SOMBRE news about the passing of Emeritus Professor Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim flashes on the screen of my phone. I just can’t believe my eyes and the revelation strikes deep. The widely respected national historian has died of lung failure at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre. He was 82.
Sitting in my study, I glance towards the shelves overflowing with books. By rough count, it’s apparent that quite a substantial amount of space is taken up by books and insightful articles written by Khoo. Among those that have proven most useful to my work over the years are his publications in various respected periodicals like the highly respected Journal Of The Malaysian Branch Of The Royal Asiatic Society (JMBRAS).
Born to a Peranakan family in 1937, Khoo spent his early days indulging in sports, especially football, before choosing to lead a scholarly life by enrolling in Universiti Malaya. There, the Kampar lad dedicated time and energy to his pet subject — history.
Through sheer determination and hard work, Khoo rose above his peers and eventually made a name for himself as a highly acclaimed history professor who inspired others by giving voice to great stories related to the growth and development of our nation.
Among the academician's countless works in English and Malay, the well-thumbed copies of The Western Malay States 1850-1873 and Malay Society: Transformation & Democratisation, on a nearby shelf, are my all-time favourites.
IMPORTANT WORKS
The former, The Western Malay States 1850-1873 published in 1972, details important and complex events that occurred in the Malay Peninsula during the third-quarter of the 19th century. Khoo felt these incidences weren’t dealt with in sufficient detail by past historians and felt compelled to put pen to paper, adding details that have since proven crucial to students of Malayan history.
At the same time, Malay Society: Transformation & Democratisation is a stimulating and discerning study on the evolution of the Malay society through the passage of time. Beginning with the Melaka Sultanate, Khoo proceeds to the later part of the 19th century which marked the end of Malay maritime tradition when the British gained absolute control over the Melaka Straits.
Although the first part of the 20th century left the Malays out of mainstream development, the book highlights how Malay radicals who were products of religious and vernacular schools began making their presence felt immediately before and after the Second World War.
Although the reformers failed in their endeavours, Khoo felt that this potent force had done its job by helping to free the Malay mind from the tentacles of feudal bondage. Through them, the people were empowered with a growing sense of political awareness and spirit of national consciousness.
Inspired by Khoo's literary achievements, I decide to spend the rest of the afternoon looking at my collection with a fresh set of eyes and seek out other distinguished historians who have also contributed extensively towards the advancement of their chosen field of study.
A rather long list of names finds their way onto my notepad after an enjoyable two-hour long quest. Although each and every one of these great history scholars have left important impressions on us, there are, in my opinion, three local personalities in the list that mirror the likes of Khoo and, together with him, stand head and shoulders above the rest of their illustrious peers.
While perusing the chosen works in detail, I harbour hope that our current group of history scholars can step up to the plate and fill the void left by Khoo and, in the process, help propel research on our country’s past to even greater heights.
ACCIDENTAL HISTORIAN
Buyong Adil was born Mohd Yusuf Adil on Jan 27, 1907. The apple of his parents' eye, he was given the affectionate nickname Buyong; it eventually stuck with him for the rest of his life. Hailing from Teluk Anson (now Teluk Intan) in Perak, Buyong began his early education at Sekolah Melayu Teluk Anson in 1918 before moving to Sultan Idris Training College (SITC) in Tanjung Malim six years later.
Buyong came out tops in his exams and opted to remain in SITC as a lecturer upon graduation. He became an accidental historian when he was asked to write on history after the subject teacher was transferred to Kelantan. By 1939, two of his first books, Sejarah Alam Melayu Penggal IV and Sejarah Melayu V, were published.
During the Second World War, Buyong’s superiors sent him to the Tokyo Shihan Gakko in Kajang to undergo training courses that emphasised on Japanese culture and language. After the war, Buyong became actively involved in the Perak Malay Coalition, a political party that encouraged anti-colonisation and nationalism. In an effort to curb his activities, the British sent Buyong to Singapore in 1950 to head a radio station that broadcast to Malay schools in 1950.
While in Singapore, Buyong took on the role of advisor in the filming of Hang Tuah, P. Ramlee's first movie that was shot in colour. He was responsible for ensuring that the period props and attire resembled those used during the Melaka Sultanate.
VALUABLE COLLECTION
After retiring from the Singapore Institute of Language and Culture in 1962, Buyong revisited his passion to write history. Within eight years, before moving to Kuala Lumpur to work at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), he published four books, Sejarah Johor, Sejarah Selangor, Sejarah Perak and Sejarah Pahang.
As a history researcher at DBP, Buyong had easy access to materials needed to further his writings. Encouraged, he successfully completed the remaining eight books that made up the set that covered all the states in Malaysia.
Buyong’s work was well received by the public thanks to his extensive research and reader-friendly writing style. He also infused elements of humour and nationalistic sentiments to make his work interesting and eliminate the widely held misconception that history was boring. Today, a complete set of these books can cost up to several thousand ringgit.
Buyong passed away at the age of 69 just when our nation was celebrating its 19th independence anniversary on Aug 31, 1976. In honour of his enormous contributions, a decision was made to rename the Tapah Government English Secondary School as Sekolah Menengah Buyong Adil in 1977.
ALL-ROUND KEDAH HISTORIAN
Datuk James Frederick Augustin was born in Penang on Sept 13, 1898. He received his early education at the Taiping Convent and King Edward VII School Taiping before furthering his studies at St Xavier's Institution, Penang. Like Buyong, James chose to remain at his alma mater upon graduation and took up a two-year teaching position.
In 1917, he left Penang and moved north to Kedah after accepting an offer to teach at Alor Star's Government English School which was later renamed Sultan Abdul Hamid College (SAHC). Through sheer dedication and hard work, James rose up the hierarchy and became headmaster until the outbreak of the Second World War and subsequent Japanese Occupation.
During the war years, he lived in quiet seclusion as manager of the Jabi Rubber Estate, one of the few establishments of its kind that was allowed to operate by the Japanese-controlled Kedah government. The return of the British in September 1945 saw James tasked with the reorganisation and reopening of SAHC when he resumed duties as headmaster.
Among his more famous students were Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Tunku Abdul Malik, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former Education Minister Tan Sri Mohamed Khir Johari, former Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Syed Nahar Shahabudin and former Penang Governor Tun Syed Sheh Barakhbah.
In recognition of his exemplary service, James was asked to help improve Sungai Petani's Ibrahim School (now Sekolah Menengah Ibrahim) by serving as headmaster for seven years until his retirement in 1953.
SERVICE TO SOCIETY
A year later, James was back in public service as a member of the Federal Legislative Council representing the Eurasian community. In recognition of his services, he was rewarded with decorations like the Accession Medal (1943), Kedah Long Service Star (1953), Queen Elizabeth Coronation Medal (1953), Kedah Meritorious Service Medal (1956) and Sultan Abdul Halim Installation Medal (1961).
Being a devout Catholic who was active in social and church work, James was appointed by then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman as the Malayan government's special representative to Pope John XXIII's coronation and later, his funeral in 1958 as well as Pope Paul VI's coronation five years later.
James’s services to the Catholic Church earned him the Bene Merenti Medal (1953) and a Papal knighthood in 1959 where he was made Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Sylvester.
Despite his busy public service schedule, James found time to serve as an active Malayan Historical Society member and make literary contributions on history to local newspapers including the Straits Times as well as produce quite a number of historical publications. Among the many, his Bygone Kedah has proven to be an indispensable book for readers interested in the northern Malaysian state's interesting past.
James’s 48-year educational career reached its culmination when he was made Kedah Tokoh Guru in 1979 and Malaysian Tokoh Guru the following year. Five years later, on Oct 16, 1985, James passed away peacefully at the ripe old age of 87.
SOCIAL HISTORY PIONEER
Born in Klang, Selangor in 1939, Professor Cheah Boon Kheng began his working life as a journalist in 1956. Cheah benefitted immensely from the time spent at the various branch offices of the Straits Times as it exposed and familiarised him with the rigours of research and investigation which weren’t unlike the skills demanded in the discipline of history.
Taking a brief sabbatical from the world of journalism, Cheah read History and English literature at Universiti Malaya before graduating with honours in 1969. For nearly four years after that, he straddled the twin worlds of journalism and academia. His time was shared between the Straits Times office and Universiti Malaya's History Department where he worked as a tutor.
Time at the university sparked an unquenchable thirst for history, prompting Cheah to realise that he was more suited to be an academician rather than journalist. After obtaining his Master of Arts in 1974, Cheah pursued his doctoral studies in Southeast Asian History at the Australian National University.
In 1979, he returned home to lecture history at Universiti Sains Malaysia's School of Humanities. He subsequently became associate professor in 1984 and professor in 1990. An acknowledged specialist of the Japanese occupation era as well as the Malayan Communist Party, Cheah contributed scores of articles to numerous highly regarded journals such as the Journal of Southeast Asian Studies and the JMBRAS.
A member of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (MBRAS) since 1976, Cheah served as JMBRAS Honorary Editor and played a role in the publication of several key monographs. In 1991, he became one of the vice presidents of the MBRAS.
Not one to be tied down by mainstream styles, Cheah introduced a refreshing trend in Malaysian historiography by exploring lesser utilised research styles to ensure a balanced understanding of our national history.
ORAL HISTORY PIONEER
Cheah became one of the prime movers of the university's oral history project and lent support to efforts collecting information related to the Japanese occupation era from people living in northern Peninsular Malaysia.
His novel approach towards social history resulted in my all-time favourites, The Peasant Robbers of Kedah, 1900-1929: Historical And Folk Perceptions published in 1988. Drawing strength from innumerable interviews with villagers living in and around the Malaysian-Thailand border, Cheah's publication made sure that the colourful tales related to social banditry and rural crime of the past were added into the pages of Malaysian history.
His fluency in both Malay and Jawi gave Cheah the upper hand in studying ancient texts like the Sejarah Melayu as well as various Hikayats in their unadulterated form. This gave rise to interest in court intrigues especially those related to the role of women in palace politics and the intricate concept of feudalism in Malay society.
These academic achievements led Cheah to numerous academic appointments including Visiting Fulbright Research Fellow at Yale University (May 1984-January 1985) and Visiting Lecturer at the Asian History Centre Faculty of Asian Studies at the Australian National University (July-November 1998). After retiring in 1994, he became Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore for a year.
On July 27, 2015, Cheah passed away after a year-long battle with cancer. His passing, just like other historians before him, was a great loss to Malaysia's academic fraternity as well as the international scholarly world.