The Malaysian Dilemma: My Memoir & Manifesto

Author: Kua Kia Soong
Publisher: Gerakbudaya
ISBN: 9786299678908
Weight: 0.359 kg
Pages: 220pp
Year: 2022
Price: RM40

"Kua Kia Soong’s latest book awakens Malaysians to the distressing dilemma that lies ahead. His scholarly meticulousness as a social scientist can be observed in the pages of this provocative and controversial collection. His erudite penmanship and tireless dedication as a public intellectual are few and far between in Malaysia. This book is a must read.” (Dr. Sharifah Munirah Alatas, National Universiti of Malaysia)

“The Malaysian Dilemma is more than an autobiography. It’s an invitation to know the man, the educationist and the activist. Here we get to read about his thoughts, passions, struggles and unwavering belief in the Malaysian nation.” (Prof. Malachi Edwin Vethamani, poet, fictionist, critic)

“What shines through Kia Soong’s extraordinary journey is a vision for a new and better Malaysia bereft of the race, religion and class cleavages embedded by the nation’s dark forces of authoritarianism and racial and religious hegemony.” (Dr. Lim Teck Ghee, policy analyst and social commentator)

Malaysia has never been at peace with itself, and we are still facing dilemma- politically, economically, socially, culturally. The biggest political dilemma facing our nation today, is that we are being asked to choose between two political coalitions which have proven to be equally disappointing. Neither coalition is willing to seriously tackle the thorny issue that plunged the country into a dysfunctional funk, i.e. that of racial polarization, exacerbated by the New Economic Policy post 13th 1969. The dominant ethnically skewed neo-liberal policies focus on self-serving short-term gains and thus fail to address complex systemic issues: climate crisis, wealth inequality, and land use, water and food security by protecting our environment and public resources for future generations.