PICTORIAL BOOK ON OLD MALAYA AND SINGAPORE LAUNCHED

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- A pictorial book showcasing old photographs
of Malaya and Singapore captured by German photographer Charles J Kleingrothe in
the early 20th century was launched Thursday.

Titled "Malay Peninsula: Old Photographs of Malaya and Singapore", the
cloth-bound limited edition book, containing 139 photographs from the personal
collection of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, was
launched by the Crown Prince of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah.

Raja Nazrin, in his speech, described the pictures as nothing short of
spectacular.

"They are vivid, even eccentric impressions of days gone by, covering
ephemeral landscapes, colourful people, architecture and technological feats,"
he said.

"Landscapes have since drastically transformed, demographics have
significantly altered, towns have declined, some landmarks no longer exist, but
these images remain and they have the power to concretise our dramatic history.

"They provide for us our personal contexts as individuals who make up the
people of this land," he said.

Sultan Sharafuddin was also present at the launch.

Raja Nazrin noted that Kleingrothe, through his lenses, also captured "the
unyielding spirit and struggle of our forefathers who did so much to bring this
nation to its current state."

"As I perused through its pages, it was easy for me to discover the romantic
ideals and beauty of an era of pioneerism and adventure.

"These haunting tributes to our elders long gone give us a sense of humility
realising that through their back-breaking sacrifices we have come to be what we
are today," he said.

Raja Nazrin said the book also served to reinforce Sultan Sharafuddin's many
admirable qualities; not least, his unyielding love and care for the nation and
its people.


"Tuanku is a history buff and a collector of precious vestiges of the past,
which once lost, can never be recovered. He believes in preserving what this
nation holds dear.

"And Tuanku is fervent in imparting his knowledge, his experiences and his
values," he added.

The photographs, taken in Selangor, Perak, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka,
Johor and Singapore, were captioned by historians Dr Neil Khor, Gretchen Liu and
John Falconer.

The book will only be printed in 2,500 copies and sold at RM400 (US$115) per
copy in
major bookstores.

-- BERNAMA