Category: Malaysia Unbound

Research By Allan Pang In August 1958, the Shaws Malay Film Productions released a new film, Sergeamt Hassan, featuring P. Ramlee. Like many other Malay-language films of the era, this production had an ethno-national focus emphasising the Malays in Malaya. As Ralph Modder, author of the story, wrote for a promotional brochure, ‘[T]he story… is based…

Research by Loong Dien Min │ Design by Dennis Ong Puman Singh was a cart driver who worked in Kuala Lumpur in 1910. After he was convicted of a crime, he submitted a petition with the following excerpt: Since the arrival of European(s) in this country it may be seen that no Bengali has ever…

Research by Nathanael Lai │ Design by Dennis Ong The title of Ho Ho Cup derived from its patron, the Ho Ho Biscuit Factory in Singapore. First held in 1928, the Cup was intended to be a biannual inter-port football game, featuring players from across Chinese communities in Malaya and Hong Kong. During its existence,…

Research By Loong Dien Min People, ideas, and print moved across borders—and surprisingly, so did laws. Laws were translated, taken up, travelled, and transformed through the figures who carried them. Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor (1833-1895) was one such person. Not only did he travel extensively and build alliances with Muslims and non-Muslim states, but he…

Research By Loong Dien Min From the 1870s, the Malay Archipelago saw a surge of interest in Urdu works, which were adapted into Malay literature. These works were reproduced through lithography multiple times and distributed via a network of trading agents and booksellers located throughout the Straits of Malacca, including Penang, Singapore, Johor, Aceh, Deli,…

Research by Muhammad Suhail │ Editing by Loong Dien Min │ Design by Dennis Ong Ala payunglah payung ketipang payung Payung sutera nak raja muda Ala tolonglah tolong cik abang tolong Janganlah marah pada adindaDaun mengkudu bercabanglah cabang Tempat temasya semut kerengga Tidakkah rindu (oi kepadalah abang) Menunggu masa hai serumah tanggaDaunlah nipah ditebanglah tebangBatanglah…