Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Sneak Peek: Simfoni Sepi - Himpunan Sajak Siber yassinsalleh


Title: Simfoni Sepi - Himpunan Sajak Siber yassinsalleh
Author: Mat Yassin bin Salleh
Year: 2012

Simfoni Sepi - Himpunan Sajak Siber yassinsalleh is a compliation of poems penned by Mat Yassin bin Salleh, poet, writer and playwright in the Malaysian creative arts industry. This book has been released for sale on February 2, 2012, and is only available in the Malay Language.

Honestly, I have never known Mat Yassin. I only got to know his youngest daughter, Yasleh Hani Wati  when I was pursuing my Master degree at a public university in Malaysia from 2003 to 2006. Only then I came to know that Uncle Mat Yassin is a talented poet, writer and playwright but his name is not the name that is very well known like those of Usman Awang, A Samad Said and Malaysian national laureate Datuk Abdullah Hussain.

My personal opinion of Uncle Mat Yassin is that he is very capable and talented of producing quality literary works worthy of mention and recognition, although I have yet to read any of them. Simfoni Sepi - Himpunan Sajak Siber yassinsalleh in my humble opinion, will be an enduring Malay literature for many years to come... because it was written in an extremely passionate manner, championing the cause to promote local literary publications, especially in the Malay Language.

I recommend this book to anyone who is especially interested and/or appreciative of the beauty of poems in the Malay Language.

And I think the introduction in the book written by Johan Jaafar, a columnist with The New Straits Times newspaper speaks eloquently well about who the real Uncle Mat Yassin is, where not many people knew about and his very deep passion and dedication towards his contribution to the Malaysian creative arts industry, especially where Malay literary works are concerned.

The poet, Mat Yassin bin Salleh (right) with the book designer