Evolution of a Borrowed Genre in Malay Literature (1922-1941): The Case of Crime Fictionin Malaysia

Malaysian crime fiction in Malay is stillunderresearched, with the main stages of its development yet to be identified. This article aims to partially close this gap by addressing the period before World War II. The study uses the comparative method, applied synchronically to determine the extent of Western influenceon Malay crime fictionat a particulartime; anddiachronically,to outline the historical evolution of the genre. The analysis demonstrates thatin the 1920s,the influenceof Western crime fiction resulted inborrowingsand imitationsof foreign plots. Action took place predominantly abroad and theriddle formed the coreof the narrative. In the 1930s,the genrehad evolved to depict local realities, and the stories becamepolitically engagedandcoloured by Malay nationalism. The focus in the narratives shifted from theriddle to the socio-political message of the author. Consequently, by the 1940s,Malay crime fiction rapidly lostits generic features, and thisbrought about the subsequent decline of the genrein Malaysia.