British writers and the Malays: two sides to a coin.

Abstract

The Tanah Melayu, or land of the Malays, was one of the colonies conquered by the British as early as the 17th century. The historical impact of colonialism on the social, economic and cultural experiences of the native Malays has been welldocumented. This paper attempts to explore several ideas of organic intellectuals and the subjugation of the Malays from the perspective of the colonialists. For this study, various literary works penned by British scholars and commoners were analysed. These works were then divided into a few sub-themes encompassing the sociological aspects of the Malays. The findings were empirically inaccurate due to the lack of suitable approaches to fortify analyses of the Malays. In some cases, the scholars’ opinions are almost intangible and amateurish, which could cause confusion and prejudice. The British writers were also found to have produced literary works about the Malays based on what they had seen in specific locations, which may not have shown the full perspective of the ethnic group. The writers also might have ignored certain ethical points during writing. The study also unmasked the motives and British discourse on the Malays. This can provide a better understanding of European intellect toward the integrity of the Malays.