This person is none other than Mohammad Nor Khalid – more famously known Lat. He is the Kampung Boy we all grew up with: the consummate storyteller, renowned for his creative artwork as much as for his tales of village life and the cultural diversity of Malaysia
Taiping, a small town in Perak steeped in Chinese culture and history, recently welcomed Lat for a talk organised by the Taiping Heritage Society. During the event, the affable cartoonist spoke of his love for the craft that had made him a household name and brought him fame over the past six decades.
Following the theme of the talk, “Life in Art”, Lat shared nuggets of information that most of the 120 people in attendance, primarily senior citizens, would not have been aware of.
Society members and other guests were starstruck, having followed his drawings in mainstream newspapers for over five decades and finally getting a chance to meet their hero in person.
“My interest in drawing started even before I went to school,” he shared. “It was just a hobby at first, as my father saw my talent and asked me to draw whatever I saw, such as an elephant at the circus he took me to.”
His father would even ask him to draw whenever relatives and friends visited, his artwork serving as gifts for them to take home. “My dad was my inspiration, and he always wanted me to draw so more people could see my work.”
That support helped him grow in confidence, and he honed his storytelling skills by creating and selling his own comics in primary school. “In Standard 4, I would draw comics for my schoolmates and always kept them wanting more by featuring a cliffhanger,” he said with a laugh.
Adding that the horror genre was popular at the time, he revealed that one of his own creations was about a haunted house, titled “Rumah Puaka”!
Career launching pad
Lat, who turns 74 in March, always knew he would make a living from his drawings: after all, there was nothing casual about his interest. “I had an urge to draw all the time. Even when I visited relatives with my parents, if I saw some blank pieces of paper, I had to draw something.
“I loved reading ‘Beano’ and ‘Dandy’ comics from the UK, and adopted a similar style for comics that I sent to newspaper and magazine publishers when I was in Standard 6,” he recalled.
He revealed that he would make these submissions without stating his age – a tactic that worked, as Utusan Melayu, published in Jawi at the time, wrote to him to say they would publish his cartoons.
“I didn’t know this until many years later, but my mother kept most of the letters I received from publishers. Some of them are now on display in my gallery,” he said, referring to Galeri Rumah Lat, the refurbished kampung house in Batu Gajah, where he grew up.
Lat would make his mark at age 16 when he started a series called “Keluarga Si Mamat” in 1968, inspired by his younger brother, filmmaker Mamat Khalid. He took pleasure in drawing about the kampung life with their friends.
“Keluarga Si Mamat”, which ran in Berita Harian, was the launching pad for his career. Yet, back then, there had been no role proper for cartoonists.
“I was made a crime reporter, as that was usually the entry level for anyone interested in journalism, but I kept drawing,” Lat recalled. “When I was 24, aside from New Straits Times (NST) and Berita Harian, I used to send my drawings to Asia Magazine, which was based in Hong Kong.”
His drawings about young Malay boys undergoing circumcision were published in the regional publication. “The top editors in NST and Berita Harian saw it and were impressed! They realised my talent went beyond the daily drawings I did for their papers.
“So, they finally offered me the job I had been craving my whole life: a full-time cartoonist.”
Despite his accomplishments, Lat remains humble about how far his talent has taken him, and does not want to be drawn – no pun intended – into talking about his legacy.
“My legacy is whatever others make of it. I leave it to everyone to feel how they want about my work. I cannot dictate what I think of my work and how people should see it.
“My only intention is that my drawings prove to people that we are all the same,” he said.
Looking back on his lifelong contribution to the arts, he said he appreciates all the accolades he has received, but the most fulfilling compliments came during his schooldays.
“The teachers were the first to appreciate what I drew and gave me the highest compliment by putting up my drawings on notice boards for all to see.
“So, whenever I receive an award, it automatically takes me back to my schooldays and where I grew up: memories of my parents, friends and, especially, my teachers.”
Galeri Rumah Lat
Lot 365404, Jalan Bemban,
31000 Batu Gajah, Perak