OBITUARY: Lloyd Fernando (1926 - 2008)

Lloyd Fernando, the father of modern Malaysian Writing in English, passed away at Universiti Hospital, on February 28th, 2008, a little before 7pm. He was 82. He leaves a wife, Marie, and two daughters, Eva and Sunetra.

English professor, lawyer, editor, and author, Lloyd Fernando, was born in Kandy, Sri Lanka in 1926, moved to Singapore when he was 12 (where he worked briefly as a building labourer, a trishaw puller and an apprentice mechanic during the Japanese Occupation to supplement his family income), and then to Kuala Lumpur where he was the the head of the English Department at the University of Malaya for 12 years before his retirement in 1978. He then read law at the City University in London and was admitted as Barrister of Middle Temple and as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.

His works include:
Novels: Scorpion Orchid (1976) and Green is the Colour (1993).
Criticism: 'New Women' in Late Victorian Fiction (1976), Cultures in Conflict (1986)(Ed.)
Anthologies: Twenty-two Malaysian Short Stories (1968), Modern Malaysian Short Stories (1982), New Drama One (1972), New Drama Two (1972)

I knew Lloyd only briefly, having met him once or twice when he was a lawyer. (The book he published in 1968, Twenty-Two Malaysian Short Stories, was probably the first book of Malaysian writing in English I bought.) After that I didn't see him for several years. Then I was shocked to see him in a wheelchair as a result of a stroke. But he was not one to forget a face. Although he was incapacitated he stared at me as if he had seen me somewhere. But he was in no condition to hold a conversation. Slowly his faculties improved and he was able to speak a
little and even smile in recognition. (Sunetra confirmed that he could actually recognise people and understood what was being said.) To me he seemed to be getting better. So it was with total shock and utter disbelief that I received the news.

Our heartfelt condolence to the family from Silverfish Books. Lloyd, do rest in peace. You have done your bit and you will never be forgotten. It will be for us to carry on. You made have that a little easier though.