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I thought the Malayan Trilogy by Anthony Burgess was still banned in Malaysia and so I stopped looking for it. Very unlike the effort, my interest in the novel did not die out and when I found out that Sharon, along with Malay College Old Boys’ Association, said it was time for a Tiger, I wasted no time to shoot her an email for a spot in that function. Two weeks later, when the time finally came, I found myself staring at a pile of The Malayan Trilogy!

A pile, I tell you!

“But aren’t those banned?” I asked myself in shocked. Ignoring my promise to have North’s as the first book to join my collection in 2008, I hastily grabbed my wallet and enthusiastically paid the scruffy looking old boy behind the counter.

Inside the hall, I spotted several familiar characters. It was a MCOBA event after all. A. Samad Said was there too though I am unsure how does he relate to the Malay College.

But I did not know anybody personally. Or least, I doubt they would remember me. They were old, old boys anyway. Conversation with them would not have gone far and it would have been awkward. So, I sat alone patiently while chewing some kuih and drinking watermelon juice (Was it watermelon?).

I must have looked sad because Sharon came over to me and invited me to her table which was full of people. In my mind, did I look that sad?

I almost protested, asserting that I was enjoying a company of cheerful imaginary friends. But she insisted and confidently picked my drink in effort to make me accept her offer. I was hard to refuse and I moved over to her table.

At that table, a face looked way too familiar. It was not until he introduced himself as Amir did I realized that he was Amir Muhammad. Rob Spence, the speaker of the evening, was at the same table too. Truly, conversation of the table had one theme: books. When I cracked an economics joke, trying the steer the conversational wheel away from what seemed to me obscure books, it backfired. Everybody only gave me pitiful smiles.

And so, I kept quiet, keeping to typical conversation like what do you do, where are you from and other lame things. After what seemed like eternity, the event began.

While Sharon was introducing the guest of the evening, she told the audience that the ban on the book was removed after it was stealthily banned by Malaysian authority in 2007 due to noises made over the local blogosphere and she was part of the campaign. She received a applause for that. As a libertarian, I have no choice but to join the clapping.

It was a good evening. Dr. Rob Spence gave an entertaining primer on Burgess and laughter filled the hall countless of times. I do not remember a lot of what Dr. Spence said but I remember how loud I laughed when he told the audience that Burgess had the cheek to write a book and then assumed another pseudonym to review his own book and gave it high marks. That would have looked bad on a lot of people but with Burgess, it was just hilarious. Burgess’ encounter with the Duke of Edinburgh was another funny story.

What was equally entertaining were anecdotes told by various students of Burgess themselves! It was incredible to listen to individuals that knew Burgess, or Mr. Wilson as they referred to him, personally. As these old boys recalled their days in Kuala Kangsar, laughter filled the hall once again, again and again. At times, I could not breathe because of too much laughing. I was grasping for air, really!

After all was done, I thought I saw Michelle Gunaselan, a co-contributor at Bolehland. I wanted to sat hi but it was already late and I had to go to work the next day. So, I shook some hands and bid farewell.

Before I went to bed, I took a peek at A Time For A Tiger and now, I have another reason to finish up Sophie’s World fast!