Kekasih – A Tribute to Usman Awang & Peace

In memory of the poet of peace – Usman Awang

On September 25, 2011, Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) held a grand poetry recitation event at Wisma Kebudayaan SGM to celebrate the pursuit of peace by renowned Malaysian poet Usman Awang. The event attracted over 200 attendees comprising Malaysian literary figures, poets, scholars, artists, students, and literature enthusiasts. Among them were SGM Deputy Acting President Liu Cheng Choong, Hai-O Enterprise Bhd Founder and Chairman Tan Kai Hee, , President of the Malaysian Writers Association Tan Sri Prof Emeritus Ismail Hussein, and Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, National Art Gallery Tan Sri Kamarul Ariffin.

Usman Awang (1929-2001),  a prominent Malaysian poet and playwright, born on July 12, 1929, in Johor. Due to the turbulent times and impoverished circumstances, he received only six years of formal education. However, his diligence led him to continuous self-study and self-improvement. In his youth, he worked as forced labour in Singapore during the Japanese occupation and later became a police officer under British colonial rule after World War II. Dissatisfied with the police force’s abuse of power, he left to serve in the press in Singapore for several years, eventually working for various publishing organisations after being involved in a strike incident in 1961.

Usman Awang’s life experiences endowed his poetry with keen insights into society, evident in works such as the lyrical poem “Pak Utih,” reflecting social reality, and the strongly anti-war piece “Bunga Popi” (“Poppy Flower”). Representative poems also include “Pemuda dan Gadis Tionghua” (“To the Young Men and Women of the Chinese Community”), “Kekasih” (“Beloved”), “Merpati Putih, Jelajahilah Dunia Ini” (“White Dove, Roam This World”), and “Sahabatku” (“My Friend”). His plays, including “Tamu di Bukit Kenny” (“Guests on Kenny Hill”) and “Malam Kemerdekaan” (“Independence Night”), are also significant works in the Malaysian theatrical scene. These works encapsulate the poet’s profound patriotic spirit, expressing his love not only for the land but for every individual on that land.

Usman Awang received numerous awards throughout his life, including the Literary Fighter Award (1976), Southeast Asian Writers Award (1982), National Literary Award (1983), Honorary Doctorate in Literature from the University of Malaya (1983), Literary Scholarship Award from Berita Harian (1985), Johor Poet Award (Anugerah Pensyair Johor) (1995), and the title of Datuk conferred by the Perak Sultan in 1991. His works have been translated into various languages, including English, Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, French, Russian, Korean, and Filipino.

To pay tribute to this patriotic poet, the meaningful poetry recitation featured 60 reciters, including National Literary Award recipient Datuk A. Samad Said, Usman Awang’s daughter and writer Haslina Usman, as well as Datuk Dr Siti Zainon Ismail and Prof. Rahman Shaari. The recitation, conducted in multiple languages such as Malay, Mandarin, English, Tamil, Iban, and Kadazandusun, featured ten poems by Usman Awang. 

The performers, accompanied by piano, guitar, and erhu, eloquently expressed the poet’s wishes for peace and shared their deepest memories of the Usman Awang. It was a collective remembrance, honouring the beloved poet of the Malaysian people.