Syed Husin Ali

Syed Husin Ali has been for many decades one of Malaysia’s most prominent radical politicians and social activists, as well as an anthropologist of distinction. He was detained under the notorious Internal Security Act from 1974 to 1980, before becoming a leader of both Parti Rakyat Malaysia and later Parti Keadilan Rakyat. Among his many important books are Malay Peasant Society and Leadership (1975), Poverty and Landlessness in Kelantan, Malaysia (1983), Two Faces: Detention Without Trial (1996), Ethnic Relations in Malaysia: Harmony and Conflict (2008), The Malays: Their Problems and Future (2008), Memoirs of a Political Struggle (2012) and The Malay Rulers: Regression or Reform? (2013).