Arena Wati

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Abdul Baing is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Muhammad Dahlan.

Muhammad Dahlan Abdul Baing
Born	Muhammad Dahlan bin Abdul Baing (1925-07-30)July 30, 1925 Jeneponto, Makassar, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia)
Died	January 25, 2009(2009-01-25) (aged 83) Kuala Lumpur
Resting place	Tanah Perkuburan Islam Bukit Kiara
Pen name	Arena Wati
Occupation	Writer
Language	Malay
Nationality	Malaysian
Citizenship	Malaysia
Years active	1959-2009
Notable awards	S.E.A. Write Award

Muhammad Dahlan Abdul Baing (or Andi Mohammad Dahlan Andi Buyung) (30 July 1925 – 25 January 2009), whose pseudonym was Arena Wati, was a Malaysian writer. He was declared as the Malaysian National Laureate in 1988. His writings were in the Malay language. He also known as Duta Muda dan Patria.

Life

He was born in Jeneponto, Makassar, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Arena received his early education in Dutch schools, Hollands Indische School, before the outbreak of World War II. During World War II, at the age of 18, Arena Wati became a seaman. His experience in this field improve his skills in writing and produce a good novel. He completed his secondary education at Makassar in 1953. After graduating from school, Arena Wati became a journalist and work with publishing company in Singapore, and then to Johor Bahru and Brunei. During this period, he has become a citizen of Malaysia and between 1962 and 1974, and later served as the editor of Pustaka Antara. Most of the work of Arena Wati based on academic, imaginative, thought-provoking and scathing criticism and venomous.

He was married with six children. He died of lung cancer. He was buried at the Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery.

Works

Arena Wati's works often focus on the struggles of the poor and the disadvantaged. His work "Sandera" is widely viewed as one of the finest Malaysian novels. His first novel is a story of three cruises (Kisah Tiga Kapal) in 1959 where his published in Singapore.

• Lingkaran (1962),
• Sandera (1971),
• Rontok (1980),
• Eno (1985),
• Syair Pangeran Syarif (1989),
• Syair Pangeran Syarif Hasyim Al-Qudsi (1989),
• Syair Perang Cina Di Monterado (1989),
• Burung Badai (1990),
• Turina (1991),
• Citra (1991),
• Memoir Arena Wati Enda Gulingku (1991),
• Ombak Samudera(1992),
• Meniti Kala (1993),
• Panrita (1993),
• Sudara (1994),
• Mevrouw Toga (1995),
• Begawan (1996),
• Koleksi Terpilih Arena Wati (1996),
• Sukma Angin (1999),
• Getar-Getir Maya Kumpulan Cerpen (2000),
• Trilogi Busa (2002),
• Armageddon (2004),
• Kutukan Dari Langit (2004),
• Langkah Pertama Kumpulan Cerpen Awal 1954-1959 (2004),
• 7 Tegak Bersama (2005),
• Warna Sukma Usia Muda (2005),
• Cakra Waruga (2006).

Awards

His numerous awards included:-

• South East Asia Literary award - the SEA Write Award, an award presented by the King of Thailand, and his 1988 investiture as the National Laureate.
• Anugerah Sasterawan Negara (1987).
• Sukma Angin (1999) won the Literature Prize Perdana Malaysia 1998/99
• Sastera Majlis Sastera Asia Tenggara (Mastera Literary Award) 2003.

References

• "National Laureate Arena Wati Dies", Bernama News Agency, 25 January 2009
• A Makasar man; his works live on