Could the real-life Constitutional crises Malaysia experienced in the 1980s have influenced the type of crime fiction that locals produce? Photo: Reuters
In the run-up to Merdeka Day on Aug 31, we celebrate local literature with a fortnightly 10-part series on how homegrown English language novels fit into the nation’s story; this is the ninth instalment.
In the previous column, I noted that in 1993 and 1994, three novels were published that address the erosion of the rule of law and civil liberties resulting from the multiple Constitutional crises of the 1980s. And I discussed Lloyd Fernando’s Green Is The Colour as a study of the lust for power and K.S. Maniam’s In A Far Country as a critique of the practice of imposing one’s culture and values on others.
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