Malaysian Journey

A brief summary on Rehman Rashid's book  

“A Malaysian Journey” is Rehman Rashid’s first book completed in Malaysia, his motherland.  His book was rejected by many publisher because of the content written and his only choice left was to self-publish it in 1993. This book was about post world word two when Malaysia was a newly independent country after being colonized by the British. It all starts from stepping in Malaysia after years at Padang Besar railway station. He talks to anyone when he is on his way from one place to the other about Malaysia. He wants to wander around, see the place again, talk to people and see how his homeland is these days. For instant, he met Apu Murugiah, a signalman with Malayan railway station says he think Malaysia is consider not bad compare with Thailand. After going back to his hometown which is his grandmother’s place, he went to Ulu Yam Baru, a village with 85% of Chinese. The new village of the small town had remain characterized by a peculiar compactness. 

Furthermore, the creation of Malaysia nearly had a war with Philippines and Indonesia. What set them apart was the problem on religion between Islam and Christianity. Somehow, Malaya should have been the Philippines; and Sabah and Sarawak would have been the Indonesia. 

Besides, Rehman also mention how Dr Mahathir change the country when he was the prime minister and about the effects on economic policy that favours Malays over the other ethnic groups on Malaysia. However, New Economic Policy was said as the positive discrimination set towards the non-malays. Not only that, his context on press freedom, politicising of Islam in chapter five about Tunku Abdul Rahman not noticing the growth of disaffection of the Malays and the widening alienation of the Chinese and many others were the hot topics. Lastly, he received the advantage of a personal spiritual journey, a travelogue and also political commentary.