Hafizah Iszahanid & Father's Day

This Sunday is father's day. In celebrating this event, I got the award winning author Hafizah Iszahanid to pick five novels in National Language (Bahasa Malaysia) that  highlights the spirit of fatherhood. The interview took place in Chawan, Bangsar and the interview was published in theSun newspaper  today (  June 11), four days before Father's Day. Here is the full article.   

The award winning author Hafizah Iszahanid

Headline : Dedicated To Daddy 
By Bissme S

Hafizah Iszahanid’s first short story Anis was published when she was 16 and it won her Bank Rakyat’s Hadiah Sastera Siswa.Her short story focuses on a politician who is embarrassed about  his handicap child and ties to hide her from the world. To date, Hafizah, 38, has written more than 20 short stories and six novels. The senior journalist who is attached to a literary desk at a Malay daily has grabbed several prestigious awards such as Hadiah Sastera Berunsur Islam in 2005 and in 2011, Hadiah Sastera Kumpulan Utusan in 2009 and in 2011 and Sayembara Fiksyen Sains UTM–Utusan in 2011. Currently, Hafizah is working on her seventh novel that explores the world of journalism. To commemorate Father’s Day which falls on June 15, she was asked to pick five Malay novels that portray fatherhood at its best. Here are her choices:

*SENJAKALA (Baharuddin Kahar)

Kinto was a famous hunter. When he grew older,he gave up hunting for a quiet life as afarmer.  However, when his daughter contracts a deadly disease and craves for deer meat during the last few days of her life, Kinto who loves his daughter dearly, goes back to hunting. After several trials and tribulations, he manages to get his deer but unfortunately, his daughter dies before  she could taste it.
“I cried when I read this novel for the first time,” says Hafizah, who added that it was a touching story of the strength of a father’s love.
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*PERANG SANGKIL (Akiya)

This story is loosely based on little known historical fact as well as word of mouth account on slavery,murder of the orang asli community during the late 19th century. The story centres on Dirik, a father figure for his community of orang asli in Perak, who were constantly attacked by a group called Rawa. The women were raped by these thugs while the men were kidnapped and sold 
as slaves. In this story, Dirik goes against all odds to protect his people and daughters from rape and slavery.
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*HARI- HARI TERAKHIR SEORANG SENIMAN (Anwar Ridhwan)

Pak Hassan is a well known Panglipur Lara (story teller), whose fame fades and careercomes to a stand still with the introduction of the cinema and television. He struggles to revive his career and tries to persuade his children to continue his trade but no one shows an
interest.
“The national laureate tells the story in away that will break your heart,” she says.
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*SEORANG TUA DI KAKI GUNUNG (Azizi Abdullah)

Tun Ya dreams of building a traditional Malay house and his plans are opposed by his citydwelling children who find it a waste of time and effort. They refused to help him but the stubborn old man is determined to make this dream come true on his own.
“It is about theconflicts between a father and his children as well as tradition versus modernity,” she says.
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* TUNGGUL-TUNGGUL GERIGIS (SN Shahnon Ahmad)

Su Usul is distraught that his two sons can’t get along because they have different political ideologies. One son supports a political party that runs the government and his other son supports the opposition. The ruling party abused their powers and is corrupted. The opposition is no better. They misuse the religion to gain supports.
“The national laureate has creatively weaved a political story from a father’s perspective in this novel," she says 
“Reading it, you can feel the pain and sadness of Su Usul as he witnesses how politics and discord are slowly but surely ripping his family apart.”

Mahi Ramakrishnan & Child Prostitution In Malaysia

I interview a documentary maker who made a film on child prostitution in Malaysia . The story appeared in theSun  newspaper on May 20 

Headline : Agent For Change 
By Bissme s

MAHI Ramakrishnan worked as a journalist for 18 years before venturing into making documentaries in recent years.She has worked with media organisations such as the ­prestigious ­American weekly Time magazine and ­international news ­network Al Jazeera, and is ­currently a ­freelance foreign ­correspondent for USA Today, a daily that has a readership of more than three million.
She also freelances for Arise News Network, a 24-hour international TV news network with stations in London and New York.Recently, Mahi held a private screening of her ­latest completed ­documentary (her sixth), this time on the ­issue of child ­prostitution in ­Malaysia, to a selected group of ­Malaysians who then ­participated in an interesting discussion after the screening.
The 45-year-old Perak-born filmmaker spent more than two years working on the 30-minute documentary, Trapped: The Underage Sex Trade in Malaysia. She had previously tackled such sensitive issues as baby trafficking.
"Sometimes, I feel that change is not taking place," Mahi laments. "Those who watched my ­documentary were animated and had intense discussions after the ­screening. Then they went home and forgot about the issue.
"Whenever I tell people that child prostitution exists in ­Malaysia, they refuse to believe me. But when they watched my film, they were stunned. Child prostitution is more subtle over here."
She adds that it took her over two years to get the story as it is not easy to get people to talk about a sensitive subject like child prostitution.
"I met with pimps. But they refused to help," she says. ­"Instead, they tried to convince me that child prostitution does not ­exist here."
But Mahi did not give up. ­Finally, her persistence paid off when a pimp introduced her to three underage female sex workers.
The first girl came from a poor family in India. The girl's mother was told that her child could earn good money ­working as a maid in Malaysia.
"The moment she landed in Malaysia, they made her work as a child prostitute. She was only 13 then. When I met her, she was 15.
"I recall asking her why she was willing to talk to me and she said she had hoped that I would be able to rescue her."
Although Mahi attempted to save the girl, it was not to be as the girl ­disappeared soon after that. "The girl was my ­daughter's age and I felt so devastated that I could not help her."
The other two underage prostitutes she interviewed were from Indonesia and ­Thailand. Both were 16 and came over to work as sex workers on their own ­accord.
In the documentary, the Thai girl claimed she didn't have any difficulty getting across the border.
Mahi suggests that our ­Immigration Department look into that girl's claims.
"We should not take this matter lightly as we are talking about child sex here and child sex is illegal. It is the duty of every country to provide a safe environment for every child."
Why did the pimp ­allow Mahi to interview these ­underage prostitutes?
"I asked myself the same question. I'm still wondering about the answer," she says. "I was only given 10 minutes to talk to each girl. Maybe, the pimp knew he was safe and business would go on as usual."
Mahi wants her film to bring public awareness on the ­tragedy of child ­prostitution.
"I want society to organise itself and lobby for changes, without waiting for lawmakers to initiate such campaigns.
"As a documentary ­filmmaker, I want my movies to help bring change to society and for the better."
In the meantime, Mahi is just wrapping up her latest documentary – Seeds of Hatred – on the persecution of the Muslim Rohingya community and the discrimination faced by the people in Myanmar.
She made several trips to Myanmar last year to shoot the documentary.
"I hope my ­documentary will enable the people in ­Myanmar to understand that everyone had suffered ­tremendously during the ­military rule," she says.
"I hope they can reach out to one another. I hope they will become a stronger force and their voices will be heard."
When asked what she thought about opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's response to the plight of the Rohingya, Mahi did not mince her words.
"I used to be a big fan of her," she says. "I thought she would be great for Myanmar.
"I had expected her to speak up about the persecution of the Rohingya. These people were being murdered and burned alive.
"But she said nothing. She has turned out to be a huge disappointment."
Mahi hopes to screen Seeds of Hatred in Myanmar ­sometime later this year.

PS: Below are the pictures from her latest documentary Seeds of Hatred 

Mahi went to Mymanmar several times to shoot her documentary Seeds of Hatred 

Mahi hopes to show Seeds of Hatred in Mymanmar end of the year

Seeds of Hatred is documentary that touches on the political landscape of Mymanmar

Another interesting scene from the documentary Seeds of Hatred

Faisal Tehrani & Penans

Today theSun published an interview with author Faisal Tehrani who spoke about his 23rd novel Bagaimana Anyss Naik Ke Langit? that highlights the plight of Penan woman being  violated. Read the full article below 

Suggested Headline: A Voice for the Voiceless 
By Bissme S

Author Faisal Tehrani (below) bravely tackles the issue of timber company workers raping Penan women in Sarawak in Bagaimana Anyss Naik Ke Langit?, his latest novel. 
“I’m always interested in giving voice to the voiceless in my work,” says the 40-year-old. 
“My novels have always dealt with human rights issues.”
He adds that he has always been moved by the marginalised and their struggles to be recognised and be heard.
“I have been researching on this issue for more than five years,” Faisal says. 
“Logging companies want to chase the indigenous Penans from the forest as they want to log the trees. 
“These companies resort to harsh tactics to achieve this aim, which includes the rape of the Penan women. Initially, the authorities denied such rapes took place. But now, they have acknowledged it.” 
In Bagaimana Anyss Naik Ke Langit?, his 23rd novel, a female Malay professor exposes the rape of the Penan women and this indirectly puts her life in danger. Faisal finds that there are very few Malays like lawyer Siti Kassim who dare speak up for the indigenous people in the country. 
“I find Malays here eager to help the Palestinians who are 
oppressed by the Israeli government,” says Faisal. 
“They believe that helping fellow Muslims is noble.But the rape of Penan women is happening in our backyard and we should not shut our eyes to this injustice. 
"The Penans may not be Muslims but they are still human. Everyone deserves our attention.
“Look at the late (human rights activist) Irene Fernandez. 
She helped the Bangladeshi foreign workers who are Muslims when they were treated unfairly. She put their humanity first before their race or religion. We should emulate her spirit of fair play.” 
In his novel, Faisal has one of the characters asked: “Why do we feel it’s more ‘heavenly’ to help victims in Palestine rather than the Penans over here?” 
Some have complained that the rape incidents in the book were too graphic and difficult to digest. 
“My intention was not to sensationalise rape,” Faisal says. 
“I want to show how truly disgusting and terrifying rape can be.”
Others said that the ‘book was too thin’ and that he had written it in a hurry and that the ending was too abrupt as well. 
“I do not mind if they do not like my book,” Faisal says. 
“I am open to criticism. For instance, if I am an actor, I cannot be producing an Oscar-winning performance all the time. 
“However, they should know that I did not finish the book in a hurry. I wanted the story to end abruptly. I wanted it to be just this length, too. I am using a different writing style to tell the story here.”
Faisal’s next book will deal with another controversial subject:the lead character is a Malay Muslim lesbian in her 60s. 
“It will be the female version of Brokeback Mountain,” he says with a laugh.
As a registered human rights defender with Front Line Defenders (FLD), an NGO linked with the United Nations, Faisal says: “Like Penans, gays and lesbians are also marginalised people. They 
have to face cultural and religious challenges to be accepted.” 
Faisal is also a research fellow at the Institute of Malay World and Civilisation (Atma) in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
Last year, the authorities had banned his novel Perempuan Nan Bercinta as it is seen to be promoting Shia Islam that is not practice here. However some publishers in Indonesia are keen to translate this book into Bahasa Indonesia. But Faisal has not given his consent yet.  
“I do not want people to read the book just because it is controversial or it got banned here,” he says.  
“I want them to treat my book as a work of art.”   
Some people have accused him of purposely selecting controversial topics for his books so he could be in limelight and win awards. Laughingly he answers: “I have won awards before. My only aim to choose such topics is because I want to stimulate the mind of my readers. I like writing about oppressed people who have been sidelined by the mainstream. Like I said earlier, I want to 
be an author who is not afraid to talk human rights." 

Faisal Tehrani with his latest  novel  

Mother's Day Story

Sunday will be mother's day where everyone in the world will pay special tribute to their moms. Today theSun carries an interview with four celebrities who talks about their mom who shaped them to be who they are today... 

Here is the full article 

Headline: The Queen of Their Hearts 

By Bissme S

This Sunday, May 11, is Mother’s Day, a day dedicated to mothers everywhere. In conjunction with this special day, four celebrities pay special tribute to their own mother and reveal how their mother have inspired them to be better parents to their own children.

Daphne Iking, 35, TV personality and actress, honours her mum, Naili Juliah Ganahong, 60: 

“I became a single mum when my daughter Isobel Danniella was barely a year old. It was a tough time for me but my mum held my hand and showered me with love and encouragement.One piece of advice she gave me is to love unconditionally and to not allow hate or bitterness to control my life. My mother is nonjudgmental,always kind, fair and very forgiving.She holds the fort whenever someone in my family falls apart. She will not tell her children when she is not well and when she is unhappy, as she doesn’t want to worry us. I dislike this habit of hers.My mother stays in Sabah so she really misses her grandchildren (Daphne’s daughter Isobel  Daniella, six, and Daphne’s son Iman Daniella, two).So when she sees her grandchildren, she really makes the best of the time with them. She is definitely more hands on with her grandchildren than she was with her four children.This is probably because she is now retired from her job as a tutor in nursing and has more time on her hands.”

Daphne: Her mother told her not allow hate and bitterness to control her life 

From left : Shalina ( family friend), Mozes Jr ( Daphne's brother), Daphne mum carrying Isobel ( Daphne's eldest child , Michelle Ann ( Daphne's sister) and Michelle husband Kishore Suppiah, Georgianne and Her son Tristan , Daphne and her husband Azmi Abdul Rahman 

Fauziah Nawi, 60, actress and theatre director, honours her late mum, Hajjah Salmiah Sidek: 

“My mother passed away 20 years ago. But there has never been a day I never think of her. My  mother was illiterate but she was smart. My father worked in the optical firm but his income was not enough to sustain the family. To earn extra cash, my mother cooked and sold food items. She never believed in giving up and always wanted a better life for her five children. She was open minded and I could discuss anything with my mother – from love to marriage. I seem to have inherited that trait when it comes to my two children. They can talk to me openly about any topic under the sun.I had modelled one of my characters after her in Sayang Salmah. That role won me the best supporting actress award. One of my dream projects is to direct a movie based on my mother’s life as a tribute to her.”

Fauziah: Her mom always believe in giving better life to her children

Vanidah Imran, 40, actress, honours her mum, Sharifah Bee, 60+:

“All teenagers think their mothers are too strict and I was no different. It is only when I became a mother myself, that I understood my mum better and realised that her intentions

were noble. Whatever rules she imposed was intended to help me grow up into a responsible adult.My mother was a housewife but believe me, being a housewife is not an easy job. Your work never ends! I can never emulate the way my mother had brought me up. Each parent has a set of parental skills. I am more open with my children (son Mikail, 13 and daughter Maryam, 10) compared to my

mother. But one thing I have learnt from my mother is to teach my children to show respect to elders. My mom also made it a point to be there for her children at crucial moments such as sports

day and report card day and I try to do the same for my children.

“My mother was very supportive when I decided to be an actress. She took time to cut out articles that had been written about me and put the articles in a scrap book. She attends every one of my theatre shows and watches every one of my movies.”

Vanidah: Her mom taught her to respect the eldest and she also teaching the same thing to her children

Raja Azmi Raja Sulaiman, 55, film producer, honours her mum, Laliah Abdullah, 74:

“What impressed me most about my mum is the way she loved my father. My dad was in the army and had to spend months in the jungle. My mum would wait patiently for his return. When my dad died in 2004 of a heart attack, for months after his death, my mother still went to sleep clutching onto one of his shirts. Mum was very good in her studies and wanted to be a teacher. But in those days, women were not encouraged to have a career, so my grandmother arranged for my mother to get married early.She imbued religious and traditional values in her children and I do the same thing with my three children. My mother loves my children very much. She wanted my children to stay with her and to raise them.But I told her that I wanted to raise my children on my own.

Now, that I am a grandmother of two grandchildren, I do not allow my daughter and my son-in-law to move out. I want my grandchildren to stay with me. In some ways, I have become exactly like my mother.” 

Raja Azmi ( from right) with her eldest daughter Puteri Suraya and her mom ( left)

Raja Azmi with her children

Raja Azmi is impressed the way her mother has loved her late father.

Shaz Johar & Sanctuaria

Today theSun  highlights an interview with the author Shaz Johar who  is promoting his fifth fiction novel that will be selling Pesta Buku Antrabangsa  Kuala Lumpur at Putra World Trade Centre ( PWTC) starting today till May 4.   Below the is the full article.  

Headline  Culvating Hard Topics

By Bissme S

Author Shaz Johar tackles the theme of cults in his latest novel, Sanctuaria (published under Fixi).The  2011 winner of the Selangor Young Talent Award for best Malay  novel, who made his debut on the local literary scene with Kougar, is no stranger to controversial subject matters. Kougar explored not only the romance between a much older woman and a youngerman but also touched on the subject of religion, sex, passion and friendship.

His current book is a story of the once idealistic Yang Ariff who builds his version of a utopian community in an isolated commune called Sanctuaria, where everyone is treated equally. Over time, Sanctuaria grows to become a 200-member commune and then, the story takes a dark turn when Yang Ariff becomes consumed by power and his utopia turns into a cult.

“His intentions started out as noble,” said the 36-year-old Shaz whose real name is Mohd Aswan Md Johar.

“But as his commune grew bigger,Yang Ariff becomes power crazy and wants everyone in Sanctuaria to obey him at all cost, threatening to kill anyone who dares to leave.”

Shaz, from Kuala Lumpur,Jones,was inspired by the biopic on Jim an American religious leader who founded a new religious movement called The People’s Temple of the Disciples of Christ. On Nov 18, 1978, Jones allegedly ordered more than 900 cult members, including over 300 children, to commit suicide by ingesting a cyanide-laced drink, in what is now commonly called “Jonestown” in Guyana. Jones shot himself.

Sanctuaria is Shaz’s fifth novel. He is currently working on his sixth, which also tackles a

controversial theme.

“I am exploring the subject of paedophilia,” said Shaz, who was rather tight-lipped over the

outcome of the story, except to say that it’s a story about a woman who forges a friendship

with a young boy who is being sexually molested by his adoptive father.

The woman herself is an ex convict who was imprisoned for killing her abusive husband. Shaz started writing at the age of 16. He would show his short stories to his friends for feedback.

He said: “I always love reading fiction more than non-fiction. In fiction, writers tell the truth in a more colourful way.”

He has since quit his job in customer service at a bank to focus on writing. His other works of fiction include Tabu, a story of a plussized Malay woman falling in love with an African man, and Mental – about a maid who works for an eccentric family, as well as a compilation of 22 short stories entitled Cerpen by Shaz Johar.

Shaz is unfazed by the criticisms of those who find his books too raunchy.

“There is nothing wrong in writing about sex because sex is part of life,” he said.

Sanctuaria will be officially on sale at the Pesta Buku Antrabangsa Kuala Lumpur at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), which starts from tomorrow till May 4. Shaz will be on hand for several book signings and talks on the book during that period. For details on that, visit the Sanctuaria Facebook.

The author with his previous books

the cover of his latest book 

Aloy Paradoks & Neo Romantik

Today I am highlight an interview with Aloy Paradoks when he did stage production called Neo Romantik last year.  He has given some interesting answers to the question I had posed to him.  There is a strong talk he might want to restage this production again   This interview appeared in theSun on Feb 14 2013. 


Headline: Love In the Spotlight
By Bissme S

Getting  married is easy but staying married is not. This is depicted in the theatre production, Neo-Romantik, starting today until Sunday, at Stor Teater, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, in Kuala Lumpur. Produced by Artful Creator and Paradoks Production, the story centres on Asyraf and  Najua who are actors married to each other for the last 10 years. They are invited to host a  live talk show where they will discuss and act out their relationship.
The producer is Ajami Hashim while Aloy Paradoks is both the director and playwright as well as taking on the lead role of Asyraf opposite actress cum-author Fazleena Hishamuddin as Najua.
This play was presented at the Sayembara Short Theatre Script-Writing Festival, organised by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka last year,where Aloy walked away with the best script and best actor awards.
“I only presented a 20-minute play for the festival,” Aloy says. “For this production, I added more scenes so now the play is more than an hour long.”
He explains that the production is broken into three segments. In the first segment, the couple will act out how they met, became a couple, then husband and wife, and later parents … and the 
challengesthey faced to keep their marriage intact.
“I wanted to show that romance has a new face among the new generation,” explains Aloy. 
“In the past, if you like someone, you send a surat cinta (love letter) to the person you admire. Then, more surat cinta will be exchanged between the couple.
“Now, if you like someone, the first thing you do is add him or her as your Facebook friend and  you follow your admirer on Twitter. The pair will start flirting on these social websites before  going out on their first date.
“In the past, the guy usually makes the first move and asks the girl out on a date. Now, the girl has no hesitation in making the first move.
“People always say love is so cliché but tell me what is not cliché? Everything is cliché.”
In the second segment of the play, the actors invite the audience to ask them any question – even about their sex life.
“I want the audience to feel as if they are attending a real talk show and they have every right to ask the artistes questions,” says Aloy. 
“The audience have total control. Only they can make this segment interesting by asking tough  and provocative questions.”
Some feel Aloy is taking a big risk here by depending too much on the audience to make this particular segment interesting. Generally, Malaysian audiences tend to be shy in participating
in such activities.
“The challenge for the actors in this production is to make the audience feel less shy and passive,” he says. 
“The actors have to provoke the audience to ask them questions. We will also make it easier for the audience by taking questions on Facebook and Twitter, and we are passing around slips of  paper for them to write their questions down.
“There are very few theatre productions that allow the audience to be part of the play. The  audience should take the opportunity to play an active role in asking questions.
“I am also eager to see the kind of questions that the audience will ask us. I know I am taking a risk here. But this is not the time for me to present something safe.”
Aloy has always been pushing boundaries in his plays by presenting innovative productions. For example, in one of his works called Blackout, he had a 20-minute scene which was performed  in total darkness. The audience could only hear the sounds of footsteps and people talking.
Another out-of-the box production is his Rompakan Sepadu last year, where he had his cast actually cooking on stage,giving the audience a real whiff of the food. He likes playing with the idea of arousing the senses, like sight and smell in these cases.
“I do not mind if the idea I try falls flat and turns out to be a big failure,” he says.
“At least I have tried to present something different.”
The third segment of Neo-Romantik will focus on the couple at home after the talk show.
“You will find the couple angry and unhappy with each other over what they had said in the talk show,” says Aloy, adding that the actors here will be depending on their actions and reactions
to each other rather than dialogue to express their unhappiness.
“Their actions will speak volumes about their unhappiness.”
When asked why he focused on a marriage of a celebrity couple, Aloy says: “We are never interested in ordinary people’s marriages. But we are always interested in what goes on behind  the closed doors of celebrities. We want to know how they fall in love … how long they will stay married. We want to know about  the rocky patches in their lives and the romantic things they do for each other.
“We are a celebrity-obsessed society but we like to deny this." 

Ridhwan Saidi & Babyrina

Today theSun published a story where I wrote about author Ridhwan Saidi who wrote a crime thriller titled Babyrina  that supposedly revolved around Malaysian woman named Babyrina who started a website where she posted risque picture of herself. His most impressive quote in the interview : If I write a story about goodness, my novel will not sound sincere. I am keen to explore chaos, brutality and violence. I’m curious to know what goes on in the mind of a serial killer. Obsession and perversion are strong energy.”  

Below is the full article. 

Headline : The Online Link 

Author Ridhwan Saidi first heard about the mysterious internet ‘sensation’ Babyrina in his younger days.It was 1996 and this ‘mythical’star was said to have started a website where  she had posted risque pictures of herself. At that time, the internet was at its infancy and Babyrina was said to be studying in the United States.The story goes that when Babyrina wanted  to come to Malaysia in 2001, she was allegedly turned back. According to some sources, she went on to the United Kingdom instead, and soon, disappeared from the public radar and was never heard of again. 
Piqued by her story, Ridhwan decided to write a crime thriller about a serial killer who arranged his dead victims in the same poses that Babyrina had purportedly appeared on her
website. He then decided to name this novel after her.
“I chose to name my novel after her as she is an enigmaticand mysterious character,” says the 29-year-old local boy. 
“Till today, we are not certain if there is any truth to her story. Some said Babyrina might not even be a Malaysian. They claimed she could be a Latin American.
“Now, we do not hear any more stories about her. She has completely disappeared. That made her  even more enigmatic and mysterious.”
Ridhwan said his novel is not a biography on Babyrina. He also denied claims of naming his book after this risque ‘artiste’ to sell more copies of his novel. 
“The young generation of Malaysians today do not know who she is,” he says. “So the title will not help to boost the sale of my book.
“In the past, some of my books have titles such as Stereo Genmai and Mautopia which can be a little avant-garde and people find difficulty in relating to them. So this time around, I decided to use a simpler title.”
He believes Babyrina had more to offer than just her pretty face and her sexy poses. He said he stumbled upon an ‘interview’ where Babyrina purportedly answered queries from her fans and he 
found her answers carry a sense of humour.
Ridhwan also added a scene where Babyrina has a conversation with one of the characters in the novel. But of course, spilling the beans on this particular scene will only spoil the readers’
fun. There are also many turns and twists in the novel that will keep readers turning the page. 
Ridhwan likes to dabble in dark themes and characters such as serial killers, porn stars, incest, violent murders and eccentric personalities in his books. He released his first novel,
Cekik – a suspense thriller about a gory murder case – in 2011.
After Cekik, he started his own publication firm, Moka Mocha Ink, where he published his own works as well as those of other writers. Babyrina is his fifth work of fiction.
“Writers like to explore what is good and what is bad,” he explains
about his penchant for writing crime thrillers.
“If I write a story about goodness, my novel will not sound sincere. I am keen to explore chaos, brutality and violence. I’m curious to know what goes on in the mind of a serial killer. Obsession and perversion are strong energy.”
Surprisingly, Ridhwan had no desire to be an author when young. He was more attracted to images than words. He dabbled in photography and directed a few shorts. Like everyone who makes short films, he also harbours dreams of directing a feature film.
Still, he feels he is too young now to direct a feature film. “I will only direct my first feature film when I am 40 or 50. I want to collect more life experience before sitting in the director’s chair.”
Meanwhile, his next project will see him writing a fiction novel for Fixi, the publishing house that gave him his first break by publishing Cekik.
The novel is due sometime next year. Since it will be called Brazil, Fixi will be sponsoring him for a trip to that country to watch the Fifa World Cup from June 12 to July 12. He will only start on the book after his return.

Footnote: Babyrina, priced at RM20, will be launched at KL Alternative Bookfest (KLAB) and Arts For Grabs this Saturday at The Annexe Gallery, Central Market, in Kuala Lumpur. Ridhwan will be present for a book signing at noon

The author 

The cover of the book