After academia, literature don to continue telling stories
For over 40 years, veteran educator Prof Malachi Edwin Vethaman taught his students to develop an appreciation for English literature.
He also trained new generations of English teachers.
For over 40 years, veteran educator Prof Malachi Edwin Vethaman taught his students to develop an appreciation for English literature.
He also trained new generations of English teachers.
Along the way, Malachi earned various recognitions for his works, the latest being the Special Excellence Award presented at the University of Nottingham's Alumni Laureate Award Night 2020 last Dec 30, several days prior to his retirement earlier this week.
When contacted, the 66-year-old professor of modern English literature said he is looking forward to continuing pursuing his passion for the language, having previously published various poems, short stories and Malaysia's first bibliography of Malaysian writings in English.
Having contributed to many success stories since his first day of reporting for duty as an English teacher at the Maktab Rendah Sains Mara, Pengkalan Chepa in 1979, Malachi said he is ready to tell more of his own stories while continuing to guide other aspiring writers.
"I’ll be continuing the 'Men Matters Online Journal' work, editing the Best Asian Short Stories collection for a Singapore publisher as well as continuing writing poems and short stories," he said, hinting at two new nearly completed works.
Malachi, who headed the University of Nottingham Malaysia's School of English, also told Malaysiakini his focus would be to develop creative writing skills and encourage more young people to publish their works.
"My favourite stories are my students’ success stories.
"How they heeded my advice to finish their studies and are now enjoying teaching," said the Fulbright Scholar and Chevening Award recipient.
"One student wanted to focus on her part-time modelling job but I encouraged her to finish her degree.
"She’s now a happy secondary school teacher," said Malachi.
He admitted to being a fearful figure in his many classrooms, but students would leave with a lasting love for English literature.
“In class, Prof Malachi was wry, frank and highly knowledgeable.
"Students were not coddled (he expected nothing less than capable, critical work), yet he was understanding of circumstances," said Yee Heng Yeh, a former student of Malachi's from the University of Nottingham.
Another of his student, Loshni Nair, described Malachi as an important voice in Malaysian literature.
"His unapologetically Malaysian short stories that question glaring social issues helped me carve my identity as a writer and continue to influence the themes discussed in my own creative work," she said.
Even in his retirement, Malachi is not expected to cut his strong ties with the Malaysian English literary scene, with more time on hand and support from his former students.
With a penchant for poetry, Malachi told Malaysiakini some of his favourite Malaysian writers include the late Salleh Ben Joned, the late KS Maniam and Wong Phui Nam.
He also noted the local education system does not give due prominence to Malaysian writers, with tributes only coming in after an international achievement or after they have passed.
“I have always told Dr E (Malachi) to write about Malaysia's well-known poets and writers and how he knew them or interacted as he seems to know everyone.
"The recent demise of Salleh Ben Joned appears to have convinced him. In his retirement, let us hope he does that so that their untold stories that he shared with me will be known to all Malaysians," said Prof Mohammad Kamarul Kubilan.
Kamarul was a former Masters student in the late 1990s at the Universiti Putra Malaysia where Malachi taught for 33 years.
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