Malay

The portion of the Malay Peninsula where the Thai Buddhist civilization of Thailand gives way to the Malay Muslim civilization of Malaysia is characterized by multiple forms of pluralism. This book examines a broad range of issues relating to the turmoil afflicting the region.

First published in 1928, this book us a very complete survey of the Malay Peninsula, its physical aspects, its history, laws government, and present day problems; while a large part of the book is devoted to a study of the Malay himself. Mr. Wheeler, who has travelled far and wide, has spent seven years in Malay, and the thorough research which has gone to the making of the book is backed up with personal experience and observation, with the result that the book is as readable as it sounds.

Malay society of the past has usually been characterized by the presence of the peasantry, a pre-modern class of producers, tied to the land and beholden to a feudalistic or feudal-like ruling structure. In contrast, this book explores the diversity which in fact colours the economic history of the Malays. The subject of this book is a relatively unknown class of people, the handloom weavers, who played a decisive role in the economies of the eastern Malay states of Terengganu, Kelantan, and Pahang. Today, the products of these handloom weavers, the beautiful hand-woven sarongs and cloths, grace the most elegant and auspicious of occasions. What is the story behind the vicissitudes, often brutal, of textile production in the early or proto-industrial phases of the Malay economy? Why was the handloom industry, at its height, halted from realizing its full potential of trans-forming into a full-fledged industrial manufacture? What exactly is the putting-out system of production and how did men and women actualize their roles in such production regimes? Why did the putting-out system endure? In answering such questions this book explores the origins of the Malay handloom industry, its technology, its people, and its turbulent relationship with the ambitions of both the colonial and modern nation-states.

Dr Djamour spent two years in Singapore, both in the city and in a Malay fishing village, and her first-hand account draws a lively and sympathetic picture of behaviour within the family and between kinsmen. It is nonetheless an important contribution to social anthropology and discusses, as its central topic, the instability of Malay marriage. The causes and consequences of this phenomenon, which involve social, economic, and psychological considerations, are analysed in some detail. The social picture which emerges has wide validity throughout the country and should prove of value to all who seek a fuller knowledge of Malay society.

This book offers a variety of essays and perspectives on some of the foreigners and traders who came to the Malay World and wrote fiction and “faction” (writing that portrays real people or events in a dramatised manner) during their sojourn – regardless of whether they continued to stay in the region, returned to their home country, or migrated to another country. The essays tend to cross generic and disciplinary boundaries as the contributors of this book are drawn from various fields within the arts and humanities, including history, geography, language and literature and translation. All of them, however, deal with colonial texts, the Malay World, or primarily cover the period from the 18th to the 20th century. Including readings of fiction, diaries, vignettes, letters written by traders or colonial officers, the uniqueness of this book lies in the personal, private and/or informal nature of the various documents studied. The encounters of these ‘outsiders’ with the ‘natives’ not only offer fascinating historical insights into the Malay World, but, to a significant degree, vividly express the views and personalities of the writers themselves, as mediated through their assigned commercial and colonial roles.

In this latest book, Mohamed Aidil Subhan rallies together young practitioners and researchers of the Malay Language who were born post-independence Singapore. This is the first ever collection of research on issues affecting Malay Language planning that is written by Malay Language educators themselves, thus the title “Heart Truths”. This collection of writings will give a different perspective of the issues based on sound theoretical framework. Subsequently, the editor has reserved a portion, albeit small, of the book for contributors to give their perspective of what the future holds and what can be done to ensure the continued survival of the language post SG100. Therefore, this book is not only meant to be read today looking back at what has transpired, but is also meant for future readers especially in 2065 when they look back and research on Malay Language planning from SG50 to SG100. This book will be a documentation of firsts, detailing not only about the past, but also of our wishes for the future. The contributing writers may not be able to see their contribution bear fruit but their writings and wishes will be judged by those who will be reading this book in 2065.