Contesting and Rejoicing the Colonial Discourse: As Reflected in a Malay Postcolonial Novel Written during the British Colonialization

Abstract

From 1511 to 1957, Malaysia was once colonized by the colonial discourse which was an instrument of power of the colonialist. The colonial discourse is a discourse from the colonialist suppressing and degrading the colonized. Consequently, several uprisings by the Malay nationalists against the colonialist had been recorded in Malaysian history with regards to the colonial discourse. At this juncture, the colonial supremacy had been contested politically. What about the Malay authors during the period of time? Did they partake in this contestation? If so, what was the contestation and how the contestation was carried out? This paper aims to discuss the colonial discourse and how it has been contested in the only Malay postcolonial novel written by Ishak Haji Muhammad while the English was still in Malaysia (Malaya). Ishak can be regarded as the only Malay author who was brave enough to contest no only the colonialist’s discourse but also the Malay rulers who were also seen collaborating with the colonialist in stretching and strengthening the colonial discourse.