ARGENTINA-MALAYSIA 50TH YEAR OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS & BOOK LAUNCHING CEREMONY

50TH YEAR OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Argentina established diplomatic relations with Malaysia on 7 June
1967, four years after the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.
The Argentine Embassy was opened in Kuala Lumpur in August
1983 while Malaysia opened its Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1989.
Argentina was the first Latin America country to acknowledge
Malaysia as an independent country. Since 1967, these relations
have grown for 50 years. Both countries have expressed mutual
interest in strengthening economic and trade links and reciprocal
investment. They have gone beyond economic relations and have
shared cuisine and culture throughout the years. In commemorating
the Argentine National day on the 25th of May 2017, the Embassy
of Argentina in Malaysia and IKMAS UKM, have taken the
initiative to co-organise this event to celebrate the richness of this
century diplomatic relations. In line with this celebration, we
present the launching of the two Argentine books translated into
Malay by UKM Press; Alif: Koleksi Cerpen Jorge Luis Borges (Zakaria
Ali) and Sejarah Argentina Abad ke 50: Luis Alberto Romero (Mohd
Firdaus Abdul Jabbar & Rashila Ramli); an effort to signi?cantly
promote the exchange of cultural literacy between the two countrie

FIRST ARGENTINE BOOKS TRAN SLATED INTO MALAY

ALIF KOLEKSI CERPEN JORGE LUIS BORGES

Alif: Koleksi Cerpen Jorge Luis Borges is a translated work of the infamous
Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet, and a key Figure in
Spanish-language literature, Jorge Luis Borges. The translation of El Aleph (in
Spanish) into Bahasa Melayu is a two-pronged effort; i) as an initiative to share
the luxury of Latin American literature to Malaysian readers and the Malay
archipelagic area as well as ii) to empower Bahasa Melayu as part of the
principal goals of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The work presents an idea
of an infinite time where most of the stories fall under fantasy category or
genre. Through Alif, Borges allows readers to dive into various dimensions of
life that tackle the issue of immortality, personal identity, and an attempt to
understand the fate of a ‘nation’, race, or ethnicity that cannot be mourned. This
collection of short stories gives readers an opportunity to appreciate the variety
of issues that can leave a lasting impression on the thoughts and emotions of
human beings. A Latin American literary landscape that underlies this book
shows the wealth of knowledge that can be embraced and shared together.

SEJARAH ARGENTINA ABAD KE-20

Luis Alberto Romero, the famous Argentine historian, in the writing of
this book reminds readers, especially the younger generation of Argentina
today on the importance of supporting and upholding a democratic system
of government for the common good of the society. As the author notes in
the preface of this book, he said, the collapse of a country into the hands of
a dictator is not an event that often occurs. It is also not that hard to do.
However, to make things right and get the regime back into a democratic
system as well as maintaining it will never be an easy task. It might take
generations after generations of an undisturbed history to only get it
improved. By discussing issues of rebuilding and developing the country;
politically, economically, and socio-culturally to become democratic from
1910 to 2001, this book is expected to inform readers what Argentine did;
the internal struggles that they have to go through, as well as the external
forces that painstakingly forcing the country to accept their conditions, to
be the Argentine today. It is also meant to inspire readers to learn lessons
from their experiences by which the author himself feels that it
should be avoided.

Click here for the Programme Book