Malaysian Politicians: We Love Chinese Calligraphy 马来西亚政治家：我爱书法

Malaysia is a multi-racial and cultural society. Ethnic Malays today make up 50 percent of the population. Ethnic Chinese represent an additional 24 percent and Indians 8 percent.

The Malaysian Chinese have traditionally dominated the Malaysian economy, but with the implementation of affirmative action policies by the Malaysian government to protect the rights of ethnic Malays, their share has somewhat eroded. However, they still make up the majority of the middle- and upper-income classes.

It is therefore understandable that during the general elections, politicians will campaign intensively for the Chinese vote, reminding voters of issues affecting the Chinese community.

Displaying Chinese calligraphy skills is one of the many means used by non-Chinese politicians to woo the Chinese voters.

When Anwar Ibrahim, the former Deputy Prime Minister and currently leader of the opposition, was at the height of power, he took an effort to learn mandarin and Chinese calligraphy. He popularised a saying in Mandarin when he was in the United Malays National Organisation, or Umno: wo-men doushi yijiaren ("We are one family". see diagram 1). As a slogan coined by a Malay leader, elected and re-elected by Umno to be the next prime minister, the slogan was a novel declaration of Malaysian multiculturalism, no less appealing than Mahathir Mohamad's idea of a Bangsa Malaysia sharing Vision 2020.

Even the candidates of the Islamist political party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS; Pan Malaysian Islamic party) are often seen writing Chinese calligraphy during elections. (See diagram 2)

Recently, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak became the latest politician who showed off his Chinese calligraphy skills. On 23 December, at a function organised by the Federation Of Chinese Associations Malaysia, he wrote on the spot a Chinese word ‘he’, which means harmony or peace. (See diagram 3)

Is the next general election coming soon?

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马来西亚是个多元种族与文化的社会。马来人占了全国人口的百分之50，华人百分之24，印度人百分之8。

传统上，华人在经济上占优势；可是自从政府实行种族优惠政策来保护马来人的权益之后，华人的经济地位就被削弱了。但是，华人还是占中与中上阶级的多数。

所以不难理解在大选期间，候选人都会大力争取华人选票，提起与华人有关的课题。

展示书法技巧是非华人候选人用来争取华人选票的方法之一。

前副首相、现在反对党领袖安华，在权力高峰时期，就下苦功学华语与书法。他还在巫统时，把‘我们都是一家人’这句话普遍化了。（图1）作为一个当时被选定为下一届首相的马来领袖，他想出这个标语，是对马来西亚多元文化主义的一种可贵的表白，其吸引力不亚于马哈迪的马来西亚国家2020远景。

就算是回教主义的回教党的候选人，在大选期间已时常看到他们当众挥毫书法。（图2）

马来西亚首相纳吉成为最新展示他的书法才能的政治家。12月23日，他在马来西亚中华大会堂总会(华总) 的一个晚宴上，当众挥毫了个‘和’字。（图3）

是不是下一届的大选要来了呢？

Learn the Correct Techniques from the Beginning 从头开始学正确的技巧

If you have just started learning Chinese calligraphy, you have to focus on the followings initially in the same order listed here:
1.    The correct sitting postures
2.    The correct brush techniques
3.    The generally accepted principles of Chinese word structures

The main focus of the first four or five few lessons should be on making sure that the sitting postures are correct. This is relatively easy part of learning and most of the learners will be able to do it correctly after five lessons.

The next focus is on the correct brush techniques, which should be learned and applied from day one. Depending on the progress of learners, training on analysing the Chinese word structures can be started once the basic brush techniques are understood. It usually can be started from the eighth lesson onwards.

The benefits of correct brush techniques and principles of Chinese word structures will usually be appreciated only after about 12 months of learning, though the mastery of them requires a lifelong practice.

One of the most common problems of applying brush techniques is the glossing over of Qibi (starting the stroke) and shoubi (ending the stroke). It is therefore important that the learners must be regularly and constantly corrected on how to apply these two techniques.

Here are three other examples of commonly found mistakes.

1.    Fail to apply consciously the Zhong Feng techniques. (See diagram 1). The incorrect application of Zhong Feng (centred-tip pricinple) usually will result in having a stroke with smooth upper edge and rough lower edge.

2.    Fail to stress on the shorter horizontal strokes. When there are two or more horizontal strokes side by side in a word, the shorter horizontal stroke should usually be stressed. Beginners usually do not apply correct pressure to write these shorter strokes. (See diagram 2)

3.    Fail to emphasise the middle horizontal stroke. The middle horizontal stroke is normally the main stroke of any word; it should be emphasised and be outstanding. (See diagram 3)

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如果你刚开始学书法，你就应该根据以下次序几点注意学习：
1．    正确的书写姿势
2．    正确的笔法
3．    被普遍接受的结字原理
前四或五课要集中学好正确的写字姿势。这是学习中比较容易的部分，一般到第五课就可学好了。

另一个目标是学好正确的笔法。正确的笔法应该从第一天就开始学习与应用。看个人的情况，学习结字原理的分析可以在对笔法有基本的领悟后开始。通常从第八课开始。

对笔法及结字原理的好处，一般要在学习12个月后才开始领悟；虽然要精通他们却是需要终身学习。
应用正确的笔法的一个最大问题是，对起笔与收笔草率了事。所以时常与经常给学习者指出正确起笔与收笔技巧是很重要的。
这里还有三个常见的错误的例子：
1．    不能够正确地应用中锋。（见图1）不能正确地应用中锋会导致一个笔画的上面平滑而下面粗燥不平。
2．    短横划不重。在一个字中，如果有几条横线平行，短线应该粗重。（见图2）初学者一般无法应用适当力量来书写短划。
3．    不突出中间横划。中间横划一般是一个字的主要笔划，应该加重笔力与令其突出。（见图3）

Stone Drum Inscriptions 石鼓文

Ten ‘Stone Drums’ were discovered in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) at Tianxing (present-day Baoji in Shaanxi Province) and caused a stir among men of letters and calligraphers. It is believed that they were engraved in the state of Qin during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and are therefore well over 2,000 years old. They are said to be the very first pieces of inscription works found in China up to now.

At the time when they were discovered in the seventh century, each of them bore a four-character verse about the hunting of the Duke of Qin. Not many of its original 700 characters have survived - 465 of them were recorded then and 272 of them today with one block completely denuded.

Before the invention of paper and printing, the best way in China to keep outstanding writings and calligraphic works was to carve them on stone. Those cut on drum shaped blocks are called shiguwen (stone drum inscriptions); and those cut on steles and tablets are called beiwen.

The rubbing shown is the only one survived with a complete verse.

My chariots were complete;

My horses were harnessed.

My chariots were gaily decorated;

My horses were thriving.

The officials gathered in force;

The banners waved in the wind.

Deer left footprints behind,

By which we pursued.

Bows were drawn;

Arrows were at the string.

I ran into a royal stag,

Which galloping, clip-clop.

He charged at me,

Raising quite a dust.

The herd rushed off,

Running out of sight.

I chased a lone buck,

But he, too, escaped.

Finally I shot a sorrel.

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十个石鼓于唐代（618-907）初出土于天兴三畴原（今陕西省宝鸡市凤翔三畴原），震动学者与书法家。一般相信，它们是在战国时代（公元前475-221）的秦国所刻，所以有超过两千年的历史。可说是中国最早的石刻文字。

在七世纪被发现时，每石鼓皆有四字诗文，记述秦国君王游猎之事，亦称‘猎碣’。原来所发现的700个字，很多已经不存在了。当时纪录了465个字，现在只存272个字，其中一石的字完全消失。

在纸与印刷未发明之前，在中国，把优秀书写与法书保留的最好方法就是把它们可在石头上。可在园圆鼓形石头的就叫石鼓文，或碣文可在方形的碑与石头上的就叫碑文。（注：方石为碑，圆石为碣）

这里所显示的是一首完整的诗文拓片。

吾車既工。吾馬既同。吾車既好。吾馬既(馬缶) 。君子員邋。員邋員斿。

麀鹿速速。君子之求。●●卣弓。弓茲以寺。

吾敺其畤。其來趩趩。●●炱炱。即禦即時。

麀鹿趚趚。其來大●。吾敺其樸。其來(走賣)(走賣)。射其(豕肩) 蜀。

Ti An: The Techniques of Pressing and Lifting the Brush 笔法：提按

There are three structural forms essential to calligraphy. They are strokes, character structure and line composition, which join together to reflect the beauty of the calligraphic work.

Among these three, strokes are basic, because all the characters and lines are composed of strokes. The characters and lines are the tracks of movements or arrangement forms of the dots and strokes. Vigor, shifting, rhythm, change and harmony are key elements of the beauty of the dots and strokes, and are also the key elements of the beauty of the characters and lines. Certainly, these key elements demonstrate different proportions in the strokes, characters and lines.

When writing with a brush, the key element is the vigor of the strokes. There are several ways to demonstrate the vigor of the strokes, and the two most important ways are Zhong Feng and Ti An, a technique of pressing and lifting the brush.

In Chinese, Ti means lifting up and An means pressing down. Lifting up the brush a little makes the strokes delicate, powerful and smooth, and pressing down on the brush makes the strokes thick, vigorous and powerful. So Ti and An are the main ways to express vigor and rhythm in calligraphy.

While lifting or pressing the brush, the calligrapher should deal with another pair of ways to use power: moving the brush forward and holding it in position for a while, or moving the brush slowly - like a basketball player who moves forward while bouncing the ball on the ground. Such a skill is the result of hard practice.

Various scripts have different frequencies of transfer of lifting and pressing.

The wild cursive hand features swift movements of brush and fewer changes of lifting and pressing. The changes are more frequent in the lesser cursive and walking styles. The official script demonstrates more transfers between lifting and pressing, especially in writing horizontal strokes, which starts with a silkworm's head and ends in a wild goose's tail, and right-downward strokes. The standard kai-script illustrates the highest frequency of changes of lifting and pressing. But the seal script demonstrates no lifting or pressing at all.

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书法有三个主要的构成形式。它们是笔画、结字与章法，它们合成书法之美。

这三个构成形式中，笔画最为基本，因为字与行都是由笔画合成的。字与行是点画运行的轨迹和排列组合形式。点画的许多形式美要素，如力感、动感、节奏、变化与和谐等，也是字与行的形式美要素。当然，在这三这构成形式中，这些要素的比重是不同的。

笔画所着重的是笔力。用来显现笔力的方法不少，其中两个重要的是中锋与提按。

提就是用力将笔向上轻提；按就是用力向下按着。提笔可以使线条显得精细、有力与流畅；按笔则十线条粗重、沉重与有力。所以提按是造成书法力感与节奏感的重要手段。

写字时将笔向上提或向下按时，还要应付另一对不同的用力方法：行与留，就如一个篮球运动员带球前进，一面拍着球，一面带球跑动。这种技巧需要苦练。

各种书体的提按变化的频率有所不同。

狂草书追求快速行笔，提按变化较少。小草与行书提按变化较多。隶书提按变化较多，尤其是书写要表现蚕头雁尾的横画与右下捺刀划。楷书用提按最多。但是，篆书却几乎完全没有用到提按。

Wang Sui Pick 王瑞璧

Wang Sui Pick (1904 - 1998) was born in 1904 in Anxi, Fujian province of China. His father Wang Qianyou later migrated to Singapore and became a businessman.

In 1921, after completed his high school education in Xiamen, Wang came to Singapore to join his parents. In Singapore, Wang rendered 3.5 years of service in education sector. In 1925, he went back to Xiamen University to further his study. While staying in Fujian, he worked as a teacher and principal of various high schools for a total of 16 years.

In 1954, he returned to Singapore and took up a teaching post at Nanyang Girls’ High School. In 1961, he became principal of Chong Hwa High School in Kluang and in 1967 he joined Chong Hwa Independent High School in Kuala Lumpur as it principal until his retirement in 1970.

Wang was a quiet person by nature and he led a disciplined life. In his youth, he had already cultivated an interest in Chinese calligraphy. He started learning Yan and Liu styles, and later was fascinated and attracted by Huai Shu’s cursive style and spent much time practiced it.

However, he was famous for his finger calligraphy, which he discovered and practiced since his days in Xiamen in 1930s.

His first calligraphy exhibition was held in 1981 and since then, he had participated in numerous calligraphy exhibitions locally and overseas.

For his excellent artistic works in Chinese calligraphy, he was awarded the Cultural Medallion by the National Art Council, Singapore in 1992. Together with Pan Shou, who received the Cultural Medallion (Art) in 1986, the two were considered the most outstanding calligraphers and regarded as 'National Treasures' in Singapore.

Wang passed away in 1998.

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王瑞璧（1904-1998），1904年出生于中国福建的安溪。他的父亲王谦友后来移居新加坡，成为商人。

1921年，在厦门读完高中后，王瑞璧来新加坡与父母团聚。在新加坡的三年半，它服务于教育界。1925年，他回到厦门继续求学，就读厦门大学。在福建期间，王瑞璧在各中学担任教师与校长共十六年。

1954年，王瑞璧回返新加坡，在南洋女子中学教书。他于1961年担任居鸾中华中学的校长，1967年转任吉隆坡中华独立中学校长，直到1970年退休为止。

王瑞璧本性沉默，生活有规律。年轻时就对书法产生兴趣。他先学写颜柳体，后来为怀素草书所吸引，花了很多精力学它。

但是，他最有名的却是指书。指书是在1930年代他在厦门时所发现的。

1981年他的个人书展第一次举行。此后，他参加了无数的本地与国外的书法展。

为了表扬他在中华书法方面的杰出贡献，新加坡艺术理事会于1992年颁发给他文化奖。他与潘受（1986年获文化奖）被尊为新加坡书法界国宝级大师。

王瑞璧与1998年去世。