Book Review 'History of Modern Malay Community' (Malay Version)
Uqbah Iqbal*
Researcher, History Programme,Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Malaysia
Submission: August 29, 2017; Published: August 31, 2017
*Corresponding address: Uqbah Iqbal, Researcher,History Programme,Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, UKM 43650, Bangi Selangor, Malaysia Email: uqbah@siswa.ukm.edu.my
How to cite this article: Uqbah I. History of Modern Malay Community. Psychol Behav Sci Int J. 2017; 6(2): 555682. DOI: 10.19080/PBSIJ.2017.06.555682
Short Communication
Edited by Khoo Kay Kim, this monograph is the process of reviewing the history of Malaysia. Since a few years ago students were asked to give its contribution to rewrite the history of Malaysia as though the matter has long been propagated by various parties do not see the results very clearly. Students of history indeed come from everywhere in Malaysia; they are the perfect person to write local history as they understand the places where they live. Furthermore so many vacancies to be filled in Malaysian history since the colonial historiography that Malaysia were focused on the history of the colonial authorities. If only a few people who are assigned only historians to rewrite the history of Malaysia, the work will take a prolonged time, the achievement of course limited even given a period of one generation.
The response from the students who were given the challenge and that is encouraging. They not only conduct research diligently and seriously; filed workmanship is very high and once touted by some Western scholars are given the opportunity to read the studies that have been conducted. Only a few students of history essay can be published in this monograph. Others were written by academics. But the Department of History, University of Malaya do have goals produce more monographs such as this in years to come so that students of history, whether in school or university; also people, can add their knowledge about the history of the country, particularly focusing on aspects of history that far less concern despite the very real significance for the history of Malaysia in principle should give a clear picture of Malaysians.
Knowledge of the history of the community until the time is still shallow. Most studies conducted now less considering the historical background. As a result it is not clear how the Malay community in general face challenges. Indeed, this book cannot answer all questions. At least it can give an idea of the transition process since the community began to clash with the British power from the nineteenth century. Some things are quite important have been studied from opposition to British intervention on the movement for independence. These things have a close connection with the situation today because the community is still in the process of adjusting to the symptoms of the influence and the Western system. School pupils who study the history of Malaysia should try to read this book to get a more accurate perspective on the historical development of Malaysia as textbooks they use is more similar to the assessment of the British administration in India, not much exposed on indigenous peoples. Biased perspective of course will produce a serious distortion. History may not bring any benefit if it is not learned in a way that accurately and fairly. After the British succeeded in extending its influence and power over the Malay states there was a need for British officials to explain to the people how they perform administrative Britain in Malaya. Starting from Frank Swettenham book British Malaya London 1906) noticed a tendency to British officials not to write the history of the Malay community but British expansionist in Malaya.