Applying Syed Hussein Alatas’s Ideas in Contemporary Malaysian Society
In: Asian Journal of Social ScienceSearch for other papers by Sharifah Munirah Alatas in
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Abstract
What do Malaysians understand by the term, “intellectual”? Is the intellectual in the Malaysian context undefined, or insignificant? Do Malaysians see the need for intellectuals? Answers to these questions reflect the extant to which Malaysia has advanced in her post-colonial development. Amidst the race towards IR 4.0 and Society 5.0, Malaysia’s education system lags behind and leaders continue to be embroiled in identity politics. Syed Hussein Alatas, a world-renowned Malaysian intellectual, raised these questions in the 1950s. His writings focus on social change, corruption, and intellectual captivity. Even though his writings are easily accessible, his ideas have not been widely assimilated by Malaysia’s ruling elite, as part of the reform agenda. This article highlights the relevance of Alatas’s ideas in Malaysia’s current socio-political transformation. It concludes that leadership’s failure to identify relevant problems is because they have neglected the vital role of intellectuals, such as the critical ideas of Syed Hussein Alatas.
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Applying Syed Hussein Alatas’s Ideas in Contemporary Malaysian Society
In: Asian Journal of Social ScienceSearch for other papers by Sharifah Munirah Alatas in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
What do Malaysians understand by the term, “intellectual”? Is the intellectual in the Malaysian context undefined, or insignificant? Do Malaysians see the need for intellectuals? Answers to these questions reflect the extant to which Malaysia has advanced in her post-colonial development. Amidst the race towards IR 4.0 and Society 5.0, Malaysia’s education system lags behind and leaders continue to be embroiled in identity politics. Syed Hussein Alatas, a world-renowned Malaysian intellectual, raised these questions in the 1950s. His writings focus on social change, corruption, and intellectual captivity. Even though his writings are easily accessible, his ideas have not been widely assimilated by Malaysia’s ruling elite, as part of the reform agenda. This article highlights the relevance of Alatas’s ideas in Malaysia’s current socio-political transformation. It concludes that leadership’s failure to identify relevant problems is because they have neglected the vital role of intellectuals, such as the critical ideas of Syed Hussein Alatas.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 2277 | 231 | 14 |
| Full Text Views | 62 | 3 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 90 | 8 | 0 |
