This special issue re-examines the ties between Malaya (including Singapore) and Indonesia from historical and political perspectives. It discovers the links and fractures from the course of history, explores the factors that affected contemporary history, and seeks for the explanation of reality through the problematized issues. For instance, the issues of ethnicity, nationalism, statism, historical influence of Konfrontasi (confrontation) between Malaya and Indonesia are still affecting Nusantara (Malay Archipelago) nowadays.
During the 1950s and 60s, the Cold War period, people from Malaya, Singapore and Indonesia had fought against colonialism and imperialism to struggle for independence. At the same time, the boundary of states was drawn according to the imagination of people from different part of Nusantara. Besides, the historical conditions and contestations of different political thoughts were also taken into account when defining the boundary.
The concept of boundary is not only hinged on space, but also takes the significance of geopolitics into consideration. The definition of geographical boundary reflects the act of self-positioning in Nusantara and the world. Moreover, it shows how a state defines the “Self” and the “Other” by means of the principle of inclusivity and exclusivity, one that seeks for consolidation of territory and cohesion in the “Self.”
Editor’s biography
Ngoi Guat Peng魏月萍 received her PhD degree from the School of Arts and Social Sciences at National University of Singapore. She is currently a researcher of the Inter-Asia School, and her research interest includes Chinese Intellectual History, Neo-Confucianism, and Religion Syncretism. She is also concerned about Singapore-Malaysia history and literature, especially focus on historical thought of Malay communist, literary Citizenship and dilemma of religious multiculturalism Discourse and Practice.
Notes on translators
Teo Jia Jia 張嘉嘉 received her Bachelor of Arts in Chinese from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in 2014. She completed her Master’s degree in Chinese on a scholarship offered by NTU in 2016. She specializes in the oral features of Chinese folk songs particularly the application of formulas in nursery rhymes and the issues of passing down, composition as well as compilation.
Show Ying Xin蘇穎欣received her PhD degree from School of Humanites and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research interests include literary and cultural theory, Southeast Asian history and literature. She is currently working as an editor in Kuala Lumpur with a Malaysian independent news portal.