The Malay World Project
(Roots and Routes)

The Malay World Project: Roots & Routes is a research exploration project about the Malay peoples and diaspora in and around Asia-Pacific. The project delves into the questions of “where do the Malays come from?” and the complexities of being Malay looking into the relationships of the Malay people in Singapore and Malaysia with the indigenous people of Taiwan and Māori people of New Zealand. What might we discover if we look closer at history and what futures can we speculate with what we find?

In this iteration of the research exploration where the team is unable to gather in situ, Mohamad Shaifulbahri, Dr Amin Farid, Dr Nazry Bahrawi (Singapore), Fasyali Fadzly (Malaysia) and Dr Biung Ismahasan (Taiwan) will come together to conduct a mapping and fact-finding exercise via online means.

 

They aim to trace three types of journeys – the historical, the personal and the speculative, drawing on historical records, articles, research, literature and personal encounters. With the aid of these resources, they aim to find accounts (real or fictional) of the journeys of Malay people within the region. They will also draw on their personal journeys of travel and eventually meditate on what the future of identities, belonging and place-making could be.