When Malaysia came together to write 'The Great Malaysian Novel'

(Left) Muhyiddin, then MB of Johor, writing the opening passage for his state in ‘The Great Malaysian Novel’ on March 5,1992. (Right) The March 26, 1992, report in 'Section 2' on the contributors for the Perak chapter of ‘The Great Malaysian Novel’ that included MB Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib.

Almost 30 years ago, about 1,000 Malaysians, including Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, wrote a story together. This was The Great Malaysian Novel, a project organised by The Star.

I was motivated to write about it after reader Lim Kuan Cheen, noting that The Star was celebrating its 50th anniversary, posted on his Facebook saying he remembered a story writing campaign in the mid-1980s that "started with a chapter and the whole nation was invited to continue the story”.