Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Who were the leaders of the 1970s student movement in Msia?

Here is one of them, Hishamuddin Rais, who has been called the Che Guevara of the student movement in Malaysia. He now writes for miscellaneous newspapers, has a column in Off the Edge magazine and Malaysiakini news portal, and also speaks at certain public forums. He even dabbles in art and film.

And of course, most famously, he has been detained under ISA. Read about it here.

You can read about his personal life in The Star and you will find out that even though he is a Muslim, he has a dog and leads a very simple life, still holding fast to his ideals. You will also find some of his thoughts about the student movement here.

You can read his many essays/articles in this website, Rice Cooker.

And thanks to Jeannie's research online, you can also hear him pontificate about Negarakuku on YouTube here. This is classic Hisham in action--passionate, fiery, provocative. You begin to understand how he could have been such a potent force in the 1970s.

You must be wondering why I am posting all of this... well, all will be revealed soon :-)

Meanwhile, enjoy the read and you have to wonder, as I did, why there is really so little on the web about student movements in Malaysia. It is as if there has been a systematic effort to erase this history from our past.

14 comments:

KahJoon said...

carmen, u should meet us up with this kind of ppl lah..would be nice to have a chat and discussion with him. share his insights and knowledge.

jemufo said...

kj, hishamuddin rais has actually been teaching a philosophy class at central market annexe every wednesday, for free, and anyone can go. I'm not sure if it's still happening, but if you're interested I can check for ya.

Mc Chaoz said...

Do not speak the truth. Or else your will be in ISA. Actually what is the purpose if ISA? I really dont know. Why do they arrest a person under ISA for just telling or doing something good.

Carmen N said...

Hisham is away in Japan, YX. Will only be back in Dec or after so his classes have been cancelled lah. But thanks for the offer! :-)

Carmen N said...

Some other links about student activism in Msia:

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/jul2001/mal-j25.shtml

http://web.utm.my/today/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=280&Itemid=62

And to answer Sharwin, what is ISA and why have it? Well, you have to come see me and borrow a very comprehensive book ALL about the ISA... if anyone wants to borrow, please sms me. Thanks.

jemufo said...

he is? but I just saw him recently! oh well.

Carmen N said...

He just left lah... less than a week ago...

Gilgamesh said...

Hmmm... I don't understand... It's so sad and.. Ok lar.. Pretty depressing and pathetic (Well, on my part!) because we don't know so much on our history on the country.. Y is that? Haih.. It's not like we don't have enough from the history books but like Amy said, "Why haven't we heard of Hartal from the books anyway?" and then so many things about our country that we're (I mean me!) so ignorant about lar... Like where Negaraku came from, or whatever changes Mahathir did to Negaraku or something like that...
I read the articles on the blog posted by Dr. C. I'm very, very... (Speechless!) cos HR is such a radical (I like Radical!), futuristic, and focused on his thoughts, ideas and works. Amazing guy right?
All those things that he said on the articles, YouTube video, and his past demonstrations were extremely insightful or maybe I just don't know enough? (Giggles)...
Oh, then he mentioned something on the video on reconstructing the M'sian flag, anthem and the Independence day right? If change now, will it really affect the ppl? Not really right? Then if we don't change now, what happens now, in the future will it be just a memory? Will we even care then or maybe we'll just care-less?
Then he also asked a lot of Q's on y can't we talk about stuff on religion, racial thingys and what-not right? Haih.. The Gov claimed we're a democratic society but the sad part is that the Gov. gives or rather says we have 100% rights but later gives out orders that we can't 'berhimpun' if got so and so amount of ppl, then can't say sensitive stuff also in public... I think that's crap! If like that then don't tell us that we were given all the rights in the world but then we can't do this, we can't do that lar! So contradicting lar...
Oh.. I was wondering... Where did he get all the passion and energy to do all this? I mean where?! (Really!) He knows a lot of stuff and of course I guess Dr. C, you're gonna say, "Read more books!" cos that's what he does a lot right? What kind of books does he read? Can we get it?
K lar... I can't write much dy... My bro said I should tone down, getting a little emo, that's what he say lar... Hahahahaha...

Carmen N said...

Yes, M, it is true... he did read a lot and he still reads a lot. I have heard that he sometimes sits in front of the computer for 15-20 hours reading the news from all over the world. Internet news is usually diverse and not censored so, that is where he gets his info from these days.

I am sure he also reads regular books but as to what these may be, you will have to ask him when he gets back from Japan.

But more than just read, he also PARTICIPATED in the movement and EXPERIENCED it. This means he mixed around with different people, unlike himself and he learned things from others too. Remember what I told you in my final lecture? The tips to becoming a good critter? Well, Hisham mastered that a LONG time ago.

So, learning from books and learning from experience and from other people. A perfect combo. And I don't mean talking to certain people who think like you. It is also important to talk to people who are totally unlike you, people who are poor, disenfranchised, down on their luck, people who have no voice in the media, people who are in the media, ordinary people as well as radicals. :-)

Think about it this way... you cannot read all the books in the world but if you talk to a lot of people WHO ALSO READ, then you can learn about what they read through osmosis. Hahahha. That's what I do!

Start preparing your questions for Hisham. He will be more than happy to answer them :-)

KahJoon said...

mich, u noe what..reading books and going around mixing & mingling with people is the best. u'll learn and experience alot of things.

wow, he reads news for 15-20 hours..i just spend 4-5 hours nia..sigh..pale in comparison..

Gilgamesh said...

I guess reading a lot helps me but about mixing around with ppl... Hmmm... Well, unfortunately I don't who r the ppl that I should talk to in the first place...
My networking with intellectual ppl is pretty limited... Unless u consider talking to retired lawyers and high ranking civil officers (Also retired!) intellectual lar... Hahaha.. Just KK....
Yeah, and like JK said... It would be great if Dr. C could meet us up with HR some time in the future... Can't wait to meet the man lar.. He's so cute! Especially in that You Tube video... Hahahaha..

KahJoon said...

yeah, those ppl can be considered intellectuals..it depends on what u engage them in lah..if u dont engage them in philosophy i think its a waste..er philosophy as in way of thinking, why they think that way and sorts la..

Gilgamesh said...

You know... To 'engage someone in something' means to involve or occupy that someone in it...

That means I have to read a lot about him, find out and understand what is his stand on issues, right?

I think if I were to go online and search stuff it wouldn't suffice, no? Hahahaha...

In the mean time, I go read up some other related articles first... Thx for the info KJ! :)

P.S. : I didn't know my style of writing is so predictable! Hahaha..

KahJoon said...

actually u dont really need to do background research on the person. when u're talking with intellectuals, slowly probe their mind and thoughts. ask questions that might give u hints about the person. then try to engage. from there you could gauge what the person is good at. ppl like them like to share to knowledge so they are more than pleased to talk to you if u ask them the right questions..

what are right questions? err that 1 i cannot help you much. i guess u have to do more reading to know for yourself. usually i think over thoroughly what i wan to ask or say when i'm talking to intellectuals. thats my style lah, i dont know bout others..