Transforming society via reading and writing

Unveiling of the new books for 2016, a great record for Sibu.

SIXTY-FIVE years ago on April 21 in Sibu, the first copy of the Methodist Message was seen in a small reading room at Island Road.

It marked the modest beginning of a small periodical — the ‘Methodist Message’.

The first editor was none other than the grandfather of Dr Yao Sik Chi and the late Dr Yao Sik King.

The Rev Yao Shiao Khing was a much loved church leader, well educated and a man of letters. He was a good counsellor, a wise community leader and a man who had brilliant writing skills.

Rev Ling Kai Cheng was the manager of the periodical back then.

It was a small beginning. That year, only four editions were published with articles written by pastors and missionaries. The annual subscription fee was $2.

Publications in the 1950’s were very limited due mainly to poverty and financial difficulties of the people even though the Chinese Annual Conference had established a Board of Christian Literature to be in charge of Methodist Church-related publications.

However, the Methodist Message became a very strong arm of the Methodist Church in the subsequent decades, resulting in the successful publication of a bi-weekly ‘Methodist Message’, called the ‘Methodist Connection’, an English edition, with columns for Iban and Bahasa Malaysia articles. Many books by pastors and selected authors were also published.

And significantly on the same day — April 21 — 65 years later in 2016 — the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference in Sibu celebrated the 65th anniversary of ‘Methodist Message’.

What started over 60 decades ago continues to light the path of Methodist thinkers, writers, readers and believers in both urban and rural Sarawak.

In an interview, KS Lau of Sibu, said: “I have been reading the ‘Methodist Connection’ or Weili Bao since young. I always look forward to every issue. It has always been my window to the Christian world. After I have finished reading it, my whole family will also get to read it. Sometimes we keep the copies, at other times, we share with others.”

According to Ling Lee Sing of the ‘Methodist Message’ office, Sibu, more than 150 books have been published in the past 65 years.

“For our 65th anniversary celebration this year, we set the target of publishing 10 titles. This is truly an achievement not only for us but also Sibu and Malaysia,” she said.

Started as a reporter

The present chief editor and chief administrative officer, Wong Meng Lei, who has written 15 books over the past 20 years, started his literary career as a reporter with the now defunct Malaysia Daily News of Sibu.

He was handpicked to head the ‘Methodist Message’ office 22 years ago, succeeding a long line of chief editors — from Rev Yao Shiao Khing, Rev Ho Siew Liong, Rev Lau Nai Buoi and Dr Tang Tiing Sing to Rev Wong Kie Cheng and Gabriel Hii, to mention a handful.

Today, the ‘Methodist Message’ office with a staff of seven and many volunteers continues to be very active in supporting Christian documentation and publications as well as literary and historical objectives.

It publishes periodicals, books and leaflets to help raise literary standards, besides reading and writing skills, among youths and children, especially through its ever popular ‘Weili Bao’ or ‘Methodist Message’ weekly magazine.

During the magazine’s 65th anniversary celebration, the Methodist Community was enthralled that Wong Meng Lei received a surprise and special ‘New Fire’ (Sing Huo) Award from the Malaysian Chinese Association of Christian Publishers for a special Malaysian Christian writing endeavour.

An avid reader, Richard Wong, told thesundaypost the award was well-deserved because Wong Meng Lei was “an author who has contributed much to the writing in Chinese”.

He said Wong Meng Lei had been a prolific writer and always ready to guide the community by giving talks and helping scholars, both local and foreign alike, who came to meet with him, adding that Wong had also travelled extensively to give talks and share his knowledge.

Over the past 25 years, Wong Meng Lei has been a well-known authority on the spread of Christianity and Chinese migration from southern China to Southeast Asia, particularly to Sibu. He is also respectfully regarded as a historian by local and foreign researchers and scholars.

Wong’s grandfather was a pastor in Fuzhou, China, before serving the Methodist Church in Sibu in the 1920’s.

Wong and his siblings have been greatly influenced by their parents who were devout Christians. An elder brother was once a pastor. The Wong family have extended their weekly home worships to three generations.

Church members and pastors who won writing awards.

10 books for anniversary

As director and chief editor of the Chinese ‘Methodist Message’, published by the Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference, Wong saw to it that 10 books were prepared from 2015 for publication to commemorate the ‘Methodist Message’ 65th anniversary this year.

The Board of Christian Literature and the staff of the ‘Methodist Message’ were fully committed to the project. The 10 books were — ‘Footprints in the Land of Hornbills’ by Wong Meng Lei et al; ‘Impressions Borneo’ by Johnny Tang; ‘From China to Borneo and Beyond’ by Ann Chin; ‘Miracle Zone: In the Jungles of Borneo’ by Rony Hoeyboer and Donald Sheley; ‘Reflections’ by Peter Chio; ‘Multi-religious Research in Sarawak’ by Wong King Sing; ‘From Faith of a Servant to Faith of a Son’ by Ting Huat Ung; ‘Know and Experience the Holy Spirit’ by Tie King Tai; ‘Under the Durian Trees: Starry Matters’, a book of poems by Ling Lee Sing and ‘Face to Face with Ah Yew’ by Lau Sie Yew.

In conjunction with the anniversary celebration, the 10 books, worth RM216, were offered for RM100 and quickly snapped up.

Well-wishes and friends were also invited to the New Masland Church for a buffet dinner and Thanksgiving Service. The church at Brooke Drive was filled to the brim for the occasion.

During the event, many special awards were out given to encourage reading and writing. Awards were also presented for creative writing and writing among youths. There was a church library competition as well with awards going to the biggest readership and the largest number of books in the church’s libraries.

Many well-wishers and sponsors often help to support publications of books and periodicals, especially when church funds are inadequate. And for this anniversary, the Board of Christian Literature thanked the special sponsors — Hii Chang Ling, Su Chii Ann, John Ting, Lau Pek Kii, Hii Chang King and Chang Jih Ren — for their unstinting support.

Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference president, Datuk Dr Rev Su Chii Ann presents a long service certificate to Sister Ai Choo.

A Malaysian record

A guest from Peninsular Malaysia told thesundaypost he had never come across a group of people anywhere in Malaysia or perhaps even Asia, who were capable of publishing 10 books in a year under the same editorial board.

“The ‘Methodist Message’ team has done a great job. It’s indeed a Malaysian record,” the guest acknowledged.

A staunch Methodist, from Miri, known as Mr Lau, added: “The ‘Methodist Message’ team work very hard. They also organise literature camps and seminars and writing competitions every year. This year, they have organised library competitions. All these help to encourage reading and writing skills and, above, all readership.

“It’s important we have an arm for publication. The ‘Methodist Message’ has a very important job. People must not forget Sibu is also a centre for cultural and social development. It’s not just a simple commercial centre with no soul of its own. We must build it up, especially now that it has a well-known university (college), colleges and schools.”

A retired teacher, known as A Wong, commented: “It’s good that Sibu has several printing companies which help budding writers publish their books. I remember a very old reverend, Lau Nai Buoi, who wrote a book titled ‘Learn Iban’ and his son’s printing company published it.

“That handbook has been very useful to me because when I was transferred to the Ulu, I first learned Iban from it. Wong Meng Lei still has that book in his ‘Methodist Message’ library. However, we also need good publishing companies to keep prices down.”

As John Wesley wrote: “It cannot be that the people should grow in grace unless they give themselves to reading. A reading people will always be a knowing people.”

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