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Saturday October 24, 2009

Your 10 Questions


Renowned historian, educator and public figure Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim fields the 10 questions posed to him by our readers.

Why it is so difficult to obtain consensus among Malaysians despite having already developed understanding over the last 52 years? Ooi Beng Sun, Penang

Throughout the course of the 19th century until the middle of the 1930s when immigration was stopped, the different ethnic groups chose to live separately. Socialisation was superficial so that traditional culture persistently existed. It was instilled in the younger generations that they ought to preserve their separate ethnic identities. The strong political pull, from China and India, helped considerably to emphasise ethnic identity. As immigration increased rapidly, the Malays began to fear that the foreigners may, in time to come, displace them from their own country.

Ethnic separatism in various walks of life was the preference of each group and not caused by the British administration. Past practices were too deeply embedded for radical changes to be introduced within a generation or two. Despite the existence of the nation state since August 1957, the country has remained a plural society.

You have written and spoken much on the Sikhs. What is it about this community that interests you? Bulbir Singh, Seremban

I have long been interested in Malaysia’s cultural diversity though I cannot get support for research on the subject. The Sikhs may be a minority group but they were brought here in the beginning to help enforce law and to bring stability to various parts of the country. They soon grew to become an ethnic group which displayed interesting characteristics.

They were also outstanding in sports. They played a major role in initiating cycling races in the country and Lal Singh has been the only Malaysian ever to have played test cricket. There have been Sikhs who are outstanding in various professions: medicine, law, commerce, education, etc. But they have remained culturally quite complex and until today many Malaysians cannot distinguish between Punjabis and Bengalis.

What do you think about Malaysia celebrating National Day on Aug 31 although it was on September 16, 1963, that Sabah and Sarawak joined Malaya to form Malaysia? Kwa, KL

It is unnecessary to split hairs over National Day celebrations. Sabahans and Sarawakians have a point when they say that on Aug 31, 1957, both Sabah and Sarawak were still British colonies.

There is an easy solution to the problem. Each year National Day celebrations can begin on Aug 31 and Sept 16 can be the finale. That way we can have the cake and eat it.

As a freshman in Universiti Malaya in the late 1970s, I attended a lecture in which you said it was okay if one of your sons decided to become a mechanic. Please elaborate on that. Teik, KL

What I said was that the choice of profession should follow the heart but irrespective of whatever profession is chosen, each person should endeavour to become the best in their chosen field.

Of the books you have written, which are you most proud of? Hamdan Salleh, Malacca

The book that launched my career was The Western Malay States 1850-1873, published in 1972 by Oxford University Press. It was my M.A. thesis. In that thesis, I challenged the view of the famous scholar, Rupert Emerson, who in his book – Malaysia: A Study in Direct and Indirect – opined that the period between 1824 (when the Anglo-Dutch Treaty was signed dividing the Malay Archipelago into two spheres of influence – the British and the Dutch) and 1874 (when the Pangkor Engagement was signed which marked the beginning of British intervention in the Peninsular Malay states) was a “half-century of inactivity.”

The sub-title of my book was “The Effects of Commercial Development on Malay Politics”. In the book, I showed that between 1824-1874, the Peninsula was greatly transformed. I dwelt at great length on the Chinese secret societies which scholars in the past such as R.J. Wilkinson and R.O. Winstedt could not handle.

What do you think is the single most important event in Malaysian history since our independence in 1957? Salmah Harun, PJ

The formation of Malaysia. It caused not only serious problems between Malaya and its neighbours especially Indonesia and the Philippines, but also stirred up tension between Malays and non-Malays. The British had not included Singapore in the Malayan Union of 1946, similarly the Federation of Malaya of 1948, for fear that there would be problems between Malays and non-Malays. The 1963 event merely confirmed that the early fear was very real.

Those who are not familiar with history may not realise that May 13, 1969 in Kuala Lumpur began with the ethnic clash in 1964 in Singapore and Tunku Abdul Rahman expelled Singapore to prevent the problem from spreading to the Peninsula. But it was too late. The seeds of hatred and animosity had been sown since 1964.

If you’re allowed to do just one thing to improve our education system, what would it be? B.T. Fong, Rawang

There is too much interference in our education system by non-professionals. Those who are called to plan our education system should be very experienced professionals who have achieved success and are internationally acknowledged. Administrators should implement strictly according to plan. An educational system should be up-to-date but that which has been tried and proven successful, even if it has been in existence for many years, should not make way for experiments.

Unless a new approach has been fully tested and proven to be successful, it should not be implemented by erasing the existing successful system. The present system is too obsessed with examinations.

You are a co-author of the Rukunegara. Does it still have the same role and relevance today? G.S. Maniam, Gombak

It is the brain-child of Tan Sri (now Tun) Ghazali Shafie. But it was discussed extensively by a research panel of which I was a member before submission to the National Operations Council. Unfortunately, like the Razak Education Report 1956 (which stated that ‘the main objective of the national education policy is national unity’), its implementation has been haphazard. Young school children may learn it by rote but it is never clearly explained to them. The adults are just as ignorant.

You’re obviously passionate about football. What about other sports? A. Hilmi

I started playing badminton and football as a teenager. I was staying in an area where the government quarters were located. The British administration ensured that there was sufficient space for sports in such areas. I also played table-tennis, hockey and cricket. But it was in football that I was most actively involved. But I did take examinations to become a qualified athletics coach as well as track and field official.

I officiated at the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1965. I have also included Malaysia’s sports history in my research and writing. I owe my interest in sports to my schools.

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