Malaysian Society presents Festival of Diversity IX

If you’re like me, you probably know little about Malaysian culture. Well, the Festival of Diversity is the Malaysian Society’s annual chance to change that with a song and dance spectacular - this year, Pahlawan the Musical. For the first time ever the event is taking place at St David’s Hall, giving the society an opportunity to reach a much wider audience.

I say Malaysian culture, but actually Malaysia is a multicultural country, composed primarily of Malays, Chinese and Indians, and all three are represented in the show, both in terms of the cast and the routines. It was a desire to raise awareness of this unique cultural mixture that inspired the first Festival of Diversity nine years ago, as André Lim, former President of Malaysian Society, told me. He explained that back then it was little more than a talent show, a sort of Malaysia’s Got Talent, but over the years it grew into a play and then into its current musical format. It is one of the three key events that Malaysian Society runs throughout the year. While Festival of Diversity focuses on culture, the Cardiff European Games bring together Malaysian students from across Europe for sporting competitions, and an annual Leadership Conference focuses more on business, politics and economics. Through these events, as well as day-to-day activities like mentoring new students, the Malaysian Society works to create a community of Malaysian students, not just within Cardiff, but all over Britain and beyond. The musical is a particular draw for Malaysian students from far and wide; law student Linnie Ooi explains that she came down from Aberystwyth for the show last year and this year has friends visiting from all over Britain for the event.

The main event of the night, Pahlawan the Musical, reinvented the age old folk tale of Hang Tuah, a warrior from the 15th century Malaccan Sultanate, torn between love and loyalty. He has become a hero fighting pirates with his brother, but when the Sultan sends him on mission to procure the beautiful Princess Tun Teja’s hand in marriage, Tuah’s life is turned upside down. This story is told through both drama and song, but I was surprised to find that the songs were not traditional Malaysian pieces, or even new works in that style, but mainly adaptations of songs from popular West End musicals like Wicked and Miss Saigon, and pop hits from Michael Jackson to Coldplay (with two Malaysian pieces thrown in). Nonetheless, I am reliably informed that the incidental music was very typical Malaysian fare and the overwhelming feel of the show, from the brightly coloured traditional outfits to the martial arts fight scenes, was undeniably Malaysian. Moreover, the electrifying dance scenes, a highlight of the show, showed off the diverse styles of the different cultures that make up Malaysia.

On the whole, the cast gave very strong performances considering they are all amateurs. Vingesh Raja as Tuah gave a solid, heart-felt performance (although he did lose himself during the songs in a charmingly overblown way that reminded me of when I sing along to musicals in my bedroom when no-one is watching!). As his brother Jebat, Leon Lee put in a particularly strong performance while Elizabeth Wong as Tun Teja displayed a surprisingly good voice. Comedy relief came in bucket loads from Sivaram Prasad who hammed up the role of Sultan Mahmud, turning him into a perfect pantomime villain. Equally funny and charming was Amanda Chong as the vivacious lady’s maid Suria, whose rendition of I Can Hear the Bells was the best vocal performance of the musical. All in all, despite a tragic ending to the show, my overall impression of it was very cheesy but very fun, I think because the enthusiasm of the cast and their joy in performing was infectious.

However, the musical was not all the Malaysian Society had on offer tonight, but rather sandwiched between two other exciting, energetic performances. The first was from special guests Festival Drums all the way from the University of Liverpool. This was a perfect start to the show, impressively choreographed playing of traditional drums, and I was especially pleased to see that the drummers included a wide range of people, not just Malaysians, showing that the event really is trying to be inclusive. Then after the musical came the Dikir Barat, which seemed to be moment everyone had been waiting for judging by the cheers when it was announced. This traditional seated dance, involving lots of clapping, and accompanying upbeat songs, was a real highlight. It was incredible to see about a hundred Malaysian Society members dancing as one and with so much energy, while the crowd sang, clapped and cheered along.

By the end of the night, I have certainly learnt a lot more about Malaysian culture. I can now recognise traditional music, dress and dance styles, have learnt a key story from Malaysian folklore and even have a few recipes to try out from the programme. But more than that, I feel like I have really learnt something about the spirit of Malaysia. One of the aims of the show was to celebrate “a people, proud, diverse and united despite the apparent differences in creed and colour” and in this aim Festival of Diversity most definitely succeeded. From not just the performers but the audience, the overwhelming passion for their homeland and strength of their community was obvious and inspiring. Directors Stephanie Wong and Aqil Ariffin, as well as the enormous team of performers and crew, deserve a huge congratulations for putting such a successful night together and bringing a little bit of Malaysia to Cardiff.