From Majapahit to Putrajaya

Farish A Noor

Silverfish Books, RM30

Farish A. Noor is described by some as Malaysia's 'angry young man' (alas, I cannot do the same for fear of inviting such a label to myself as I certainly am younger), but such a tag does not do justice. By his own admission he wears two different hats as a writer: first, a Cartesian rationalist political scientist; and secondly, a Levinasian moralist and a Romantic humanist activist. This undeniably presents a difficult dilemma.

The entire spectrum of Farish's talents and passions is again presented in the sequel to his first anthology of essays, The Other Malaysia ; with the latest publication of From Majapahit to Putrajaya . Included in the book are academic analyses; colourful critiques; and personal obituaries. The above dilemma on the conflict between being an academician and activist is also presented in the book.

Characters as diverse as pop icon Siti Nurhaliza (a product of excellent ASEAN marketing, in Farish's own words); Petronas stalwart the late Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin (his uncle); the doyen of modern Malay literature Munshi Abdullah and the proto-nationalist of Indonesia, Sultan Fatahillah are all weaved into Farish's essays. In fact, the book ends with a very personal obituary (combined with some autobiographical elements) of his father.