Film director and animator Hassan Abdul Muthalib has called for greater public discussion and preservation of overlooked narratives from the Malayan Emergency, pointing out that many important accounts remain undocumented.
“There are many behind-the-scenes stories from that era that have not been preserved or shared,” he said at a panel discussion during the launch of a book, titled “The Malayan Emergency in Film, Literature & Art” at Gerakbudaya here today.
“If we don’t discuss and document these accounts, we risk losing a fuller understanding of what actually happened.”
Hassan said the Emergency, which lasted from 1948 to 1960, is often misunderstood or simplified in official accounts, leaving little room for alternative perspectives.
Universiti Malaya’s Eugene Chua said historical storytelling about the Emergency is underfunded and often neglected.
Chua, who is with the English department of UM’s arts and social sciences faculty, said the government and society no longer invest in narratives about the Emergency, partly because its propaganda value has diminished.
“Fewer resources go into research, public education, and media projects that explore the era’s complexities,” he said.
HELP University’s deputy vice-chancellor, Khong Kim Hoong, said both state and academic institutions have played a role in marginalising critical histories.
“Alternative viewpoints have been sidelined, which has shaped a narrow understanding of the Emergency. This affects how Malaysians today reflect on their past,” he said.
He stressed that unity remains essential to the country’s progress.
“One reason the anti-colonial struggle failed was because the population wasn’t united,” he said, referring to the Malayan Communist Party’s limited outreach to Malay communities.
UM lecturer Tan Miau Ing said public disinterest in history stems from how the subject is taught in schools.
Tan said students must memorise facts for exams.
“They don’t understand or appreciate history,” she said, suggesting that historical content be made more engaging through short videos and platforms like TikTok.
The Emergency was a guerilla war between the communist-led Malayan National Liberation Army and British-backed forces, with the communists seeking independence, and the British working to suppress the uprising.
The book that was launched today examines film, literature, and art produced both during and after the Emergency to show how these works can both reinforce and challenge official accounts.
It is a collection of articles by different writers but compiled and edited by anthology editors Jonathan Driskell, Marek W Rutkowski and Andrew Hock.
