MCA MP vs. UMNO Youth: an out-of-box view

As a matter of principle, I am certainly sympathetic to His Honourable Loh Seng Kok's observation that our history book is 'imbalanced', not because he is a Chinese or non-Malay but because he is relatively right in this case. Those who know me well personally should know that I have never thought of joining Mr. Loh's 'Chinese' party even for a nano second since I began to interest myself in politics at 8 or 9 years old.

Indeed, given the changed alignments of international and regional relations, particularly the end of the Cold War 15 years ago, it is time to open up honest and rational discourses with the purpose of re-evaluating or re-examining the contents of our history books used in schools, universities, training institutions for the military, police and public servants as well as the National Service and Biro Tata Negara (BTN). What have MCA's ministers been doing in this regard in the past 15 years?

There are indeed many Chinese, Indian, Eurasian, Orang Asli, Iban and Kadazan histories to be told and incorporated into our history books. However, let us not forget that there are also some important histories of Malay-Muslim Left that have also been either marginalised or suppressed during the Cold War years when MCA participated in the bipolar slug-out on the Right in the then corrupt tradition of the anti-communist and chauvinistic Kuomintang rightwing.

Meanwhile, my very brotherly advice to Umno youths is that they should spend some time quietly to read up newly published books on alternative history like Dr. Mohammad Salleh Lamry's Gerakan Kiri Melayu Dalam Perjuangan Kemerdekaan and the reference books and papers in the bibliography. If they find alternative history interesting, they should have no problem in enrolling in BA and MA courses in universities to study and explore it further.

Bung James ini is always ready and willing to help sincere, humble and honest adik-adik, whatever their race, religion or political party, in their research by devil-advocating or providing second opinions or recommending some additional reading materials in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and English from left, right or centerist perspectives.

Selamat membaca dan selamat belajar.

Vox Populi: Loh Seng Kok vs Umno Youth
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/45452

Memoirs of Ipoh’s WWII heroine being reprinted
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/45452

Merdeka history in new light
http://www.malaysiakini.com/opinionsfeatures/42665

History of the Malay Left
http://www.malaysiakini.com/opinionsfeatures/48827

A tale of two Malay communist memoirs
http://www.malaysiakini.com/opinionsfeatures/33401