Speaking to Morals and Malaysian Studies students who packed the auditorium, Dr Lee gave amusing examples of how English has developed into its own with phrases and words which would sound completely strange to native English speakers. Words like ‘cousin brother, ‘send you’, ‘gostan’, ‘heaty’ and ‘cooling’. Awkward though they may be, these examples show how our spoken English has evolved into a Malaysian type of English popularly known as “Manglish”.
It was during her four years in Texas pursuing her doctorate that Dr Lee came to write her latest book, ‘A Nyonya in Texas: Insights of a Straits Chinese Woman in the Lone Star State’, which is a hilarious narrative of cross-cultural encounters. “It is only when you leave this country that you find out that you are Malaysian” shared Dr Lee.
Dr Lee’s parents are both Peranakan but from different states. She enjoys the Melaka Peranakan influence from her paternal side and the Penang Peranakan heritage from her maternal side. Pointing out how Peranakan culture is unique in the world and is a beautiful synthesis of two cultures, Chinese and Malay, Dr Lee explained that the culture was at its height of glory during British colonial rule, from the mid-19th to the 20th century. After Malaysia obtained its Independence in 1957, the Peranakan found themselves caught in an identity crisis as their culture is a culture of hybridity, and they claimed Chinese identity. Since World War II, the Peranakan culture has gradually become diluted and lost its lustre. However, the Peranakan culture today is undergoing a great revival and has attracted a lot of interest worldwide, particularly in its material culture.
As a teenager, Dr Lee was not sure of “who” she was but now she has come to accept her Peranakan ancestry with great pride and confidence. She encouraged everyone to celebrate the multiracial harmony that has taken root deeply in Malaysia. “Malaysia is a wonderful meeting place of cultures. This idea of multiple identities helps us to be more open-minded and less ethnocentric. We are who we are, Malaysians and we should appreciate our commonalities, enjoy being multi-cultural, speak out for our rights and dare to be different” said Dr Lee.
About Dr Lee Su Kim
Dr. Lee Su Kim was a guest speaker invited by the Language and Compulsory Subject Centre, Sunway University College. Lee is the author of ‘Malaysian Flavours: Insights into Things Malaysian’, ‘Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest’ and ‘A Nyonya in Texas’. She is an Associate Professor in English at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi. Dr. Lee has a Doctorate in Education from the University of Houston and her research interests are in the area of Language, Culture and Identity and World Englishes.
She is also the President of the newly-formed Peranakan Association of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
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