Latif Kamaluddin

Latif Kamaluddin is a Malay-Hungarian word artist and conceptual poet. He is a Human Relations Worker attending to abused children, transgender groups and people with visual challenges.¹

Late one evening, I made a pilgrimage up the mountain in Penang like some sort of disillusioned monk desperately seeking other-worldly direction. I probably looked like it too by the time I met him. That is likely why Latif spent most of the evening giving me life advice.  

Interview conducted 10th June 2023.

I guess now I’m reaching the stage – which seems old to me, maybe not to you – I feel like… I need to figure out…

What you are trying to figure out right now is ‘Who Am I?’. And at your age – who are you? You are who you are – then comes the next question: ‘What Am I doing?’. So in your field of work do the best you can, and if you think this is your contribution – so be it. This is your contribution.

But is it enough?

Who can judge-lah hello whether the rain – the sun shines strong enough or whether it rains long enough – who the fuck knows? Even God fucking doesn’t know.

The famous joke I must tell you. A couple fell in love, both died. Went to heaven, met St. Peter. Said to him, “St. Peter. We want to get married-lah”. St. Peter said, “Wait five years-lah! Get to know each other first. Then I’ll marry you.” They got married.  After five years they see St. Peter again. “Want to divorce-lah hello”. St. Peter said, “It took me five years to find a monk in bloody heaven. You want me to find a lawyer in heaven-ah?”.

What you do will fade with the tide of time.

You are nothing, we are nothing – we’re just specks in the universe. Nothing. So do what your heart tells you to – put your heart in your head and your head in your heart-lah. If this is your passion – do it. If you sincerely believe this is what is driving you at this point in time – do it.

One day you’re going to turn back and look at yourself and say, “Fuck. Why didn’t I do it?”.

Do it.