London- A two-day symposium on Britain and the Malay world began here today as part of Malaysia`s 50th independence anniversary celebration.
Hosted by the Royal Asiatic Society, the event brings together academicians and researchers from Australia, Britain, Malaysia, Singapore and Russia with papers on Malaysian literature, history and the humanities.
It kicked off with a lecture by Professor Ulrich Kratz from the School of Oriental and African Studies on "Malay Studies, 50 Years On".
Participants will get to hear and hold discussions on subjects as diverse as 19th century women travellers in the Malay archipelago, the Malay seafaring community in Britain and Britain`s legacy in Sarawak.
Also going under the microscope, among others, are the legacy of Sir Richard Winstedt on Malay lexicography, Malay "adat" law manuscripts, the struggle for independence as depicted in the Malaysian cinema and the contribution of British scholars in the crafting of various laws.
The Royal Asiatic Society was founded in 1823 by Henry Colebrooke, an eminent Sanskrit scholar and a group of other scholars. It was granted a Royal Charter by King George IV in the year of its inauguration to encourage the study of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia.
It has affiliates in six Asian countries, including India, Japan and Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Malaysian High Commissioner to Britain Datuk Abdul Aziz Mohammed launched Tourism Malaysia`s "Taste of Malaysia" week on Tuesday, marking the beginning of a series of events to commemorate the country`s 50th independence anniversary.
Five Malaysian-owned restaurants and hotels here will pull out all the stops to promote Malaysian cuisine to Londoners.
The "Malaysia Now" mini-festival will take place in June, bringing the best of Malaysian cinema, comedy, food, and contemporary art to London.
Source : www.bernama.com (18 Mei 2007)
