(From left) SASS students Low Weiyan, Nadiah Ahmad and Shangari Subramaniam take a break in between preparing for the launch of Fringe Benefits.

On 19 June, friends and colleagues of the late Benjamin McKay gathered at the Annexe Gallery in Kuala Lumpur to launch a posthumously published collection of his writings.

The book, Fringe Benefits, was compiled by Dr Yeoh Seng Guan and Dr Julian C. H. Lee of the School of Arts and Social Sciences and features almost all of Ben's published writing.

Articles include longer academic articles as well as shorter general-audience pieces which appeared in the magazine Off The Edge and the website Kakiseni.com.

The articles address various aspects of Malaysia's arts and culture scene, and include discussions of some of Malaysia's most significant contemporary film-makers including Chris Chong, Yasmin Ahmad and his dear friend, Amir Muhammad.

Benjamin McKay was a dedicated critic and lover of film who was passionate about Malaysian cinema. He joined Monash University in 2006 to teach film and television studies, and in 2010, he introduced the subject Malaysian Cinema.

He was greatly liked and respected by fellow staff, and students unanimously enjoyed his classes and appreciated his kindness, humour and the intellectual stimulation he gave them.

Amir Muhammad played host to the book launch which was a relaxed and fun-spirited occasion. In addition to the compilers of the book, those who spoke included students of Ben’s, including Low Weiyan, Kathleen Tan, Shangari Subramaniam, with Nadiah Ahmad acting as technical expert in coordinating the audio-visual accompaniments to the launch, which included Low Weiyan's short film The Colour of Ideas. 

Pang Khee Teik reading from Ben McKay's book, Fringe Benefits.

Dr Julian CH Lee of SASS describing Ben McKay as a colleague. In the background is film-maker Amir Muhammed

Also speaking at the event was the former editor of Off The Edge, Jason Tan. He spoke about how, among the many things that came through in Ben's writing, there was a tremendous sense of humanity and an important moral quality.

Pang Khee Teik, who manages the Annexe Gallery and was a close friend of Ben’s, also spoke and read passages from the book where Ben discusses representations of gender in the Philippines.

Fringe Benefits: Essays and Reflections on Malaysian Arts and Cinema is published through SIRD and is available at most bookshops for RM40.