Veteran DAP leader wants to preserve Jawi script

Although DAP is sometimes portrayed as an anti-Islam party, not many people know of one of its party leaders who has mastered the art of writing in Jawi script.

Veteran DAP leader Dr Tan Seng Giaw not only knows how to write the script beautifully, he is also determined to ensure that this aspect of Malay culture can be passed down to future generations.

"The art of writing Jawi is a tradition which should be retained in the Malay culture and passed down to future generations," the Kepong MP told The Malaysian Insider.

"I began learning how to write in Jawi shortly after I completed my studies in England back in the 1970s.

"There was no Jawi writing in England, so after returning to Malaysia, I studied Utusan Malaysia to familiarise myself with the characters,” said the veteran politician who was detained under the Internal Security Act during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration.

Dr Tan said Jawi script had been in existence for more than 700 years and was an excellent way to learn about Malay culture.

Prominent in parliament for his excellent command of Bahasa Malaysia and reciting poetry, Dr Tan said writing in Jawi was not extraordinary if one understood its uniqueness.

"It was difficult in the beginning to identify the characters and write in Jawi and I was not very proficient," he said.

Jawi once had a prominent role in Malaysia as the main medium of written communication.

It was the bridge for the Malay community in expanding knowledge and disseminating information, whether in arts or the fight for independence.

Malay newspapers such as Utusan Malaysia and Utusan Zaman used Jawi writing in their early publications.

Old Malay folk tales such as Hikayat Hang Tuah, Hikayat Raja-Raja Pasai and Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain were also written in Jawi.

Dr Tan, the former DAP national vice-chairman, said that to study the Malay culture, one had to be familiar with Jawi writing.

"Whatever it is, one has to learn Jawi language, otherwise, how will you know the Malays?"

Dr Tan said the use of Jawi was on a decline today because it had been replaced by the Rumi script which was easier to grasp.

"Many of the younger generation ignore learning Jawi writing and those who have an interest are the minority.

"History has shown us time and time again that any writing or art in the world will disappear if it is not practised."

He cited Utusan Malaysia which stopped publishing in Jawi script completely in July 2013.

However, Dr Tan also said that retaining the Jawi script in writing should be voluntary and not forced as a compulsory subject.

"We cannot make it a compulsory subject because it requires talent as well. This can only be nurtured in a comfortable and happy environment.

"The blame for the declining use of the Jawi language is not because of lack of action from Putrajaya. It actually depends on us."

Utusan Malaysia editor Mohd Kamil Yusoff told The Malaysian Insider that the first newspaper published in Jawi was in 1939 and that it was officially ended in July 2013.

"We stopped the publishing of Jawi characters because of the poor reception from readers. It was difficult to continue publishing due to high costs of printing,” Kamil said. – September 16, 2014.