09 Oct 2016: Ikat Limar October 13, 2016 – Posted in: Newsletters

Traditional Malay arts and crafts can be classified according to the techniques employed and the different materials used in their production. Two popular forms include Ikat Limar and Ukiran Kayu Melayu Tradisi, or textile weaving and wood crafting, and they are the subjects of our featured books this week: Ikat Limar – The Ancient Malay Textile and Ukiran Kayu Melayu Tradisi. Although weavers in the northeast part of West Malaysia still use traditional looms to weave textiles,…

02 Oct 2016: The Chettiar Role in Malaysia’s Economic History – Posted in: Newsletters

This meticulously researched book represents a noteworthy contribution to our understanding of the ’subaltern’ economy of Malaysia during the colonial period and to our appreciation of the changing role of the Chettiar in modern times. ‒ Barbara Watson Andaya, Professor of Asian Studies, University of Hawai’i Our featured book, The Chettiar Role in Malaysia’s Economic History, provides a fascinating study on how, since the formation of the Federated Malay States in 1896 until independence, the Chettiars…

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03 Sep 2016: Panicrama September 5, 2016 – Posted in: Newsletters

Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary. – Cecil Beaton, photographer Sublime photography rarely needs to conform to a specific style or genre, being able to transcend traditional concepts or categorisation, and they can run the gamut from abstract to documentary, from surrealism to realism and anything in between. Very little else stirs…

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27 Aug 2016: Masjid – Selected Mosques and Musollas in Malaysia – Posted in: Newsletters

He who builds a masjid in the way of Allah, God will build a house for him in paradise. – Sahih Muslim Continuing from the theme of ATSA Architects’s previous publications, this week’s featured book is a straightforward monograph featuring a collection of Malaysian mosques – from the earliest, the Kampung Laut Mosque, built in 1676 in Kelantan to the latest, the Raja Haji Fisabilillah Mosque in Cyberjaya. The proposed number of mosques to be…

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20 Aug 2016: Penang Hokkien-English Dictionary – Posted in: Newsletters

There are over 6,500 languages in the world and almost half are in danger of extinction. – The Star, 7 Aug 2016 Although it is unlikely for someone to completely forget his or her native tongue, languages do become endangered or extinct due to underuse or because they have few surviving speakers. Examples include the Pawnee and Sherpa languages of North America and India. Another language that is headed for the critical list is Penang Hokkien,…

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13 Aug 2016: Province Wellesley, A Pictorial History – Posted in: Newsletters

Words and pictures are the only things that last forever; they are more durable than the eternal hills. Beneath the deceptively prosaic and unadorned title lies a time capsule containing many things vital to the history of Penang. At long last, Province Wellesley’s rich historical legacy has been ‘unearthed’ and documented for appreciation and studies by present and future generations, in the newly published Sejarah Bergambar Seberang Perai. This much anticipated publication more than lives up to the oft-used phrase that a picture…

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30 July 2016: The Memories of Dr. Wu Lien-teh – Plague Fighter – Posted in: Newsletters

Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow For as long as anyone can remember, the history of medicine has enthralled and inspired many with stories about its heroes, their work, their achievements and failures, and their sacrifices and courage. Some personalities may appear a little less prominent than others, but their contributions to the…

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16 July 2016: The Peasant Robbers of Kedah – Posted in: Newsletters

Stories of bandits and their legends have an endless fascination for many people all over the world. Bandits are seen as romantic figures, or as free spirits leading adventurous lives. They are the subjects of songs, poetry, paintings and films. – Cheah Boon Kheng Our book-of-the week, Cheah Boon Kheng’s The Peasant Robbers of Kedah 1900-1929: Historical & Folk Perceptions is a fascinating account of banditry and the society where it ﬂourished. It all began…

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09 July 2016: The Memoirs and Memorials of Jacques de Coutre July 11, 2016 – Posted in: Newsletters

Scholars and teachers will welcome this translation of the travels of Jacques de Coutre in Southeast Asia in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Informative and entertaining…richly illustrated and extensively annotated, it will be a valuable resource not merely for specialists, but for all those anxious to bring the past to life in the classroom. – Barbara Andaya, University of Hawaii Jacques de Coutre was a Flemish gem trader who spent nearly a decade…

02 July 2016: Limbang Rebellion – Posted in: Newsletters

Limbang Rebellion is a great story, beautifully told. The events drew remarkable qualities of bravery, devotion to duty, friendship and loyalty and saw acts of both individual and collective courage and heroism. The book highlights true heroes such as police personnel and ordinary people who did extraordinary things to protect and save others in grave danger. Limbang Rebellion: 7 Days in December 1962 is the stuff of high drama. Charged with intrigue, heroism, courage, suspense,…

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