18th Book Sharing: <em>Narratives from Piyamit: Life Stories at the End of the Revolution</em>
Upcoming Event
| Introduction | This book talk invites Asst. Prof. Dr. Jason Ng Sze Chieh from the Vice-Chancellor’s office to give a talk on his new book Narratives from Piyamit: Life Stories at the End of the Revolution. |
| Speaker | Asst. Prof. Dr. Jason Ng Sze Chieh (Vice-Chancellor’s Office, New Era University College) |
| Reading Material | Ng, J.S.C. and Hunter, M. (2024) Narratives from Piyamit: Life Stories at the End of the Revolution. New Era University College. |
| Content Overview | This is the story of 12 young people, born in the even younger nation of Malaysia, told from their homes today in southern Thailand. Ask a Malaysian on the street today about the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), and you are likely to hear references to history textbooks and examinations. The average layperson would have been schooled about the early days of this Party which opposed the Japanese Occupation, and the activities of the Communist guerrillas during the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960. However, little is known about the other group of young people who left the comfort of home to join the Communist movement between the late sixties to mid-seventies, against the backdrop of the New Economic Policy, the racial violence of the May 13 incident, and the so-called Communist Insurgency in Malaysia from 1968 to 1989. Today, these surviving members of the movement have settled in their homes in southern Thailand, known as the Friendship Villages, ready to share their stories of that missing chapter of Malaysian history |
| Seminar Information | Date: April 11, 2025 (Friday) Time:7.30pm - 9.00pm Platform: ZOOM Registration Link: https://tinyurl.com/bp4uyeav *Free registration, due by April 10, 2025. |
Book Sharing Postscript
The Institute of International Education held a book talk on Malaysian history and social studies on 11 April 2025 (Friday) at 7.30pm. The event featured Asst. Prof. Dr. Ng Sze Chieh, who shared insights from his latest book, Narratives from Piyamit: Life Stories at the End of the Revolution.
The book recounts the little-known stories of 12 young individuals who, against the backdrop of the New Economic Policy, the May 13 racial riots, and the Malayan Communist Party's armed struggle (1968–1989), chose to leave behind a comfortable life and join the communist movement during the late 1960s to mid-1970s. Today, these survivors have settled in Friendship Village in southern Thailand, where they personally recount this often-forgotten chapter of Malaysian history.
During the book talk, Dr. Ng also discussed Malaysia’s early history and shared his methods and considerations during field research. The event drew an audience of around 60 people. The atmosphere was warm and engaging, providing participants with a valuable platform for learning and exchange.
