THE MALAY DILEMMA

• Main Author: Mahathir Mohamad Tun 1925- (Author)
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore TIMES BOOKS INTERNATIONAL 1970
• Subjects: Malays (Asian people); Malaysia > Race relations
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.
• Physical Description: vi, 188 pages illustrations 22 cm
• ISBN: 9812043551

Not all historians will agree with Dr. Mahathir's interpretation of events, historic and recent, in Malaysia and Singapore. This is certain to be a controversial book, and assuredly the author will be called upon to defend many of his statements and claims, indeed even perhaps the accuracy of his historical and biological data. This is not an objective book. Nevertheless it is published because this is what an educated, modern, progressive Malay thinks and believes.These are his reactions to the problems of the day, the pressing problem that beset Malaysia. This is how a politically-inclined Malay understands the past, explains the behaviour of his own people and the behaviour of "immigrants",and the foresees the future. In the past, it has often been difficult to know just what a Malay thinks. As Tun has explained, Malays tend to shield friends-enemies-from embarrassment, and as a result, often conceal their true thoughts. Here, for the first time, a Malays has produced a book-lenght argument told with stark frankness. Tun has examined and analysed the make-up of Malay, his heredity, his way of life, his religion. He has revealed all. He believes this is necessary not only to encourage Malays to know themselves, but also so that the non-Malays can all better understand the Malay's reactions to the problem of the day.