Literacy through Children's Literature: A Malaysian Perspective

Abstract

Malaysian children’s literature in English is assumed to have had its beginnings with the setting up of the British colonial government in Malaya in the first half of the 20th century. Prior to this, literature for the consumption of the general reading public was mainly written in the vernacular, or in Arabic. Through the education system reorganised by the colonial government, English language and literature became a significant component of Malaysia’s colonial heritage. To a certain extent the selection of texts brought in by the British colonial government that were used in schools, formed the beginnings of the shape and nature of language and literature in English in subsequently independent Malaysia. After independence, Malaysia developed and organised its own selection of texts to help in nation building. This paper looks at the extent to which literature for children has developed through the years to provide a rich ground for the enrichment of children’s literacy in Malaysia.