31 May 2023

Uthaya pivots from ‘Malay’ to English

Malay literature veteran brings his collection of transcreated stories to English-speaking readers for the first time. Theevya Ragu has the scoop.

Renowned Malaysian author Uthaya Sankar SB is embarking on a significant literary journey, breaking away from three decades of writing exclusively in Bahasa Malaysia.

 

In a recent interview with FMT, Uthaya expressed his long-standing desire to reach a wider audience with his stories.

“I’ve attended various international events over the years and had the opportunity to interact with authors from all over the world,” he shared.

“When I tell them about my stories, they’re impressed and say, ‘Oh, I’d love to read your stories one day’.”

Motivated by the growing interest for his work, Uthaya made the bold decision to switch to English for his upcoming book, The Painted Cat.

“It has always been in the back of my mind, so I thought, you know what, it’s time that I write in English,” he said.

To do this, he transcreated a selection of his already published works, giving them new life in English.

This unique approach, as Uthaya explained, involves more than a word-for-word translation.

“I call it transcreated because it isn’t translated word by word,” he clarified.

For this ambitious endeavour, Uthaya collaborated with a team of talented transcreators, including Lalita Sinha, Nanthini Muniapan, Pragalath Kumar, and Roshini Muniam – [biodata here].

Each of them handpicked ten of his previously published stories which they personally resonated with for his new project. The Painted Cat is the result of their combined efforts.

He said past translations of his works by other publishers were less than satisfactory as they failed to capture the essence of his storytelling.

“It was very much word by word, almost like Google Translate.”

Determined to avoid such shortcomings in The Painted Cat, Uthaya actively involved himself in the transcreation process.

“Now, I am very happy to say that the stories within this book, both the ones I have personally worked on and those crafted by my fellow transcreators, have kept true to my original intentions and the message I wanted to get across.”

Uthaya said writing exclusively in Bahasa Malaysia throughout his career was a conscious decision.

“There is a severe shortage of Indian authors who write in Bahasa Malaysia. The number is somewhere around 70 writers from 1930 until 2021,” he said – [details in Kavya Sastra].

Driven by a vision to empower minority communities and celebrate their stories in the national language, Uthaya established Kavyan, a dedicated group of Indian writers who embrace national literature [sastera kebangsaan] as a medium to enrich the diverse tapestry of local literature.

Despite writing in Bahasa Malaysia for most of his life, Uthaya said that his thinking process has always been in English.

“I always think in English and write in Bahasa Malaysia.”

This natural connection to the language, he said, made the transcreation process feel effortless.

When asked about his personal favourite, Uthaya responded with endearing sincerity.

“This is the toughest question,” he confessed. “It is going to sound cliché, but it is like asking a mother who her favourite child is. All my books are my favourite.”

However, Uthaya did reveal that it was always the book he was currently working on that became his favourite, at least for that period of time.

“So, right now, I would have to say that The Painted Cat holds a special place in my heart.”

Born and raised in Taiping, Uthaya said he has always been passionate about writing and exploring Indian communities and cultures although his real literary journey began while studying in Universiti Malaya.

His dedication to showcasing Indian culture within the context of Malaysian literature is a significant aspect of his work.

One story in The Painted Cat called “Nayagi, The Mistress of Destiny” received first prize in the Hadiah Cerpen Maybank-DBP competition in 1992.

“In this story I touched on the complexities and conflicts within a large Indian family, and the dichotomy between those anchored to their Indian heritage and those embracing their Malaysian identity,” he explained.

The Painted Cat not only marks Uthaya’s transition to English writing but also serves as a testament to his unwavering commitment to sharing authentic stories that delve into seldom-discussed topics, including culture, religion, race, language, and literature.

Through this collection, he said he hoped to captivate readers, both those who have enjoyed his stories in Bahasa Malaysia and those seeking literature that transcends language barriers.

[The interview was conducted by Theevya Ragu at the Free Malaysia Today office in Petaling Jaya, Selangor on 12 May 2023 and this article was published in Free Malaysia Today on 30 May 2023. The book cover was exclusively revealed in this article.]

15 May 2023

Peserta Pertemuan Penulis dan Pembaca Malaysia

Biodata of some of the writers who participated in the Malaysian Writers and Readers Get Together on 14 May 2023.

Anuradha Chelliah berasal dari Banting, Selangor. Beliau mendapat pendidikan rendah dan menengah di Banting. Beliau meneruskan pengajian dalam jurusan Sarjana Muda Pembangunan Manusia dan seterusnya Pengajaran Bahasa Inggeris Sebagai Bahasa Kedua (TESL) di Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Anuradha aktif menulis sejak 2016 dalam Bahasa Malaysia dan Bahasa Inggeris. Karya beliau boleh dibaca di The Star, Iris Magazine, Anak Sastra, Shakti – The Epitome of Power, dan ALS 2021: Anthology of Poems (2021). Karya Anuradha juga termuat dalam antologi Busana Bahasa (2019), Landasan Hidup (2020), dan Peluru Aksara (2020). Cerpen beliau turut termuat dalam Meredah Kabus (2021), Serpihan Memorabilia 2020 - Suara (2021), Patah Tumbuh (2021), Kisah Musim Wabak (2021), dan Anekdot Peribahasa Yang Tersurat Yang Tersirat (2022). Puisi beliau boleh dibaca dalam Antologi 3S Hari Guru Hatiki Terharu (2021), Antologi Sajak Momen,  Antologi Sajak Siluet Cinta Ayah Bonda (2022), dan Siri Warisan Budaya - Teluk Belanga dan Periuk Belanga (2023).

Cheryl Lim has been creating her own stories since she was old enough to read Enid Blyton books. She now creates stories to help brands sell their products via radio advertisements. Literary genres that she enjoys include literary fiction, fantasy, travel, and spirituality. Cheryl is also a cat hu-mom, choir singer, yoga instructor, DIYer, cook/baker, tuak maker and food lover (but, of course!) with a penchant for super dark chocolate.

Daphne Lee is the consulting editor of Scholastic Asia, a division of Scholastic Press, where she champions the creation of Asian content by Asians. To this end, she helped develop and is an advisor to the ongoing Scholastic Asian Scholastic Asian Book Award and Scholastic Picture Book Award, which have their home at the annual Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore. Daphne is also a writer with a particular interest in Malaysian myths, legends, and supernatural beliefs. She is the author of Bright Landscapes: A Short Story Collection (2019); and the curator and editor of Malaysian Tales: Retold & Remixed (2011), and Remang: An Anthology of Ghostly Tales (2017). Daphne is currently working on her second collection of short stories as well as her first novel, which is inspired by Daoist mythology and ancestral worship.

Jaymee Goh is a Malaysian-Chinese writer, reviewer, editor, and essayist of speculative fiction. Her work has been published in a number of magazines and anthologies, such as Lightspeed Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color, and reprinted in LeVar Burton Reads and Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy. Her reviews and nonfiction have appeared on Tor.com, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and Strange Horizons. She co-edited The Sea Is Ours: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia (2015), and edited The WisCon Chronicles Vol. 11: Trials by Whiteness (2017). A graduate from the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Workshop in 2016, Jaymee received her PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Riverside, where she dissertated in science fiction studies and critical race theory. She is an editor for Tachyon Publications.

Koh Yok Hwa berketurunan Teochew dan dilahirkan di Yong Peng, Johor pada tahun 1963. Beliau mendapat pendidikan rendah di SJKC Yong Peng 1 dan pendidikan menengah di SMK Yong Peng, SM Teknik Johor Bahru serta Sekolah Tinggi Kluang. Pada tahun 1984, Koh Yok Hwa melanjutkan pengajian di Fakulti Ekonomi dan Pentadbiran, Universiti Malaya (UM). Beliau menetap di Kepong mulai 1991 dan memulakan kerjaya sebagai penerbit buku menerusi Gemilang Publishing Sdn Bhd. Koh Yok Hwa memperolehi ijazah sarjana pentadbiran perniagaan (MBA) dari Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) pada 2021. Pada 2022, beliau menerima ijazah sarjana pengajian media dari UM. Beliau aktif menyumbangkan rencana untuk Utusan Malaysia.

Malini Lakshmi Bai is an author, English language teacher, and yoga enthusiast based in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. Having been intrigued by literature since she was a child, Malini was exposed to some reading as an early reader due to her interest in stories about culture and tradition. Through writing short stories and poems in school, she became familiar with the world of writing. In 2009, Malini represented the school and district in several youth forums, debate and public speaking competitions due to her penchant for writing in Bahasa Malaysia and English. Eksentrika has published English poems by Malini, and Sastera Kavyan published her Bahasa Malaysia short stories. Her fiction also appears in Lakaran Diri (2022).

K. Pragalath is a writer who works as an editor at a Malaysian news website, Harapan Daily. Previously he was a journalist with several news portals including Malaysiakini, Free Malaysia Today, Berita Daily, and The Leaders Online. Pragalath is also involved in digital marketing, especially content marketing, for a variety of sectors through Elyown Solutions & Consulting. He has also been involved in fiction writing and has authored two short stories in Bahasa Malaysia.

Thanusya Shanmuganathan merupakan graduan sarjana muda sastera dari Universiti Malaya (UM). Beliau sudah menghasilkan novel berjudul Tak Sengaja Cinta (2014), Cik Cemerkap vs Encik Selfie (2016), Savithri (2021) dan Hanya Kau Untukku (2022) menggunakan nama pena Meera Natasya. Beliau juga aktif menulis skrip, cerpen, esei, dan sajak. Beliau aktif dalam Koperasi Penulis Nasional (KOPENA) dan Pertubuhan Sasterawan Kaum India (Kavyan).

Uthaya Sankar SB is arguably the most hated Malaysian writer. He has been a prolific writer in Bahasa Malaysia since 1992 and some of his writings have been transcreated into English, Tamil, Mandarin, and German. He is the author of over twenty books and has written extensively on topics including language, culture, literature, politics, and religion. In 1999, Uthaya founded Kavyan Writers Group and since 2009, he has been a columnist for various newspapers and online news portals. With numerous literary awards under his belt, Uthaya has also been presented the Ambassador for Peace Award by the Universal Peace Federation in 2008. In 2023, The Hindusthan Art & Music Society (India) conferred him the Saraswati Samman Award. Uthaya lives in Shah Alam, Selangor and enjoys being a full-time activist, researcher, writer, and publisher.

11 May 2023

What's Inside The Painted Cat

Ten (10) stories were handpicked by the transcreators for this project. The publication of this book — my first in English — is made possible by the kindhearted social capital contributors.

 

Content:

 

Preface (by the Editor)

What They Say (the media and my comrades)

 

1. Nayagi, The Mistress of Destiny

2. New Year’s Prayer

3. An Ordinary Tail

4. Datuk Came to Siru Kambam

5. The Painted Cat

6. Rudra Avatar

7. A Tale of Paurnami

8. Grandpa and the Moon

9. Mind Battles

10. The Migrant Gardener

 

The Origin Story (notes on each story)

Biodata – [click here]

Social Capital Contributors – [click here]

 

Please [click here] for details of the transcreation project.

16 Apr 2023

The Writer, the Editor, and the Transcreators


Below are the people involved in the transcreation process of the compilation of my stories in English. Click here for the project details.

 

The Editor

Amir Muhammad is the founder of the book-publishing company Buku Fixi and the movie-producing company Kuman Pictures. He has written several books but they are now out of print — Yasmin Ahmad’s Films (2009) and 120 Malay Movies (2010) among them.  Amir has also directed several movies, including two documentaries that got banned in Malaysia — The Last Communist (2006) and Village People Radio Show (2007). He believes in Universal Basic Income so that people can spend more time doing what they like.

 

The Transcreators


Lalita Sinha is a literary scholar, translator, and critic. During her service with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Wawasan Open University, Lalita’s works were published in Malaysia (Universiti Sains Malaysia Press, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia), the UK (Cambridge Scholarly Publications, Routledge, Taylor & Young), the USA (World Wisdom Books), and Canada (Sacred Web). She received the Best Academic Publication Award (Arts) from the Malaysian Association of Academic Publishers and the Best Thesis Award from USM for her Ph.D. research in mystical symbolism. Specialising in the field of Comparative Literature, Lalita’s works cover a range of disciplines, from mysticism and literary translation to children’s literature. Since her retirement in 2006, Lalita has been an active freelance translator. In 2022, in collaboration with several local universities, she completed a UNESCO-funded project, Kids of Malaysia Initiative for Covid-19 Stories (KOMICS). Lalita continues to publish academic articles and has also ventured into creative writing.

Nanthini Muniapan is a seasoned IT professional with over 13 years of experience in the industry. She is a graduate of Computer Science from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), and has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Unitar International University. Apart from her technical expertise, Nanthini is also an avid reader. She has a keen interest in Indian mythology and folklore, and has been reading and studying these stories for many years. 

Pragalath Kumar @ K. Pragalath is a writer who works as an editor at a Malaysian news website, Harapan Daily. Previously he was a journalist with several news portals including Malaysiakini, Free Malaysia Today, Berita Daily, and The Leaders Online. Pragalath is also involved in digital marketing, especially content marketing, for a variety of sectors through Elyown Solutions & Consulting. He has also been involved in fiction writing and has authored two short stories in Bahasa Malaysia.

Roshini Muniam is a first-class B. Ed. TESL (Hons) graduate from Universiti Selangor (UNiSEL) and has a Masters in English Language Studies from Universiti Malaya (UM). Trained as a graduate English Language teacher, she has a unique 13-year experience in language teaching and training, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Currently, she is a lecturer at the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) in Sibu. She is also a HRD-Corp certified corporate trainer and a language consultant for affiliated private and government bodies. Born in Muar, Johor and raised in Banting, Selangor, Roshini experienced growing up in a multi-racial, rural community. Her passion revolves around community service and volunteerism, and she advocates bridging the urban-rural gap in education. In 2021, she was awarded the Community Role Model Award for her involvement in community development. Roshini believes that everyone has a story to tell and translation allows these stories to travel.

 

The Writer

Uthaya Sankar SB is arguably the most hated Malaysian writer. He is hated for his courage, outspokenness, wits, and guts; loathed for openly writing and criticizing on topics deemed too sensitive and a taboo in Malaysia. Uthaya was born in Taiping, Perak in 1972. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degree in Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Uthaya has been a prolific writer in Bahasa Malaysia since 1992 and some of his writings have been translated into English, Tamil, Mandarin, and German. He is the author of over twenty books and has written extensively on topics including language, culture, literature, politics, and religion. In 1999, Uthaya founded Kavyan Writers Group and since 2009, he has been a columnist for various online news portals. With numerous literary awards under his belt, Uthaya has also been presented the Ambassador for Peace Award by the Universal Peace Federation in 2008. In 2023, The Hindusthan Art & Music Society (India) conferred him the Saraswati Samman AwardIn April 2022, Uthaya was arrested by the police from Bukit Aman and he spent a night in the lock up for allegedly insulting Prophet MuhammadUthaya lives in Shah Alam, Selangor and enjoys being a full-time activist, researcher, writer, and publisher.

 

These are the people involved in the transcreation process of the compilation of my stories in English. Click here for the project details.

6 Apr 2023

Social Capital Contributors for The Painted Cat


I am happy to be surrounded by crabs. Oh! Not from the cliché “Indian Crab” story. No, no, no. The “crabs” around me are social capital contributors. They are wonderful souls. They are helpful. They support me to reach the moon.

Friends and family members have come forward as social capital contributors to assist in the publication of a collection of my short stories in English. Please click here for details about the transcreation project.


1. S.G. (Butterworth, Penang)

2. Murali Mohan (Pasir Gudang, Johor)

3. Veeraselvam Kuttiappan (Puchong, Selangor)

4. Sasitharan SG (Ayer Itam, Penang)

5. F.H. (Shah Alam, Selangor)

6. Zaheer Zechariah (Bukit Jelutong, Selangor)

7. Anuradha Chelliah (Banting, Selangor)

8. Dr. Arun Tharma Iswara (Sydney, Australia)

9. Prabhawathy Govindarajoo (Shah Alam, Selangor)

10. Devishi Prabha Sankari (Shah Alam, Selangor)

11. Saravanan Selanduray (Puchong, Selangor)

12. M. Mahendran (Bentong, Pahang)

13. Subramaniam Raman (Lunas, Kedah)

14. Gunaseelan Kumar (Bahau, Negeri Sembilan)

15. Chandran Krishnan (Simpang Ampat, Penang)

16. Hanusuya Gunasegran (Seremban 2, Negeri Sembilan)

17. Prem Kanna a/l Dorairaj (Rawang, Selangor)

18. Dr. Lalita Sinha (Simpang Ampat, Penang)

19. RPR (Shah Alam, Selangor)

20. Haritha Mukhan (Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur)

21. Anthony Louis (Andernach, Germany)

22. Gopala Krishnan a/l Sekharan Nair (Tasek Gelugor, Penang)

23. Dr. Swagata Sinha Roy (Kajang, Selangor)

24. Dr. Ann Lee (Kuala Lumpur)

25. Daphne Lee Mei-lin (Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur)

26. AK (Segamat, Johor)

27. Mahadevy (Bayan Lepas, Penang)

28. Nalina Devi Applanaidu (Sungai Petani, Kedah)

29. PS Lim (Petaling Jaya, Selangor)

30. SK (Puchong, Selangor)

31. M. Mahesvaran @ Mad Sentul (Kapar, Selangor)

32. Dr. Shyamala Dhoraisingam (Subang Jaya, Selangor)

33. Tharma Iswara Subramaniam (Subang Jaya, Selangor)

34. NG (Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur)

35. Sivasankar Narayanan (Setia Alam, Selangor)

36. Lalitha Subramaniam (Setia Alam, Selangor)

37. Krishnu Sanker Sivasankar (Setia Alam, Selangor)

38. Harveen Sankar Sivasankar (Setia Alam, Selangor)

39. Kuhan Sankar Sivasankar (Setia Alam, Selangor)

40. Priya Kulasagaran @ Priya K (Petaling Jaya, Selangor)

41. Sivapalan Selvadurai (Kajang, Selangor)

42. Martin Prasad Vengadesan (Kuala Lumpur)

43. Susan Loone (Jelutong, Penang)

44. EC (Kota Kemuning, Selangor)

45. Alexandar Anthony Dars (Ipoh, Perak)

46. VK Ezhilarasi a/p Velautham (Cheras, Kuala Lumpur)

47. Saras Manickam (Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur)

48. Tan Gim Ean (Kampung Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur)


This name list will be updated until 15 June 2023. The social capital contributors’ names shall also be listed in the book. I thank each and every contributor for making it possible to publish my books.

Contributors for my previous booksPulau Pendatang (2015)  Nari! Nari! (2015)  Mandala Bicara (2016)  Ikan Patin dan Beruang Besar (2017)  Thirukkural dan Megha Duta (2018)  Ramayana dan Mahabharata (2019)  Vetalam dan Vikramaditya (2020)  Putaria (2020) Bhagavad Gita (2021) Kavya Sastra (2021) Suvarna Bhumi (2022) Khanda Puranam (2022) Katha Sarit Sagara (2023) Nari! Nari! (2023).

31 Jan 2023

Senarai Penyumbang Nari! Nari! (2023)

Berikut senarai penyumbang yang membantu menjayakan projek mencetak semula buku Nari! Nari! pada tahun 2023 untuk dihadiahkan kepada perpustakaan sekolah rendah dipilih.

1. Anuradha Chelliah (Banting, Selangor)

2. Saras Manickam (Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur)

3. Jaya Murugesan (Kuala Lumpur)

4. Sockalingam Murugesan (Kuala Lumpur)

5. Subathra Gunasegaran (Kuala Lumpur)

6. Dr Shanmugamani Manickam (Kuala Lumpur)

7. Dr Radha Radhakrishnan (Kuala Lumpur)

8. Dr Balasundaram Manickam (Australia)

9. Ravi Manickam (Kuala Lumpur)

10. Parames Muthukumar (Kuala Lumpur)

11. Naresh Sanchana (Kuala Lumpur)

12. Pushpa Sugumaran (Kuala Lumpur)

13. Leena Sanchana (Kuala Lumpur)

14. Kopal Subbiah (Australia)

15. Suppammah Sadayan (Setia Alam, Selangor)

16. Sivasankar Narayanan (Setia Alam, Selangor)

17. Lalitha Subramaniam (Setia Alam, Selangor)

18. Krishnu Sanker Sivasankar (Setia Alam, Selangor)

19. Harveen Sankar Sivasankar (Setia Alam, Selangor)

20. Kuhan Sankar Sivasankar (Setia Alam, Selangor)

21. Prabhawathy Govindarajoo (Shah Alam, Selangor)

22. Devishi Prabha Sankari (Shah Alam, Selangor)

23. EC (Kota Kemuning, Selangor)

24. M. Mahendran (Bentong, Pahang)

25. Dr. Lalita Sinha (Simpang Ampat, Pulau Pinang)

26. Sivabarathi Munikanan (Puchong, Selangor)

27. Fadzilah Din (Batu Caves, Selangor)

28. Aathan Natchenthan Murali (Pusing, Perak)

29. Koh Yok Hwa (Kepong, Kuala Lumpur)

30. Sasitharan SG (Ayer Itam, Pulau Pinang)

31. Selvarajah Murugesan @ MuPa. Selva (Jenjarom, Selangor)

32. Saravanan Selanduray (Puchong, Selangor)

33. VK Ezhilarasi a/p Velautham @ Krishnan (Cheras, Kuala Lumpur)

34. Prem Kanna a/l Dorairaj (Rawang, Selangor)

35. Halini Paramanathan (Kepong, Kuala Lumpur)

36. Dr. Lai Choy (Kepong, Kuala Lumpur)

37. Gopala Krishnan a/l Sekharan Nair (Tasek Gelugor, Pulau Pinang)

38. Malini Lakshmi Bai (Cheras, Kuala Lumpur)

39. Komathi a/p Doraisamy (Puchong, Selangor)

Nama para penyumbang sehingga 28 Februari 2023 sahaja sempat dimasukkan dalam buku. Sila [klik di sini] untuk maklumat projek ini.

30 Nov 2022

Indian R18 Folklore “Kathasaritsagara” in Bahasa Malaysia

PROLIFIC and sometimes controversial local writer Uthaya Sankar SB who found himself at odds with the authorities for allegedly posting a Facebook status deemed insulting Prophet Muhammad in April 2022 — details here — has not allowed his awful experience to deter him from sharing the richness of Indian literature with local audience in Bahasa Malaysia.

Even following his detention by the police from Bukit Aman on 11 April 2022 and having to spend a night at the Dang Wangi lock-up, Uthaya has decided to work his way to retell the Kathasaritsagara by Somadeva which was originally written in Sanskrit to Bahasa Malaysia for matured audience.

The Kathasaritsagara was first translated into English by Charles Henry Tawney and published in two volumes as The Katha Sarit Sagara or Ocean of the Streams of Story (1880-1884).

It was further refined by Norman Mosley Penzer and published as The Ocean of Story (1924-1928) in ten volumes. There are also numerous translations and retellings in English and other regional languages in India.

Tales from the Kathasaritsagara (2019) by Rohini Chowdhury, The Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva (2020) by Meena Arora Nayak, and A Treasury of Tales from the Kathasaritsagara (2019) by Jayashree Bhat are among the recent retellings targetted for children and teenagers.

When he was studying in the Universiti Malaya in 1993, Uthaya was mesmerised by The Ocean of Story which he spent weeks reading in the confinement of the library.

“The original text is very long and consists of 124 tarangas (chapters) written in 18 lambhakas (sections). I decided to concentrate on the first five lambhakas or the first 26 tarangas,” shared Uthaya who has been a prominent and controversial figure in the local literary scene since 1992.

His previous retelling of the Indian classics includes Thirukkural dan Megha Duta (2018), Ramayana dan Mahabharata (2019), Vethalam dan Vikramaditya (2020), Bhagavad Gita (2021) and Khanda Puranam (2022). [complete list]

Despite the objections from certain groups of Hindu and Tamil language fanatics who were dead set against the idea of sacred Hindu texts being published in Bahasa Malaysia, Uthaya’s retelling of the Bhagavad Gita in 2021 was a big hit among the multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysian community.

“The initial 1,000 copies were sold out within two weeks, and I had to reprint an additional 500 copies to cater for the demand,” revealed Uthaya who doesn’t shy away from thanking his haters for creating a buzz for his books.

While his “hina nabi” case is still being investigated under Section 298A of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Multimedia and Communications Act, Uthaya said he continues to courageously speak his mind on various issues through his writings.

Nevertheless, he cautions the public that his latest book is not suitable for children since there are many mature elements in the stories. “Let this collection of Indian folklores be solely for the adults to enjoy,” he said cheekily.

Uthaya’s Katha Sarit Sagara is scheduled for release in January 2023 and can be purchased [here].

(Published in Focus Malaysia on 29 November 2022)