Paying tribute to Malaysian literary tradition

AS National Day approaches, I want to propose that Malaysians include a celebration of their rich literary culture as another way to observe their independence.

I am an American citizen who arrived in Malaysia during the Covid-19 lockdown. Unable to go out and fully experience the country, I bought a stack of novels written by Malaysian authors Tash Aw, Rani Manicka, Tan Twan Eng and Selina Siak Chin Yoke. I was immediately launched into rich, sometimes heart-wrenching histories and beautifully-written stories of contested identity, tradition, and evolution.