Why Malay(sian) Studies Matter

Professor Anthony Milner is a recipient of this year’s Merdeka Award for “outstanding contribution to research and education in Malaysian history that has shaped and promoted the understanding of the nation’s identity, heritage and culture, and for his role in fostering international collaboration.”

In addition to his current role as Visiting Professor at the Asia-Europe Institute in Universiti Malaya, Milner is also an external assessor to several universities in Malaysia. He co-chairs the Australian Committee in the Council of Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP), and served on various Australian government committees to promote better regional relations with Southeast Asia.

Milner speaks to BFM about how he got interested in Malaysia, building on the work of pioneer scholars in Southeast Asian studies, and what young Malaysians can learn from Hikayat Hang Tuah today.