Rustam Sani [1944-2008]

What's Left: Farewell, Rustam Sani.

by Mohamed Imran
25 April 2008

Another great Malay thinker and public intellectual, Rustam Sani, has passed away at 2.30am, Wednesday 23 April 2008. A real loss to the Malay world.

Rustam will be remembered as a scholar, poet, politician, activist and social critic who has the people's welfare at his heart. It was no less than Jomo K.S. who once hailed him as "arguably Malaysia's leading public intellectual". Son of Malaysian patriot, Ahmad Boestaman (founder of Malay leftist party, Parti Rakyat) Rustam was indeed a tireless figure in commenting on the state of affairs in Malaysia's social, political, cultural and religious life.

His concerns for greater justice and democratic values in Malay social and political life is best seen from a quote posted in his popular blog - Vox Populis [Suara Rakyat]:

"Kebebasan tidak mungkin dapat bertahan tanpa keprihatinan, pengetahuan dan kefahaman mendalam di kalangan rakyat."

With his passing away, the Malay intellectual scene will sorely miss his contributions. Early last year, Syed Hussein Alatas has left us. The generation of postcolonial Malay thinkers are depleting. Only a handful are left - Kassim Ahmad, Naquib al-Attas. Syed Husin Ali, and others.

What's left for us to do is to keep the spirit of 'speaking truth to power' (to borrow the late Edward Said's term) alive. While the emergence of new generation of young Malay thinkers in Malaysia is promising, it remains to be seen if they will slide into the path and allures of power/politics or remain true to their 'sense of independence' and speak up for those whose voices are often unheard in society. Rustam was one such thinker whose independent thinking and commitment to social justice, coupled with his intellectual will and moral courage, has contributed immensely to the intellectual and sociopolitical scene of Malaysia - indeed, the contemporary postcolonial Malay world.

It will be our lost and shame if we are familiar with thinkers from all over the world - big-sounding names, - but fail to appreciate those who are born and lived amongst us.

But surely appreciation requires criticality. Our task is not only to know and appreciate but to engage with the ideas and thought of our own thinkers. Maintaining a continuous dialogue with their ideas and thought is the best way of recognizing their contributions. Ultimately, it is their commitment to their own society that we ought to emulate. Sometimes, we may be too busy talking to the outside world that we forgot to talk to our own society. Sometimes, we are too easily impressed by those who speak to us from outside than to want to seriously listen to those who speak from among us and within us.

Rustam Sani had spoken to us. And he will continue to 'speak' to us through his voluminous writings and commentaries. That is a legacy of a serious scholar and committed thinker.

To Rustam Sani, may Allah accepts his deeds and bless his soul.

ALFATEHA.


His brief profile [including a list of his books] can be found here:
http://rustamsani-nuranirakyat.blogspot.com/