Young and Malay: Growing Up in Multicultural Malaysia

by Ooi Kee Beng

"This excellent volume, edited by Ooi Kee Beng and Wan Hamidi Hamid, discusses what it means to be Malay in Malaysia. And in doing that, it seeks to be much more..Being a Malay is about expressing the cultural interactions and assimilations that undeniably take place among the various ethnie that inhabit and have inhabited Malaysia. It is not only about being Malay, or being Malaysian. It is about being humans." - Senator Ariffin Omar.
This collection of nine essays by young and 'youngish' Malays who are artists, novelists, lawyers, politicians, journalists, and social activists is a compelling read for observers and researchers of contemporary Malay and Malaysian politics and culture. ​

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, Politics

192 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Dr Ooi Kee Beng was born and raised in Penang, Malaysia. He is the Deputy Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, editor of the Penang Monthly, and Visiting Associate Professor at the Department of Public and Social Administration at Hong Kong City University. He was also Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at National University of Singapore (2009–11). A prolific writer, his books include the award-winning The Reluctant Politician: Tun Dr Ismail and His Time (2006); In Lieu of Ideology: An Intellectual Biography of Goh Keng Swee (2010); Between UMNO and a Hard Place (2010) and The Eurasian Core and Its Edges: Dialogues with Wang Gungwu on the History of the World (2015).

Reviews

[Emmy Hermina Nathasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saya berasa tertarik untuk membaca buku-buku ini kerana saya ingin mengetahui perihal kisah kehidupan mereka yang membentuk persepsi dan keberadaan mereka pada masa kini. Saya baca tanpa mengetahui siapa mereka, para penulis, hanya sekadar maklumat asas tentang mereka saya ketahui. Jadi saya berharap saya dapat membaca buku ini tanpa rasa prejudis atau bias. Buku ini yang berkongsi pengalaman para penulis, membesar di Malaysia. Perlu diingat bahwa pengalaman individu tidak menjadikan ia benar, hanya kerana ia memaparkan persepsi penulis terhadap kehidupannya sendiri dan pemerhatiannya terhadap masyarakat sekeliling. Pengaruh ibu bapa dan faktor-faktor persekitaran lain memainkan peranan penting dalam membentuk seseorang individu. Justeru itu, penting jika kita hendak menilai seseorang itu, untuk mengetahui kisah kehidupannya agar kita dapat memahami mengapa. Pengalaman-pengalaman ini saya kira agak menarik untuk dibaca kerana ia mengangkat diri penulis menjadi siapa diri mereka sekarang. Ada kisah yang menarik untuk dibaca, dan ada yang terasa sedikit memualkan. Justeru itu, rating saya hanya 3.5/5

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally, I enjoyed half of the articles because it was written in the most layman way with minimal political terms that ooze headache to my head. But I do feel that the last story was left hanging, somehow.

Recommended to those who would like to understand the mindset and perceptions of a Malay living and growing up in a multicultural Malaysia. Read with an open heart and mind.

[Fariza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Secara peribadi, membaca coretan setiap penulis, saya memahami tujuan terbitnya buku ini. Walaubagaimanapun, jika ingin menyatakan inilah kehidupan seorang anak muda Melayu di Malaysia, kisah-kisah yang ditampilkan terlalu peribadi dan sebenarnya tidaklah semua anak Melayu mempunyai kehidupan seperti mereka. Mungkin inilah tujuan penerbitannya, kisah peribadi begini mungkin lebih dekat dengan pembaca. Dengan hanya menampilkan dua orang penulis wanita daripada sembilan orang penulis lelaki, ianya langsung mengecewakan kerana ianya malah tidak menggambarkan populasi Malaysia. Abaikan rungutan saya.

Buku ini tetap menarik untuk diteliti kerana penulisan Zairil Khir Johari yang terus menerus mengkritik idea 'The Malays Dilemma' Dr Mahathir di dalam penulisannya. Selain itu, saya juga berasa dekat dengan pengalaman Haris Zuan yang membaca pelbagai karya yang hampir kesemua karya yang disebut beliau di dalam penulisannya juga turut menjadi bahan bacaan zaman sekolah saya.

Salah seorang penulis malah mengaitkan dengan proses memakan sireh sebagai lambang kehidupan rakyat Malaysia. Entahlah.

Keseluruhanya, saya memuji usaha penulisan ini.

[Syed Shahrom Wafa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bagus juga dengan adanya buku sebegini. Dapat juga kita selami pelbagai isi hati anak muda yang hidup sezaman dengan kita.

Lain badan lain kisahnya. Namun kesudahannya, kita semua tetap inginkan Malaysia yang lebih sempurna.

Kredit juga untuk satu dua penulis yang menyumbang artikel di dalam buku ini. Kerana mereka banyak juga senarai buku lama yang perlu saya cari, kerana buku-buku ini banyak mempengaruhi mereka kini dari sudut pandang jati diri, sejarah dan sebagainya.

Nota kaki: Saya ada buku ini dalam versi asal Bahasa Inggeris untuk dijual. Masih belum terusik lagi. Berminat boleh mesej ya 😃

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not sure what I was expecting when I wanted to read this book. There was definitely the expectation to know how exactly is it like to be Malay in Malaysia. I did feel curious and excited as well as I could recognise some of the names as politicians such as Dyana Sofya and Zairil Khir Johari. And I suppose it would be interesting to hear from this people on how is it really like to grow up as a Malay as they are all different people and would have different experiences.

But I was still taken aback by many if not all the essays. Some were really written as essays which is easy enough to read. Some were like a dissertation thesis which is difficult to grasp sometimes. Some were like ramblings, which if you take it into context how school essays can be rambly, are very much like essays haha. And some were written more story-like than others that sometimes I forget that I'm not reading a short story. But really they are all stories.

Growing up Malaysian and especially living through this year, I have come to understand that the default is being Malay = being Muslim. And maybe that was what I was looking for in this book is how these people live like that or maybe to debunk things of the Muslim faith with all the absurd things that turn up in our news everyday. Really I'm not sure what is it exactly I was looking for except for a glimpse to understand the majority better.

But this collection was so diverse that in the end besides affirming that while Malays are Muslim, there are other things in life that affect how they grow up to be who they are today. Religion is just one small element of who they are and it's because ultimately they are people. And we all know that everyone is different due to their environment, relationships, and circumstances. And I guess in the end, it matters not what you are really but what you make out of your life.

Also never in my life have I seen a book, in this case The Malay Dilemma, been so heavily and constantly referenced in more than one essay haha. I didn't know that book played a major part in shaping somewhat the Malay community which just goes to show that words are powerful and dangerous. I do however like to think that these authors are not going to just sit back and let someone dictate who they are but set out to live their life on who they strive to be.

PS: A huge thank you to Gerakbudaya for the book in the mail which made my day and stopped me from continue to stare longingly at it every time I pass it at various bookshops

[Fadillah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt relatable reading this book. As the title fits myself, I am young and belong to Malay race. If you were to judge based on the cover, this book can be considered a light reading. For me, it is a light reading but packed with information and facts. From the Article 153 which guarantees Malay Supremacy to the origin of Malay race, it is shared by 9 young writers in their own words, experiences and stories. I, myself was born in Mahathir Era. I looked up to him and he was a strong influence in my life. I read the Malay dilemma and I was impressed by it. Maybe my favoritism towards him blinded me from understanding the fallacy of his arguments especially the justification why there is a special treatments towards my race in the book. It was the year of 2012 which I begin my political awakening. I am utterly disappointed with the current administration and I won't blatantly received all the lies told by them. I'm starting to see the pattern of how racism is being incited by those politicians so that society keeps being divided. Manipulation over religion and race sentiment is the usual plaything in the political scene here. Some may say this book is a bit childish, that some authors shared too much of their childhood story. The upbringing of yourself is how you discover your identity, at least that's how I see it. Are we Malaysian or are we Malay first? which one comes first? Or is it Muslim first? This might seem as simple question but it's not. My parents would want me to say that I am muslim first. I would say I'm malaysian first. However, my answer will be frowned on as they might expect me to say I am Malay first. This is simply thought provoking. All of the 9 writers offered their insight on being a young Malay in Malaysia. 5 stars without a doubt from me and trust me, it's worth reading it.

[Bella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally, think this book is more focused on the urbanised Malays.

[Syahir Hakim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very obviously a political book written to advance political agenda.

If you were looking for critical analysis on racial politics and racial relations in Malaysia, you won't find it in this book. The experiences related to by the authors are uniquely individual. Precisely because of that, it is naive to attempt to inflate those experiences into an all-encompassing framework that describes the aspirations and fears prevalent in the Malay society. The authors were routinely critical of Mahathir for making assumptions and conclusions in The Malay Dilemma based on personal experiences and observations, unsubstantiated by careful examination and analysis of the matter at hand. Yet in this book they do exactly that, presenting what in the end amounts to nothing more than opinions as the gospel truth. Little effort was made to substantiate the conclusions posited in this book.

Having said that, I did enjoy reading most of the essays, and I do share many of the sentiments expressed in the book. Merit should be given for recognising that we have a problem with racial relations in the country, that there are tremendous anxiety and mistrust between the different ethnicities, mostly borne out of non-interaction between the races. We fear what we don't understand, and hopefully by reconigsing that it will be sufficient to motivate many individuals to review the biased and distorted lens with which we've viewed the other races all this while.

[Hazrul Azhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young and Malay is a collection of mostly anecdotal stories of young Malays (no surprise there) recounting their experiences growing up in Malaysia. I picked up this book hoping to get insights on similarities between the Malaysian and Singaporean experience. I would read this book if you're interested to learn about how Mahathir-era policies affected young Malays and how it shaped their worldview. However, as most of the authors are affiliated to the DAP, this book may have some bias. But if you've spent your time growing up listening to UMNO supporting Malays, then this should balance out your opinions of the Malays in Malaysia and also the on the ground realities they grew up with.

[Farhira Farudin · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I went to MPH, I was torn between this book and Love in Penang by FixiNovo. I made the decision to stick with this book and put Love in Penang back on the shelf.
I can't say I don't know what to expect from this book. From its title, I expected interesting and relatable stories about growing up as a Malay in Malaysia.
But what I got was a bunch of essays on their personal experiences which often left me thinking, "Wow, enough with your childhood story already." There were a few essays with misleading title too. There was one, where I expected an essay about what it's like to grow up during Mahathir years, but instead I got an essay on what she did during Hari Raya with her family.
This book was underwhelming and felt flat for me, although there were few stories that are really good, but aren't satisfying enough for me to give it at least three stars.

[Haaziq Zahar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally I finished reading this book entitled Young and Malay - a compilation of stories from various age range and personal experiences. Some of the stories felt like you are reading a thesis with citations to other publications while others seem like those stories you will find on Humans of New York posts. One or two stories can be further tidied up to strengthen the overall message of the book.

It is a must read book, but you have to read it objectively as it touches sensitive issues like dissecting The Malay Dilemma by Tun Mahathir, racial polarisation and Bumiputera matters. Nonetheless, this book managed to spark discussions among my friends on what could have been and what should be done to further improve our beloved country. And that alone made it a worthy reading.

[Aravinthan Rajaandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wondeful collection of essays by young Malay(sian) musicians, artists, pokiticians, qnd activists. A collection which every Malaysian should read.

The essays and the people behind them give me genuine hope for our nation. And these aren't essays of blind optimism. These reflect the intelligent and thoughful discourse taking place even if at times overshadowed in favor of the shouty and sensational.

And rarely for a local book, the essays have references. Highly recommended

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The diversity of voices represented is remarkable (although more essays from kampung-Malays who grew up outside of KL/Penang would've been nice.) Some of the chapters include historical references and footnotes (useful) while others focus on the authors' individual experiences with the punk scene or at a Chinese school. Again: I loved this book.

[Shahmi Fadzli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buku ni agak wow. Menceritakan pelbagai naratif dan persoalan. Bagus untuk kita teladan tentang realiti kita. Apa yang perlu kita buat adalah untuk kita bersama sama bangkit untuk negara kita ini