My first favourite pastime is reading. During my primary school days, I used to write or rather draft letters for my father whenever he wants to send one to my maternal grandmother in Dungun, Terengganu. This frequent tasks sharpen my skills in writing or rather my ability to ideas into written words. Most of the time, I fantasise stories in my head. And I pretend afterwards that I have created a karya (creative or artistic works).
My first karya was an ulasan lagu (comments on songs) aired over radio. It was during my secondary school days. There was no electricity yet in my kampung at that time hence there was no television too then. At nights our only window to the outside world was the radio.
There was a radio programme called Ilham Cipta (lit. Ideas/inspiration and Creativity) aired once-a-week around 9.30 pm. Basically the programme airs commentaries submitted by listeners on a Malay song selected beforehand by the programme producer.
To cut a long story short, I crafted my ulasan on the song as announced by the announcer (DJ as a term was unheard of then) and sent it by post. The ulasan is actually a narration or explanation of the song's lyrics not on its music. As luck has it, my ulasan was aired. No word can best described my feeling at that time. Come Friday, a few friends complimented me after the customary Friday prayers at my kampung mosque for my 'success!'. That adds to my elated feeling, knowing that my name was heard by the thousands...
A few weeks later I received a cheque for RM20.00 - quite a big sum for a poor secondary schoolboy then. Another ulasan from me was also aired a few weeks later but my third submission did not make it. The second cheque was the last. Was I a writer?
My first karya was an ulasan lagu (comments on songs) aired over radio. It was during my secondary school days. There was no electricity yet in my kampung at that time hence there was no television too then. At nights our only window to the outside world was the radio.
There was a radio programme called Ilham Cipta (lit. Ideas/inspiration and Creativity) aired once-a-week around 9.30 pm. Basically the programme airs commentaries submitted by listeners on a Malay song selected beforehand by the programme producer.
To cut a long story short, I crafted my ulasan on the song as announced by the announcer (DJ as a term was unheard of then) and sent it by post. The ulasan is actually a narration or explanation of the song's lyrics not on its music. As luck has it, my ulasan was aired. No word can best described my feeling at that time. Come Friday, a few friends complimented me after the customary Friday prayers at my kampung mosque for my 'success!'. That adds to my elated feeling, knowing that my name was heard by the thousands...
A few weeks later I received a cheque for RM20.00 - quite a big sum for a poor secondary schoolboy then. Another ulasan from me was also aired a few weeks later but my third submission did not make it. The second cheque was the last. Was I a writer?
