Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Politics

Memoir Abdullah C.D. (Bahagian Kedua): Penaja dan Pemimpin Rejimen Ke-10 (RM 35.00)

AbdullahCD(This is the second part of the memoir of Abdullah CD's - a former leader of the guerrilla movement during the Emergency, who now lives in his old age in a village in southern Thailand, who is featured in Amir Muhammad's movie, Apa Khabar Orang Kampong, which is banned in Malaysia. The book is written in Malay.)

Penaja dan Pemimpin Rejimen Ke-10, Memoir Abdullah C.D. bahagian kedua ini secara khusus memfokuskan kepada perjuangan bersenjata menentang penjajah British untuk kemerdekaan Malaya kini Malaysia yang bermula pada bulan Jun 1948.

Secara umum bolehlah disimpulkan perjuangan bersenjata Anti-British adalah akibat wajar dari kesedaran nasional dan patriotisme Malaya yang mulai berkembang pada tahun 30-an. Perang Dunia Kedua telah mempertingkatkan kesedaran tersebut ke tahap yang lebih tinggi. Selepas tamat perang tersebut, gerakan kemerdekaan yang diterajui oleh PKM, PKMM, API, AWAS, BTM, Kesatuan2 Buruh dan lain-lain berkembang menggelora.

Sesuai dengan tajuk Penaja dan Pemimpin Rejimen Ke-10, Abdullah C.D. tidak hanya menubuhkan Rejimen Ke-10, tetapi juga telah memimpin pasukan itu melancarkan perjuangan
tak kenal ampun menentang kekuasaan penjajah British. Tahun 1953, atas perintah Markas Agung TPNM, beliau memimpin sebahagian pasukan Rejimen Ke-10 menempuh berbagai rintangan dan tiba di kawasan sempadan dengan jayanya. Sejak itu beliau pula bertungkus lumus memimpin pasukan membangun basis sempadan demi meneruskan perjuangan
sehinggalah wujudnya penandatanganan perjanjian damai Haadyai pada tahun 1989.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Politics/Society

Malaysian Human Rights Report 2006: Civil and Political Rights by SUARAM (RM 19.00)

The year 2006, the third year of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's term in office, was marked by a continuing lack of resolve tp improve civil liberties despite his pledges to fight corruption and to reform the police force ... Throughout the year, blatant abuses of power by enforcement personnel were rampant. The police continue to act with impunity, resulting in scores of unlaeful detention, deaths in custody, police brutality and various other forms of police misconduct ... As in previous years, the government continued to use restrictive and repressive laws, including the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Ememrgency Ordinance (EO), the Police Act, the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), the Official Secrets Act (OSA), the Sedition Act, and the Universities and University Colleges
Act (UUCA), as tools to suppress voices of dissent ... A particularly disturbing trend witnessed during the year was the growing intolerance in matters of religion. There was also an increase in human rights abuse against migrants in the country.

The SUARAM Human Rights Report on Civil and Political Rights 2006 documents the human rights violations and the relentless struggles of human rights defenders that took place in Malaysia over the course of the year. The book is published to serve as an important reference to the aspiration of enhancing and promoting human rights in Malaysia.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Politics/Ethnicity

Understanding the Ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia by Leo Suryadinata (RM 69.00)

About 80 per cent of the ethnic Chinese outside China (also known as "Chinese overseas") live in Southeast Asia including Malaysia. This book examines that community in the context of both national and international dimensions. It first discuss the ethnic Chinese and China, addressing the issues of migration, nationality, business success and ethnic conflict; second, Chinese cultural adaptation and various identities; and third, case studies of the Chinese in Indonesia, external actors, the state and ethnic Chinese politics. The book throws light on the complexity of this diverse and important ethnic community.

While the bulk of the book examines the Chinese situation in Indonesia, a significant part of the book looks at the pernakan Chinese of Macacca, Singapore and Penang. These 15 essays, by the author were written from 1987 to 2006, ranging from ethnic politics, economy, ethnic and national identies to China ethnic-Chinese relations.