I'm not an Anthropologist, and this book was a difficult read. Only the last 10 pages of 220 even mention the topic of Spirit Possesion in the factories. The first 100 pages seemed too tedious to be of use, but the whole second half was very useful to anyone interested in Malaysian society. Not really a casual read.

Ong has come out with an interesting and well-researched piece on the subject of female resistance. But unfortunately, she only focusses on mass hysteria as the most commonly articulated resistance among young Malay women. But what about other forms of resistances such as overt and collective. What is the solution for women? Ong is under the impression that the old tranquil kampung life is the best remedy. Can these workers go back to the past? Is there a time-tunnel?

Aihwa Ong takes an anthropological perspective in defining the occurences of spirit posessions and mass hysteria among the female factory workers in malaysia. By illustrating the evolution of the malaysian economy from agrarian to industrial, disintegration of the traditional family norms and reifying the responsibility of kin, the stage is set to portray the culture shock. the author uses case studies to show the diverse changes that affect the family and the distribution of economic responsibility. further, the conflict between the factory operators and the control imposed on them by upper levels of management adds to the tension that these factory workers must cope with. as these women use religious responses instead of more pragmatic methods to confront the issues of corporate and social control that are enacted upon them, they maginify the cultural perceptions that women are the spiritually susceptible, therefore, enabling a break and a vent for the archived anger and frustration that this economic system has smelted. I found the book informative and a better resource for sociological studies than anthropological endeavors, easy to read, and a worthy text for an Anthropology 101 or Sociology 111 course.

Rituals associated with religious festivals (case of Thaipusam among Hindus in Penang, Malaysia) must be understood in the larger macro context of the society. For Collins, rituals associated with Thaipusam reflects the enduring tensions within the Hindu society in Malaysia. More specifically, she argues the class and caste contradictions play a significant role in how the different sections of the society interpret rituals. The author by solely focussing on the internal contradictions of the Hindu society in Malaysia fails to take into account the impact of the role state in Malaysia on the Hindu society. The revitalization of Islam and the pro-Malay policy of the Malaysian state equally play a significant role in influencing the Hindu society.

Rituals associated with religious festivals (case of Thaipusam among Hindus in Penang, Malaysia) must be understood in the larger macro context of the society. For Collins, rituals associated with Thaipusam reflects the enduring tensions within the Hindu society in Malaysia. More specifically, she argues the class and caste contradictions play a significant role in how the different sections of the society interpret rituals. The author by solely focussing on the internal contradictions of the Hindu society in Malaysia fails to take into account the impact of the role state in Malaysia on the Hindu society. The revitalization of Islam and the pro-Malay policy of the Malaysian state equally play a significant role in influencing the Hindu society.

can u explain to me..what the whole section 8 is mean...? i do not understand what is that mean....

It's very rare to find a Malaysian writer who writes in English, despite our multi-lingual and multi-cultural status. The problem is compounded by the fact that Malaysians are not frequent readers, and the few that are usually turn to international writers or writers who use their mother tounge as their mediums. Salleh Ben Joned represents a breed apart, unique because they cannot possibly hope for comercial success locally, for the reasons stated above or internationaly, for Malaysia does not seem to get much recognition for anything, much less in the literary scene. However it's a pity there's not much work of his around these days, but if you're looking for examples of good English-Language Malaysian literature, this is the book to buy. Skoob Pacifica is one of the few places where English Language writers can take their work to in Malaysia. An interesting note on the author. this is what another Malaysian writer, poet Wong Phui Nam, said about him: "Salleh Ben Joned is another poet writing in English-and Bahasa Malaysia-worth mentioning, but he has written too few poems. Strong poems, but only a handful". (MANOA, A Pacific Journal of International Writing: Land Beneath the Wind)

i just want to know about education in Titi, Jelebu

I found the book to be a bit disappointing. I liked some of the anecdotes, which reminded me of my time in Malaysia, but the recipes aren't entirely to be trusted. There are recipes with - I presume - typos that indicate for example ratios of rice to water that are just unbelievable so that if you followed them you'd end up with a dish that is practically inedible. There also are dishes with ingredients you won't be able to find anywhere outside of Malaysia. If you know what you're doing, this is a useful resource and in many ways an interesting read. If not, there are more reliable books out there.

I started with the Food of Asia, which I think is excellent. I decided to check into some specific cuisines, such as Malaysia, of the seven cuisines that are presented in the Food of Asia. I am a little torn.

The individual books in the "Food of" series by Periplus have extensive introductions. There are not as many recipes as I had hoped for. The ingredients list, along with the accompanying commentaries, are about the same, with an equivalent number of photos, as the Food of Asia. The Food of Asia contains many of the recipes, however, some do not have a photo.

I would have hoped for more recipes and more vegetables. The recipes that are worth the purchase: Spicy Rice with Chicken, Hot Sour Fish Curry, Spicy Shrimp In A Sarong, Butter Shrimp, Black Pepper Crab, Indian Fish Curry, Portuguese Baked Fish, Chicken Satay, Spicy Barbacued Chicken, Barbacued Chicken Wings, Dry Mutton Curry, Chicken Curry, Devil Chicken Curry, Chicken Rice, Srir-Fried Peas, Snake Gourd and Spicy Pumpkin. There are few if any beef, pork or other meats, and many of the vegetables will not be found in a grocery store.

The ingredients list is thourough, with substitutions for (or omission of) many hard-to-find ingredients, but is a little more stringent than other books I have read. For example, shallot or onion was offered as a substitute for asofoetida in a different book, whereas here no substitute is given. On the contrary, macadamia nuts are suggested as a substitute, or even almonds or cashews, for candlenuts. But again, the Food of Asia offered asparagus as a substitute for fern tips, and zuchini or green beans for snake gourd, both of which can be hard if not impossible to find. The books on separate cuisines do not have such substitutions.

A word of caution, many of the ingredients are difficult to find even online. There are also several "fresh" ingredients, such as kaffir lime leaves, salam leaves, duan kasum, etc, that have to be shipped fresh and stay for only a short while. Other cuisines, like Thai, have more availability of authentic ingredients as well as spice mixes that really help save time.

I think that the Food of Asia may be a better starting point and that searching for other cookbooks that have versions of the really good recipes plus many more recipes is advisable.

Hope this helps.

This is a book that tries to narrate the rise and development of recent Islamic revival movement in Malaysia. The bibliography is the most important part of the contribution.

Bagi pelajar dan pembaca yang inginkan maklumat tentang kejadian jenayah di Malaysia, buku ini banyak memberikan maklumat seperti yang kita perlukan. Sebuah buku berbahasa Melayu yang mudah bagi kita untuk membuat rujukan tentang definisi jenayah, ciri-ciri, undang-undang yang berkaitan dengan jenayah,faktor pemangkin kegiatan jenayah, teori-teori sosial tentangnya dan pelbagai lagi sub topik yang lain.

This dictionary is fairly useful in trying to read a menu or translate a simple document but if you are travelling around Malaysia "Malay Phrasebook"by Anita Ramly is much more useful