If there is one lesson to take away from Azmi Hussin’s new book, The Little Mamak, it is to never fall asleep while getting a haircut. Many years ago, he learned just that when his grandmother left him alone at the barber’s while she went grocery shopping.
“This was my chance! I quickly asked the barber to cut my hair just like my idol, Rajini,” wrote Azmi Hussin, who is popularly known as ME, in his second book.
Indian film actor Rajinikanth was said to be so obsessive about his hair that when he first started out in the film industry, he would not let any make-up artist touch it, opting instead to style it himself.
But instead of keeping awake to see the magical transformation, young ME promptly fell asleep in the barber’s chair.
This was a big mistake.
“When I woke up, I was shocked! My hair looked nothing like Rajini’s cool hairstyle. I just looked like a nerd.”
So he did what any little boy would do in such a situation and screamed bloody murder, went on a rampage, and kicked everything off the barber’s counter top.
“Nani was very apologetic and paid for all the damage I caused. I think this must have been my most expensive haircut ever...,” the cartoonist, now 32, shares in a recent interview in Kuala Lumpur.
The Little Mamak (Clarity Publishing Sdn Bhd) tells the childhood stories of ME, the only little mamak in the village he grew up in, lovingly illustrated with pen drawings done “completely the old-school way with no digital enhancement”.
The youngest of three children, the Penangite exhibited a love and a flair for drawing since he was a child. He entered his first drawing contest when he was six.
“I won that contest! That was the moment I realised I had talent. It gave me plenty of confidence,” he shares.
ME went on to win almost every art competition in school.
The resourceful boy was also making some pocket money on the side through his art, which he would spend on extra food at the school canteen.
“When I started primary school, my mum used to give me 20 sen a day as pocket money. Ten sen to spend on a drink, and another 10 sen on nasi lemak. A small packet of nasi lemak was never enough for me, so instead of spending money on food, I used to go to the small shop behind the school to buy drawing paper to sketch characters from my favourite TV cartoons – the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rambo, Popeye and The Thundercats – and sell them to my friends for 20 or 30 sen each. That way I could buy more for my breakfast,” he relates.
Inspired by Lat’s graphic novel Kampung Boy about growing up in rural Perak in the 1950s, ME created his own DIY comic, Sahabat Wawasan, when he was 12.
“When I was growing up, Datuk Lat was famous and you could find his cartoons everywhere. I can’t think of anybody who doesn’t enjoy or isn’t inspired by his art! I really appreciated his Malaysian style of drawing and storytelling, which were so unique and different from imported comics,” he says.
As an adult, the first time ME met Lat (in full, Mohammad Nor Khalid) was at the Malaysia Book Of Records Digital Caricature exhibition by Katan Aqhari in 2014.
Meeting him was a dream come true for ME.
“He is such a kind and humble man and he even invited me to his home in Ipoh to talk more about my book,” he says.
At first glance, ME’s drawing style does seem to bear an uncanny resemblance to Lat’s well-loved caricatures. But ME points out that when placed side-by-side for comparison, the differences are obvious.
The Little Mamak also has a different feel from ME’s first book, Tanjong Life (Clarity Publishing Sdn Bhd, 2015), where snippets about Penang’s attractions and local culture are told from the point of view of a buck-toothed character called Joe G.
“Tanjong Life is a humorous collection of sketches inspired by my hometown.
“There was no full storyline, and this was what I wanted to focus on with The Little Mamak. Of course, this second book took longer to produce and I had to reference plenty of history books and old Malay comics as well,” he shares.
ME’s fondest childhood memories revolve around growing up with his grandmother in the kampung and playing with his friends – running around barefoot and trying to catch ikan haruan in the padi fields.
“We would also go swimming in the padi fields drainage ... so, so many naughty things!” says the father of three with a grin.
“So I do remember things like these, and the things my grandmother said, and my favourite things like Rajini movies.
“But I don’t have that good a memory and had to consult my family and friends for many of the book’s stories,” he confides.
In The Little Mamak, ME mentions that his grandmother once told him that “mamak” is an affectionate term for Indian Muslims. In our ironically modern world where political correctness is the new black, there are some people who consider it a derogatory term.
But ME begs to differ.
“There is nothing derogatory or whatever about the term ‘mamak’. It is like going to a coffee shop and calling out, ‘pakcik’, ‘mapley’ or ‘ah pek’. As simple as that.
“Honestly, when I was a kid growing up, people also called us ‘keling’. But why take it as an insult? Penang’s most famous mosque is the Masjid Kapitan Keling, so how can we say that the term is wrong or derogatory?”
He hopes that The Little Mamak will entertain readers and make them smile because it is more than just a story about growing up as a mamak – it is also a story that Malaysians can relate to.
“It is a book for readers of all ages. For the young, it is an encouragement for them to know their roots a bit better, and for the old, it is about bringing back the nostalgic moments in their life,” he says.
ME has a third book in the works. It is a bit too early to say too much about it, he says, but he promises that it will definitely be something that he has not done before.
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