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So, while you wait for Steven Sim’s new 2026 book on the Gig Workers Act 2025, which was structured and put in place by him to protect 1.2 million gig workers, it might be a good idea to dive into or revisit Sim’s own collection of poetry, titled “Dalam Salju Ada Bunga”.

It’s nearly impossible for you not to recognise the bespectacled Steven Sim, who’s famous for his pantun, and how he uses it in speeches, to show that Malay, which is also Malaysia’s national language, can be a beautiful language, once you know how to use it effectively and appreciate its nuances. So, this book by Sim himself shouldn’t come as a surprise. As a poetry lover and someone who was forced into analysing a few of Sartre’s works and concepts (thank you, required reading at undergraduate level), this book was an easy pick for me. Regardless whether you like Sim, there’s no denying that he has learnt and used the language well. For many non-native speakers/users, proficiency in the national language varies from one person to another simply because of the switch in policy concerning the medium of instruction in schools, especially after the English-medium from British rule, while maintaining the Chinese-medium and Tamil-medium schools (based on demand and negotiations) and one’s environment, which would influence one’s thinking and bilingualism/trilingualism/multilingualism ability. In 2003, the-then Mahathir-led government introduced the policy of teaching Maths and Science in English. This sparked fear and anger among those who have been championing the use of the Malay Language, and they are of the opinion that its use should extend to as many subjects as possible. The readiness level of teachers to facilitate the teaching and learning processes also varied from school to school. Other groups who felt compelled to learn in a different medium (mainly Chinese, but also Tamil) also protested. As a result, this policy was reversed in 2012. Hence, once again, you’d have those who have different proficiency levels of English and Malay, partly due to this. Then in 2016, the Dual Language Programme (DLP) was introduced to allow options to those who wish to do Maths, Science, Design and Information Technology (IT) in either Malay or English. As usual, there were those who protested. So, as it stands, you’ll have products of this policy joining the workforce with varying degrees of spoken and written proficiency in Malay and/or English. 

As of 2026, your proficiency levels would also depend on whether you’re influenced by social media channels, including Threads and TikTok, as users of those platforms tend to abbreviate words even more and even include Roman numerals to make up for the lack of a repeated word to form the Malay plural, known as kata ganda. While abbreviating was popularised since the days of the Short Messaging Service (SMS) and email, the use of Roman numerals to make up for the lack of a repeated word is more obvious in the world of social media, especially microblogging, and can be baffling for non-users who’d rather stick to the standard way of spelling out the word and writing in full.

That’s one of the reasons why you need to read pantun, to take a break from those who cause confusion and miscommunication on social media channels, especially microblogging sites. Fortunately, Sim is in his 40s, so he learnt the language from the right people, usually the older generation who’s not as influenced by the written form of the language on social media platforms.

The structure of the book is such that each poem will be followed by the author’s reflections, including what he felt when writing the poem, other than what drove him to write that particular work. It can actually take a while to get used to the structure of the book, especially for those who are new to this 59-page book.

His creative piece for Hari Malaysia 2017 has the kind of humour taught in schools under the Komponen Sastera (KOMSAS). So, it’s quite funny, yet its message gets delivered as desired.

Because of his background as a Penangite or an anak Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, Sim uses the loghat Pulau Pinang in one of his poems, when standing up for the penduduk kampung of a certain area. His use of flora and fauna is much appreciated in this poem (Some of his reflections that follow the poem crafted contain the loghat Pulau Pinang, if you’re interested in that).

“Pak Samad” is Steven Sim’s way of honouring the well-known Malaysian poet, A. Samad Said, whose works have been translated into English for secondary school students to think about. It is in this poem that Sim mentioned about the power of words – they can either lighten a situation, or can be a weapon of destruction, (as inspired by Sartre). So, it’s always best to use them wisely, think before you speak. By the way, A. Samad Said is in his 90s now.

Some of Sim’s works, as shown in this book, have been translated from English to Malay, and believe me, the translations are impressive. It’s not easy to get the most accurate translation, considering Malay does not have past and future tenses. In some cases, depending on what you want to express, Malay is more direct and succinct than English, making translations rather tricky.

The book is also interspersed with black-and-white photos, to remind readers of each milestone achieved and how they carry significance to Malaysia’s history and add weight to each poem crafted.

Not sure whether there will be more poems, a new volume perhaps? After all, it has been eight years since this book has been published.

As the Member of Parliament of Bukit Mertajam in Pulau Pinang, Sim has hopes for a braver, more sustainable Penang, and Malaysia. Sim was the former Minister of Human Resources/Menteri Sumber Manusia. A cabinet reshuffle in the current government led to Sim becoming the Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Co-operatives/Menteri Pembangunan Usahawan dan Kooperasi.

Sim is a product of the local Sekolah Kebangsaan system and finished up to Form 6 at High School Bukit Mertajam (HSBM) and is an alumnus of a public university in Malaysia. He obtained a first degree in computer science. Later, he pursued a Masters in Sustainable Development at a private university in Malaysia. Based on his latest social media post, where he was seen speaking at a certain Majlis Anugerah Cemerlang STPM, Sim is the son of a factory worker and a homemaker. His paternal grandfather was a lorry driver, while his maternal grandfather was a tukang kayu.

Apart from a certain fluency level in both Malay and English, Sim is also conversant in Hokkien, and can also function in Mandarin.

The book’s title is an indirect way of saying hope or harapan.
 

NOTES:

Standard Malay is the national language of Malaysia, and it is taught in all schools, including basic to intermediate level of poetry and syair and other idioms up till Secondary Five. Form 6 Malay Language (optional, based on a candidate’s choice to pursue and complete STPM) focuses on the form and structure of the language, including semantics, phonetics, and syntax.

Loghat can mean both the accent and dialect that one uses. This is not taught in school as per stipulated in one’s timetable (as teachers normally have a curriculum to follow and finish before exams, especially the PMR/PT3 and SPM), but rather caught through repeated, natural audio and/or speech amongst/with the older generation, classmates and neighbours, for example. (STPM is compulsory if you have chosen the Form 6 route and have decided to complete it. STPM is one of the world’s toughest exams).

Microblogging, introduced in the form of a tumblelog in 2005, was made more appealing and popular since the days of Twitter from its public launch in 2006 (now X), which limits users to a 140-character post when it started. That limit has since increased to 280 characters from 2017. Later, a premium tier was launched, allowing subscribers to post up to 25,000 characters. Today, that microblogging feature has extended onto Threads. Threads, founded by the team behind Instagram, allows users a 500-character limit per main post or reply. If you have more to say and wish to bypass the limit, you can chain posts together, making it like a conversation thread.