Anwar calls for deeper appreciation of Asian history, free from colonial narratives
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for a deeper appreciation of Asian history that moves beyond colonial narratives, citing Tipu Sultan of Mysore, an Indian ruler who fought against the British East India Company as a model of courage, learning and tolerance.
He said that the contributions of Tipu Sultan and his father Haider Ali, as defenders against British colonial expansion, exemplified the importance of understanding history from the perspective of local and regional leaders rather than solely from Western accounts.
"History is not necessarily very kind, one of our scholars Syed Hussein Alatas emphasised the need to reconstruct history because history cannot be written only by the winners or from the perspective of the colonial rulers," he said during the launch of the "More Than A Day As A Tiger" exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, here on Tuesday (Aug 5) night.
Also present were the Prime Minister's wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail; Albukhary Foundation chairman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary; Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai and his spouse, as well as representatives from embassies and consulates.
Anwar noted that Malaysian history, like that of many others, is often written from the perspective of the British, essentially reflecting Western colonial rule.
"Of course, there have been lots of academic accounts, including by Edward Said on Orientalism, but the manner, the whole discipline of history, culture and society is being dictated by certain Western viewpoints," he said.
Anwar also shared his personal experience visiting Mysore before taking office, recalling his admiration for Tipu Sultan's modest palace and his protection of Hindu temples, including the ancient temple there.
He also praised Tipu Sultan's foresight in mastering military technology to confront colonial powers, citing the Mysore Sultanate's renowned cannons and firearms that had shocked the British in the early wars.
"It is not just an ordinary exhibition, but to showcase the history of India and the Muslim world, and the history of the anti-colonial struggle against colonial rule, in this particular case, the British rule.
"His diplomatic skills with the few sultanates, Muslims and Hindus in India and his venture into international diplomacy, particularly in persuading the French forces to support his struggle against the British," he said.
Anwar noted that while Malaysians have historically had limited knowledge of Tipu Sultan and Haider Ali's legacy, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia's exhibition would significantly enhance understanding about the two historical figures.
Featuring an extensive collection of artefacts, manuscripts, weaponry and artworks related to Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan, the exhibition will run from tomorrow until Jan 11, 2026, at Special Gallery 2. – Bernama
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The Sun
8 minutes ago
- The Sun
PM Anwar urges fresh look at Asian history beyond colonial views
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for a deeper appreciation of Asian history that moves beyond colonial narratives, citing Tipu Sultan of Mysore, an Indian ruler who fought against the British East India Company as a model of courage, learning, and tolerance. He said that the contributions of Tipu Sultan and his father Haider Ali, as defenders against British colonial expansion, exemplified the importance of understanding history from the perspective of local and regional leaders rather than solely from Western accounts. 'History is not necessarily very kind, one of our scholars Syed Hussein Alatas emphasised the need to reconstruct history because history cannot be written only by the winners or from the perspective of the colonial rulers,' he said during the launch of the More Than A Day As A Tiger exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, here tonight. Also present were the Prime Minister's wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail; Albukhary Foundation Chairman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary; Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai and his spouse, as well as representatives from embassies and consulates. The Prime Minister noted that Malaysian history, like that of many others, is often written from the perspective of the British, essentially reflecting Western colonial rule. 'Of course, there have been lots of academic accounts, including by Edward Said on Orientalism, but the manner, the whole discipline of history, culture and society is being dictated by certain Western viewpoints,' he said. Anwar also shared his personal experience visiting Mysore before taking office, recalling his admiration for Tipu Sultan's modest palace and his protection of Hindu temples, including the ancient temple in Mysore. He also praised Tipu Sultan's foresight in mastering military technology to confront colonial powers, citing the Mysore Sultanate's renowned cannons and firearms that had shocked the British in the early wars. 'It is not just an ordinary exhibition, but to showcase the history of India and the Muslim world, and the history of the anti-colonial struggle against colonial rule, in this particular case, the British rule. 'His diplomatic skills with the few sultanates, Muslims and Hindus in India and his venture into international diplomacy, particularly in persuading the French forces to support his struggle against the British,' he said. Anwar noted that while Malaysians have historically had limited knowledge of Tipu Sultan and Haider Ali's legacy, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia's exhibition would significantly enhance understanding about the two historical figures. Featuring an extensive collection of artefacts, manuscripts, weaponry and artworks related to Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan, the exhibition will run from tomorrow until January 11, 2026, at Special Gallery 2. - Bernama
Malaysiakini
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Tariff-wise, we could have done worse
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I don't think there is any sincere praise from Trump for Anwar's Thailand-Cambodia border peace effort. Again, it is exploited by him to make Anwar more agreeable. Anwar himself is not the victim here. He also uses it to butter up his image. As for the customary over-the-top praise by others on Anwar? Bread and butter from the same crowd of professional 'angkat' people. Rukun_Negara: International trade is about finding synergies and developing mutual interests and gains. In this case, I see the 19 percent tariff outcome as a win-win situation. Had the US slapped Malaysia with a 24 to 30 percent tariff, our exporting businesses (to the US) would have started losing big time against other countries in terms of 'relative competitiveness'. Quigonbond: One can also say we could have done worse with tariffs at 25 percent. It's about paying to stay in the game, not about a rational outcome. Easy to say it's a bad deal when done in hindsight and not being at the negotiation table. This is reality and a demonstration of Malaysia's position in the world. The 19 percent tariff is nine percentage points more than the global 10 percent tariff. Is it great? No. Is it bad? Not so. It's ok. The pain will translate to (if no retrenchment at some US export-dependent businesses) reduced employment, less profit, less tax to pay the government, less/no increment/bonus, less money to be recycled through the local economy - so yes, the economy will take some hits. But it won't be fatal. I'd prefer to focus on what we must do now, aka increase our competitiveness and productivity. RedGecko6275: Tariffs just make goods more expensive for the American people themselves. They are taxing their people. Does it make our goods less competitive? Yes, if we are the only country to impose a tariff on the US. But if our goods have a 19 percent tariff and all other countries have the same as well, it doesn't make our goods less competitive. Scoop: Sorry, Gunasegaram. Your premise is that Malaysia is going to follow through on these promises to buy x billion of this or that and invest x billion in the US. Since Trump 1.0, companies and countries have been making similar pledges to get on his good side, but have only made good on a small fraction of those pledges. There are countless examples of pledges that were designed to avoid some kind of punitive action that have come to nought. Koel: Tariffs seem to be a madman's game. While Malaysia's tariff rate was set at 25 percent, both Cambodia's and Thailand's rates were set at 36 percent. Since the so-called ceasefire, all three countries have overnight had their rates uniformly lowered to 19 percent. Trump now claims that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing the 'war' to an end. Coincidence? Or some manchild's game of Art of the Deal? So, what was the backroom deal struck exactly? Are tariffs some new blackmail tool for persuading smaller countries to help prop up some spurious international credentials for a former TV showman? Open-minded 2281: All the above concessions are known. The question is, are there further concessions which may, for political reasons, be kept hidden? It is unbelievable that Trump agreed that Malaysia did not open the car market to the US without the AP system in place. Meerkat: Whether you love or hate him, Trump is going to upend the traditional way of international trade and relations. That means drastic changes. Unfortunately for Malaysia, it's not geared to respond to such changes because of the system, inefficiency, huge administrative costs and, mostly, corruption. The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
The Sun
8 minutes ago
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Malaysia, Philippines boost ASEAN cooperation for regional stability
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and the Philippines are committed to strengthening strategic cooperation to ensure a more peaceful and united future for ASEAN, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In a Facebook post tonight, Anwar said the commitment was among the matters discussed during a phone conversation with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr today. 'The discussion also touched on peace and harmony in international waters and border areas, which are our shared priorities for regional stability,' said the Prime Minister. Anwar said he also shared positive developments regarding the border negotiations between Thailand and Cambodia, which are expected to be finalised this Thursday through the consensus of the two countries' defence ministers during the Extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) meeting here. The Prime Minister said the development marked another step forward in realising ASEAN's aspirations of becoming a peaceful, stable and prosperous region. Cambodian Defence Minister General Tea Seiha and acting Thai Defence Minister General Natthaphon Narkphanit, along with armed forces chiefs and government representatives of both countries, are expected to attend the GBC meeting. Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to implement a ceasefire effective midnight on July 28 following a special meeting chaired by Anwar at the Seri Perdana Complex in Putrajaya. - Bernama
