COMMENT | Distorting our history is an intellectual crime

COMMENT | History is essentially a society’s or nation’s collective memory of significant past events which throws light on its origins and development. It helps to connect the past with the present besides inculcating in the young a sense of identity and pride as citizens of a particular nation. As aptly stated by Lester D Stephens, a renowned American historian, history “provides us with a sense of being; who we are, either individually or collectively.”

Any historian worth his salt must convey the truth and nothing but the truth about past significant events based upon authoritative sources. The importance of a truthful historical narrative is best expressed by Pierre Le Moyne, a 17th-century historical theorist: “Truth is the soul of history.”

To my mind, distorting history or propagating half-truths is an intellectual crime. Hence, this article examines whether there are Malaysian historians who are guilty of hiding the truth about our nation’s history or distorting it in pursuit of a self-serving agenda. Additionally, do our current school history textbooks portray a truthful and inclusive account of our nation’s history in comparison with previous history textbooks...