Malaysian History

So we now hear about the government wanting to make history a compulsory subject. let us begin by some real history here;

Our Jewish link in education

THERE is a "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy operative in education in Malaysia that I think should be discussed and done away with. It regards expatriates of Jewish background working as teachers in higher education. Jews from the US, Australia, the UK and elsewhere who apply for a job to work here are generally advised not to disclose their background when applying. And if hired, perhaps with the knowledge of a dean that the new visiting lecturer is Jewish, there is advice along the lines of "don’t ask, don’t tell": "don’t tell your students or colleagues you’re Jewish. Let them think you’re Christian if they ask." The upshot is that few qualified Jews seek employment to teach in the country.

Why should this be? The answer is clear: because of solidarity with the Palestinians and official government policy critical of Israel. The irony is that many progressive Jews throughout the world are highly critical of Israel and its policies, and in strong solidarity with the Palestinians. Yet even such Jews are basically "not welcome" as academics. This needs to change. Israel does not "represent" Jews outside Israel. Indeed, many Jews say "not in my name" in reference to Israel abuses and war crimes.

Malaya has a long history of Jewish presence, particularly in Penang, which boasts a large Jewish cemetery in old George Town dating back to 1805, located on Jalan Zainal Abidin. The cemetery is barely mentioned in guide books.

Jews built a synagogue in the heart of Kuala Lumpur a century ago that was in operation down into the late 1930s. That building is still standing not far from Masjid Jamek.

The first and founding vice-chancellor of University of Malaya was the world-famous British-Jewish mathematician Datuk Alexander Oppenheim. He came from a Jewish family, Yiddish-speaking, born in Salford outside Manchester in 1903. Oppenheim’s most famous contribution to number theory is the "Oppenheim conjecture". He became vice-chancellor of the University of Malaya in Singapore in 1957, and of UM in Kuala Lumpur in 1962, and served in that capacity until 1965. As VC of both universities, Oppenheim worked closely with Tunku Abdul Rahman in organisational questions, private fund raising and the like. Yet Oppenheim’s memory at UM is barely recorded, even though he is the most famous mathematician ever to have been connected with the university.

The University of Malaya should name a major building or new research centre after him, and establish a special scholarship in his name.

It is high time Malaysia does away with this tacit "don’t ask, don’t tell" veil of silence regarding its own Jewish heritage, and welcome Jews from abroad who wish to teach or work and live here. Justified criticism of Israeli policy should not preclude Malaysia from becoming a country Jews from across the world are happy to visit.

Our students at the University of Malaya must know the proud facts about where they learn, to hide it from them is to hide the great past of the University.