Malaysian Maoists and “Anti-Red” Planning

How did the threat of communism—more specifically, “Chinese” communism or Maoism—shape state-building efforts in Southeast Asia? This talk focuses on the dynamic interactions between the Malayan Communist Party (PKM) and the post-colonial Malaysian state as each side maneuvered to either promote or eradicate localized communist organizing in the 1960s “post-Emergency” era. Through an analysis of PKM activities, state planning, and the imposed liminality of communities caught in between, this talk argues that perceived threats against state actors spurred an extensive trans-border development program that fundamentally transformed Malaysian society. Moreover, the racialization of anti-PKM efforts, often targeting Malaysians of Chinese descent, had the somewhat ironic effect of strengthening ties—imagined or otherwise—between insurgents in Malaysia and the Chinese Mainland.

About the Speaker 

James Gethyn Evans is a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University and visiting faculty in the History Department at George Washington University. His dissertation project examines China’s global connections during the Cold War through its engagement with networks of revolutionaries inspired by Mao Zedong Thought.

The ANU China Seminar Series is supported by the Australian Centre on China in the World at ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.