How did Islam affect the politics of the Malay Federation and Malaysia?

What would daily life be like for an average resident of the city of Angkor during the reign of Jayavarman VII?

Okay guys, it's over 4 hours since the AMA started, unfortunately, we have to stop now. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you for insightful questions, I hope we'll do it again in some time!

Terima kasih!

After the May 13 riots, what changed in Malaysian politics? How did it affect the racial harmony of Malaysia? Are there any lasting legacies of the incident?

What is your favorite story from Cambodian history?

Hi Beck2012,thanks for this.

I hope this doesn't seem out of place or an odd question but it's something that's stuck with me since I visited S-21/Toul Sleng.

The Khmer Rouge wanted to reset the country to year zero.A peasant agrarian,or classless society with no western influences yet they would use the western number system on ID signs placed on victims at camps such as S-21 (example)

Do you know why they wouldn't have used the Khmer numbering system? Were the pictures aimed more at having an international impact?

What remains of indigenous religions? How did Buddhism Islam and Hinduism interact historically?

Is ther a difference between a khmer (sp?) and Cambodian?

Hi Beck,

I would like to know if it is lawfully legal for any non-Bumiputera/(Malays) to actually be the prime minister? Is there anythin about this in the Constitution?

Thanks.

I was wondering about Japan pushing for Cambodia to form an independent kingdom in May 1945. Was it just to throw of the shackles as it were, or was there any other motive behind it?

Hi Beck, what's the deal with the Islam insurgency at the Thai border with Malaysia? Who are these people, and what do they want? Do they have any funding from Malaysia? IIRC these provinces used to belong to Malaysia?

Why do you think the Khmer Empire collapsed? I understand there are several theories but which one do you consider the most likely?

Follow-up: why are there so few historical records for the late Khmer period?

Why were the Khmer Rouge able to get a seat at the UN?

Norodom Sihanouk. What are your thoughts on him, and how can someone hold so many different titles for leader of a country?

Not sure if this fits, but, what is the perception and legacy of the Vietnamese occupation in Cambodia? Do you think it differs from the perception of the Cambodian diaspora?

/u/Beck2012, how involved is religion in the culture and polity of Malaysia? From what we see on TV, religion seems not to play really big part. But then there are stories about canning, about Shia persecution. What exactly is the scenario on the ground? And how it has evolved since Malaysia came into being?

Why Cambodia? I guess this is a more personal question but Cambodia, at least from a cursory map glance, seems to be but one relatively moderately sized country in the South East Asian / Polynesian region. Was/is there something that set it apart from the people surrounding it that gives it extra significance historically?

Completely random and separate question: How was tattoo culture in Cambodia throughout its history? Did it have significant cultural influence to get inked or was it even a part of their culture at all?

Thanks for doing this.

Can you describe the Christianisation of indigenous Malaysian groups? Particularly the Kadazandusun of Sabah. I've always wondered what religion they practiced before, and how it was driven out. I might have gotten the time period mixed up, so I'm not sure if British colonisation was pre or post WW2.

One of my favorite phrases for accomplishing great things is in the very first paragraph of Bayinnaung's wikipedia entry, where his incredible expansion of the Taungoo dynasty is described as the "greatest explosion of human energy ever seen in Burma."

Do you think the quote is valid?

I've been trying to learn more about the bahnaric speaking minorities that live in the mountain borders of Southeast Asia. I was just wondering if you've come across any mention of these groups by the Cambodian kingdoms. Thanks.

After reading "First they Killed my Father" I became interested in Cambodia's history, especially it's distant past.

How much do we know about the Angkor civilization compared to other past civilizations? And how badly did the Khmer Rouge destroy Cambodia's historical sites?

Was it ever a viable option or were there plans for Singapore to rejoin the Federation after 1965?

What's the history behind national holidays in Cambodia?

Interesting AMA... I hope you don't mind me asking some trivial questions!

1. During the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation in the 1960s, Indonesia's Soekarno made a controversial jargon, "Ganyang Malaysia!" (roughly translates as "Crush Malaysia"). It was a big upheaval back then in Indonesia. How was the situation in Malaysia? Was there any huge tension among the populace? What were the thoughts of the political elites?

2. Seeing that Malaysia uphold Islamic values in high-esteem, how did the Muslim population deal with Genting Highland casino when it is first built? Was there any conflict of interests - and if there was any, how did they manage to resolve it?

3. In the 1970s (CMIIW) there was a flux of Indonesian workers going abroad in Malaysia. And still is. How much significant was their influence in Malaysian culture industry?

Do you know much about the psychedelic rock & roll movement in the late 60s in Cambodia? It's a really weird period to track down, as you can imagine. I know some myself, but I just was wondering if you could share any interesting insight into how it came about.

I read somewhere the theory that Khmers are closely related to Auastronesians rather than Thai Kadai peoples. What is your opinion on this theory?

Hey Beck,

I run a historic book club and we are looking for some books on the region and I admittedly know nothing about this region or interesting times.

Can you point me in the right direction?

How did Hinduism and Buddhism interact to influence the concept of kingship in this region?

Hey could you could discuss how Historians are talking about the commercial sphere that Malacca dominated from thirteenth through the fifteenth centuries, and how this historiography speaks to those of other historiographies?