What does it mean to be Malaysian?
Born in Malaysia
Book design
In 2013, my cousin Kenny Loh showed me an extensive collection of photos taken across Malaysia and shared his idea of creating a book. He wanted to know if I would work with him to produce the book. At the time, I was living in Singapore and had some initial reservations.
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But as we huddled over a laptop in my little urban apartment, these warm, friendly portraits of our fellow Malaysians began to come alive as Kenny told me their stories. Across the changing backdrops of big cities and rural kampungs, new ideas and fading traditions, thriving industries and endangered trades… I heard stories of courage, resilience and love. Damn, Kenny. I was hooked.
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As we started brainstorming angles for the book, one thought became unmistakably clear – this book was not going to be about how different we were, with our diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Rather, it would be a book that celebrated how much we had in common in spite of our diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds.
To me, these images and stories represented all that was good and worth fighting for in our country: our common values, our shared heritage, our collective identity– our Malaysianness. Individually, these were not grand, inspiring stories, but collectively, the message was an overwhelmingly powerful one.
A decade later, as I revisit my introduction to this book, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the positive responses our project has garnered. Kenny’s decision to make the book’s content freely accessible on the internet in three different languages is a move I wholeheartedly endorse.
I am very lucky that I was able to work with two fine professionals, who shared my vision for Born in Malaysia. Allie Hill also happens to be my cousin, while Tan Joo Lee is an old colleague. They provided support, encouragement as well as their unvarnished opinions and sensible advice. When I was ready, they came on board 100% to help me make this book a reality.
Kenny Loh, author & photographer
KEY COLLABORATORS
Publisher
Synopsis Sdn Bhd
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Photographer
Kenny Loh
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Writer
Tan Joo Lee
Book designer
Allie Hill
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Printer
Hoffset Printing
Born in Malaysia is ultimately a collaborative experience – Kenny’s photographs and stories, and my words, all beautifully and thoughtfully put together by Allie. Throughout the process, we were always on the same page, always pulling in the same direction. Thank you, Kenny and Allie, for the pleasure and privilege.
Tan Joo Lee, writer
In 2013, our book was awarded the Anugerah Buku Negara 2013 by Malaysia’s National Book Foundation for Best Book Design (Rekabentuk Buku Terbaik)