Marion dazzles (Sunday People)

First published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
24 May 2009

Marion dazzles



PEOPLE thronged the stalls of the Arts For Grabs and KL Alternative Bookfest at the Central Market Annexe, but the din paled beside the composed silence of a lone dancer in the next room. 

All eyes were fixed on Marion D-Cruz who was taking her audience on a journey of her seminal works as a dancer, choreographer, teacher and student in her 35-year career.

Encountering D’Cruz for the first time, I was mesmerised by her Gostan Forward performance-lecture. 

Whether relating her life’s experiences in New York or dancing with a Balinese topeng tua, I was suddenly transported with her to these different episodes of her life. It was like listening to an old friend telling you something new, yet familiar. 

Marion began by reminiscing of the “sweet, gentle” Malaysia of her youth. In 2007, she asked 40 Malaysians from different walks of life and professions to tell their own stories of what it means to be a Malaysian. 

Twenty-two Malaysians responded and what resulted was Bunga Manggar Bunga Raya, a work signifying the all-inclusive Malaysia sentiment that’s lost today.

She shared of how it was a year of personal loss (the passing of her husband, celebrated thespian Datuk Krishen Jit) as well as national grievances about current affairs and corruption.


D’Cruz relating her experiences using a Balinese topeng tua 

Bunga Manggar was memorable for D’Cruz as she saw how these performers and non-performers were free and uninhibited in inventing new dance moves and expressions. 

“Unlike most dancers who are trapped by the sedia ada vocabulary, these people could be mad and do what they want to do,” said D’Cruz.

We then went back to 1989 where she collaborated with visual artistes for the inaugural Video Art Festival in Kuala Lumpur.

The performance was based on a painting which detailed the Sook Ching ritual held during the Japanese Occupation.

Sook Ching means “purification by elimination” where the Japanese would execute informants and communists pointed out by hooded figures. 

These chosen ones would have to dig their own grave before being shot by the Japanese army. D’Cruz recounted how the show was first banned by the government but eventually given the green light when the Japanese embassy said, “Show it, it is part of our history”. 

D’Cruz then took us to the 1980s and New York where she went to find herself as a dancer and choreographer. She recalled how she taught silat to four white men who eventually performed it in the buff, much to her horror! 

It was in New York where D’Cruz began to choreograph her own solo performances such as terinai. 

Another significant performance for D’Cruz was Urn Piece in 1988 where she explored the relation between text and movements. 

I was particularly entranced by the video and pictures of the dance which made me wish I had witnessed that dance.

Part of the success of Gostan Forward is the chemistry between D’Cruz and her audience. There was genuine affection as some of the audience members were her friends of more than 30 years. 

Fellow thespian Anne James also joined D’Cruz onstage as they gave a heart-rending snippet performance of Swan Song, a piece based on a poem detailing the last seven hours of a prostitute called Maria Zaitun. 

This performance was moving not only because of the subject matter, but the enduring friendship and camaraderie displayed by the duo. 

Gostan Forward offered a mix of performances and lecture (I’d rather call it story-telling), and confirmed D’Cruz as a pivotal figure in the local dance scene. But watching snippets of her performances just whetted my appetite for a full performance.

Pictures by Philip Craig

Bersantai in Singapore

First published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
10 May 2009

Bersantai in Singapore


Rhythm in Bronze at a practice session for its Singapore show – Picture by Brian Fang

MAX KOH catches up with the women of bronze, who are set to beat new rhythms in Singapore

THE last time I met the Rhythm in Bronze (RiB) ladies, we were sitting in a small room in Universiti Malaya as we discussed their new acquisition — their very own gamelan instruments.

Strewn all around the stuffy room were shiny, new gongs, gambang (xylophone), suling (bamboo flute), demang, slentem, and saron (metallophones) which had been specially commissioned and made for the troupe in Solo, Indonesia.

They had also just held the traditional buka panggung (opening) ceremony at UM’s Department of Southeast Asia Studies exactly a year ago.

So it’s with a sense of déjà vu when I descended the steps leading to their practice room at UM. I remembered their warm reception, and how I struggled to jam along in their practice session.

The RiB ladies will soon perform for Singapore’s Flipside festival, from May 22-24, in conjunction with the Singapore Arts Festival.

The group will be performing three half-an-hour sets that consist of tunes such as Sekar Anyar, Sibaru Pastima, Ketawang, Pilogue/Jungle, Kosalia and Lagu Untuk Teman Lama.

The troupe will try something different for the festival in order to suit the theme of Santai! Rib Style. It will be more laidback than the fierce energy the group so effortlessly channels through its performances.

Says group member Ann Salina Peter: “Just like the word santai (relax), we are incorporating a guitar and bass into our music in order to fit the gig’s theme.

“To achieve that, we have rearranged some of the songs to make them mellower instead of the intensity of some of the songs we are known for. It’ll be different but still exciting.” What’s also exciting is the fact that this will be the first time RiB will be performing out of the country. “We are really excited about it,” beams RiB manager Sharmini Ratnasingam.

But she was a bit taken aback when the sponsors approached her.

“When they first talked to us, they were asking if we could fit into the ‘heavy metal’ theme,” says Sharmini with a hearty laugh.

“Well, I knew that we don’t have fiery guitar solos in our repertoire although we are literally ‘heavy metal’ (another laugh). But in the end, it all worked out and so we will be showcasing our brand of gamelan in Singapore.” Another first for RiB is the male factor in the troupe.

“Since we began in 1997, we have always been an all-girl troupe while we do have occasional guest male players,” says Christine Yun-May Yong.

“This Singapore gig will see an equal number of men and women players for the first time.” So does the presence of men change the group dynamics? “At first, I thought that it would be the same but I was soon proven wrong,” shares Peter. “We have played with some of them before but it is different when we sit down and play together for some of the longer pieces.

“It takes time to emotionally gel together.” On their blog, Sharmini shared how the presence of men means less girly talk and no more uncensored remarks.

“The guys are good but it’s more than just being technically right. Half of the practice time is to gel together so that the music comes out and not just the notes,” says Sharmini.

“It takes time for the group to achieve that level of chemistry where we can tell from each other where we are going in the music. It is a form of partnership that can only be forged after years of playing together.” Ever since they got their own gamelan instruments, the girls have been busy.

Last year, they performed at the Terengganu gamelan festival and the Sultan’s Jubilee Celebration in Kedah. They were also part of a community project for Women’s Aid Organisation where they held a series of classes teaching women and children how to play the gamelan.

“This year is also busy for us,” says Sharmini, explaining that RiB is slated to perform at the Klang Music Festival and may perform at this year’s KLUE’s Urbanscapes.

The RiB has also recently started a sister group unofficially called the RiBlets. “We have been auditioning and training some of the new blood. Ann (Peter) is the musical director and hopefully you’ll get to see them perform soon,” says Sharmini.

With such zest, it is no wonder that RiB continues to grow after 12 years of being together.

Catch Santai! RiB Style at the Esplanade Theatres from May 22-24. The outdoor performance will start at 7.30pm (Fri-Sun), 8.45pm and 10pm (Fri and Sat only). Check rhythminbronze.wordpress.com or www.esplanade.com for details.

Visit to al-Jazeera KL Bureau

Al-Jazeera: Dearth of journalistic talent pool in Malaysia?

The Petronas Twin Towers is graced with the presence of an international news channel housed within its belly. However, a trip to the Kuala Lumpur bureau reveals two fundamental problems faced by local journalistic fraternity, writes MAX KOH

A tour around the Al-Jazeera Kuala Lumpur bureau on the 60th floor of Tower 2, Petronas Twin Towers by a group of communication students from Taylor’s College on April 6, 2009 revealed one startling fact: there were very few local broadcast journalists. 

As we later learned from the bureau’s Head of Technical Operations, Jayaganesh Sabapathy, there are two fundamental problems faced by the local journalistic fraternity that contributed to their absence. 

“There is a lack of journalistic and editorial instinct among local practitioners. We find our journalists are not widely exposed enough and comfortable working in their own little bubble,” he claims. 

“Journalism is more than reporting the facts. It’s about probing and asking hard questions.” 


Head of Operations Jayaganesh Sabapathy asserts that al-Jazeera's main thrust to report the truth.

Sabapathy says that the lack of proficient skills here had led the news channel to hire journalists from other parts of the world.

The second fundamental problem is the lack of technical skills as the majority of broadcasters in Asia are still reliant on old technologies and formats to deliver the news. Al Jazeera’s studio here boasts the latest technology (HD compatibility and digital servers) which most videographers and broadcast journalists can only dream about. 

While Sabapathy acknowledges that new technologies require high investment, he notes that the lack of investment by broadcasters here had restricted the growth of skills among local talent.


The control room where video feeds come in from all over the world.

Aided by 155Mbps network connection that links the four broadcast centres, the technical team worked at breakneck speed to record, edit, and broadcast news. There is little margin for error as news has to be broadcasted almost instantaneously as they receive it in the control room. It is indeed not a job for the faint-hearted.

The Kuala Lumpur bureau handles news from the Asian Pacific region. The other bureaus are located in London and Washington D.C. with the headquarters situated in Doha.


Al-Jazeera uses some of the most impressive technology in broadcasting. All videos are shot and broadcasted in HD (high-definition) format.

“This problem of inadequate technical skills extends to the whole of Asia apart from Japan, and it needs to be addressed if the local media wants to catch up with the world,” he adds.

We were sitting comfortably in the bureau’s boardroom with a bird-eye’s view of Kuala Lumpur and beyond, when Sabapathy relays the information to us. 

While the news was not altogether alarming, it is still depressing to hear. 

Prior to to the briefing, we were given a tour around the bureau which takes up the whole floor, housing two impressive studios (including the 101 East studio which is claustrophobic due to the less than ideal environment), different control rooms, and the sprawling newsroom that housed a number of broadcast journalists at work. 

It was fortunate that we arrived at a time when the bureau was shooting “live on air”. Anchors Veronica Pedrosa and Divya Gopalan were seen working in the studio, as we gawked at the impressive equipment and quality of professionalism.

It was almost surreal to see the live person talking in front, and then looking at the screen as millions of viewers are watching at the same time. 

One thing that struck me was the pin-drop silence in the newsroom as all the staff were doing their work quietly with their headphones on. There were no idle chatter and is a sharp contrast to the noisy newsroom I am familiar with.


The breadth of the newsroom and main studio where all the broadcast journalists work to bring us the latest news. (Pic by Max Koh)

It was also amazing to note that the bureau boasts of only a hundred staff to run such an operation. There were less people that day as most of the broadcast journalists were out in the field, notes Sabapathy.

Most of the staff appears to be expatriates but the sign of some local staff (yes, we heard some of them conversing in Malay) was encouraging indeed. 

The visit turned also turned out to be an eye-opening experience for several reasons. 

For one, the international news agency was in fact invited by Pak Lah to open its Asia Pacific bureau here. 

Yep, our former Prime Minister was able to reel in the news channel with his bait of a nice, swanky pad on the Twin Towers, and a promise to not interfere in its operations and editorial policies.

Although the place is less than ideal for a broadcast centre per se (the ceilings are too low for proper lighting in a studio), Sabapathy is happy to note that the government has not interfered in their operations.


The 101 East studio where interviews with many important figures are regularly held. 

This lack of restrictions sounds good until one realises the double standard that exists as various legislations still bound and muzzle the vocal power of local media. Why the double standards, Najib? But I digress.

Al-Jazeera English first began operations three years ago and has since become a reckoning force of broadcast journalism in the world. It has since given familiar big players such as CNN and BBC News, a run for its money with its “unbiased” news and a strict adherence to “report the truth.” 

It currently has a viewership of 170 million people worldwide. 

The news channel was set up with a US$150 million grant from the Emir of Qatar, as an initiative to educate and inform the world, and provide an alternative to the existing news flow from West to East. 

Al-Jazeera’s bid to change the traditional news flow syntax is reflected in its various slogans: “This side, the other side”, and “If it's newsworthy, it gets on air, whether it's Bush or Bin Laden”.

Sabapathy claims that Al Jazeera English is able to give coverage and new perspective to events, otherwise sidelined by the Western-controlled media. 

“Al-Jazeera was set up to dispel the perception of a world divide between East and the West,” says Sabapathy. 

“There is an increasing demand for news from Asia. The market here is very strong as Asia is seen as climbing up the economic ladder while the West is saturated with opportunities.” 

The news channel also prides itself as a truly global news network, in comparison to the American-centric coverage by other news channels.

“The media in United States are very insular, partly due to the many local issues happening there, but it is still very sad that some people still think that the world revolves around their country,” adds Sabapathy. 

“Do you know that a very small percentage of Americans own passports and don’t really know much about other countries? We are happy that Al-Jazeera is able to open up their minds on their views about the world outside American.

“We believe any news is newsworthy, no matter where they come from.”

Just as its name signifies (al-Jazeera means island in Arabic), the organisation is an island that stands out in a sea of mediocre journalism. 

The Kuala Lumpur bureau is ready to accept interns (but don’t expect any easy work, adds Sabapathy), but the experience procured is indefinitely valuable. 

Requirements are high as it is an international organisation that demands the cream of the crop, not only from Malaysia, but also around the world. 

But who knows, maybe we’ll see the next Riz Khan from Malaysia.

All pics courtesy of The Plogger otherwise stated.

A Modern Mahsuri

First published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times

19 April 2009

A Modern Mahsuri

Actress Vanidah Imran puts a modern twist to the role of Mahsuri in the latest musical reinterpretation of the tragic tale, writes MAX KOH

I remember hearing the tragic story of Mahsuri when just a child. I was on a boat heading for Pulau Langkawi when I was told how the heroine was wrongly accused of adultery and was executed by stabbing.

As white blood flowed from her wounds signifying her innocence, she laid down a seven-generation curse on the inhabitants of Langkawi.

It is no wonder that the story commands such an attention. And, it gets a new lease of life in Fauziah Nawi’s Teater Mahsuri to be staged at the Istana Budaya soon.

Screen siren Vanidah Imran will take on the titular role, working alongside singer Azharudin (Arja) Ramli (Akademi Fantasia 4), thespian Azman Hasan, and veteran actress Azizah Mahzan.

Some of the female performers in Mahsuri

“It is a great privilege to play the character as I have always been fascinated with Mahsuri’s story,” says Vanidah.

“I want to bring a new quality to the role that modern audiences can easily relate to.”

In preparing for her role, Vanidah admitted that she did not watch any of the previous film versions, as she did not want to be influenced by their portrayals.

“I want to express a different take on the role, and I completely trust the direction of Fauziah to bring out the character in me,” adds Vanidah who was last seen onstage in Muzikal Putra.

“But I’ll probably watch the film versions after I’m done,” she adds with a lovely laugh.

Vanidah describes her role as a regular kampung girl who is trapped in a situation where she is accused by her jealous mother-in-law of adultery.

This happens when her husband, Wan Darus, sets off to war and a handsome peddlar, Deramang, comes to visit Mahsuri and her parents.

Rehearsals are fun

The green-eyed mother-in-law accuses Mahsuri of adultery when she gives birth to Darus’ son, causing both Mahsuri and Deramang to be sentenced to death.

“The musical allows me to channel Mahsuri more as a regular person (and less of a mythical figure),” says Vanidah.

The musical features a number of songs composed by Rahimidin Zahari, and include duets with Arja and Azman.

This is a new experience for Vanidah as she will be singing “live” for the first time in a staged musical.

“I’m slightly nervous. Previously, I had my vocals recorded in the studio first. These were then played during the show.”

For this, Vanidah says, she has to ensure she eats right to take care of her vocals. But she loves the challenge, including learning some silat moves, which she describes as a load of fun.

She also describes the cast as a good mix of new and old actors.

“This is something new for Arja who has no previous acting experience. On the other hand, you have veterans like Azizah (who plays Wan Endah) and Azman Hasan (Deramang). The mix is really great as we get to learn new things from each other.”

With many acting credits in films and television under her belt, she still feels most at home on stage.

“I’m really pushing myself and working harder for this play as I know that people’s expectations are quite high. The reason why I love theatre is that you are constantly exploring the character.

“It doesn’t matter if you have played the role for one night, you can always bring a new side to her the next time. And theatre demands you to be consistent throughout the whole play, something very different from acting in films and TV,” explains Vanidah who first debuted onstage in Megat Terawis in 1994.

Vanidah has acted in films such as Histeria and Akhirat. She will soon appear alongside Afdlin Shauki in Setem and Papadom coming out soon this year.

For now, Vanidah will mesmerise the audience as Malaysia’s most famous folklore heroine, Mahsuri.

• Catch Teater Mahsuri at 8.30pm from April 24-30 at Panggung Sari Istana Budaya. Tickets: RM30, RM50, RM70, and RM100. Call 03-41498600 or 03-40265558 or visit www. istanabudaya.gov.my.