Drawing on the fabric of Brunei society

WHILE other cartoonists are more interested in creating fictitious characters for their comic strips, Brunei cartoonist Malai Yunus Malai Yusof, 40, better known by his signature "Noh", aims to achieve a little more.

Noh focuses on depicting the lives of Bruneians living in a typical kampong (village) and relates his real-life experiences.

"I have a sentimental value in the Bruneian's way of life here, especially with the lives of the people in Kampong Ayer," he said, referring to the 1,300-year-old water village sprawled across eight kilometres along the banks of the Brunei River.

Noh has been interested in drawing since he was a child, but it wasn't until 1991, when he was 22 years old, that he turned to drawing cartoons. A year later he produced his first comic book, called Dooi Malai Ku. It was the first local comic ever published in Brunei. The comic was based on characters living in Kampong Ayer and was written in Malay language.

Although many people think the "Malai" in the title refers to the artist himself, Noh said that was not so. It is an old Brunei Malay expression of affection used by parents. "While parents caressed their children, for example, they would touch them on the head and say, 'Dooi malai ku' (my dear baby)," he explained.

Two years later, in 1994, he produced his second comic, called Malai Ku Sayang (My Dear Malay). While this book still centred on the Bruneian way of life, Noh also introduced a local superhero, Awang Super.

In 1996, he produced his third comic, Bah Malai Ku. The word bah is widely used by Bruneians, mostly to express agreement, the Brunei Malay equivalent of "yes" or "okay". In this book, Noh started inserting his own experiences into the comic, mixed with the local way of life.

"I like to put Brunei Malay expressions into the title of my comic books," he said.

Over the years from 1990 to 2005, during which Noh became a successful cartoonist, in near lampoon-cum-reality he was living out his alter ego as a bank employee.

After banking hours, Noh turned his talents to drawing, working as a freelance cartoonist from 1993 to 2000.

But in 2005 he resigned from the bank because he wanted to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD). He is in his fourth year now. Noh is relishing his major, as he is learning all about Bruneian society, culture, history and economics.

Expanding his cultural horizons, last year Noh was selected to study Southeast Asia Studies at Universiti Malaya for two semesters. "Every year one or two third-year students of the Academy of Brunei Studies (at UBD) have the opportunity to study at Universiti Malaya for two semesters," he said.

"It really goes hand-in-hand with what we learn at UBD, as in the Brunei Studies study unit there we are introduced to the subject of ASEAN," he added.

"I'm now in my final year, but I will continue to study for my master's degree after this," Noh said.

His studies have helped him focus on Brunei culture, especially Bruneians' habits, and his real-life experiences on campus have inspired him to produce a new comic some 13 years after his previous book.

In this latest comic, Gaplah ("hubbub"), Noh partly features a story about a mature man who decides to go back to school to complete his education. In true Brunei spirit, the younger college student characters in the comic affectionately, and cheekily, call him "uncle".

The new comic also presents a story focusing on the theme of family. "My message in this edition is that we must be strong as one family," Noh said.

For example, he said, his family's bonds are very strong, so when he decided to resign his position at the bank to go back to study, he had full support from his family. "Since we have pretty strong family ties, I can do it easily," he said.

Noh publicly launched his fourth comic at The Mall in Gadong last month, with Hj Omar Hj Abd Rahman, Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, as guest of honour.

Noh added that Gaplah is also a present for those who have been waiting years for his comic. "I created this as a gift for them. They are the ones who have appreciated (my work and inspired me) to go on, to continue my journey."

As the first print run of 1,000 copies has sold out, Noh said that he plans to re-print about 3,000 more copies soon after Aidil Fitri.

While the Bruneian way of life has continually inspired Noh, his sense of humour and talent for drawing have made him a well-known figure from Brunei.

In drawing people's faces, he said, he highlights the dominant feature of the person's face, such as a pointed nose or thick eyebrow. "This dominant part must be featured in the cartoon," he said, adding that other attributes should not be forgotten so the audience can easily recognise who the person is.

"That's the secret of a good cartoonist or caricaturist," he said.

On a broader scale, his books purposely touch on light social issues, such as how some Bruneians spend their money unwisely, he said.

Noh explained that some people spend money only to make other people think that they have money

"But this person is actually only acting that he or she has money," he smiled. "This person is not as rich as others might think."

The way Noh depicts real-life experiences and the local way of life are inspired by his idol, Datuk Mohd Nor Khalid, a well-known cartoonist in Malaysia who draws under the pen name Lat.

Lat also draws on his childhood experiences and local villagers, though he also draws cartoons relating to political issues.

Noh said he admires Lat because he still draws with ink, while most artists today use a computer.

"I have the same interests as Lat, as he still draw with his signature strokes using ink and he writes the dialogue by hand," he said.

Noh explained that he published his cartoons because he wanted to make the art arena in Brunei more colourful, as the literary work of caricature or cartoon is still limited in the country. "At least we can demonstrate that Brunei is also capable," he said.

Years ago, he added, Bruneians could only get comic books from other countries, but today Brunei has its own comic.

"I hope that young Bruneians can produce cartoons or caricatures as a way of promoting the country to the world," he said.

Noh is a member of the Asian Cartoonist Association and has participated in exhibitions held by Japan-Brunei Friendship Association in Japan.

He is now planning to produce comic books in English. "Hopefully, it can be marketed outside Brunei, at least in our neighbouring countries, such as Singapore and Malaysia," he said.

The Brunei Times