On Level Three of the upmarket Pavilion Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur, is a unique presentation of a series of cartoons created by no less than Malaysia’s creative icon - Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Lim Kok Wing, Founder President of the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Worldwide.

Created some three decades ago it is amazing that the highlighted foibles of Malaysians still ring true and applicable to the 1Malaysia national drive.

Called Guli-Guli, which means Marbles in Bahasa Malaysia, the cartoon strips ran regularly for five years, from 1982 to 1987, in the New Sunday Times.

The cartoons were social commentaries that were made through the humourous interaction of Bakar, Ah Boo and Muthu – representing the three main races of Malaysia.

Tan Sri Lim strips were designed to dispel racial distrust and encourage racial goodwill amongst Malaysia’s multi-racial community. The cartoon characters were often depicted in disagreement with each other but never in disharmony, never disavowing the bonds that bound them as one people reflecting the true spirit of 1Malaysia.

The cartoon strips made such an impact on Malaysian society that Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, who had just begun his tenure as the fourth Prime Minister, invited Tan Sri Lim to feature the famous three on billboards nationwide to foster racial harmony in 1983. And that began a long and cordial relationship between Tun Mahathir and Tan Sri Lim.

“Skillfully highlighting the shades and nuances that make us one,” Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad

Later when Tan Sri Lim published a compilation of the cartoons in a limited edition, Tun Dr Mahathir had this to say in a special message:

“Creative Malaysians seeking an unending, ever fresh resource need look no further than our very own shores. Our multi-faceted, multi-racial society is rich enough, vast enough, and varied enough to provide bountiful material for thematic inspiration or current commentary.

I am pleased that Malaysian cartoonist, Dato’ Lim Kok Wing, has chosen to explore the diversity that gives the tapestry of Malaysian life its colour, skilfully highlighting the shades and nuances that make us one. It is this very portrayal of unity within the Malaysian context and in an original non-cliche style that gives Guli-Guli its particular flavour.”

Many Malaysians are unaware that the pioneering efforts of Tan Sri Lim include the breakthrough he created in getting local media to use cartoons by Malaysians.

His first attempts were published in the now defunct newspaper called Eastern Sun.  The cartoon called ABU became Malaysia’s first local daily cartoon strip. Previously the newspapers only used cartoons created by foreign artists.

As we celebrate 52 years of Merdeka the Limkokwing University invites all Malaysians and our foreign friends to view the exhibition titled Guli Guli, Limkokwing’s One Malaysia, at Pavilion as well at its campus in Cyberjaya.