New books April 2007

My Life: Chronicles of a wartime pilot and other stories (an authobiography) by Lim Kean Chong (RM 38.00)

The story of his [Lim Kean Chong] life, as a young and intrepid RAAF bomber pilot in World War II, operating in raids over Germany and Europe, his subsequent experiences working in China during the Cultural Revolution, and later in an African country - Tanzania - should make interested reading for those of us who have had no experiences of those parts. But it was not a life without its disappointments and frustrations. Nor is it a story devoid of pathos, when for instance, on returning to Australia after demobilization to rejoin Melbourne University as a second year student, he was asked by Immigration to register as an alien student, a victim of the White Australian policy. These are memories poignant in the telling thereof.

- Preface by PG Lim -




Song at Twilight by Chan King Nui (RM 20.00)

From living in Hong Kong as a child, to living in Siam and also in the Big House in Kuala Lumpur, the author shares her rich life experiences which will inspire many who read this book. The book continues with her pursuit of education and the interruption due to the Second World War when she lived in India.

Her experience as a teacher and meeting many people who later become important leaders in the political and corporate world is an interesting read. The author traveled to many parts of the world, learnt many types of art and craft, went through some very painful experiences and finally found God in her life.


The Encyclopedia of Malaysia, Volume 13: The Economy edited by Prof Dr H Osman Rani (RM 95.00)

This volume provides an in-depth insight into the dramatic transformation of Malaysia from an agrarian economy at Independence in 1957 into a diverse and triving manufacturing- service based economy in 2006.

The volume begins with an overview of Malaysia's economic history, covering the evolution of economic policies from post-Independence to 1970, the formulation of the New Econmic Policy (1971-90), the balanced growth thrusts of the 1990s and finally the shift towards a knowledge-based economy in the 21st century.

An extensive analysis of the various sectors of the economy follows. The rapid growth and modernization of the Malaysian economy is documented, beginning with the natural resources and agricultural sectors and moving into the manufacturing sectors. The services and financial sectors are then explored, focusing on the development of key sub-sectors.

The volume proceeds with a discussion of the infrastructure which supports Malaysia's economy, and the stable social framework that sustains its human resources.

The volume concludes by examining the macroeconomic policies implemented by various governmental bodies and agencies, and Malaysia's position in the rapidly globalizing world economy.

People, politics and poetry

I am Muslim by Dina Zaman

I am Muslim is a selfish journey of faith. Dina meets shamans, nationalists, moderates and gets into all sorts of scrapes, to discover what it means to be Muslim in Malaysia. Heartbreaking, angry and downright funny.

A Noor. I am Muslim is Dina Zaman's first work of non-fiction.She has written for the media since 1994. Her first column, Dina's Dalca was published in the New Straits Times and she has had her share of brickbats. Her works of fiction and poetry have been published locally and abroad.

Dina Zaman's articles about being Muslim in Malaysia today captures the multifaceted aspects of difference and alterity in normative religios life better than many academic studies ...Dr Farish


Tanah Tujuh: Close Encounters with the Temuan Mythos by Antares

Tanah Tujuh is what a large number of Orang Asli tribes call our planet. Tanah Tujuh: Close Encounters with the Temuan Mythos chronicles Antares' initiation into a fast vanishing aboriginal cosmo-mythology that offers an alternative view of reality. Copiously illustrated with sketches and photographs, foreword by eminent anthropologist, Robert Knox Dentan.

Antares is a writer musician and visionary who moved out of the city in 1992 and found himself living amngst the Temuan (the second largest of the peninsular Orang Asli tribes) in the rainforest.


Adam's Dream by Salleh ben Joned

This is Salleh ben Joned's first book of poems since Sajak Sajak Saleh (or Poems Sacred and Profane) and it is entirely in English. Salleh says in his forward that, although English is not his first language - he only learned it in his teens - he has two main reasons for writing in English. Firstly, he thinks that a big majority of his readers seem to be non-Malays, and, secondly, "My satires in Malay, the use of humour, parody, irony ... puns ... and othr forms of word-play seem to have been taken wrongly by most of the Malay readers."

Adam's Dream is an intensely personal collection of poems, to make you laugh out loud or cry or to ponder over.

Salleh ben Joned was born in Melaka. He spent many years Down Under where he became a student of leading Australian poet James McAuley. His first collection of bilingual poetry, Sajak-Sajak Saleh (Teks) was published in 1987. [A second enlarged version was published by Pustaka Cipta in 2002.] It was followed by A book of essays, As I Please (Skoob, 1994) and Nothing is Sacred (Maya Press, 2003).

For free delivery anywhere in Malaysia. Click here.

A Malaysian Journey by Rehman Rashid (RM59.90)

From the preface:
'I am at a happy loss to explain the continuing popularity of A Malaysian Journey, a work of non-fiction, comtemporary affairs, pop history and personal memoir, which was published in 1993, sold a few tens of thousands of copies in Malaysia and Singapore, turned my life inside-out, upside-down and back-to-front, and went out of print at the turn of the millennium...'

This is the story of a Malaysian born in the twilight of British Malaya, growingup in an independent Malaysia, attaining maturity as his nation approaches the turn of the millennium ... and this is the story of Malaysia's own growth, asseen through his eyes.

The historical and biographical narrative is interwoven with passages culled from a months-long journey through the nation as the narrator visits every Malaysian state, exploring his country and, in so doing, his own soul.

A Malaysian Journey is available at all major bookshops in the country. This book can also be purchased online from our secure payment gateway at http://www.silverfishbooks.com/Silverfish/Version4/buybooks/BuyBooks.asp post free to any address in Malaysia, and at USD3.00 to international destinations. (All delivery will be registered mail, so no PO Boxes please)

(This is the 6th reprint of this book. This book is a virtual Malaysian classic and we have had had so many queries. We are glad to have it back in print)

History, biography

Brickfields: A Time, A Place, A Memory by Balan Moses (RM 30.00)

Brickfields: A Time, A Place, A Memory, is a first-person account of the childhood and teenage days of Balan Moses, a senior editor with the New Straits Times, in Brickfields.

He narrates the joys and sorrows of growing up between 1955 and 1970 in a middle-to-lower-middle-class neighbourhood with its pecularities, unforgettable personalities and unique ambience. He has tried to trace developments in the area over the period in question in a light, narrative manner.

His sense of humour, evident in the anecdotes and many unique experiences that he has sprinkled throughout the book, has helped bring Brickfields alive. Moses has taken readers by the hand for a stroll through Brickfields and through time so that they too can see and experience what he saw and experienced all those years ago.

This book is intended to provide the younger generation of today a glimpse of the halcyon days spent in a suburban in a newly-independent nation. It is a personal story of how a child grew into a teenager in a quaint area called Brickfields that is almost no more, except in the memories of the people who once called Brickfields home.

Politics/History

The Reluctant Politician by Ooi Kee Beng (RM 68.00)

This is the long-awaited biography of Malaysia's powerful Home Affairs Minister and Deputry Prime Minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, who passed away of a heart attack on 2 August 1973. It is based on his provate papers and on numerous internviews with his relatives and with people who knew him well, including Ghafar Baba, Musa Hitam, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Robert Kuok, Lee Kwan Yew and Ghazalie Shafie. New perspectives are provided about the struggle for independence, Malaysia's relationship with Singapore, the origins of Southeast Asian regionalism, the internal conflicts of the ruling party UMNO, MCA-UMNO ties, the fatal illness of Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the May 13 riots, and the New Economic Policy. This book contains not only new facts about Malaysian and Singaporean history, but also insights into the processes of decolonization and nation building.