Kee Thuan Chye

Kee Thuan Chye (born 25 May 1954) is a Malaysian actor, dramatist, poet and journalist. Acting in theatre, films, and on television for more than 40 years, he continues to do so. A noted civil rights activist, he would express in his plays whatever he could not express through the newspapers under Malaysia's repressive Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA). For speaking out without fear or favour, Kee was among the first recipients of The Annexe Heroes Freedom of Expression Awards when it was launched in 2008. His Sunday Star column, Playing The Fool, which he began in April 2007, ran for only two instalments before it was cancelled. In his inaugural article, Kee had written that he would be speaking out frankly on social and political issues, without fear or favour. His second article, hitting out at racial discrimination in Malaysia, was published but when it came to his third article, the editors got jittery and suppressed it. The Star finally decided to terminate the column after Kee submitted his fourth article.

Civil rights advocacy Kee Thuan Chye's political awakening began when he could not afford to pursue his master's degree at Universiti Sains Malaysia, his alma mater, unless he had a tutor's position. Kee then joined the now-defunct National Echo as literary editor where he created the page Culture Scene and wrote editorials on political and other issues. Moving from Penang to Kuala Lumpur to join the New Straits Times in the late 1970s, he saw more clearly how race had been politicised to divide the people.

What Kee Thuan Chye could not express through the newspaper, he eventually expressed in his plays. 1984 Here and Now which spoke out frankly against Big Brother and institutionalised racial discrimination, played to full houses in 1985. Singapore TV-movie 2014 Mata Mata (Season 2) Tan Eng Chye Singapore TV series 2013 Code of Law (Season 2) Justice Peter Loh Singapore TV series 2012 Code of Law (Season 1) Justice Peter Loh Singapore TV series 2011 The Pupil (Season 2) Justice Peter Loh Singapore TV series

10 (Sepuluh) Liew 8-episode TV drama series Mr Siao's Mandarin Class Robert Toh TV sitcom

Marcus Owyang Lead role in Singapore TV-movie, shot in Siem Reap, Cambodia Secrets of the Forbidden City Xia Yuanji Role of Minister of Revenue to Emperor Yongle, in the dramatised documentary for the BBC and the History Channel Bilik No. 13 Ah Keong Lead role in one episode of Malay miniseries

Marco Polo: Discovery of the World Hallmark TV-movie Sadiq and Co Judge Guest role in Malay TV series Gol & Gincu (Season 2) Mr Wee Guest role in TV series

Realiti David Yeoh TV series Impian Ilyana Ilyana's boss Guest role in Malay TV series

Singapore Shakes! David Setoh 'Seventh Month' episode of the Singapore series Perceptions Victor Wong Main-cast member in the 13-episode Singapore series 2003 Each Other Ronnie Ng Semi-regular role in the 13-episode drama series

Kopitiam Kok Hui Guest role in one episode of the 3rd season Love Matters: The Marriage Factor Daddy Singapore telemovie 2001 Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd Lim Pek Kong Guest role in one episode of the Singapore sitcom 2000 Teh Tarik Dot Com Vince Main cast member of the 13-episode sitcom 1999 Kopitiam Major Lim Guest role in one episode of sitcom (2nd season) City of the Rich Han Lee Main cast member in the 200-episode series 1984 Maria Peter Malay TV-movie 1977 Bailey's Bird Ming Ho Guest role in German-Australian TV series

Plays

Writing and Directing for Theatre

Acting in Theatre Scriptwriting for television 2009: Writing storylines for Auntie English, produced by Astro 2004: Co-writing the script for one episode of Singapore Shakes! with Remesh Panicker, followed by another episode, singly 1998–1999: Writing storylines for the 150-episode Idaman II 1997–1998: Writing storylines for the 150-episode Idaman

Published books Lim Kit Siang: Malaysian First, Volume Two: Bold to The Last Battle (Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2023) Lim Kit Siang: Malaysian First, Volume One: None But the Bold (Landmark Books, 2021) The People's Victory (Marshall Cavendish, 2019) Swordfish + Concubine, play-text (Gerakbudaya, 2018) You Want This GOONvernment Ah? (Gerakbudaya, 2018) Unbelievably Stupid Too! (Gerakbudaya, 2015) Unbelievably Stupid! (Gerakbudaya, 2015) Can We Save Malaysia, Please! (Marshall Cavendish, 2014) We Could **** You, Mr Birch, 20th anniversary republication (Gerakbudaya, 2014) The Elections Bullshit (Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2013) Ask for No Bullshit, Get Some More! (Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2013) No More Bullshit, Please, We're All Malaysians (Marshall Cavendish, 2012) March 8: Time for Real Change (Marshall Cavendish, 2010) March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke Up (Marshall Cavendish, 2008) 1984 Here and Now, play-text and introduction by Helen Gilbert (Marshall Cavendish, 2004) The Big Purge, play-text and introduction by Shirley Geok-lin Lim (Marshall Cavendish, 2004) We Could **** You, Mr Birch, play-text and introduction by Robert Yeo (Marshall Cavendish, 2004) We Could **** You, Mr Birch, play-text and introduction by Robert Yeo (self-published, 1995; reprinted, 1995, 1996, 1998, and 2000) We Could **** You, Mr Birch, play-text and theatre programme (self-published, 1994) Just In So Many Words, collection of selected writings in the press (Heinemann, 1992; reprinted, 1993) Haunting the Tiger and Other Stories, edited (Berita Publishing, 1991) Old Doctors Never Fade Away, a biography (Teks Publishing, 1988) 1984 Here and Now, play text and post-performance reviews (K. Das Ink, 1987)

Other publications Extract from play We Could **** You, Mr Birch included in An Anthology of English Writing from Southeast Asia edited by Rajeev S. Patke, Isabella Banzon, Philip Holden and Lily Rose Tope (National Library Board, Singapore, 2012) 'The Boy who Saved Singapura' in the anthology Malaysian Tales Retold and Remixed (ZI Publications, 2011) 'Just Another Empty Slogan?', an essay in the book No Honeymoon: Najib's First 100 Days (Gerakbudaya Enterprise, 2009) Ideals and Principles, a 10-minute play, in 10 X 10: 100 Minutes to Change the World (Kakiseni, 2008) 'Towards the Impossible Dream', an essay in the book Tipping Points (The Edge, 2008) Poems, extract from A Sense of Home, and play script of We Could *** You, Mr Birch included in anthology Petals of Hibiscus edited by Mohammad Quayum (Pearson Books, 2003) Another extract from A Sense of Home included in the anthology The Merlion and the Hibiscus (Penguin, 2002) Extract from screenplay A Long Way from Hollywood included in Silverfish New Writing 2 edited by Satendra Nandan (Silverfishbooks, 2002) 1984 Here and Now included in Postcolonial Plays - An Anthology edited by Helen Gilbert (Routledge, UK, 2001) Extract from a novel in progress entitled A Sense of Home included in the anthology New Writing 10, edited by Penelope Lively and George Szirtes (Picador, UK, 2001) Poems included in bilingual anthology of Malaysian poetry Suara Rasa (Maybank, 1993) Several poems included in bilingual Anthology of Malaysian Poetry/Antologi Puisi Pelbagai Kaum edited by K.S. Maniam and M.Shanmughalingam (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1988) Numerous poems published in Malaysian newspapers and journals Masakini and Southeast Asian Review of English, and in magazines and journals abroad - Asiaweek (Hong Kong), Focus, Sands and Coral, Solidarity, Ideya (Philippines), Pacific Quarterly Moana (New Zealand), Ariel (Canada), Kunapipi (Australia). Numerous radio plays broadcast over Radio Malaysia.