Mohamed Latiff Mohamed (20 March 1950 – 13 October 2022) was a Singaporean Malay poet and writer.
Mohamed Latiff Mohamed
| |
|---|---|
| Born | (1950-03-20)20 March 1950 Singapore |
| Died | 13 October 2022(2022-10-13) (aged 72) Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation | Poet, writer |
| Language | Malay |
| Nationality | Singapore |
Mohamed Latiff Mohamed was born in Singapore on 20 March 1950. He was educated at Guillemard Malay School, followed by Tun Seri Lanang Secondary School and Kaki Bukit Secondary School.[1]
After his secondary education, Mohamed Latiff studied at the Teachers Training College and taught at several primary and secondary schools before moving to Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore (CDIS) to design course materials for the Malay-language secondary curriculum.[2] He retired in 1999 to focus on writing full-time.[2]
Mohamed Latiff first started writing at the age of 16, and his poem Kepincangan (“Handicaps”) was published in the school magazine.[2] He also published his first short story Ani cintamu masih usang (“Ani, your love is still outdated”) in the entertainment magazine Bintang dan lagu.[2]
Mohamed Latiff noted that "[o]ne should not simply write about 'beautiful' things, but should seek to correct the wrongs that one sees in society."[3] His poems tackle the social issues facing the Malay community in Singapore and he strongly believes in the power of literature to combat against racial discrimination in Singapore.[4] This has led to friend and fellow Malay writer S.N. Masuri calling Mohamed Latiff a "poet of protest" and "an angry young man."[2] His poetry collection Segumpal api selingkar pelangi: puisi-puisi pilihan 1967–1977 (translated as A Crackle of Flames. A Circle of Rainbows: Selected Poems 1967-1977) features gruesome imagery such as blood and pus to convey the harsh realities of discrimination and mistreatment of the poor, especially the Malay community.[2] In spite of his work attempting to highlight the oppression of the Malay community, he was also critical of the community's pace of progress in keeping up with globalisation.[1]
Mohamed Latiff was also the author of nine novels and short story collections, including Batas Langit (1996) and Ziarah Cinta (1998) which have been translated into English as Confrontation (2013) and The Widower (2015) respectively. His novels depict the struggles of the Malay community in post-independence Singapore.[5] His novel Dalam keasingan, which used symbolic characters and a style that was more akin to poetry, was adapted into a stage play by Teater Ekamatra in 1990.[2] His short story collection Nostalgia yang hilang: cerpen-cerpen pilihan 1982–2002 (2004) was later translated into English by Nazry Bahrawi.
Mohamed Latiff was an active and longstanding member of Angkatan Sasterawan '50 (Asas '50) where he helped to develop Malay literature and culture, protect the rights of its members while introducing innovations in literature.[1] He was awarded the Anugerah Munsyi Abdullah award for his contributions to creative writing.[1]
Mohamed Latiff was a three-time Singapore Literature Prize winner, winning twice for poetry (2004 and 2008) and once for a short story collection (2006).[2] He received the Cultural Medallion in 2013 for his contributions to Singaporean Malay literature.
Mohamed Latiff was married to Jamaliah Mohamed Noor. They had two sons, Khairil and Haikel.[2] His elder son is based in Melbourne and he has one granddaughter.[5] Mohamed Latiff died in Melbourne, Australia on 13 October 2022, at the age of 72.[6]