perjuangan dan Aku (Buat Joan yang merayau di Senja Luzern)
Dahiri Saini
- Tikus
- Kucingku
- Logik
Jaafar Haji Hamdan
- Jangan
- Laut Kehidupan
- Setelah Langit Menjadi Biru
Jais Sahok
- Pemberontakan Puisi