Malaysian American Books

I've read (and own) all of Hilary Tham's books. Most of them are volumes of poetry, wise, lucid, direct, witty poems. In her poems, Hilary is a great story teller, so it should be no surprise that her first prose work, a memoire, is moving and rich. The material of her life is, in itself, intriguing: She's Chinese, but raised as part of a Chinese minority in Malaysia, married an American Peace Corp. member, converted to his faith and became active in her synagogue in the U.S. Besides her Chinese background (with its stew of Confusianism, Buddhism and Taoism) and her Judaism, she was educated in a Catholic school -- she "covers" a hell of a lot of culture. But apart from the interest of her unusual background, she has wry charm, humor, truthfulness, common sense and a warm, friendly presence in her work.

This book is a work to savor, rich with stories, lore, wisdom, e.g., the tale of Grand-Uncle Three and his coffin, the man who put rat's meat in egg noodle soup (ugh!), the description of Ms. Tham's bossy paternal grandmother, the author's coming to terms with the death of her younger sister (Jadegreen Plumblossom) and father, and so much more. I wasn't left at a distance by the fact that the memoirs are about a girl growing up (i.e., would there be something that I as a male could relate to there?) because Ms. Tham captured so much that is universal. If she or the book were more akin to the Princess Nohran or Fadzillah whom she described in it (Ms. Tham was, at one point when she lived in Malaysia, a tutor in English and Mathematics to princesses in a royal family), i.e., bubbling over with fascination regarding the merits of Revlon versus Elizabeth Arden skin-care cosmetics, that would have been a turn-off. But not the beautiful rendering of the past that deals with family, love, marriage, death, mythology, and art that is in evidence throughout the memoirs.

This book is a work to savor, rich with stories, lore, wisdom, e.g., the tale of Grand-Uncle Three and his coffin, the man who put rat's meat in egg noodle soup (ugh!), the description of Ms. Tham's bossy paternal grandmother, the author's coming to terms with the death of her younger sister (Jadegreen Plumblossom) and father, and so much more. I wasn't left at a distance by the fact that the memoirs are about a girl growing up (i.e., would there be something that I as a male could relate to there?) because Ms. Tham captured so much that is universal. If she or the book were more akin to the Princess Nohran or Fadzillah whom she described in it (Ms. Tham was, at one point when she lived in Malaysia, a tutor in English and Mathematics to princesses in a royal family), i.e., bubbling over with fascination regarding the merits of Revlon versus Elizabeth Arden skin-care cosmetics, that would have been a turn-off. But not the beautiful rendering of the past that deals with family, love, marriage, death, mythology, and art that is in evidence throughout the memoirs.

Similarity in Diversity is a journey of exchange scholars from Malaysia to USA and vice-versa for their academic pursuit that revises their perceptions, definitions and biases about the host country, people and for themselves.

The personal essays presented in this collection are interesting, shocking, and unforgettable. Anyone, who is interested to Study in USA or going to Malaysia, should read this book. This anthology provides a rare perspective of observing the country from student's point of view to learn, share and make the connections we need to have a better world for our generations.

These essays do not necessarily project a representative picture either of Malaysia or the USA, however, they adroitly bring forward amazing sketches which would interest anyone who is concerned with people, cultures, and diversity.

The Indonesian Confrontation against Malaysia represents a challenging case study for scholars, historians and political scientists because it takes place at a time when the conduct of international relations was influenced by ideas and interests which may seem alien today. It is hard, for instance, to separate Sukarno's genuine fears of neocolonial encirclement from his desire to exaggerate external threats in order to justify his "Crush Malaysia" campaign, and to separate the internal dynamics of a regional conflict from the broader antagonisms of the Cold War. This book fills in an important gap in the literature by chronicling the conflict from the standpoint of the Western countries, who are the "Nekolim" so feared by Sukarno. It offers important historical lessons about the potential and limits of overlapping multilateral security arrangements (Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement, ANZUS agreements, Commonwealth, SEATO etc) in guaranteeing peace and security. The extensive network of alliances could act as a deterrent to aggressors, yet once deterrence fails (which it has and very well might again), the next development is always one of two evils: conflicts become escalated and involve many players, or someone must renege on a security obligation. The U.S., for instance, had distanced itself from its SEATO and ANZUS commitments for fear of being embroiled in the Konfrontasi crisis. This book describes diplomatic developments between the Western countries in useful detail. J.A.C. Mackie's "Konfrontasi" is still the best book on the subject from the M'sian and Indonesian angle. Djiwandono's "Konfrontasi Revisited" offers a view from the other side of the fence i.e. relations between Indonesia and the Soviet Union (as well as China).