| Abstract: | The poetry of Malaysian poet Muhammad Haji Salleh is underpinned by notions of an authentic, Malay place-based relationship with the environment and runs the risk of alienating non-Malay communities in the postcolonial land. Nevertheless, on closer inspection of his work, it becomes clear that the poet's representation of ancient Malays and the Malay sense of place as an indigenous model for an earth-honouring existence is in fact fraught with tensions and contradictions. Muhammad's grappling with the question of roots and a return to roots ultimately paves the way for a more transnational and inclusive ethics of place. |
