On our drive from Tuscany to Frankfurt, somewhere along a German autobahn, we received the depressing but not unexpected news that Malaysia was withdrawing its participation from the Frankfurt Book Fair, in response to the Fair’s partisan stance on the ongoing Gaza conflict.
In the spirit of Racket Boy, where uncertainty, adrenaline and adventure have been our companions from the very outset, we knew we would somehow find our way past this hurdle.
Most of our delegation had already arrived in Frankfurt, including our dedicated contractors who had been sharing images of their preparations for the Malaysian booth within our chat group. In the face of this challenging circumstance, the Malaysian delegation, led by the charismatic Tuan Khair, Director of the National Book Council, swiftly organized a meeting to take place the following day at the Malaysian Consulate.
On Tuesday 17th October 2023, upon entering the 8th floor of HAT 64 where the consulate is, we were greeted by the inviting aroma of Nasi Lemak (a star feature in our book) as well as the unmistakable spirit of Malaysian hospitality, characterized by warm smiles and typical
“sila makan dulu” (please eat first) gesture of kindness. It was full attendance with everyone in the delegation paying attention as Tuan Khair delivered a solemn yet incisive address explaining that it was a complete withdrawal which meant the cancellation of all planned events at the Fair. What a dampener that was!
In an unexpected turn of events, Malaysia’s Consul General in Frankfurt, Mr Farzamie Sarkawi, along with Tuan Khair, graciously offered to launch our book, and the event turned out to be much better than we could have hoped for.
Team Racket Boy extends our gratitude to the chivalrous Mr. Farzamie Sarkawi, Tuan Khair, and the entire Malaysian contingent for their invaluable support in facilitating the successful launch of our book; and transforming a challenging situation into a remarkable display of unity, positivity and patriotism, far exceeding our initial expectations. Syabas Malaysia!
Looking ahead, we’re excited about Racket Boy’s upcoming Malaysian book launches scheduled for next year.
