Book Launch & Talk Session
Manglish:
Malaysian English
at its Wackiest
Speakers:
Dr Lee Su Kim
Dr Stephen J. Hall
This event is co-organised by GTLF Plus.
About the Event
Manglish is not unintelligible bad English. It is a spoken variety of English, unique to multicultural Malaysia.
Shared as an enjoyable, fun presentation, Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest uses humour and witty descriptors, in anything but an academic style. The book’s structure and insights reflect sociolinguistic understanding based on the authors’ multilingualism and academic backgrounds, yet the presentation is humorous.
Renowned author and educationalist, Dr Lee Su Kim, has added intriguing insights into an updated listing and witty examples. Her cartoons add new images with those of Zunar, intertwined with Manglish contributions collated by Dr Stephen J Hall.
As a third edition, this book celebrates the diversity of spoken English and our variety, Manglish in multilingual 2026 Malaysia. The talk will be a fast-paced, fun session. The presentation will involve skits, comparisons, and examples from the diversity of Manglish. Expect interaction and laughter, as we celebrate our Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest, and how the unique variety reflects each and every one of us as complex multilingual beings.
Speakers
Dr Lee Su Kim
Dr Lee Su Kim is the bestselling author of a trilogy of short stories: Kebaya Tales, Sarong Secrets, and Manek Mischiefs. She has published 15 books of fiction and nonfiction. Her books Malaysian Flavours: Insights into Things Malaysian and Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest are bestsellers.
Su Kim was an Associate Professor of English Language Studies at the National University of Malaysia. She holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Houston, which explored linkages between language and identity. She has a TEDx talk with over 60,000 views, sharing her love for writing and her Nyonya heritage. She has recently completed her debut novel, Run, My Daughters, Run. A cultural activist, she is the Founding President of the Peranakan Baba Nyonya Association, KL, Selangor.
Dr Stephen J Hall
Stephen J Hall recently retired as Professor, Dean School of Interdisciplinary Studies and Head of the Centre for English Language Studies, Sunway University.
His Doctorate analyses English Language Teacher education in rural Malaysian settings. He has managed Malaysian national education projects, been in business as a corporate trainer in Singapore and trained teachers ASEAN-wide. Dr Hall has lived and worked in South East Asia since 1991. His publications range far beyond his New Zealand origins to include 7 books, over 50 academic papers and poetry. His coauthored book, Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest (3rd Edition) with Lee Su Kim, is the most recent publication. He is passionate about true voices in these times of artifice and artificial idiocy.