Can Mak Yong survive another decade? April 14, 2021 – Posted in: In The News

A. Kathirasen “But we Malaysians are different. We want the name and the prestige, but when it comes to action we turn into stone. The only thing left for Mak Yong, it appears, is to die out.” Mak Yong was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in 2005. The recognition followed the submission of a paper on the traditional Malay…

Berthel Michael Iversen: architect May 13, 2020 – Posted in: In The News

Quick facts Intro Architect Was Architect Type Engineering Gender Male Birth 1 January 1906 Death 1 January 1976 (aged 70 years) The details Biography Berthel Michael Iversen (1906–76) aka B.M. Iversen, was a Danish architect active in Malaysia, and the founder of Iversen, van Sitteren & Partners. Most of his works were in Malaya (now Malaysia) and Singapore. He designed a large number of buildings in his Malayan home town, Ipoh. He eventually had offices in…

This is KL’s real founder July 5, 2018 – Posted in: In The News

So says Abdur-Razzaq Lubis in his new book on the entrepreneur Sutan Puasa. SOME authors have a long list of things they would like their readers to take away from their book. Not this man. Independent scholar and author Abdur-Razzaq Lubis is quick with his answer when asked what he wants to get across in his book: that Sutan Puasa is the founder of Kuala Lumpur. Period. “With this project, I wanted to set the…

Finding Arina June 11, 2018 – Posted in: Reviews

I was honoured to launch her first book, Paracosm, on Saturday, 6 May 2017, at the University of Malaya. I have nothing but praises for the 17-year-old Puteri Fateh Arina Merican Megat Suffian Merican, or Arina. She is indeed an extraordinary girl, extremely talented and ferociously opinionated. She is one of the most creative young minds in literature I have come across in recent memory. In my speech, I said that she has “a sophisticated,…

Reclaiming Nature and the Planet for All May 28, 2018 – Posted in: Reviews

Sustainable development has for some time animated discussions on growth, development and the future of the mankind in many quarters. Yet, for all its thrust and parry it has received little attention in policy formulations. The stranglehold of neo-liberal economics and their protagonists is too strong within the corridors of power for alternative arguments to find space outside seminar halls. M Nadarajah shifts the focus of alter-native thinking—from sustainable development to sustainable cultures of living…

Traditional Wisdom – Posted in: Reviews

“Scholars and researchers have documented how traditional societies have managed their natural resources through their cultural practices. Many have now advocated the application of traditional wisdom in the area of natural resources management, conserving bio-diversity and thereby address the issue of sustainable development. “Living Pathways”, has contributed to the present reservoir of knowledge in a simple, lucid way, with associated photographs and rich references.” D.K Budokoti Development Consultant (India) http://www.ghughuti.org/ This review first appeared in…

Living Pathways: A Cosmology of the Possible – Posted in: Reviews

In recent times, the search for sustainability has become imperative for the survival of human beings and other species. Why? Nadarajah’s book offers deep insights worth engaging with at both personal and political levels, as he offers an orientation from the point of view of socially-engaged spirituality, staying away from the business-as-usual models of sustainable development. It made me reflect. Homo sapiens have been blessed with everything in abundance in nature by the Creator to…

There is No Better Time for This Book – Posted in: Reviews

After reading Living Pathways, my first response was “This book should be placed in the hands of every head of state around the world.” Clearly, deeply and beautifully, M. Nadarajah brings us face-to-face with of the most pressing global issue of our time: the urgent need to take responsibility for the precious resource belonging to all of us, our Mother Earth. I love how Nat takes us on his path, as he talks with villagers, academics, elders, and politicians.…

Rarely Writings Combine the Spirit and the Body – Posted in: Reviews

The first thing that struck me about this book, when it came to me for a review, is its visual appeal. It is layered with photographs and graphics which have, not so obvious, resonance with the themes and textual content of the book. It is pleasure to leaf through a book which has an excellent layout and design; a rarity I think for books engaging with a thought provoking issue of where humanity is headed.…

Living landscapes connected communities: Culture, environment, and change across Asia May 24, 2018 – Posted in: Reviews

This reference details the collaborative activities of the Regional Project implemented by the Nippon Foundation Fellowships for Asian Public Intellectuals, or API Fellowships Program (API). The API project was designed to foster greater awareness of their neighbours amongst public intellectuals and to encourage collaboration to address common problems across the region. Between 2008 and 2012, groups of APIs visited five sites, each in a different country, to study, document and reflect on the role of…

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