September 9, 2025
KUALA LUMPUR – Bahasa Malaysia literature is beginning to find its footing on the international stage, with Sabahan writer Ruhaini Matdarin’s Hari-Hari Terakhir Di Jesselton (The Last Days Of Jesselton) recently named among the six winners of the inaugural PEN Presents x International Booker Prize programme (based in Britain).
The initiative, which champions translators from the global majority, highlights voices and narratives often overlooked in mainstream literary circuits. This year’s winning projects span five languages and regions, each opening doors for new readerships and perspectives.
For Malaysia, the recognition carries particular weight: it marks the first time the English PEN translation grants programme has supported a work originally published in Bahasa Malaysia.
Sabah’s layered history
Ruhaini’s novel, first published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in 2018 and deeply rooted in Sabah’s layered history and cultural memory, has been brought into English by Pauline Fan – a Kuala Lumpur–based writer, translator, and cultural researcher whose work often bridges languages and traditions.
Her translation not only extends a Malaysian story to the world, but also affirms how Bahasa Malaysia can journey across borders while carrying the depth of its cultural inheritance.
“It is especially meaningful that this recognition comes during Malaysia Day season, a time when we reflect on the nation’s rich and intricate fabric,” says Fan in a recent interview.
Ruhaini, with Bajau, Kadazan and Brunei roots, offers a glimpse into the layered richness of Bahasa Malaysia. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED/THE STAR
“The international recognition of Ruhaini Matdarin, a Sabahan writer, underscores the multiplicity of voices that shape Malaysian literature as a whole – even within what we call ‘Malay literature.’ It reminds us that our literary landscape is far from monolithic; it is alive with diverse histories, geographies, and sensibilities that together enrich our shared imagination,” she adds.
Ruhaini’s The Last Days Of Jesselton is set in North Borneo during World War II, where the Bangsawan Seri Melati troupe’s performance trip takes a perilous turn after the Japanese occupation, leaving them stranded and entangled in war and survival.
Kota Kinabalu–based Ruhaini, trained in financial management and with experience as an auditor across sectors, sees storytelling as a way to safeguard memory and draw Sabah’s past into conversation with the present.
Translator Fan (left) and author Ruhaini are charting the next chapter for the ‘The Last Days Of Jesselton’ book after their PEN Presents x International Booker Prize honour. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED/THE STAR
“As a fiction writer, my true calling has been to tell stories rooted in Sabah. Nearly half of my books are set there, many tracing the history and culture of its people, for my deepest intention in writing is to affirm and share my identity as a Sabahan,” says Ruhaini.
“I am thrilled by the PEN Presents x International Booker Prize results, for one of my greatest dreams has always been to see my work translated and carried to readers across the world. Through her translation, Pauline (Fan) has brought me a vital step closer to realising that dream,” she adds.
A path forward
With the support of a £500 (RM2,848) PEN Presents grant, Fan produced a 5,000-word English sample of Ruhaini’s novel, now available on the English PEN website.
As one of the winning translations, it will be promoted to publishers and commissioning editors in Britain and across the wider Anglophone world, opening a path for Ruhaini’s work to reach readers beyond Malaysia.
With half of all PEN Presents winners eventually acquired by publishers, the recognition sets a quiet but significant precedent for a work in Bahasa Malaysia.
“My next step is to complete and refine my translation of Ruhaini’s The Last Days Of Jesselton, and to work closely with the author so the English version carries the full resonance of the original,” says Fan, who previously translated Ruhaini’s short story History Dies At The Nasi Lemak Stall for the Mekong Review in 2022.
‘This recognition affirms the importance of bringing voices from Malaysian literature, particularly those written in local languages, into global literary conversations,’ says Fan. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED/THE STAR
The Last Days Of Jesselton now opens a window for Bahasa Malaysia literature, carrying hopes of being seen within the wider currents of world literature.
“PEN’s platform opens doors to international publishers, agents, and festivals, helping bridge the gap between local roots and a much wider audience, and ensuring these books find their rightful place in world literature,” says Fan.
“Just as importantly, the PEN Presents x International Booker Prize programme highlights literary works, and the work of literary translators, from the global majority. This is a laudable and vital initiative, creating visibility and credibility for voices that have too often been overlooked,” she concludes.
English PEN, one of the world’s oldest human rights organisations and the founding centre of PEN International, continues to champion the freedom to write and read through its global network of 130 centres in over 90 countries.