An Idea Away: The Humanist Politics of A. Samad Ismail by Muhammad Ilyia Kamsani is a thoughtful, academically informed exploration of one of Southeast Asia’s most influential Malay journalists and public intellectuals. The book presents A. Samad Ismail not simply as a media figure but as a humanist thinker whose politics were deeply rooted in ideas of social justice, equality, and inclusive humanity.
Published in 2025 by the Strategic Information and Research Development Centre (SIRD) as part of the Malay-Indonesian World Series, the book spans about 135 pages and includes a Foreword, six substantive chapters, an appendix, and a bibliography.
The narrative structure of the book takes readers through Samad Ismail’s ideological evolution, focusing less on chronology and more on the ideas that animated his life and work. Rather than a mere biography, the book positions his life as a case study in engaged intellectual practice and how a public thinker can use journalism, literature, and political engagement to imagine and advocate for a better, more just society.
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“The nexus between literature, politics and journalism is rarely discussed in the public domain though it has been critical towards nation building efforts in the Malay world. This book is a breakthrough, and hopefully many more scholars will come forward to reflect on this subject.”
Norshahril Saat
ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute
“This book is not a nostalgic tribute. It is an urgent reminder that the fight for freedom demands both courage and conscience. Through critical readings of Samad’s journalism, fiction, and activism, Ilyia shows how Samad’s humanistic politics were not shaped by ideology, but by a relentless belief in equality, multiculturism, and dignity for all.”
Okky Madasari
Novelist & Sociologist
“Ilyia treats Abdul Samad Ismail’s writings as evidence of his efforts to liberate Malaya from Britain, but equally the Malays from themselves, their lethargy, their slow-paced dance to the tune of modernity. Ilyia alludes that the humanising influence of literature on a society is one that teaches people to see how they are being treated as coolies in the rubber plantations and the tin mines, and to clamour for change.”
Zakaria Ali
Writer, Artist & Academic
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