ENGAGING SESSION: Guest speaker Kee Thuan Chye (middle) posing with UCSI students and lecturers after the reading session.

ENGAGING SESSION: Guest speaker Kee Thuan Chye speaking on his most recently published book Can We Save Malaysia, Please! with UCSI students.

KUALA LUMPUR: UCSI University’s (UCSI) Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts (FOSSLA) recently hosted the “Writers’ Public Readings: Right to Read”, which featured guest speaker Kee Thuan Chye. 

Kee Thuan Chye wore many hats in his career journey. He was a Malaysian journalist, editor, author, playwright and a noted civil liberties activist. He even acted in theatre, in national and international films and television and has published numerous books. 

A joint effort between FOSSLA’s English Language and Communication Department as well as the English Language Students’ Association (ELSA), the event is part of a series of readings with renowned Malaysian writers and critics. 

Organised by ELSA – which aims to encourage participation in creative production as well as hone reading and writing skills among students and the local communities – the event is also part of ELSA’s community enrichment programme. 

In this, UCSI University Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs and Support) Professor Dr Teoh Kok Soo commended the students for having the initiative to organise scholarly events such as this. 

“The University is very pleased that the students are able to select such great speakers,” he said. “The topics that they speak on are relevant to the (millennial) generation.” 

The reading session saw Kee share his published works – We Could **** You, Mr Birch from 1994 and his recently published book Can We Save Malaysia, Please! – with a group of UCSI students, and even invited them to read scripts from his works aloud. 

Heartened by the turnout and positive feedback from the students, Kee went on to day: “I can see a lot of potential in UCSI students. I hope they will go on to change the world and make Malaysia a better place.”