CONTRIBUTIONS OF PERANAKAN ARAB ... - Rihlah

He was not a reformist, but was a supporter of his father’s ideologies. As the editor of the newspaper
Saudara, the readers were given a chance to write in and be published in the column “Halaman Sahabat
Pena (The Penpal Column)” to promote the exchange of ideas as well as gaining knowledge.
The newspaper Saudara had set up a group named Sahabat Pena (7 April 1934), which then went on to
form the Sahabat Pena Malaya (PASPAM) association (11 November 1934), which was aimed at creating
awareness and create a deeper sense of passion for language and literature. This contributed to the
increase in the literacy rate within the Malay community at the time. 11 Its members were encouraged
to read, write and share their readings of the newspaper Saudara with those who could not afford to
buy it. Through this activity, the use of the Malay language became more widespread throughout
Malaya, something desired by Syed Sheikh Al‐Hadi’s father, as written in his Sahabat Pena column, “…to
help the Malay society through language and culture to move towards the direction of being self
assured and a member of a modern Malay‐Muslim community.” 12
Ahmat Adam (1994) summarises that “… Syed Alwi al‐Hadi sees (Sahabat Pena) as a body that was able
to help the Malay people through language and culture to become a community which is self‐assured,
strong and progressive…”. 13 Kamal Shukri (2003) was of the opinion that “… awareness from the
formation of Sahabat Pena and PSPAM had catalyzed the setting up of many other writing organizations
such as Angkatan Sasterawan ’50 (ASAS ’50) and Lembaga Bahasa Melayu Singapura (Singapore Malay
Language Board) to improve the writing quality and to expand the Malay language and its literature
among the local community..” 14
As a lover of the Malay language and culture, Syed Alwi Al‐Hadi also had written a few books, including
Adat Resam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu (1960) (the first book that was published about the customary
behavior and laws of the Malay community) as well as Panduan Meshuarat (1956) and Panduan Berucap
(1963).
SYED HUSSIEN ALI ALSAGOFF (1903 – 1976)
Among the works of Syed Alwi al‐Hadi.
All rights reserved, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1960.
The 1920 era witnessed a continuation of the importance of the role of the Arab intellectuals in the
Malay publishing and writing sector. Looking at their achievements in Singapore at that time, Turnbull
(2009) reviews that “… during the 1930s Singapore’s Malay‐language press was controlled by the Arab
community. The Alsagoff family launched the Warta Malaya, which was published daily from 1930 to
1941 and initially edited by Onn bin Jaafar. In 1934, Onn with Arab financial backing founded and edited
Lembaga Malaya, which was published in Singapore until 1937, after which it moved to Johor Bahru…”