Imagined Malaysia

Imagined Malaysia Founded on 2 April 2016, Imagined Malaysia is a research organisation committed to calling to attention the alternative history of Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

We participate in efforts of creating public awareness and education about the differing narratives and stories that may be omitted from official/master history. This is to not only change our understanding of the nation’s history, but to also deepen and evolve it to have a more inclusive and rich discourse. The crucial point for us to organise this project is to address some of the present concer

ns regarding historical literacy in Malaysia. There is a lack of contestation in the perspective of historical events taking place at the current moment in the public sphere – whether in the form of writing, lectures or even debates. Hence, we wish to re-popularise interest in attaining knowledge by drawing means of what the region’s intellectual history has to offer. In the long run, we hope that this will be a platform that promotes the role of activist-historians in public education as well as a source of encouragement and inspiration for Malaysian youth to have a critical appreciation for history. For more on what we do, visit https://imagined.my/

Thank you for the overwhelming response! We are grateful for everyone’s support. We have reached our maximum capacity fo...
10/05/2026

Thank you for the overwhelming response!

We are grateful for everyone’s support. We have reached our maximum capacity for the event.

See you all in the evening of 15 May!

Everyday Life in the Malay World through ManuscriptsDate: 15 May, FridayTime: 8pmVenue: Malaysia Design ArchiveHow do hi...
10/05/2026

Everyday Life in the Malay World through Manuscripts

Date: 15 May, Friday
Time: 8pm
Venue: Malaysia Design Archive

How do historical manuscripts shape the worldviews of their contemporary audiences — and of the generations who “rediscover” them centuries later?

As efforts in conservation and digitisation continue to grow, these manuscripts are increasingly recognised as vital cultural and historical resources. Yet beyond these efforts, how can we meaningfully engage with and interpret the knowledge they contain?

Join us as Auf A. Said shares his experiences working with Malay manuscripts and offers insights into uncovering histories, everyday life, and cultural memory through these pages.

Kindly register your attendance: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdbqQY7OcXV3Whf4qOAysbvTHDlk6emYXypmj6Q4atPQB58Vw/viewform

An interview conducted much later in the life of Muhammad Ghazali bin Shafie, the “Minister with Special Functions” unde...
06/05/2026

An interview conducted much later in the life of Muhammad Ghazali bin Shafie, the “Minister with Special Functions” under Tun Abdul Razak’s National Operations Council, proved particularly frank. On the introduction of the New Economic Policy (NEP), Ghazali claimed that he, along with a select group of Malaysian policymakers and legislators, were its key architects, emphasising that “it was all done by us.”

In tandem with Ghazali’s narrative are analyses which frame the sociopolitical developments that led to the formulation of the NEP as occurring solely within a national context. But this is not the case.

Closer scrutiny reveals not only the transnational linkages that brought the NEP into being, but also how it was shaped by geopolitical circumstances and competing ideologies, with institutional afterlives abroad.

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‘Malaysia Unbound: Transregional Histories through Documents’ is a public education campaign initiated by Imagined Malaysia that explores Malaysia's transregional connections in the 19th and early 20th centuries through the pages of history, literally.

We are now accepting guest contributors for infographics! Interested? Send us an email at [email protected] to get started.

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