Odes to KL city, underground subcultures, and ‘Tbaka Daghat’: How Malaysian zine makers are documenting the country

KUALA LUMPUR, September 30 — Malaysia has a thriving zine culture that has evolved from its pre-internet origins to become a prominent form of grassroots documentation and archiving. Zines, or self-published works, cover a wide range of topics from punk rock and heavy metal to socio-political essays and high-concept art. Zine makers such as Abdul Mutalib Jaamat, the founder of underground blog Altar Aksara, and Zaidi Musa, owner of independent bookstore Kedai Hitam Putih in Kelantan, are working to document local heritage and subcultures.