Sexual Identities Of The Malay Male In Karim Raslan’s Go East AndNeighbours

This paper explores the construction of sexual identities of fictional Malay men in KarimRaslan’s short stories Go East and Neighbours. It begins with a discussion on thecomplexity and fluidity of male sexuality and how it is mediated through the absence andpresence of homosexuality, men’s articulation of sexuality in the public and privaterealms and men’s fear and insecurity in developing intimate relationship with each other.The paper then presents a brief overview of the depictions of male sexuality in Malaysianliterature in English, which is followed by discussions on the absence and presence ofhomosexuality in Go East and the transgression of male sexuality in Neighbours. Thepaper concludes that fictional Malay men in Karim Raslan’s short narratives not onlytransgress the concept of male sexuality but also the socio-cultural and religious normsand boundaries, offering alternative insights into mainstream ideas about sexuality andsexual identity in the contemporary Malaysian society.