Out East in the Malay Peninsula

Out East in the Malay Peninsula
Author: Gerwyn Elidor David Lewis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 264
Release: 1991
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

G. E. D. Lewis was lured away from Wales to become a teacher in Malaya by the letters he received from his brothers on colonial service. Concentrating on the daily lives of the Malayasians peoples themselves rather than on the European experience, his amusing anecdotal biography provides keen insights into British methods of colonial administration and education, and includes a harrowing account of the Japanese occupation, during which he was transported to Burma to work on the notorious Death Railway.

The A to Z of Malaysia

The A to Z of Malaysia
Author: Ooi Keat Gin
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
Total Pages: 552
Release: 2010-06-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 146167199X

The A to Z of Malaysia encapsulates the development of Malaysia from prehistory to the early years of the 21st century. It covers not only Malaysia's history but also its politics, economy, multiethnic society, multiculturalism, scientific and technological developments, and the state of its environment. A host of contemporary issues and challenges are featured, including ethnic polarization, economic equity, and polygamy; concepts like Ketuanan Melayu (Malay Dominance), "Malaysian Malaysia," "Malay," and Islam Hadhari (Civilizational Islam); and terms like "Ali Baba" business, kiasi, bejalai, and "Twenty Points." Over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries are contained in this reference, covering everything from ethno-historical entries to those on culinary favorites and personalities. A chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and a bibliography complement the dictionary entries, enhancing the authoritative and up-to-date information provided.

Nature and Nation

Nature and Nation
Author: Jeyamalar Kathirithamby-Wells
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Total Pages: 536
Release: 2005-10-31
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780824828639

Nature and Nation explores the relations between people and forests in Peninsular Malaysia where the planet's richest terrestrial eco-system met head-on with the fastest pace of economic transformation experienced in the tropical world. It engages the interplay of history, culture, science, economics and politics to provide a holistic interpretation of the continuing relevance of forests to state and society in the moist tropics. Malaysia has long been singled out for emulation by developing nations, an accolade contradicted in recent years by concerns over its capital-, rather than poverty-driven forest depletion. The Malaysian case supports the call for re-appraisal of entrenched prescriptions for development that go beyond material needs. -- Book cover.

Radicals

Radicals
Author: Syed Aljunied
Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press
Total Pages: 247
Release: 2015-05-29
Genre: History
ISBN: 150175744X

Radicals tells the story of a group of radical Malay men and women from ordinary social backgrounds who chose to oppose foreign rule of their homeland, knowing full well that by embarking on this path of resistance, they would risk imprisonment or death. Their ranks included teachers, journalists, intellectuals, housewives, peasants, preachers, and youths. They formed, led, and contributed to the founding of political parties, grassroots organizations, unions, newspapers, periodicals, and schools that spread their ideas across the country in the aftermath of the Great Depression, when colonialism was at its height and evident in all areas of life in their country. But when their efforts to uproot foreign dominance faltered in the face of the sanctions the state imposed upon them, some of these radicals chose to take up arms, while others engaged in aggressive protests and acts of civil disobedience to uphold their rights. While some died fighting and hundreds were incarcerated, many lived to resist colonialism until their country attained its independence in August 1957, all of these Malay radicals were devoted to becoming free men and women and to claiming their right to be treated as equals in a world riddled with prejudice and contradictions. Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied's innovative study brings to light the less charted and unanalyzed terrain of the radical experience—becoming and being radical. He argues that the experiences and histories of radicals in colonial Malaya can be elucidated in a more nuanced way by interrogating them alongside evolving local and global circumstances and by analyzing them through the lenses of a set of overarching and interconnected mobilizing concepts—a set of ideas, visions, and notions that the radicals used to reason and justify their advent—that were internalized, lived, and utilized in the course of their activism. These mobilizing concepts were their weapons and armor, employed to organize, strategize, protect, and consolidate themselves when menaced by the tentacles of the colonial state as they embarked upon the agonizing path towards independence. Those interested in Malaysian history, colonial history, radical movements, and resistance groups will enjoy this fascinating study.

Malaya's Secret Police 1945-60

Malaya's Secret Police 1945-60
Author: Leon Comber
Publisher: Flipside Digital Content Company Inc.
Total Pages: 279
Release: 2003-08-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9814515922

The Malayan Emergency lasted from 1948 to 1960. During these tumultuous years, following so soon after the Japanese surrender at the end of the Second World War, the whole country was once more turned upside down and the lives of the people changed. The war against the Communist Party of MalayaA*s determined efforts to overthrow the Malayan government involved the whole population in one form or another. Dr Comber analyses the pivotal role of the Malayan PoliceA*s Special Branch, the governmentA*s supreme intelligence agency, in defeating the communist uprising and safeguarding the security of the country. He shows for the first time how the Special Branch was organised and how it worked in providing the security forces with political and operational intelligence. His book represents a major contribution to our understanding of the Emergency and will be of great interest to all students of Malay(si)aA*s recent history as well as counter-guerrilla operations. It can profitably be mined, too, to see what lessons can be learned for counterinsurgency operations in other parts of the world.

Historical Dictionary of Malaysia

Historical Dictionary of Malaysia
Author: Ooi Keat Gin
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 687
Release: 2017-12-18
Genre: History
ISBN: 1538108852

Malaysia is one of the most intriguing countries in Asia in many respects. It consists of several distinct areas, not only geographically but ethnically as well; along with Malays and related groups, the country has a very large Indian and Chinese population. The spoken languages obviously vary at home, although Bahasa Malaysia is the official language and nearly everyone speaks English. There is also a mixture of religions, with Islam predominating among the Malays and others, Hinduism and Sikhism among the Indians, mainly Daoism and Confucianism among the Chinese, but also some Christians as well as older indigenous beliefs in certain places. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Malaysia contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Malaysia.

Malay Archipelago

Malay Archipelago
Author: Alfred Russell Wallace
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Total Pages: 510
Release: 2011-07-05
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1462900291

This is one the first and most important books about 18th century Malaysia and covers a wide array of topics from Malaysian culture and history to nature and wildlife. It is essential reading for anyone interested in Malaysia. A century and a half after it was first published, this book remains one of the great classics of natural history and travel--perhaps the greatest. Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) deserves equal billing with Charles Darwin for his independently drawn but parallel conclusions on the theory of evolution. Darwin himself called Wallace "generous and noble" and referred favorably to his work in later editions of The Origin of Species. The Malay Archipelago is an extraordinarily accessible book. There is a wealth of detail about pre-modern life in the Indonesian archipelago which Wallace accumulated on over 60 separate journeys spanning 14,000 miles. He was equally fascinated by the exotic peoples, flora and fauna he encountered in his epic travels. A mark of his achievement lies in the size of the collections he bequeathed to British museums--some 125,000 specimens ranging from large mammals to tiny insects, exotic butterflies and splendid birds of paradise. His basic thesis stands to this day: that two separate biological zones border these islands, separated by the deep-water channel now known as the Wallace Line, running between Bali and Lombok, which only a relative handful of species have crossed. The islands east of Bali in effect form a transitional zone where some of the world's strangest creatures are found.