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Reading Che Guevara in Kuala Lumpur: The Rise of Independent, Political, and Intellectual Youth Collectives in Malaysia

Sat, April 2, 3:00 to 5:00pm, Washington State Convention Center, Floor: 6th Floor, Room 606

Abstract

There is a new phenomenon in Malaysia with the rise of independent, political, and intellectual youth collectives. The younger generation, that grew up in a post Reformasi era with glimpses of freedom possibilities but stuck in an authoritarian space, are pushing back and creating their own spaces for social discourse through the formation of independent collectives such as reading groups, underground “universities” and independent book presses. Collectives such as Buku Jalanan and Universiti Terbuka Anak Muda, and book publishers such as Buku Fixi, Dubook Press and Lejen Press, are gaining a lot of interest and following, in particular, among Malaysian university students based in the country and abroad. In their discussions and readings, students are introduced to social thinkers and alternative discourses, largely absent in mainstream education, and encouraged to think critically about social issues in the country. Putrajaya’s National Civics Bureau (BTN) recently identified and warned that such groups are “anti-establishment” and deemed a threat to the Barisan Nasional government in the coming elections. This paper examines acts of citizenship and the negotiation of space and sovereignty through a study of the growing phenomenon of the independent youth collectives in Malaysia.

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