A writer and playwright, Faisal’s tales tend to be allegorical, his takes on current events often presented through metaphors. While this may be indecipherable for some, astute readers likely find enjoyment in his musings.
As it happens, he also writes books, such as “The Professor”. And now, his new work, a biting satire titled “The Koro Riots”, has appeared on local bookshelves.
The book isn’t entirely brand new as it was first published in Indonesia in 2019. But it has now been translated into English and is ready for “international” distribution, including in Malaysia.
So, what’s it about? A Koro epidemic spreads in the fictional Southeast Asian country of Hujung Manani, causing panic and chaos in its wake.
“A what?” you ask? Well, get ready for an education: Koro is a real-life phobia characterised by the belief that one’s genitalia are retracting and disappearing. No kidding. Google it if you wish to find out more.
The hero of the story is one Pertiwi, a brave activist who wishes to bring democracy to her beloved country during this trying time. But in her way stands Priapus, a dictator who rules the country with an iron fist, and his wife Datin Lotis, a black-magic practitioner.
Up against such odds, Pertiwi has to fight with all her might to see her dream fulfilled. Will she succeed or be lost to history?
It might be wholly unnecessary to mention that “The Koro Riots” is targeted entirely at adults, given its explicit references to sexual organs throughout.
And to a first-time reader, Faisal’s way of writing can either come off as intriguing or bizarre. For example, characters are often referred to by their titles, despite being named; so, Priapus is “The Dictator”, while Datin Lotis is “The Dictator’s Wife”.
That said, if you are familiar with Malaysian culture and history, you are likely to chuckle at the barbs contained therein, cleverly hidden behind witty writing.
You may even suspect that some of the characters are based on personalities Malaysians may be familiar with. Entirely coincidental, surely!
Curious to know more about the origins of the work, FMT Lifestyle spoke with Faisal at the launch of “The Koro Riots” at Eslite Spectrum in Starhill Gallery, Bukit Bintang, on Saturday.
“I actually wrote it between 2013 and 2016,” he said, explaining that he had based it on “political drama” of the time, and that he had been interested in exploring “the history that led to our situation where racism is endemic”.
But why did it end up being published in Indonesia rather than in Malaysia first? “Because publishers didn’t want it!” he laughed.
“I have readers, followers in Indonesia. That is the biggest reason. Previous works of mine have also been translated into Bahasa Indonesia.”
He pointed out that Indonesians can be a surprisingly open-minded bunch. “They don’t really censor literary works, which is quite refreshing.”
On how accessible “The Koro Riots” is, Faisal reiterated that it is a satire, “so there are lots of metaphors”.
“Readers should be allowed to think more than what I indicate,” he added with a twinkle in his eye. “There’s no limit to the imagination.”
‘The Koro Riots’ can be found in all good physical and online bookstores.