H-Net* Writer Sabri Zain re-lives Reformasi in new book

[Saga]

Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2000 09:43:57 +0800

Writer Sabri Zain re-lives Reformasi in new book
HARAKAH DAILY

KUALA LUMPUR, September 7 (Hrkh) - Writer Sabri Zain, whose satirical
writings on local politics and 'eyewitness accounts' of the reformasi
demonstrations on the Internet made him an icon among Reformasi activists,
has compiled the popular articles he wrote into a book form.
Face Off: A Malaysian Reformasi Diary (1998-99) consists of Sabri's writings
posted on the Internet in the year following the sacking, arrest and torture
under polic custody of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Face Off "captures, in words, the spirit, moods, colour, excitement and
hopes of ordinary Malaysians caught in the wave of Reformasi demanding true
democracy, freedom and change," said the publisher in a statement.
Sabri's writings immediately gained wid! er audience when Harakah, whose
circulation skyrocketed to more than 300,000 copies at the height of the
Anwar saga, began publishing some of his eyewitness accounts of mass
demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur.
There is also a reason why the book's cover is adorned with a photo of a
demonstration at the National Mosque.
The book begins with accounts of Anwar's final speech at the mosque before
his arrest on September 20, 1998, and ends at the same venue, when thousands
of people joined for special prayers for Anwar on September 19 last year.
Sabri, who is now based in the United Kingdom, said the book re-lives the
historic events away from the "heat" of the moment, "to think about why
things happened, what did we do wrong, what did we do right," said Sabri to
HarakahDaily.com.
Permanent record of shame
Sabri described Face Off as a "permanent record of shame".
"Websites come and websites go but I think the book can also serve aspermanent record of shame, lest future generations forget the crimes and
cruelty that took place," he said.
Sabri said meeting ordianary people on the streets and attending ceramahs
gave him ideas to write the various eyewitness accounts compiled in the
book.
"I'd be 'shopping' and then a demo would erupt around me and as soon as it
was over or the police scattered it, I'd be off home to my computer, quickly
write the report and shoot it into Cyberspace," he said.
But with satires, it was much easier.
"It really isn't difficult to make some of these UMNO politicians look like
clowns," he quipped, quoting Lord Byron's words: "Fools are my theme, let
satire be my song."
Sabri was trained as a civil engineer, but turned to writing when he joined
the Star as a journalist. Since then, he has worked for a multinational
computer company and an international nature conservation organisation.
More recently, Sabri has started on a new ! series of articles, writing as a
"special correspondent" for his imaginary "Not The New Straits Times". For
some time though, Sabri has not been writing. So has he stopped?
"Definitely not!" he said. "But I was too busy to write anything new since
the UMNO elections last May ... A lot of people forget that I'm not a
full-time writer - I have to work for a living like everyone else!" said
Sabri, who works as a communication manager.
Asked whether there is any plan to translate his work into Bahasa Malaysia,
Sabri said:
"My bahasa Melayu kasar sikitlah!" he warned. "So we will need to look for a
good translator, who would also need to understand where I'm coming from
intellectually, emotinally and politically."
[The book can be ordered at Big O. ]

COUNTERBALANCE.ANYWHERE.ANYTIME.ANYBODY.ANYONE.COM

---

Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere!