Finding Malaysia: Making Sense Of An Eccentric Nation

by Zairil Khir Johari

Zairil Khir Johari offers a quick-witted and focused reflection on some of the most pressing and contentious issues of the day. At the heart of the matter is the bane of Malaysian politics – the ethnic question – from which he explores a range of high profile issues: identity, secularism, federalism and education.

Genres: Politics

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frequently insightful (I especially appreciated the historical contexts provided), but the pieces sometimes suffered from reductionist conclusions and over-idealistic/superficial calls for change.

[Aimran Sarhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Malaysia offers a contemporary analysis of current Malaysian issues, from the perspective of an up and rising politician. Zairil Khir Johari details his insights with various international comparisons. From the author's characterisation of Germany's political institutions in "A Germany Lesson for Malaysia" to his anecdotal remarks from his trip to the Middle East in "Lessons on democracy from the Middle East", Zairil Khir Johari creates a vision for Malaysian politics from mere idealistic thoughts.

The collection of essays touches upon issues on all aspects of Malaysian politics. From everyday issues regarding national educational and economic policies, towards more sensitive and controversial issues encompassing religion and ethnic politics, this book will be sure to offer the reader a unique outlook on the status quo of politics in Malaysia.