AFTER telling stories to young Malaysians, I always walk away with the feeling that I have created another group of “hikayat warriors” to help me ensure that our historical sagas (hikayat) and folklore will be remembered and loved.
As Malaysia’s best-known bilingual poet Professor Emeritus Muhammad Haji Salleh said: “The concept of an ideal, equal, caring and sustainable society lies in its folklore and here are embedded the central thoughts, psyche, and wisdom of the people. Therefore, it is crucial that we preserve them.”