Teo Kok Seong, a professor at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, added that Education Minister Maszlee Malik’s idea of including the 1MDB saga in Malaysian history was inappropriate as the case was still in court.
“History is about what is proven. We still do not know the outcome of the 1MDB case,” Teo, who heads the National Professors Council’s history, heritage, and socio-culture cluster, told FMT.
He instead suggested that the contributions of all races towards nation-building, the history of Sabah and Sarawak, and the early history of the Malays be given greater emphasis.
“There are so many prominent figures left out of the history books, like Sybil Kathigasu. She is a good role model,” he said, referring to the World War II heroine who received the George Medal, Britain’s second highest award for civilian courage.
Sybil and her husband Dr Abdon Clement Kathigasu supported the resistance movement during the Japanese occupation of Malaya, secretly supplying medication and medical services to Allied forces, and sharing information from listening to BBC shortwave broadcasts. They were arrested in 1943.
She was awarded the medal months before her death on June 12, 1948, from the effects of injuries sustained while in Japanese custody.
Teo said a greater emphasis on Sabah and Sarawak’s history would also be in line with the government’s efforts to recognise the status of the two states as equal partners in the federation.
As for the early history of the Malays, Teo said there seemed to be more focus on modern history, while their pre-modern history went untold.
“If we tell the pre-modern history of the Malays, it gives background on why they are the dominant race in this region and can help people better understand the politics of today.”
Universiti Sains Malaysia senior lecturer Nazarudin Zainun agreed that it was not yet time to include the 1MDB issue in the history syllabus due to the ongoing court case.
Instead, he said, there should be more emphasis on ancient Malay history from before the rise of the Melaka empire, as well as prominent figures in various fields from different walks of life.
“Issues related to the Federal Constitution need to be further elaborated and explained through the lens of history, not mere politics,” he added.
In the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Maszlee said the topic of 1MDB would be included in Malaysian history to ensure that such mistakes are not made again.
However, he did not explain if the topic would be included in school textbooks or whether it would be made part of student discussions.