History, Dreams and Reality: Storytelling Programs in Malaysia. PUB DATE 93 NOTE 14P.; In: Dreams and Dynamics
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 399 937 IR 056 052 AUTHOR Saad, Mohd Sharif Mohd TITLE History, Dreams and Reality: Storytelling Programs in Malaysia. PUB DATE 93 NOTE 14p.; In: Dreams and Dynamics. Selected Papers from the Annual Conference of the International Association of School Librarianship (22nd, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, September 27-30,1993); see IR 056 045. PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141) Speeches/Conference Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Cultural Education; Drama; *Educational Strategies; Foreign Countries; History; Library Funding; Library Role; *Library Services; *Oral Tradition; Puppetry; Reading Aloud to Others; *Story Telling; Technological Advancement; Television IDENTIFIERS Barriers to Implementation; *Malaysia ABSTRACT Storytelling, a powerful means of providing children and adults with life-enhancing mental images, has been atradition practiced by most cultures throughout the world. Passed on from one generation to another, the stories freed the imagination and stretched the capacity for such feelings of joy, sorrow,sympathy, and hope. The stories usually have a universal message,especially in their aim to cultivate positive norms in societies. The characters or settings might be different but the plots, themes, and genres are identical. The paper describes the history of storytelling in Malaysia, with emphasis on Malay storytelling, and describescurrent storytelling activities for children in libraries. Methods of storytelling, storytelling contests, professional storytelling groups, and examples of three libraries'storytelling programs are also discussed. Storytelling activities are facingchallenges from the technological developments of television, computers,and video arcades. Despite lack of staff, budget and other constraints, libraries are working diligently to carry on storytellingactivities. Puppets, drama, television, and video-discs are among the methods used everywhere by storytellers today to reach theiraudiences. The motive of storytelling will always be the same, to entertain and educate the audience. Appendices contain a list ofstorytellers by state and method of presentation, tables of librariesand library activities, libraries and storytelling information, and methods used in storytelling at each library. (SWC) *****AAAA;r*AAA.AA.AA***************************************************** * * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. *********************************************************************** 1 History, Dreams and Reality: Storytelling Programs in Malaysia by Mohd Sharif Mohd Saad School of Library and Information Science Institut Teknologi MARA Malaysia Introduction Maxwell wrote: Malaysia, historically known as the Malay Peninsula lies across the trade route linking Sitting in the balei of a raja or China, India, and the Arab countries to the chief, or in the veranda of a west. For centuries it has been a trading haven private house, when the sun has for all the various cultures:Chinese, Indian, gone down and the evening meal Arab, British, Dutch, and Portuguese.The is over, the storyteller, very likely neighboring countries, Thailand and Indonesia, a man who can neither read nor have also some cultural linkage with Malaysia. write, will commence one of the Ethnically, its eighteen million popula- romances of hisrepertoire, tion is multiracial which comprises the Malays, intoning thewordsin Chinese, and Indians in Peninsular Malaysia monotonous chant as if he were and the Ibans, Kadazans, Dayaks, Bajans, reading aloud from a book. He Melanaus, Kenyahs, Kayans, and many other has very likely been placed groups in Sabah and Sarawak on the islandof purposely near a doorway leading Borneo.It is divided into fourteen states and to the women's apartment, and the Malay language is the national language. the laughter and applause of the This paper describes the history of male audience without is echoed story-telling in Malaysia particularly pertaining from behind the curtains, where to the Malay storytelling.It will also describe the women of the household sit the present day activities for children in eagerly listening to the story. The libraries with an elaboration on storytelling recitation is perhaps prolonged activities. far into the night, and then Storytelling,a powerful means of pro- postponed, to be continued in the viding children and adults with life-enhancing succeeding night.There is no mental images, has been a tradition practiced hesitation or failure of memory on by most cultures throughout the world. Passed the part of the bait; he has been on from one generation to another, the stories at it from his youth up, and has freed the imagination and stretched the inherited his romances form his capacity for such feelings of joy, sorrow, father and ancestors, who told sympathy, and hope. The stories usually have them in days gone by to the a universal message, especially in their aim to forefathersof hispresent cultivate positive norms in societies.The audience.A small reward, a characters or settings might be different but the hearty welcome, and a good meal plots, themes, and genres are identical. await the Malay rhapsodist wherever he goes, and he wanders Historical Background among Malay villagers as Homer Malay storytellers, better known as did among the Greek Cities." "penglipurlara," have long existed even during Another well known British scholar, the Malay Sultanate.To Understand their R.O. Winstedt, also wrote about a Malay function we must first understand that the storyteller in 1908: word "penglipurlara" means a person that makes people happy.Among the earliest He started to chant, his voice at documented evidence of the existence of Malay first cracked with age and disuse 'I) storytellers was in the JMBRAS, dated 17th but strengthening as he warmed June, 1886. In his article entitled "Seri Rama a to his tale. The launch clock had 0 Fairy Tale Told by a Malay Rhapsodist," W. E. struck the hour of midnight:I U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY O CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as 40 received from the person or organization Ken Haycock originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. 2 Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." official OERI position or policy. dozed on the top of my cabin but tellers gave their hearts and souls to the stories still his voice rose strong and they rendered.These stories which are also interested the moonlit bay. For known as oral traditions have a mixed origin me its tale with its mixture of from India, Thailand, and he Middle East. many superstitions, layer upon These stories which involve tale-gods, demons, layer,possessedindeeda spirits, unusual animals, marvelous creatures dilettante interest; to him it was such as witches, ogres or fairies, or even what Robins Crusoe or Treasure conventionalized human characters such as the Island are to a school boy, what favorite youngest child or the cruel stepmother. the Odyssey must have been to a The story is usually an adventure and Greek fisherman. Adventure had love story, such as looking for something gone out of this life; his home was magical or a bride. Most of the themes, plots, poor; his clothes cotton, and his and characters of the stories are stereotyped, wife old and ugly.But as he and of course it will always concludes with a recited, he lived in a different happy ending.Among the stories told are wold; princes in the splendor of popular old Malay folktales. old world raiment fought battles These storytellers will usually tell their with magic arts and weapons, stories using rhyming words interwoven with rescued lovely maidens in distress, proverbs, riddles formulistic expressions, and travelled to land in search of songs thus making it easy for them to adventure, debonair, irresistible, remember. Along with the movement of parts of possessedof the secret perpetual their body especially the hands and the head, youth and passion.Visions of musical instruments, such as gongs, rebab (a sunlight and sea peeped out of two-stringed musical instrument), and batil the rude verse; sails filled with the (copper bowl) were also being used to make freshening breeze, and youth sat theirpresentation moreeffectiveand at the prow gay with silks and interesting. It is interesting to note that one of color andlive,whispering the storytellers is known as "Awang Batil" honeyed nothing to princesses of because he uses a batil to create music and also the Malay Archipelago."1 uses masks to depict different characters in the From these two statements it is evident tales. that the storytellers during that period of time To employ theservicesof the weregreatly appreciated by their audiences. storytellers, reservations have to be made. They can charm the listeners till, lat night. Matters such as token fees, the stories they Although they be illiterate and live in poverty, want to hear, and accommodations will have to they handle their stories with pride and love for be discussed.The venue will also have to the art.They usually learned the trade form prepare a stage, complete with incense and former storytellers and enjoy doing it or a mere drinking water for the convenience of the token. storyteller during the show. These Malay storytellers, known