Wong Phui Nam

Wong Phui Nam (; Muslim name: Mohamed Razali; 20 September 1935 – 26 September 2022) was a Malaysian economist and poet. Born to a Peranakan family in Kuala Lumpur, Wong began learning English at age 9. He became interested in poetry, and while studying at the University of Malaya Singapore campus he wrote English language poetry while participating in a student literary magazine.

Shortly after his first collection of poetry was released in 1968, Wong stopped writing in response to the introduction of a national language policy that sidelined non-Malay work. His second collection of poems was released in 1989, and was followed by other works of collected poetry and two plays which adapted Greek tragedies to a Malaysian context.

Wong saw his work as part of the beginning of a Malaysian body of literature, viewing Malaysia as containing strands of other cultures rather than having developed a common national culture. Although Wong wrote in English, he felt no connection to the English literary tradition. Similarly, he felt little affinity to what is seen as Chinese culture, and described himself as an outsider in the country he considered his own. Wong's poetry often reflected these feelings, examining language, place, and identity.

Biography Wong was born in Kuala Lumpur on 20 September 1935 to a Peranakan Chinese family. He began learning English at the age of 9, following the end of the Japanese occupation of Malaya. At the same time he also attended a Chinese school, although he stated he took studying there less seriously, leaving him feeling more proficient in English. He was educated at the Batu Road School and the Victoria Institution.

Wong's interest in poems developed out of an interest in music, but a lack of access to a piano and formal teaching limited his expression to the spoken word. A key early influence was Rib of Earth by Edwin Thumboo, which was written in English by a local author, pushing against a feeling at the time that English literature was the preserve of white people.

His poems have also appeared in several other anthologies and literary journals. His work includes inspiration from various religious traditions, including Christianity, Egyptian mythology, Greek mythology, and Hindu deities. His work is considered to be part of the origin of Malaysian English literature.

In a 1999 interview, Wong stated that Malaysia was "deeply divided by language", and noted that English was culturally unrelated to any of the other languages in use there. Nonetheless he saw English as a useful language to reflect Malaysia, a product of colonialism that was "culturally naked". He did not see his work as part of English literary tradition, instead seeking to craft a new Malaysian literature for which there was no existing body of work. His use of English was practical, despite raising questions about whether the language matched his Malaysian identity.

Personal life After graduating from university, Wong worked in banking and development financing. Anike (2006) Against the Wilderness (2000) How the Hills Are Distant (1968)