Strait talk

Straight Talk by Tunku Abdul Aziz (RM 40.00)

The vintage articles in the New Straits Times by Tunku Aziz have been keenly read within Malaysia and appreciated for his incisive commentary on the socio-political foibles of the nation, clearly in the throes of crony feudalism in the exercise of power. His serious, fearless and critical opinions were published at a time when radical transformations away from bad practices were being desired by the electorate and observers who wish for achievable ideals in national progress.

Other new Malaysian titles:

1. Penang and Its Region edited by Yeoh Seng Guan, Loh Wei Leng, Khoo Salma Nasution and Neil Khor (RM 45.00)

2. Tangerin&Nikotin by Mimi Morticia (RM 15.00)

Anwar on trial

Anwar on Trial( In the Face of Injustice ) by Pawancheek Marican -- RM50.00

The Anwar Ibrahim trials during the late Nineties left the landscape of Malaysia's judiciary forever changed. Convicted to a six-year prison term on charges that many believe to have been trumped, Anwar has become the symbol of a new generation of Malaysians determined to seek truth and justice.

'Anwar on Trial: In the Face of Injustice' gives readers a cogent look into the detailed workings of the 1998 corruption trial of Anwar Ibrahim. Captured through the lens of a lawyer who was present throughout the proceedings, this book presents a first-hand account of the goings-on in court and outside it.

Pawancheek Marican examines the way that the Malaysian judiciary was systematically emasculated and turned into a pawn of the executive, the consequences of which will linger for many generations to come.

From the trial judge who forbade Anwar to argue his defence of conspiracy to the abuse of the Attorney-General's chambers, this book lays bare the political machinations taking place behind the scenes by those in power to remain in power.

The information contained within this book comes at an opportune moment as Anwar Ibrahim faces yet another sodomy trial in 2009- this time, however, from the freedom of his own home and as the Opposition Leader and Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh in Penang.

Malaysian Human Rights Report 2008

Malaysian Human Rights Report 2008: Civil & Political Rights by SUARAM (RM 22.00)

SUARAM's annual Human Rights Report on Malaysia is widely recognised as the most objective, comprehensive and dependable source of information on the state of human rights in Malaysia. It documents the human rights violations as well as the struggles of human rights defenders that take place in Malaysia during the year.

In this 2008 report, we note that the new political realities brought about the the unprecedented results of the 12th General Elections, in which the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) suffered its biggest loss in Malaysian electoral history since 1969.

Despite this setback, the BN government continued to use outdated and draconian laws such as the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Emergency Ordinance (EO) and the Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA) to detain individuals without trial. Other restrictive and repressive laws, including the Police Act, the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and the Sedition Act continued to be invoked by the government to suppress voices of dissent and curb basic freedoms of expression, assembly and association.

The establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as recommended by the Royal Police Commission a few years ago remained unfulfilled. This has led to numerous abuses of power by the police throughout the year.

2008 also saw growing religious intolerance, mostly clearly demonstrated in warnings issued by Muslim leaders against non-Muslims who discussed matters relating to Islam and the ban on non-Muslims from using certain words deemed to be the exclusive right of Islam. The rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants continued to be seriously violated by the government.

Malaysia's credibility at the international level took a further blow for its lack of commitment in promoting and protecting human rights, as illustrated in the possible downgrading of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) by an international governing body.


Other new Malaysian titles:

1)Multiethnic Malaysia: Past, Present and Future edited by Lim Teck Ghee, Alberto Gomes, Azly Rahman (RM 60.00)
2)Speaking for the Reformasi Generation by Liew Chin Tong (RM 35.00)
3)Mother of All Scandals: The RM12.5 Billion Rip-off by Lim Kit Siang (RM 15.00)
4)Najib's First 100 Days: No Honeymoon by Oon Yeoh (RM 20.00)
5)New Era College Controversy: The Betrayal of Dong Jiao Zong by Kua Kia Siong (RM 20.00)
6)Anwar on Trial: In the Face of Injustice by Pawancheek Merican (RM 50.00)
7)Memoir Abdullah C.D. (Bahagian Ketiga): Perjuangan di Sempadan dan Penamatan Terhormat (RM 38.00)
8)Making and Unmaking the Asylum: Leprosy and Modernity in Singapore and Malaysia by Loh Kah Seng (RM 28.00)
9)Politik Malaysia di Persimpangan: Praktik Politik dalam PRU 2008 dan Kontemporari by Muhamad Nadzri Mohamed Noor (RM 20.00)


All the books above are available for purchase online at http://www.silverfishbooks.com/buybooks/

Double fantasy

Body 2 Body: A Malaysian Queer Anthology edited by Jerome Kugan and Pang Khee Teik (RM 34.00)

Body 2 Body: A Malaysian Queer Anthology is the first of its kind: a compilation of original creative writing on the gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals and transvestites of the country.

Long denied a voice in the mainstream, the queers of Malaysia are boldly and fabulously represented in 23 stories, fiction and non-fiction. From coming out to coming home, breaking up to breaking down, changing sex to changing heart, the stories are different from anything you may have read in – or about – Malaysia.


Matanya Teleskop, Hatinya Kapal Dalam Botol Kaca by Sufian Abas (RM 15.00)

Manusia dalam himpunan cerita ini dingin-dingin belakakerna hati mereka sudah hangus dek api berani yang meluluh segala isi dalaman diri hingga yang tinggal hanya lohong kosong seluas bima sakti.

Dunia kini gurun, pari-pari rupa-rupanya kertas, si buta memimpin si tempang, inilah apokaliptika perasaan yang paling lazat.


Other Malaysian titles:

Kayangan by Ruhayat X (RM 10.00)

Lost in KL by Bernice Chauly (RM 10.00)

Overwhelming Terror

Overwhelming Terror: Love, Fear, Peace and Violence Among Semai of Malaysia by Robert Knox Dentan (RM 30.00)

This powerful ethnography of a people believed to be the least violent in the world explores how they maintain peaceful relations even under the most dire circumstances. Robert Knox Dentan, the world's foremost scholar of Semai, brings its members vividly to life. His book includes translations of their poetry, dramatized accounts of particular events, and narratives in their own words. Throughout, the author highlights the mechanisms and costs of peace, underscoring their relevance to everyday life in all societies. Students and scholars of peace studies, conflict revolution, ethnography, and Southeast Asia will find this unique work an invaluable and compelling study.