Copy of Art & Culture in Prehistoric Halland

Reading Malaysia's Borders: 

Dissent and Resistance from a Malay-Language Independent Book Publisher

Time | 11 / 11（mon）12:30 —14:00 

Venue | Dayong 401 Meeting Room

Speaker | Zaidi Musa (Founder of Kedai Hitam Putih)

Interpreter | Show Yingxin (Lecturer, School of Culture, History & Language, ANU)

Moderator | Chung Shefong (Associate Prof., College of Communication, NCCU)

The speaker, Zaidi Musa, is the founder of the independent bookstore and publisher, Kedai Hitam Putih (Black & White Bookshop, est. 2007) based in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.

For many Malaysians from the west coast, Kelantan, positioned in the north-eastern corner, is regarded as a remote foreign state.  The geographical isolation, rural lifestyle and the border history have merged into the unique Kelantanese culture, which differs from the Malay culture in the rest of the peninsula, which is reflected in the cuisine, arts and the Kelantanese language.  

Ruled by the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) since 1990, Kelantan is being imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic Law.   Under the Islamic flag, Zaidi has independently established a bookstore in the capital of Kelantan after saving up from years of working in factories.  He has a keen interest in history and literature from Malaysia and Indonesia and has been selling books ranging from world literature, leftist thoughts to local history. 

Through Kedai Hitam Putih, Zaidi, as a self-funded publisher, has published 10 books from different authors so far, including Aku Ingin Jadi Peluru (2015), a poetry collection of Wiji Thukul, Gerakan Berpolitik Bumiputera Islam di Sabah (Political Movement of Islamic Indigenous in Sabah), historical research written by Eko Prayitno Joko, among others.

The talk by Zaidi Musa attempts to lead an alternative journey to the borders of Malaysia through the independent book publishing.

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