Malaysia Unbound: Trans-Regional Histories
“History is meant to be taught & learned with zero constraints.“
From laborers, migrants, women and children, Malaysia’s official history excludes their daily realities. Where do these people fit in our past?
What would Malaysia’s past look like if our story begins neither with the Malay Peninsula, nor the Archipelago?
Traversing conventions, continents and chronologies, we push against the country’s exclusionary and reductive narratives and engage with the complex historical realities of the region.
The Journey Thus Far
interactive map | Bite-Sized History | Public programs
We work together with the public to explore histories that do not begin nor end with national borders, transforming history education from boring lectures into collaborative, generative, and inclusive conversations with the public.
- Infographics using archival materials & primary sources to tell histories outside nationalized frameworks
- Interactive Map for visual learners
- Oceans Unbound Roundtable aimed towards bringing different historical professionals together to discuss the urgency of revisiting interconnected pasts.
- Malaysia Unbound Workshop to encourage public reimagination of Malaysia’s history through everyday objects and personal archives.
See Malaysia’s History Through Malaysian Eyes
At our 2026 Malaysia Unbound Workshop, Malaysians from all walks of life—none professional historians—came together to explore alternative ways of telling Malaysia’s history, using objects and items that were meaningful and personal to them.
Discover More
We’ve curated our 23 infographics that break down complex histories into short and easy-to read-stories here, ensuring you don’t lose your mind figuring out which part you missed!
Press Load More to reveal more articles
Explore Our Map
Meet The Team
Malaysia Unbound team currently consists of driven individuals based in the UK, Malaysia, US, and Sri Lanka, who have deep interests in how Malaysia’s history is being taught and learned.
Allan Pang
Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Bristol
Loong Dien Min
President, Executive Director
Brendan Yeo
Secretary
Riyadh Ilham
Treasurer
Dennis Ong
Designer
Sharon Wah
Researcher
Azri Farhan
IT Coordinator
Siti Sarah
Social Media Manager
Amna Ashker
Social Media Manager
Our Partners
Malaysia Unbound is a public education initiative between Imagined Malaysia and Dr Allan Pang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Bristol. The project is supported by the Seed Funding Award, Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Impact Acceleration Account.
Muhammad Suhail
Harvard Asia Centre
Nathanael Lai
University of Cambridge
Leong Yee Ting
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Malcolm
Interrasa Collective
Shirin Chua
Independent Researcher
William Tham
Penang Institute
Be A Part Of History!
Be part of our journey in uncovering Malaysia’s history, by sharing passed down stories, folktales or historical records; talk to us now!
Family takes
Oral histories, materials or logs from your family archives
Materials & Structures
Research on materials, buildings or interesting objects
Community Tales
Adventure & stories from your surrounding and community