Kee Thuan Chye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kee Thuan Chye
Born	(1954-05-25) 25 May 1954 (age 71) Penang, Federation of Malaya
Occupation	Journalist, editor, author, playwright, actor, and civil liberty advocate
Spouse(s)	Lim Choy Wan
Children	Soraya Sunitra Kee Xiang Yin (daughter), and Jebat Arjuna Kee Jia Liang (son)
Awards	The Annexe Heroes Freedom of Expression Awards 2008
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	紀傳財
Simplified Chinese	纪传财
Transcriptions Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Gei2 Cyun4 Coi4 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Kí Thoân-châi Tâi-lô Kí Thuân-tsâi

Kee Thuan Chye (born 25 May 1954) is a Malaysian actor, writer, poet, and journalist. He has been acting in plays, movies, and TV shows for over 40 years. In 1981, Kee helped start a theatre group called KAMI in Kuala Lumpur.

He is known for speaking up for people's rights. He often used his plays to share ideas he couldn't write about in newspapers. This was because of a strict law in Malaysia called the Printing Presses and Publications Act. Because he was brave enough to speak his mind, Kee was one of the first people to receive The Annexe Heroes Freedom of Expression Awards in 2008.

Kee believed that journalists should always tell the public the truth. He often faced challenges from his bosses for trying to discuss important but "sensitive" topics. He was sometimes punished or ignored for this. In 1988, he earned a master's degree in drama from the University of Essex in England.

In 2001, Kee Thuan Chye became an editor at The Star newspaper in Kuala Lumpur. He created and edited a popular English column called Mind Our English until he retired in 2009. He also started a column called Playing The Fool in 2007, where he planned to speak openly about social and political issues. However, after only two articles, the newspaper stopped his column because his articles were too direct, especially one that talked about racial discrimination in Malaysia.

Speaking Up for Rights

Kee Thuan Chye started to become more aware of social issues when he couldn't get a job as a tutor at his old university, even though he was a top student. The job was given to someone else. He then worked as a literary editor at another newspaper, where he wrote about politics and other important topics. When he moved to Kuala Lumpur in the late 1970s, he saw more clearly how race was used to divide people.

Kee used his plays to express what he couldn't say in the newspapers. For example, his play 1984 Here and Now openly criticized unfair systems and racial discrimination. It was very popular in 1985.

After the 2008 general elections, Kee quickly wrote a book called March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke Up. He followed this with March 8: Time for Real Change in 2010.

Between 2008 and 2018, Kee wrote 10 books about Malaysian politics. He wanted to help Malaysians understand the need for political change and a better country.

His efforts paid off in the 14th general election on May 9, 2018. The ruling party, Barisan Nasional, which had been in power for 61 years, was voted out. This was a huge and unexpected event. It happened largely because many Malaysians wanted change and worked hard for it.

To remember this historic moment, Kee wrote a detailed book about the struggle of everyday Malaysians. He also wrote a story called The People's Victory.

Acting and Directing Work

Kee Thuan Chye has a long career in entertainment. He has acted in many films and TV shows and has written and directed many plays.

Films Kee Thuan Chye Acted In

He has appeared in several movies, including:

Television Shows Kee Thuan Chye Appeared In

Kee has also acted in many TV dramas, often in Singaporean series:

Plays Kee Thuan Chye Wrote or Directed

Kee has written and directed many plays for the theatre:

Plays Kee Thuan Chye Acted In

He has also performed as an actor in many theatre productions:

Books and Other Writings

Kee Thuan Chye has written many books, including:

• The People's Victory (2019)
• Swordfish + Concubine, a play-text (2018)
• You Want This GOONvernment Ah? (2018)
• Unbelievably Stupid Too! (2015)
• Unbelievably Stupid! (2015)
• Can We Save Malaysia, Please! (2014)
• March 8: Time for Real Change (2010)
• March 8: The Day Malaysia Woke Up (2008)

He has also contributed to many other publications, including essays, poems, and extracts from his plays and novels in different anthologies and journals. He has also written storylines for TV shows like Auntie English and Idaman.

See also

In Spanish: Kee Thuan Chye para niños