Muhammad Haji Salleh: A Biography

Professor Dr Muhammad Haji Salleh is a Malaysian writer which had been awarded as Poet Laureate in 1991. He was also rewarded with the SEA Writers Award in 1997. In 2008, he was announced as the National Academic Figure. He used to be the President of the Malaysian Translators Association from 1978 until 1982. He has translated a vast number of Malay poems to English. He is also one of the editors of the journal of Tenggara, members of the Lembaga Pengelola Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, and one of the Penalists of the Malaysian Poet Laureate.

Biodata

Muhammad Haji Salleh was born on 26th March 1942 in Taiping, Perak. He is now living in Taman Sekamat, Kajang, Selangor.

Educational Background

He had his early education at Bukit Mertajam High School (Penang), Malay College Kuala Kangsar (Perak) and Malayan Teachers College, Brinsford Lodge, England (1963). He then furthered his studies in University of Malaya, Singapore in 1970 for Bachelor of Arts. He gained his PHD in 1977 after he had graduated from University of Michigan, United States of America.

Career

His career started as a teacher at Trade School Butterworth in 1960 and then he had moved to several schools before he became a tutor, lecturer, senior lecturer and several academicals posts in local and international universities. He used to be appointed as the youngest professor in 1979 when he was 37 years old. When he returned to Malaysia, he had served in National University of Malaysia And University of Science, Malaysia. For 42 years, he had served in three universities: National University of Malaysia, University of Science, Malaysia and University of Malaya, Malaysia.

He used to be invited to teach in US, Brunei, Germany and Netherlands as the visiting professor and received the fellowship from universities in US, Japan and Netherlands. He had served as a professor under the Fulbright-Hays program in 1977 and taught in North Carolina State University, Raleigh, United States of America in 1977 until 1978; lecturer in the Malay Literature Department; Deputy Dean in Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, UKM; Director of the Malay Institute of Language, Cultures and Literature. He was then appointed as Literature Professor in 1978 when he was 36. Muhammad then had become as the "Asian Scholar in Residence" at University of Michigan. In between 1992 to 1993, he became the Fullbright Visiting Researcher at University of California, Berkeley; was honoured to fill the Kursi Pengajian Melayu in University of Leiden, Netherlands from 1993 to 1994.

Malay Literature

His writing focuses on poems and literary critics in Malay and English especially through his efforts by exposing the Malaysian literature to the whole Asia, Europe and America. Among the writers that inspire him are Chairil, Subagio Sastrowardojo (Indonesia), T.S Eliot and Pablo Neruda. He also has contributed for two Malay research centres which in the Riau Islamic University and University of Jambi. His poems and literary critics have been translated into 12 languages including Dutch, Mandarin, Hebrew, German, Korean, Russia, Spanish and French. Among classic literary texts which he had studied are the story of Isma Yatim, Sulalat As-Salatin, the Story of Hang Tuah and others.

Awards

He has received a lot of awards for his contributions. Among them is the 'Asian Literary Prize' in Jakarta, Indonesia. Some of the his works have won the Literary Work Prize in 1971, and ASEAN Literary Prize with his anthology Si Tenggang's Homecoming in 1977.

Works

Muhammad Haji Salleh has produced 15 collections of poem, 5 Malaysian literary anthologies and 12 literary critics in Malay and English. He also has translated 11 Malaysian works to English.

Poems

l. Published by Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka:

a. Himpunan Sajak (antologi bersama), 1969.

b. Sajak-sajak Pendatang (1973)

c. The Travel Journals of Si Tenggang II (1979)

d. Pilihan Puisi Baru Malaysia (1980)

e. Puisi-puisi Nusantara (1981)

f. Sajak-sajak dari Sejarah Melayu (1981)

g. Antologi puisi ASEAN (1983)

h. Lagu Kehidupan (1983)

i. Bintang Mengerdip (antologi bersama), 1984

j. Malaysian Poetry from 1975 to 1985 (1988)

k. Puisi Baharu Melayu 1961 (1986)

l. Sebuah Unggun di Tepi Danau (1996)

m. Pengalaman Puisi (1984)

n. The Mind of the Malay Author (1991)

o. Syair Tentang Singapura Abad ke-19 (1994)

p. Penulisan Kreatif (antologi bersama) (1980)

q. Imej dan Cita-cita: Kertas Kerja Hari Sastera 1980 (antologi bersama) (1981)

r. Teori Kesusasteraan: Satu Pengenalan oleh Terry Eagleton (terjemahan)

2. Published by UKM Publisher:

a. Buku Perjalanan Si Tenggang II (1975)

b. Dari Seberang Diri (1982)

c. Tradition and Change in Contemporary Malay-Indonesian Poetry (1977)

3. Published by the Ministry of Youth and Sports:

a. Kritikan Sastera di Malaysia (antologi bersama), 1974

b. Bahasa Kesusasteraan dan Kebudayaan (antologi bersama), 1976

c. Kesarjanaan Melayu (antologi bersama), 1977

4. Other works:

a. Ini Juga Duniaku, 1977 (Utusan Publication & Distributors Sdn Bhd)

b. Times and Its People, 1978 (Heineman Educational Books)

c. Tinta Pena, 1981 (PENA)

d. 100 Sajak Malaysia (antologi bersama), 1984 (Tra-Tra Publishing & Trading Sdn Bhd)

e. Bunga Gerimis, 1986 (Penerbit Fajar Bakti Sdn Bhd)

f. Puisirama Merdeka (antologi bersama), 1986 (PENA)

g. Voice from Within, 1993 (Maybank)

h. Beyond the Archipelago, Athens: Centre of International Studies, 1995 (Ohio University)

i. Rupa Kata (antologi bersama), 1996 (Yayasan Kesenian Perak)

j. Selection from Contemporary Malaysian Poetry, 1978 (Penerbitan Universiti Malaya)

k. Sulalatus Al-Salatin, 1997 (Yayasan Karya Agung)

l. Cermin Diri, 1986 (Penerbit Fajar Bakti Sdn Bhd)

m. Salju Musim Bunga Yukio Mishima, 1990 (Yayasan Penataran llmu)

National Academic Icon (2008)

In 2008, he had received the 2008 National Academic Icon prize from the Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at the Royale Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

(Source: Wikipedia Bahasa Melayu)