Anak Titiwangsa by Keris Mas
(1989)
Sudin and Karim are two mischievous, naughty boys from the village who failed the Sijil Rendah Pelajaran (SRP). Consequently, Sudin was sent off to live with his uncle in Kuala Lumpur where his life was filled with education and knowledge. Karim, on the other hand, continued to live in the village and was neglected by his parents and failed his surroundings. Their paths in life started to diverge based on their life circumstances. Thus, this book follows Sudin navigating the early stages of adulthood while dealing with a situation involving Karim.
The question discussed throughout the book is that “are all bad people inherently bad, were born bad, and will continue to be a bad person, or are there other factors that contribute to the way people act and think?” In the beginning of the book, Sudin asked: “Mestikah begitu selamanya? Orang jahat mesti masuk jel dan terus jahat?” [Does it have to be like that forever? Bad people have to go to jail and continue to be bad?].
Another element I found interesting is how Keris Mas explored the socioeconomic state of the urban and rural areas of post-independent Malaysia. While dealing with the Karim-situation, Sudin interacted and spent time with people from different societal backgrounds and social classes. We, as a reader, were exposed to the varying ways people think based on their circumstances.
My friend once asked whether the language used by Keris Mas in this book to be difficult to understand, I personally think that his writing was very contemporary. My favourite quote was “Barangkali aku flop” [Maybe, I am flopping]. I have this as my instagram bio and I had people asking whether this is a real quote or what’s up with the bio. I had to tell them that it is a quote from Malaysian literature by our National Laureate. Like isn’t it cool to see a word that is commonly used by people now (flop) in a book published in 1989? 1989 is not that long ago but hey…
I definitely recommend this book to everyone and anyone, especially us younger generation, those in the early stages of adulthood, or those that are interested in the premise of the book and social commentary.