Warm welcome to everyone: Sultan Nazrin (right) and Lat waving from the Lat House Gallery in Batu Gajah.
BATU GAJAH: Cartoonist Lat has been declared Seniman Diraja (Royal Artist) for highlighting multi-culturalism in his caricatures which have tickled Malaysians for decades.
Perak Ruler Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah paid tribute to the famous cartoonist whose real name is Datuk Mohd Nor Khalid.
He said the Royal Artist’s caricatures reveal the truth of living in a multi-cultural society.
“Through his casual sketches, Lat has managed to capture the harmonic essence of life in a pluralist society.
“His caricatures reveal the truths of living in a society made up of different races, religions, cultures and languages.
“He sees these differences as a national asset and treasure of immense value.
“He emphasises the shared experiences of these multi-ethnic members of society; from the joy felt in wedding ceremonies to the exuberance of festive celebrations, to being in a school environment or getting caught in traffic jams, to enjoying food at a restaurant, among others.
“His work carries a clear message – people of diverse backgrounds instinctively live in peace and harmony in a spirit of mutual respect; the diverse people do not harbour prejudice towards one another due to their differences in race, religious beliefs, cultural practices and language proficiency,” he said in his opening speech at the Lat House Gallery in Jalan Bemban here yesterday.
Sultan Nazrin said Lat’s work reflected his personal view and analysis of various issues.
“From the lives of ordinary people such as bus drivers, traffic police, doctors and nurses, and sports figures to political and national leaders, his humorous caricatures and snappy dialogues lay the profound philosophies and messages with sarcasm, questions and advice.
“His simple sketches were perfected through his experience, displaying a wisdom and intellectual acuity that invited neither conflict nor hostility,” he said, adding that Lat’s sketches had placed him in a class of their own, garnering various international awards and accolades that brought glory to the nation.
Sultan Nazrin added that the Lat House Gallery did not only show the history of the life of an artist but also recorded the various achievements of a “village boy” who became a “town boy”.
“While standing proud among internationally renowned artists, Lat remains a humble village boy, embodying the padi plant – the more it grows, the lower it bends.
“May the wealth displayed in this gallery be a source of inspiration to all citizens, especially Malaysian youth.
“As the legacy of this great artist ought to be handed down to the heirs of our nation, the youth, let this gallery be also a treasure beyond value to its citizens,” he said.
Born in 1951 in Kota Bharu, Perak, Mohd Nor’s chubby cheek led his family to give him the nickname “Bulat” which was later abbreviated to Lat.
At the age of 11, Lat designed his school cover magazine, Suara Pasir Puteh.
While attending school, Lat gained recognition for commercial publication. Among his early works included the comic Sekawan Menangkap Pencuri in 1964 and Tua Keladi published in the Singaporean magazine called Majalah Filem in 1966.
He also had a comic series called Mamat’s Family that was first published in 1968 and continued for 26 years in Berita Minggu.
In 1974, his career soared after his comic Bersunat was published in Hong Kong.
The publication led him to be appointed as the New Straits Times column cartoonist where he had a special column called ‘Scenes of Malaysian Life”.
Before he was a cartoonist, Mohd Nor served as a reporter at Berita Harian in 1970 and later as a crime desk reporter at NST in 1973.
