Wong Phui Nam

Wong Phui Nam (Chinese: 黃佩南; Muslim name: Mohamed Razali; 20 September 1935 – 26 September 2022) was a Malaysian economist and poet. Born to a Peranakan family in Kuala Lumpur, Wong began learning English at age 9. He became interested in poetry, and while studying at the University of Malaya Singapore campus he wrote English language poetry while participating in a student literary magazine.

Shortly after his first collection of poetry was released in 1968, Wong stopped writing in response to the introduction of a national language policy that sidelined non-Malay work. His second collection of poems was released in 1989, and followed by other works of collected poetry and two plays which adapted Greek tragedies to a Malaysian context.

Wong saw his work as part of the beginning of a Malaysian body of literature, viewing Malaysia as containing strands of other cultures rather than having developed a common national culture. Although Wong wrote in English, he felt no connection to English literary tradition. Similarly, he felt little affinity to what is seen as Chinese culture, and described being an outsider in the country he considered his own. Wong's poetry often reflected these feelings, examining language, place, and identity.