Freelance Researcher [Former Music lecturer, Institute of Teacher Education, Batu Lintang Campus, Kuching, Sarawak; Retired  August 2015]

Professional Associations

International Council of Traditional Music (ICTM)

(i) Multipart music study group

(ii) Peforming Arts of South-East Asia study group (PASEA)

International Kodály Society (IKS)

(i) IKS László Vikár International Folk Music Research Forum

Malaysian Association of Music Educators (MAME)

Qualifications 

Doctor of Music [University of Pretoria]

M.A. (Music) [Universiti Malaysia Sarawak]

B.Sc. Hons (Chemistry), Dip. Ed. [University of Malaya]

LTCL ( Piano) [Trinity College of Music, London]

P. Dip. (Singing) [International Music Examinations Board, Australia]

International Awards

July 2006: ISME-Gibson International award (ISME: International Society for Music Education) with a grant to carry out a music education project (Introducing Traditional Musical Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia to Schoolchildren).

August 2004: Grant from the United States Ambassador’s Cultural Preservation fund for the project From Upriver Longhouses to the Modern Classroom carried out in collaboration with Sarawak Development Institute.

Awards from State and Federal government bodies

2018: Tokoh Guru Sarawak (Teacher of the Year), Sarawak State Government

2012 & 2001: Anugerah Perkhidmatan Cemerlang , (Malaysian Ministry of Education)

2010 Pingat Perkhidmatan Bakti

(Sarawak State Government)

Giving back to the culture-bearers

In  gratitude for the songs which she learnt from the Kenyah, Chong and her co-author Anne Lajinga pledged to give part of the profits to two villages, Long Moh and Uma Sambop, in the form of musical gifts based on the needs of the respective village schools.

(a) In 2013 Pek Lin presented musical instruments (guitars and recorders) to

SK Long Moh (Long Moh primary school)

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/12/25/lecturer-fulfils-pledge-to-sk-long-moh/

(b)    In 2014 she presented musical instruments (melodians and drums) to SK Uma Sambop (Uma Sambop primary school)

www.theborneopost.com/.../a-musical-christmas-gift-for-sk-uma-sambop...

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2015/01/05/Special-Xmas-gift-for-rural-school/

(c)     In 2018 she donated 220 T-shirts to Uma Sambop villages after they had experienced bad floods

Dr. Chong Pek Lin ( 莊 碧 琳)served as a music lecturer at Institute of Teacher Education Batu Lintang, Kuching and Institute of Teacher Education Sarawak, Miri for a total of 26 years until she retired in August 2015. Prior to that she taught Chemistry and Mathematics in various secondary schools for 12 years including SMK St. Thomas, Kuching.

Frustrated by the lack of transcribed folksongs from Sarawak, she began conducting research in Sarawak ethnic music in 1996. Her first book, Folk songs of Sarawak: Songs From the Kenyah Community, published by the Dayak Cultural Foundation in 1998, featured 22 songs which she had documented during research for her Masters’ dissertation. From 2004 to 2006, she was the chief researcher for the project From Upriver Longhouses to the Modern Classroom, made possible by the United States Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation. The project was conducted in collaboration with the Sarawak Development Institute. Fieldwork, carried out in selected Kenyah villages, focused on observation of the music and dance culture, transcription and translation of the songs. This was followed by dissemination workshops conducted with the assistance of trainee teachers. The project culminated with the publication of her second book, Songs From the Baram: Kenyah songs from Upriver Longhouses, together with accompanying audio-cd and video-cd.

In July 2006, she was a recipient of the inaugural ISME-Gibson award for outstanding music educators, presented at the ISME 27th World Conference.

https://www.isme.org/sites/default/files/documents/Newsletters/2006-Oct_Nov-ISME-Newsletter.pdf (pg. 12).

Along with the award, she received a grant to implement a music education project of her choice, Introducing Traditional Musical Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia to Schoolchildren. This project involved the purchase of Iban, Kenyah and Bidayuh ethnic musical instruments for ITE Batu Lintang, the setting up of traditional ensembles with teams of trainee-teachers who served as facilitators for a series of workshops with schoolchildren and teachers. These teams of young students also visited Kenyah and Iban villages where they experienced firsthand the living music and dance cultures. A team of lecturers also conducted fieldwork in Sabah to document Kadazandusun songs. This project also culminated with the publication of a book, Introduction to Selected Instrumental Ensembles and Folk Songs of East Malaysia (co-authored by Anne Anthony Lajinga) and accompanying audio-compact disc. In December 2020 the second edition of Songs from the Kenyah community (featuring 13 additional songs) was published.

Pek Lin has also been actively involved in dissemination, incorporating the songs into both academic and extra-curricular activities during her tenure as a music lecturer at ITE Batu Lintang. Through her efforts, East Malaysian music featured prominently in adapted forms in choral performances and musical dramas based on local legends. Sarawak folksongs were showcased in public performances of the UNIMAS choir in 1996-1997 and the ITE Batu Lintang choir from 1998-2018. Many of her ex-students are now introducing East Malaysian folksongs in schools. She has lobbied for the inclusion of East Malaysian music repertoire in national curricula. A milestone achievement was the organisation of a national level course on Sabah and Sarawak ethnic music for music lecturers from 27 teacher-training colleges all over Malaysia in 2005.

In October 2016, she was featured as one of the 42 personalities in the book Sarawak Women in Education http://www.theborneopost.com/2016/11/01/book-on-women-personalities-to-be-launched-in-kuching-this-saturday/

In July 2018 she was named Tokoh Guru Sarawak (Teacher of the Year) at the state-level Teacher’s day celebrations.   https://www.theborneopost.com/2018/07/26/chong-abdillah-receive-teachers-awards-from-cm/

Activities since retirement in 2015

(a)  Research on Kenyah songs and music, including fieldwork, writing books and journal articles and presentations at conferences and symposiums related to the ICTM (International Council of Traditional Music) and IKS (International Kodály Society).

 (b)  Community service: Lion’s Club of Kuching City

 (c)   Voluntary music tutor at Salvation Army Children’s home since January 2017

 (d)  Voluntary tutor at ITE Batu Lintang, directing performances of Musical dramas based on Kenyah folksongs and folklore.