Book Review: Perjanjian & Dokumen Lama Malaysia 1791 - 1965

Perjanjian & Dokumen Lama Malaysia (Old Treaties & Documents of Malaysia) 1791 - 1965

Dari Zaman Kesultanan Melaka hingga Pemasyhuran Malaysia dan Pemisahan Singapura

Buat julung kalinya, terbitlah sebuah buku yang memuatkan himpunan perjanjian lama dan dokumen penting tentang Malaysia. Bahan yang dipaparkan menunjukkan sorotan peristiwa bersejarah yang berlaku di tanah air, dari Zaman Kesultanan Melayu dan penjajahan kuasa asing hinggalah zaman perjuangan kemerdekaan.

Teks sumber dalam Himpunan Perjanjian dan Dokumen Lama Malaysia dicungkil daripada khazanah ilmu Arkib Negara Malaysia dan dibentangkan di sini dalam bentuknya yang lengkap. Buku ini mengandungi maklumat sejarah yang berharga dan boleh dijadikan iktibar dan rujukan oleh para professional, pelajar dan segenap lapisan masyarakat.

Ia merupakan buku pertama seumpamanya di Malaysia dan hanya yang ke-4 di dunia.

From the Malacca Sultanate Era to the Declaration of Malaysia and Separation of Singapore.

For the first time a book compiling old treaties and important documents on the formation of Malaysia is published. The materials presented show the sequence of historical events which took place in Malaysia since the Malacca Sultanate and colonial era to the struggle for independence era.

The source texts in the Old Treaties and Documents of Malaysia are derived from the knowledge heritage kept at the National Archives of Malaysia and presented here in their complete form. These valuable reference materials contain historical information which can serve as a lesson and reference for professionals, students and all levels of society.

This book is the first of its kind in Malaysia and the fourth of its kind in the world.

Read from the book's leaflet.

Ever since I read its launching in the newspaper, I know that I must acquire this book for my collection. I wandered through many bookstores in Penang, Seremban and Melaka but to find no copies of it.

I have no choice but to call to Institut Terjemahan Negara and after few emails, then I got contacted through phone call and few days after new year, I secured a copy to put onto my shelf.

It is an interesting piece of work, to gather important and significant historical documents and present them to the society to really understand our roots and as well as understand what really goes back so we knew Malaysia as it is today.

Still, however, I do find this piece to be amusing (albeit I found an error, to which I believe a typo - forgot which page, later...) but I do think ITNM should be putting extra work to present them in total. Maps and appendices, no matter how thick they are but should be presented to accompany its original documents. I feel so incomplete for inability to cross-reference with appendices and to see borders separations (Bangkok Treaty 1909, for an example).

One way to avoid extra thickness for the book is by putting maps and appendices into CD-ROM. Not only appendices, the editors can also scan or photograph the original documents and put them together.

In overall, I do feel satisfied with the selected documents and its presentation. I am somehow amused to the document between Sultan of Kedah and Captain Light - to continue as long as the Sun and Moon give light (Aleph's note: giveth instead of give?). I did crossed over one document that read the same pre-amble in my family's archive (which co-incidentally also related and happened somewhere in Kedah).

Seeing the benefits of the book being published, I do hope that in the future ITNM can take progressive work and pour some more effort to bring and publishing other important documents as well. Take for instance - the Concession Agreements. As well as having them in printed, ITNM may also want to consider ebook as well as CD-ROM which last for ages.

Anyway guys, this is a book that should be added into MUST-HAVE list. (Added to Idrewoods' library on 6th of Jan, 2009)

M. Shahirasul Idrewoods

Penang, Malaysia.