Life as the river flows: Women in the Malayan Anti-Colonial Struggle
by Agnes Khoo

Book cover and details ipgbook

Started reading 10 November 2006
Finished reading 15 December 2006

The women interviewed are not prominent even in their own organization. They were just ordinary people who were thrown into the struggles of the Malayan Communist Party against the government of the day. Most of them had sympathized with the cause since childhood as they saw the reality of life under the Japanese, British and an independent Malaysia headed by the elites. There were no regrets as all of them went into the jungle on their own free will. As they grew older, the only wish is to visit their place of birth again but the ruling Malaysian government seems determined to deny them that right. This is an important book for the generations that were born after Malaysia’s independence. At least through these women’s lives we know there is another side to the country’s fight for freedom from the colonialists.