KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed deep sadness over the passing of James C. Scott, a distinguished professor at Yale University.
In a Facebook post, Anwar said that Scott, a political scientist and specialist of Southeast Asia, was known for his exceptional contributions to political science and anthropology, especially concerning Southeast Asia.
Anwar said Scott's seminal 1985 work, 'Weapons of the Weak' based on two years of meticulous field research in a Kedah village, had always resonated with him, recalling his own activism for the rural folk in Kedah in the 1970s.
"Despite writing many other books, 'Weapons of the Weak' remained his crowning achievement. Scott himself acknowledged, 'It was the hardest thing I had ever done. Weapons of the Weak has more of my blood, sweat and tears in it than anything else.'"
"It is imperative that we continue to champion Southeast Asian studies and foster future scholars like Scott, deepening our understanding of our societies, for indeed self-knowledge is essential for our progress as nations and as a region," he said.
Scott, 87, died on July 19.