THE PENAN PEOPLE: SATIRICAL ELEMENTS IN FRANKIE LATIT’S MALAY SHORT STORIES

Abstract

In the field of Malay literature, various issues are raised and often become a theme in the works (Azmi, Hassan, Azmi, Atek, & Yah, 2022; Azmi, Abdullah, & Hassan, 2023). As a writer who is sensitive to current issues, especially the environment, short stories are among the mediums used to highlight the author's thoughts and ideologies. However, in order not to offend any ruling party and avoid unwanted incidents such as lawsuits, the writer uses satire to satirize subtly. This paper aims to investigate the satirical element in the group of Malay short stories represented by Frankie Latit, namely Apabila Rama-Rama Dijelmakan Kepompong Epilepsi (2017). This short story, which is the subject of this study, is described as “Kronologi Myocardial Infarction”. This short story was published in Utusan Borneo on 21 September 2015. The author is seen trying to represent the voice of the people of Sarawak, especially the Penan people who face the issue of forest destruction. This issue is considered big for the Penan community because their livelihood depends on the forest as a source of food, drink, medicine, and clothing. Although there have been many efforts made by the Penan people in fighting for their fate, they have not yet received the justice they deserve. Therefore, this short story with a medical background was produced to satirize the ruling class of Sarawak who ignored the welfare of the Penan people. It was found that the influence on the creation of this short story is due to the factors of the author's background, environment, and thoughts. This study also proves Frankie Latit's tendency to produce satirical short stories.