From Atas Pokok to Sawah Padi: A Critique on Malaysian Political Malfunction and Social Oppression by Dinsman

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

The resurrection of Malaysian modern drama began with the revitalization of Malaysian theater after 1930s. Since then, Malaysian modern drama has expanded values to various forms in terms of narrative, issues, genres and performance elements. Many research have been done in general by focusing on individuals dramatic work but none of the documentation is collected comprehensively to show the contributions and values of the published drama that activated by the modern theater groups movements construction of its upsurge glorious of Malaysian social development. In addition to individuals, there are several groups that appear in the evolution of the drama movements in Malaysia peculiarly in the 1970s. These group are the main stimulus of active and open social commentary. The only active dramatist who enthusiastic emersion from the inception until to this date is Dinsman. Since the 1970s, Dinsman and his group calling themselves the Grup Teater Elit (GTE) have astounded the country's theater industry with experimental and controversial works that shows freedom of discourse in addition served as current social and political commentary. Many works identified and procure attentiveness by the Malaysian political opposition press of the dissident party. The latest two play that directed by Dinsman were Teater Atas Pokok (TAP) and Teater di Sawah Padi Muzika Uda dan Dara (TdSPMUD). These play were made to show the subaltern voce of the repression in current situation which is caused by economic pressures and current urban development. It aims to highlight a matter of serious discussions amend for the imbalance of Malaysian political malfunction and social oppression hegemony in various sphere especially inward developing countries.