AT YPCS POETRY READING BY SALLEH BEN JONED
AT 8.00 PM ON JULY 24, 2004
HELD AT RUMAH UNIVERSITI, UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA, LEMBAH PANTAI, KUALA LUMPUR
[SALUTATION]
I am pleased to introduce Salleh Ben Joned, who shall tonight be reading some as-yet-unpublished poems from his forth-coming book, "Adam's Dream."
Salleh was born in Malacca in 1941 ~ which makes him 62, I suppose ~ but like me, he keeps his mind active so that number doesn't mean a thing.
Salleh spent several years Down Under as one of the last Colombo Plan Scholars. He fell seriously -- and unconventionally, I might add -- in love with an Australian fellow student in the first year and married her. Due to her family's disapproval of the marriage, the couple moved from University of Adelaide to University of Tasmania, where fate has it, that he became a student of the major poet James McAuley.
He came back to Malaysia in 1973 and lectured in English Literature at the University of Malaya until 1983, when he quit to become Head of Drama at TV3 and a freelance scribbler. His first book was the bilingual poetry collection "Sajak-Sajak Saleh" (Teks, 1987). His publisher later committed suicide.
This was followed by "As I Please" (Skoob, 1994) which compiled his popular New Straits Times column. A remixed version of "Sajak-Sajak Saleh" was published by Pustaka Cipta in 2002. His last film appearance was as the vicious pimp Farouk in "Bintang Malam" (1991) and he also wrote the original story for "Amok (1995), both directed by Adman Salleh (no relation). By the way, I should also add that I am also no relation of Salleh, although we both were once contemporaries at the University of Malaya.
According to Googlism.com, there are only three things you ought to remember about Salleh:
1) Salleh Ben Joned is a Malaysian writer who pushed the envelope of political criticism in a young and fragile democracy.
2) Salleh Ben Joned is one of that rare breed; the literary street fighter who does not hesitate to be controversial or shocking to prove his point.
3) Salleh Ben Joned is a Malaysian poet equally at ease writing in English and in Bahasa Melayu.
Intellectuals like Salleh are important in society because he provokes us to think and in so thinking, we begin to question our implicit assumptions, their validity and, therefore, help us innovate and become better people, citizens and thinkers.
I am pleased that Salleh has agreed to give this poetry reading tonight with the aim being two-fold:
1) Firstly, to initiate a dialogue among Young Professionals Consultative Society members and prospective members about the society we live in, the values we hold dear and through this consultation among it's young professional members, we can be stimulated to improve society by being motivated to give back to society. Salleh's writing is controversial ~ which means he has succeeded in provoking thought. He is a living example why it is important to embrace diversity of thought; dissent, even. If we live in a world of "yes-men," society will have no room for progress.
2) Secondly, I am very pleased that both Salleh and YPCS have agreed to donate tonight's collection to the United World College Scholarship Fund. Since you have contributed to this fund by your presence here tonight, it is only fitting for me to say a few words about the United World Colleges movement, of which I am the chairman of the UWC National Committee for Malaysia.
Ladies and gentlemen,
There is an old Chinese saying that says a picture is worth a thousand words.
I would like to take the liberty of extending the word "picture" here to imply picture-like expressions by people other than me so that they become more convincing.
Here is one such expression:
"Through international education, experience and community service, United World Colleges enables young people to become responsible citizens, politically and environmentally aware, and committed to the ideals of peace and justice, understanding and cooperation, and the implementation of these ideals through action and personal example."
- So says the UWC Mission Statement.
United World Colleges (UWC) is the only global educational movement which brings together students from all over the world at pre-university level (or tertiary level in the case of one College), regardless of their ability to pay. Almost all students are scholars. Students are selected on merit and live together in an environment designed to foster international understanding, tolerance and peace.
The United World Colleges originated in the ideas of the educationalist Kurt Hahn in the 1950s and the first United World College, Atlantic College, opened in Wales in 1962.
Today, there are ten United World Colleges in the UK, Singapore, Canada, Swaziland, the USA, Italy, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Norway and India. Each College has its own distinctive character but all share a common mission which has become more relevant than ever.
High academic standards, extensive community service and a wide range of cultural and outdoor activities are features of a UWC education. There is also great diversity: students come from a very wide range of backgrounds and it is common for more than 80 nationalities to be represented in a College at any one time. 27,000 Graduates are evidence of UWC's success -- in most cases, a personal commitment to peace and international understanding has become a central part of these Graduates' lives.
The ten United World Colleges follow one of three models:
1) those offering a two-year pre-university education for students aged 16-19 based on the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum;
2) those which offer this programme within a larger College and provide students of younger ages with the opportunity to gain a UWC experience;
and
3) Simon Bolivar UWC of Agriculture which offers a three-year tertiary agricultural education and training for students aged 18-21.
The academic curriculum forms just one part of UWC students' busy and diverse lives: an extensive programme of community service plays a central role in all the Colleges, while the shared experiences of living and working together in an intensive multicultural environment also do much to build international understanding.
UWC National Committees and Selection Committees are currently formed in 114 countries in order to promote UWC, select the students to attend the Colleges, and raise some of the funds needed. The fact that students throughout the world are selected from within their own cultures and communities is a further unique feature of the United World.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me give you another "picture" that is worth a thousand words.
"Each UWC Graduate is potentially a future architect of peace... The fundamental values of a UWC education are increasingly relevant to global stability and peace and I truly believe that the world will be a better place because of the contribution of our Graduates."
~ So says HM Queen Noor of Jordan, President of the United World Colleges.
Yet another "picture":
"The striking feature of the United World Colleges is that they embrace the entire world across all divides of race, history, culture, wealth, religion, economic status and political belief: they are unique and they are conscious of their responsibilities."
~ So says Nelson Mandela, United World Colleges Honorary President.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am indeed pleased to learn that the Young Professionals Consultative Society (YPCS) has agreed at it's recent Annual General Meeting to adopt United World Colleges as its flagship education project until it's next AGM. Raising money for a Malaysian student to attend one of the United World Colleges will have great benefit not only to the scholar concerned, but also to Malaysia and to everyone the scholar comes into contact with in College.
To the President, Committee Members and members of the Young Professionals Consultative Society, I would like to thank you for working in partnership with United World Colleges Malaysia to raise funds for scholarships.
So, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the colourful and ever-so-thought-provoking Salleh Ben Joned.
Copyright 2003-2004 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice
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