Personal Review On This Play - Ikram Muzakkir

After finish reading and studying on this play, I had notice Kee Thuan Chye’s works are one of a kind. In the play, he has his own way in revealing and describing the issues that are considered as sensitive issues pertaining to certain people. He is the man with a big hope for the future generation in living in peace and harmony among different races. In the play, the connection between the past and the present is very effective in conveying his thought about the issues happen in Malaysia. He wants to view his message on the idea of how the history is repeating through the drop of the characters.
The story is also easy to understand. He uses simple and effective choice of words in conveying his thought. Some literary works that I had read from other writers are hard to understand due to difficult and bombastic words. As I read the play, I can presume that the play is about a bunch of actors who are rehearsing the story about the killing of J.W.W Birch. The storyline is connected even when some actors are dropping down from the character and do their own work. For example when the actor playing Sultan is reading a newspaper about the issue of power as when they are talking about how Raja Abdullah being a powerless man before they drop out from the character. He is mocking the government in abusing their power entrusts to them by the people. Nowadays, as we can see a lot of misuses of power happen in the politic world. Through this, he manages to convey his idea in the state of “if you think the aspects of the past are bad, think again. The present is no better”.
He is hoping that the future generations did not commit the same mistake made by the people from as this play is dedicated for all Malaysians, especially the young in whom lies the hopes for the present and the future, and his children. He tries to make sure that the history is not repeating

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Personal Review On This Play - Mohd Shazwan

After finished reading this play, I can say this piece of art is really good. The original title of this play “We Could Kill You Mr Birch” but the publication party in Malaysia said that the word “kill” is too rude. So Kee Thuan Chye agreed to changed it to four asterisk. The authority accepted it, without realize the new title is much ruder. At first, I thought the four asterisk stand for the word “fuck”. And my group mates also think like that. Our wild guess too far to be correct.

This play, in my opinion, are easy to understand. Even the students from secondary form can understand this play. Choices of words, for me, are not too complicated. By reading it once, you will know what this play is all about. Rough idea is about the assassination of JWW Birch, the first British Resident of colonial Perak, if I'm not mistaken (almost forgot about that part of history). Most of the action takes place during the last days of Birch in 1874. Some of the characters are based on real people but others are obviously fictional. We know they are fictional because the characters helpfully tell us. Some actors play multiple roles and jump in and out of character, sometimes addressing the audience directly. For example, Ahmad Yatim play 2 characters in this. One as a Datok Sagor and another one is The Mantri.

I personally agreed with the murder of JWW Birch. He did not respect the local's cultures. He is completely different from the British Resident in Penang. In Penang, the Resident has bring the state to development. He also so busy in political system and tried to take over some important jobs than should only be done by the Sultan. This has raise the anger of the leaders in Perak and led to his assassination.

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Personal Review On This Play - Mohd Luqman Hakiem

For me,Kee Thuan Chye had come with a lot of issues that are very interesting to talk on even for a young people. More than that, he dedicated this play for all Malaysians, especially the young in whom lie the hopes for the present and the future, and his children Soraya Sunitra Kee Xiang Yin and Jebat Arjuna Kee Jia Liang. In my mind, he really has a strong thought and high expectation toward a new generation of Malaysia. Based on her children’s name, what I think is, he really have a good knowledge about our Malay culture. By naming his son Jebat, it shows that he may love to study and learn about out Malay history. For this play, he chose the incident the Killing of J.W.W Birch. What I can say is he such a brilliant writer because he related the play to highlight a few big issues that considered as taboo in our country such as the issues of freedom of writer in our country and the biggest issues in this play is the gender bias.
Beyond my thought he made up a few characters that used to highlight the issues. For me it is an interesting way to rise up the taboo issues without being charge by the law. In other word he know how to touch on issues in a decent way without attach to any problem and disagreement of any races. He knows how to touch on forbidden issues in a right and good ways. A good comparison between the clash of traditional and modern thinking by the writer help me to think openly and know what is the best for my future. After study this play, I know how typical I was and some sort having a typical mindset is not all bad and too modern in thinking also not good.

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Content Questions

1. What common issues are highlighted in MLIE?
Gender Bias
The Marginalization Of English Writer
The Clash Between Modern Thinking And Traditional Thinking
Political Problem

2. How are the issues related to the past and the present?
It is related between the past and the present on the issue of gender bias. In the play, women are seen as a slave who needs to obey their husband. This is shown in the character of Mastura played by one of the actor in the story. Mastura want to be more than just a girl waiting to be married off to men. She wants to be a chief just like her father. However this ambitious dream of Mastura could not happen at that particular time due to invisible barriers. Dato Maharajalela (her father) restricted her from doing that. It will bring disgrace to their family. At that time it is considered as a custom for married women to serve their husband. This phenomenon still being practice now even time is changing.
Kee Thuan Chye also makes a comparison between the leader from the past and the future. In the story, Kee Thuan Chye related the mindset of most of the leader during the incident of Pasir Salak and the present leader. In Singapore, there are incident about the most powerful politician in a state who was alleged to have committed statutory rape of an under aged girl but was not prosecuted. While in the character of Dato Sagor the writer shows the similarities of the past and present leader. As in the story, Dato Sagor tries to take advantages of his slave, Kuntum who already married. Accoording to Kee, “if you think some aspects of the past are bad, think again. The present is no better. The identities of the power brokers will change, situations will differ but the power play for the advancement of self-interest does not. History repeats itself. Nothing is new except what is forgotten.”

3. How are the issues relevant to the future?
These issues are relevant to the future as it is with the person who will over the country. Hence, the future generations play important roles in creating a better country. He wants the future people make a good lesson in above issues and did not repeat the history. For your information, this play is dedicated to all Malaysians, especially the young in whom lie the hopes for the present and the future, and his children. He hopes that the future generations did not make the same mistakes as the people from the past did.

4. What issues are typical to a particular race?
Some issues in the play are seen typical to a particular race. As in the play the writer’s idea about the Chinese being a stereotypical is portrayed by the character of Tan Kim Cheng. In the play Tan Kim Cheng is seen as an indispensable middle-man, the fixer who shrewdly befriends both the British and the Malays to enrich himself. In the rehearse Tan said that, “I worked closely with the British and continue to prosper. My children and their children benefitted from my fortune”.
The issues of women cannot do other things but to serve her husband is typical to the Malays. This is shown by the character of Lela when he said to Mastura, “You will fulfill yourself by fulfilling your husband”. The typical Malays are also being shown in the play when women have limit in their talk. In the play, Mastura was being scolded by her father for giving her opinion on the morality of slavery. Women cannot become a leader and cannot give their own opinion.

5. Why are some issues common to a particular race?
These issues are common to Malay people and Chinese people as both races are differ in their thinking, their culture and their religion.
For the Malays, their culture and religion forbid the wives to disobey their husband. It will be a sin if a wife did not listen to his husband and try to disobey them. Children also cannot disobey their father’s words. As in the play, Mastura had argued with her father over the slavery issue. But some Malays had misunderstood this and make anything as they wish. In the case of Mastura and his father, religion is used to question Lela’s perception on the moral values of slavery. This proves that Lela is mixing the custom and the religion. Meaning that he supports the slavery claiming that it is approved by the religion.
As for the Chinese, working for a prosperous life is typical for a Chinese man. Although time change this way of thinking still being practice as now we can see a lot of Chinese men and women who involve themselves in business and make big profits out of it. Maybe their culture encourages them to make their live more prosperous.

6. What does the future hold for MLIE?

From our perspective, the MLIE is growing positively according to the growth of English language in our country. The more people learning to accept English as the global language, slowly people will accept MLIE. It can be seen in the ways of developing of English language. When people start to learn the English language properly, they will be introducing to this MLIE. Thus, our MLIE will develop as good as the other country such as India, however just like being discussed before it will take a long time.
In future, maybe there will be a specific syllabus that will teach about MLIE subject in secondary school in our country. During that time, English have been accepted and use widely without ignoring our own language. So is MLIE. There will more writers that wrote in English as a result of the acceptation our people to the MLIE. There will be less alienation of the MLIE works and their works start to be recognized by people from other country. It will be good if this situation happen because it shows that our country is not left behind.

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Unit Questions

1. Do writers think alike?
As far we read and what we had understood from the play of “we could **** you, Mr Birch”, what we can say that Kee Thuan Chye is not alike with other majority writer that claimed they are nationalists. However we think that he is more alike with a bunch of minority writer that have their own style in writing and show their nationalist.Kee Thuan Chye tried to show something different in his play. In this play he tried to come out with a lot of out of norm topic that people nowadays think it is a taboo to be discussed such as the old and modern thinking. Using his play he tried to open up our nationalists and our Malaysian the way we think and some sort what we understood was he seem like he was questioning our behaviors toward our old culture. He is Chinese but we think that he have a very close relationship with malay culture and people. Why we said so??? This is because if we see in the first page of the play, he does dedicate this play to his children. And his children names are more likely an old Malay name, Jebat and Soraya. For us it shows that even he is a Chinese but he seems that he have a bond and familiar with the Malay culture in a way naming his children and he know about the conflict of slavery one time ago that become an issue during the British Colonization.

2. What shape the minds of MLIE writers?
From what we have learn and discussed in class, we think that while they were study abroad, it does change and shape the way and the minds of MLIE writer in the way of their thinking. Maybe during the study abroad, their lecture and culture over think make them to think beyond of the normal thinking and change them to become more daring to take the risk by discussing and rise up issues that suppose to be forbidden issues to be discussed. What they have learn and other culture that they faced and they adapt for a while during their study had lead them to be more open minded in their writing. What they gained and a few of them such as Salleh Ben Joned, he adapts the style of his lecturer writing. He is a student one of the famous lecturer and Australian writer. At the University of Tasmania, he became a student of a major Australian poet, James McAuley. He returned to Malaysia in 1973, and lectured in English Literature at University Malaya until 1983. The ways of writing from their lecturers do give an impact to the way of MLIE writer in their works.

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Essential Question - Is history evolving?

Yes. It is a play about a bunch of actors who are rehearsing on their play. The story of their play is about the history of J.W.W Birch’s assassination. We Could **** You Birch portrays the actual history of what had happen during the 1874 in Pasir Salak, Perak according to the actors point of view;
Actor/S: History? What history? We are creating fiction, Yatim. This is fiction. History is fiction.
Although their presentation of the play is not really referring to the true history, but the writer just want to show the evolving of history during the time of colonization till the after independency. The writer wants to show the differences of mindset, culture, lifestyle and tradition between the colonization period and the future time.

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We Could **** You Birch - Research

There are a lot of possibilities that influence the writer’s work based on the history of Malaysia.As we all know during Kee Thuan Chye’s time the issue of the marginalization on the English writer is affecting certain people especially himself. This is one of the causes that influence his work as in the play he had touch on the issue of freedom in writing. “In 1987, three newspapers had their publishing permits withdrawn”. (pg 37) He jots down his dissatisfaction through the character Lela as he drops out from the character. The media are not given the freedom to publish their works. As most of the English writer, Kee Thuan Chye feels restricted to express his opinion freely. This alienation also drives him to write some words in Bahasa in his play. The word such as “Okay lah”, “sayang”, and “kurang ajar” are purposely to show that he is still a Malaysian. These definitely show his nationalism as a forth generation of Malaysian even most of his work are produce in English.
Another thing that influences his writing of the play is the mindset of the people during colonization and after our country gets its freedom. In the play Dato Maharajalela carries the old mindset of a typical man where women can fulfill themselves by fulfilling their husband.

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We Could **** You Birch - Writing Style and Literary Devices

Kee Thuan Chye has his own way to deliver his message to the audience. His writing style has boost up the excitement in reading the novel. Furthermore, the usage of literary devices ignites the interest among readers.
From our point of view, the writer uses colloquial language. It will be easier for the readers to understand the play. The words such as kurang ajar, a duri in the nether parts and okay lah do not halt the flow of the play as Bahasa Melayu is the National Language. Most races in Malaysia can understand well the Malay words. This is also to show that his nationalism is still present in his spirit of a Malaysian citizen.
Kee Thuan Chye uses the element of monologue as the literary devices. He portrayed this element on the character of Dato Sagor as he regretted about his life because he got no son. He is thinking of Kuntum as a thing to give him what he wants. However, because of the different status he will never get Kuntum. Even if he manage to marry Kuntum people surrounding will not approve the bond because slaves are seen as lowly as dust.
Another literary devices used is symbol. From our point of view, silat symbolize the tradition and the spirit of the Malay. Tradition plays a very important role in Malay community during the time of colonization. Silat can also be seen as a weapon to protect the Malay tradition from the outsiders. Silat is also the symbol of unity as the silat exponents are working together to immobilize Birch. We interpret this as the Malays’ should be united in bringing down the outsiders who try to get benefits from our motherland.

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We Could **** You Birch - Setting

After reading the novel twice, I begin to think that Kee Thuan Chye has beautifully complemented the settings with the built up of the story line. The writer had related the past and the present time where these actors who are rehearsing on the assassination of J.W.W Birch always drop out of their character. As they drop out of the character, they began to talk about the present issues such as the political state of Malaysia and truth of the story. As in the present the setting will be mostly on the stage. However when they are rehearsing, they setting will be at Pasir Salak, Perak.

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We Could **** You Birch - Characters

For the character, there is two parts of them. For the first part there are characters from the time of old time and there a few a characters that are from the modern time. For the old time the first character is Dato’ Maharaja Lela.
He is the Upriver Chief of the Pasir Salak. He is the head that was in charge to collect all the taxes. He has a traditional thinking and he is a typical old Malay leader. During the time of colonization by British,He was one of the most well known fighter that famous with his anti-colonization. More than that he is Mastura’s father and he is a strict father because he always wants Mastura to adhere to what he wants for Mastura.
Secondly,Dato Sagor.Dato Sagor is the good friend of Dato’ Maharaja Lela and he is one of Dato’ Maharaja Lela follower that against the British colonization. Compare to Dato’ Maharaja Lela, he is more mean and selfish. By looking the ways he treat his slaves, Kuntum we can say that he is mean and selfish. He willing to do anything as long it fulfills his needs. Moreover, from the reading, we can simply say that he is a manipulative type because at the end he is the one that manipulate Kuntum’s husband, Si Puntum to kill Birch. For all what that happened, we believe that Datuk Sagor against the British because he afraid that he will lose power to his people.
The other character is Birch. Birch is the Perak’s British Resident, J.W.W Birch. He is the one who brought the ideology that the slavery culture should be abolished. In other part, we can say that he rude and do not respect our Malay culture because he never respects the power of Sultan. Worse, he always insults the Sultan by challenging and disobeys of the Sultan’s order.
The other character that we should take point is Tan. Tan is Tan Kim Cheng, Leader of Chinese people that was together in meeting at the Pangkor in 1874. In this play, Kee Thuan Chye try to describe that Tan is a Clever but also a selfish leader. All he does is just for the best of him and his people only. Moreover, the writer tries to describe that he is very good in manipulating the situation to get away from troubles and make profits to himself and his children.
Kuntum and Mastura are the small characters that have been created up by the Kee Thuan Chye in his play. In this play,she was the Datuk Sagor’s slave. Kuntum is the Si Puntum’s wife. She is a loyal wife and loves her husband very well. While Mastura is the daughter of Dato’ Maharaja Lela. She has a modern thinking and she always argues with her father about the role of women. She is seen as a fully-functioning part of the male world, governed by rational thought and a strong sense of ethics.
Other character is Si Puntum. Si Puntum is Kuntum’s husband and he loves his wife. He is willing to make sacrifice for her wife. He is willing to kill Birch even though he knows that it is not the right way just because he thinks that Birch had made his wife as his slave and treat her very bad. More than that, he is easily being manipulated by Datuk Sagor to kill Birch.
For the modern time, Kee Thuan Chye had put in a few characters that used for the reader to make different with the old time character. Those character are Ashburn,where if we translate in Malay it will be Abu Bakar,a typical Malay name. Others are Chee Yoon and Sal. They were described as a more modern person and seem like lost their roots however they are not. They still live with Tempoyak, a kind of Malay food. Other character is Sofea. Sofea seems like she lost her roots very well after being abroad for a long time. She also smokes even though she is a girl which is against the culture.

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We Could **** You Birch - Issues

There is 4 issues that has been stated in this drama. They are the marginalization of the English writers, gender bias, problems in the politic world and clash between modern and traditional thinking.
The marginalization of English writer
Kee Thuan Chye conveys his dissatisfaction of the freedom of writers at that time by using the actor playing Lela. In the play, the actor is reading a newspaper about a cabinet minister’s quote that is “The media must be given freedom to express opinion freely, even the right to be wrong. But if it abuses its right, then the authorities have a duty to intervene.”In 1987, three newspapers had their publishing permits withdrawn. The writer tries to show his dissatisfaction on the issue the alienation of English writer during that time.
Gender bias
He portrayed how women are treated during that time and the present time. The actor playing Lela tells his daughter, Mastura that it is the custom that women must serve their husband and nothing more than that. (pg 30). Women have their limit while talking. (pg 59) As Lela tells his daughter, Mastura that her speech is too direct. Mastura had argued with her father about the slave’s system.
Problem in the political world
The actor playing sultan reads the newspaper about the issue of political in Singapore as in 1993; an amendment to the Constitution enabled a certain politician to be appointed a Federal Minister without his having to vacate his seat as a State Assemblymen. Less than a year a Politian which his name was not stated in the play resigned his Ministerial position and left the Allies. Moreover he soon joined the Opposing Party. As a result the Opposing Party won the elections. (pg 35) This show that there are a lot of propaganda happen in the politic world as some politicians joined in not for the people’s welfare but for their own benefits.
Clash between modern thinking and traditional thinking
From the book, there is a part when Dato’ Maharaja Lela have a conversation with his daughter. For certain, this part can be seen as gender bias issues however it also can be seen as the clash between a modern and traditional thinking. His daughter, Mastura seems have a modern thinking while Dato’ Maharaja Lela seem to have a traditional thinking where they were arguing about
What Lela should do in her life? Dato’ Maharaja Lela thinks that women should get marry and fulfill her husband needs however Mastura think that women also need to get a good education and she want to go abroad and get to know the world first and she also wondered that why women cannot be a leader.(page 30 and 31).

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We Could **** You Birch - Theme

We Could **** You, Mr. Birch works actively to destabilize the power of men as a centre of integrity, masculinity and autonomy. The playwright questions the whole nationalist myth through his self-centered, greedy male characters, with the female characters functioning as the rational, ethical voice that is so lacking in the men. By juxtaposing the past and the present the writer portrayed the similarities in the character of Sofea and Mastura between Dato Maharajalela and Ashburn.
From our understanding the writer wants to make differences between the male and the female. Mastura brings a wider, humanistic perspective to bear on the discussion of slavery, where her father insists that slaves maintain their lowly place within the patriarchal hierarchy. This shows the differences in thinking between male and female as Dato Maharajalela is seen as greedy who make interest on the slave system. In the present, this ideology is being brought out by the character of Ashburn and Sofea. Sofea had argued over by Ashburn’s greed in venturing the stock market. However, he claimed that Sofea is being pessimistic and he is very confident. The writer undermines Ashburn’s confidence by referring to actual cases of stock market frauds and crashes, such as the “Union Paper tip… from some Datuk who’s very well connected” (46). The audience, being aware of these cases, would obviously react to Ashburn’s optimism with some skepticism, and Sofea’s warnings would appear wise.

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