Why is his work so Important?
The period of his artistic work began after Malaysia gained its indepandence. This is a significant event and some of the issues brought up in the poems can show the post war physical state and conditions that could help us understand how far S'pore's neighbouring country M'sia, has grew as a country. A. Samad Said works are important because they reveal socio-cultural issues by writing about "the life of poor people... after World War II" which is a population struggling with poverty, and many other issues such as pollution.
The nasty post war effects can be minimised with proper control. However, the issues brought about in Said's writing are still relevant today. This includes political corruption and poor conditions of living.
Why introduce his work to your students?
*A lot of writers write from their own oppression. A. Samad Said is a controversial writer. [Read More from the blog post "A. Samad Said an activist?"]
A. Samad Said uses poems to reflect the issues faced by citizens and is very relatable for our students because every develop city takes away something to modernize. In a way, students can be asked about modernization and how it goes beyond physical influences. Do our mindsets modernize too? This is where a Malay poet can bring up universal issues relevant to Singapore's city state.
eg of questions to post to students: How many of you know your neighbours? With modern living HDB that reduces physical space amongst citizens, does it help in increasing interactions? Why is it that despite being closer compared to kampung living days, we seem more distant with our neighbours? Is there a psychological modernized mindset in a developed city and is it good for us?
