00:00History should reflect what truly happened, not what we wish had happened.
00:08History can unite a nation but only if it is taught factually, inclusively and without distortion, says historian Ranjit Singh Malhi.
00:17The Malays are very crucial. We must accept the fact that the Malays are what I would term the definitive people of the nation.
00:26But that does not mean you must diminish the role of the orang asli, also marginalise the role of the non-Malays.
00:35History, if it is told truthfully and inclusively, can help to promote unity.
00:45Because it promotes a sense of belonging, promotes a sense of identity and it also promotes a sense of togetherness.
00:54However, Ranjit says that inclusivity has been lost over time.
00:59As a former Education Ministry reviewer, he said school history textbooks over the past three decades have increasingly reflected an ethno-nationalist agenda, sidelining the contributions of other communities.
01:11Our history books used to make it very clear that the original inhabitants of this beloved nation of ours are the orang asli.
01:21You will not believe it, that in our current history textbooks, right from Form 1 to Form 5, there is no mention at all about the orang asli, except in the Form 4 textbook they talk about the Senoy Prang.
01:35In his new book, Forgotten Malaysian History, Restoring Voices, Reclaiming Truths, Ranjit documents distortions in school textbooks, including the omission of Yap Aloy's role in rebuilding Kuala Lumpur and Paramuswar's alleged name change to Megat Iskandar Shah.
01:50Despite the Selangor Civil War, 1866 to 1873, and then the fire and flood of 1881, Kuala Lumpur was destroyed.
02:00Yap Aloy almost single-handedly rebuilt Kuala Lumpur.
02:05Why is his role not mentioned in our current history textbooks, unlike the earlier textbooks?
02:13The earlier textbooks make it very clear.
02:15Ranjit has welcomed the Madani government's decision to set up a National Historian's Council, but his intent must now translate into action.
02:23The PM and the Madani government says that we want our history to be inclusive.
02:28That is a step in the right direction.
02:30What?
02:31Cakap saja tak cukup.
02:34We must put it into reality, must put it into action.
02:37Danish Rajareza, FMT.
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