Once We Were There
Bernice Chauly (2017)
Bernice Chauly (2017)
Yes, we were there. A time of hope and desire to tell the world that we have arrived. We wanted the world to know where Malaysia was located on a map. For the first time, they realised that there was not a void between the land of the pagodas, Thailand and the little chewing gum free city of Singapore. They have heard of the loud mouth premier who walked the talk. We had the Twin Towers and the Commonwealth Games to showcase. It was 1998. Then this happened.
A country which advertised itself as a moderate Islamic country with conservative views had people talking openly about nocturnal activities that happened behind closed doors. Unexpectedly, its Deputy PM was arrested like a common criminal and dragged to its kangaroo courts racoon-eyed. Suddenly it was alright for the leaders to discuss sex openly and for its dailies to describe in graphic details about homosexuality and sodomy.
Against the familiar landmarks around KL and a dark cloud that seem to shroud the nation, the author dissects deep into the psyche of two main characters. The first is a confused young lady who just drags herself along the tide as the wind brings her. The central premise of the narration is her handling of grief of losing her unborn child and later her toddler. Another important person in the narrative is a cross-dressing transvestite from Sabah who tries to survive in a seeming irreligious, chaotic, hostile and corrupt KL.
The book comes with an 'Only for Mature Readers' label for sale in Malaysia. Perhaps, the publishers thought that the story was too graphic for Malaysians. Or maybe, the portrayal of vice, drugs, corruption and crime was not in keeping with the squeaky clean image that the country seems to put up. Or maybe the image of Muslims living in apparently 'decadent' lives, indulging in alcohol and other intoxicants prove too much for religious authorities to stomach.
(P.S. Funny how time changes everything. If in 1998, the then PM and his deputy were arch enemies, now twenty years on, there are standing on the same platform screaming foul against the current system. Politics make strange bedfellows.)
A country which advertised itself as a moderate Islamic country with conservative views had people talking openly about nocturnal activities that happened behind closed doors. Unexpectedly, its Deputy PM was arrested like a common criminal and dragged to its kangaroo courts racoon-eyed. Suddenly it was alright for the leaders to discuss sex openly and for its dailies to describe in graphic details about homosexuality and sodomy.
Against the familiar landmarks around KL and a dark cloud that seem to shroud the nation, the author dissects deep into the psyche of two main characters. The first is a confused young lady who just drags herself along the tide as the wind brings her. The central premise of the narration is her handling of grief of losing her unborn child and later her toddler. Another important person in the narrative is a cross-dressing transvestite from Sabah who tries to survive in a seeming irreligious, chaotic, hostile and corrupt KL.
The book comes with an 'Only for Mature Readers' label for sale in Malaysia. Perhaps, the publishers thought that the story was too graphic for Malaysians. Or maybe, the portrayal of vice, drugs, corruption and crime was not in keeping with the squeaky clean image that the country seems to put up. Or maybe the image of Muslims living in apparently 'decadent' lives, indulging in alcohol and other intoxicants prove too much for religious authorities to stomach.
(P.S. Funny how time changes everything. If in 1998, the then PM and his deputy were arch enemies, now twenty years on, there are standing on the same platform screaming foul against the current system. Politics make strange bedfellows.)
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