Malacca
Legends of the Secret Tunnel of Malacca by Dennis De Witt
ABOUT THE TALK
Dennis De Witt will share the tales of the subterranean tunnels under the historic town of Malacca that has existed for over a century. There were stories of a tunnel under St. Paul’s hill and how people had gone into these tunnels but were never to be seen again.
This talk will give an overview of the book. What secrets do the tunnels contain and why were people willing to risk their life by descending into the dark and unknown orifices below Malacca? Is there lost treasure still buried in Malacca? This book uncovers the layers of history that unfold Malacca’s most bizarre and amazing legend. He will share pictures of Malacca and the historic St. Paul where the tunnel is, some of which are featured in the book. A book sale will also be held after the talk.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dennis De Witt, a management consultant in Kuala Lumpur, is a 5th generation Dutch Eurasian originally from Malacca. He has a keen interest in subjects relating to the history of Malacca and Dutch influences in Malaysia.
Over the years, he has participated, spoken and presented papers in various academic, private and public seminars and events organized by the Malaysian National Archives, and the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Malaysia, the Malacca Museums Corporation, the Institute of Occidental Studies at UKM, Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus, the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies and Universiti Teknologi MARA.
He also regularly conducts CTRE training for the Kuala Lumpur Tour Guides Association and speaks to the volunteers’ group at the National Museum. He has contributed articles for the Journal of Malaysian Biographies and written articles for various newspapers and magazines.
He has published several books, including ‘Reconnecting Through Our Roots’ (2006), ‘History of the Dutch in Malaysia’ (2007), ‘Melaka from the Top’ (2010), ‘Historical Tombstones and Graves at St Paul’s Hill Malacca’ (2016). In 2009, he was named the winner of the ‘Dutch incentive prize for Genealogy’ for his book ‘History of the Dutch in Malaysia’ and he received his prize in the Netherlands. He was the first-ever recipient of the prize who is not a Dutch citizen. His latest publication is entitled ‘Legends of the Secret Tunnels of Malacca’ was just released in 2018.
Manek Mischiefs by Lee Su Kim
ABOUT THE TALK
Lee Su Kim will share her experiences writing a trilogy of stories of the Peranakans, focusing on her latest work. After Kebaya Tales and Sarong Secrets, comes Manek Mischiefs, a rich, gutsy collection of short stories immersing the reader into the flamboyant, vibrant and colourful world of the Babas and Nyonyas. The babas take centre stage this time, masculine perspectives are put under the spotlight as themes of family intrigues and rivalries, loss of great fortunes, bedroom scandals, long lost love, identity issues and family relationships are explored.
Lee Su Kim, a sixth generation nyonya, will talk about the babas and their stories from an insider’s perspective and her cultural heritage facing the challenges of modern times. She will discuss the joys and pitfalls writing about a multi-layered, hybrid culture with Chinese, Southeast Asian and European influences. She will share pictures of exquisite beadwork and embroidery items ( manek) and personal belongings of the babas, many of which are featured in the book. The session ends with a reading by the author of one of her favourite stories.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr.Lee Su Kim has published eleven books of fiction and non-fiction. Her debut collection of the life-stories of the Peranakans, Kebaya Tales: Of Matriarchs, Maidens, Mistresses and Matchmakers won First prize in the Popular-Star Readers’ Choice Awards 2011(Fiction). She published another collection, Sarong Secrets: Of Love, Loss and Longing in 2013.
Her earlier work, Malaysian Flavours: Insights into Things Malaysian and Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest are bestsellers. She also wrote on the hilarious crosscultural encounters between east and west in A Nyonya In Texas: Insights of a Straits Chinese Woman in the Lone Star State.
Su Kim was Associate Professor of English language studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia where she lectured and published widely on language, culture and identity. She is the chief editor of ‘Border Crossings : Moving between Languages and Cultural Frameworks’.
An invited speaker at both the Ubud and Singapore Writers Festival, she has given talks and presentations in the US, UK, Australia and Asia. Su Kim is also a cultural activist and is the Founding President of the Peranakan Baba Nyonya Association of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor. She enjoys and shares cultural complexity beyond cuisine and sarong kebaya and is a frequent presenter of the rich diversity of being nyonya. She is now a fulltime writer, educationist and language consultant.
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