Between frontiers

Thus colonialism, nationalism and their influence over the discussed notions and processes are also part of Ishikawa’s research and analysis. The details given in the monograph are used as illustration and for exemplifying the analysis. The rich documentation dating back to the Dutch colonial administration is enriched with interviews with local people from Malaysia and Indonesia. The two parts of the book reflect the history of formation of nation. The first one is dedicated to the colonial rule and the years until the final “creation” of two states - Malaysia and Indonesia. The second part analyzes the village/the nation and the identity “on the border” (p. 95 onwards). The introduction is very well structured and discusses all relevant notions seemed as important for the further and better understanding of the Ishikawa's thesis. for example, he claims that "the present study...considers national space as a social field in which practical policy implementation and the response of society take much clearer shape than in the case with abstractions such as "nationness" and "nationhood" (p. 4).

The idea of the author to dedicate the introduction and the first part to lay the basics of his study and the history that shaped the problems this part of the world encounter nowadays is more than welcomed as it makes the understanding of all issues relating to the nation-formation in borderlands and the consequences for the local inhabitants and the forced migrants. The author has also analysed the cultural interaction, the kinship and the links that the inhabitants of this part of Borneo have or do not have with their previous homeland. The important conclusion that “in the Malay world of Southeast Asia, boundary engraving by modern nation-states did not instantaneously alter indigenous social formations” (p. 45) clearly shows some of the roots of past and current conflicts, rebellions and misunderstandings. State-building could not influence the local nation or other form of government building as in the case of maritime Southeast Asia the state formation was provoked and guided by the colonial rulers. The clash between state and local people is further fuelled by the attempts of the former to make the latter sedentary and to oppose any form of free mass movement of people. The previous paragraph is illustrated and supported by the brief but very well placed analysis of the Anglo-Dutch wars and consecutive treaties in the early 19th century.

These treaties for the first time in the history of contemporary Indonesia and Malaysia draught the boundaries between them. The treaty from 1824 has transformed the local political entities into territories demarcated with boundaries and strictly divided between two European powers. The main line of division went south and north from Singapore and Borneo/Kalimantan was destined to be a buffer zone, which later has been transformed into zone of conflicts. On p. 53 the author looks at the introduction of passports as way of preventing “coolies” to leave their workplaces and residence. Furthermore, on p.64 N. Ishikawa concludes that “Colonial Sarawak offers a very specific platform from which to view competition between state and society over their respective social spaces”. The author’s contribution lays in the fact that he was able to present this competition in its full extent and in every little possible detail combining not only epigraphic pieces of evidence with other primary sources but also with the narratives of the local peoples. The personal encounters and stories with locals who have different backgrounds and ethnic origins reveal their prejudices and speak clearly about the nature of the inter-border relations. On several occasions throughout his monograph the author is able to show how prejudiced one community can be towards another when border, ethnicity, politics and mass displacement prevail over natural causes and ways of migration.

We witness a more than century long formation of negative opinion about the “others” that sometimes is necessary to define “ourselves”. Telok Melano is at first sight just an ordinary village in Sarawak on the Malaysian part of the island Borneo. But this village served as ground for the field research of Noboru Ishikawa and provided him with some extremely useful examples of what actually represents the life in a borderland and how the territory has shaped its people worldviews and prejudices. Telok Melano is also an example of the formation of new special and transborder identity. This is the place where the author could witness a nation-formation in its whole process. The clash with different local cultures brings to light the issues that still exist between “local” inland Dayaks, Muslim Malays (differentiated into Indonesian and Malaysian Malays), and “Sarawak Malays”. Derek Heng succeeds in describing how the formation of the contemporary states of Indonesia and Malaysia, and especially the inclusion of Sarawak into the Malayan Federation, has influenced all these prejudices and people-to-people exchanges and relations. The appendixes that are provided by N.Ishikawa are important assets for all those who are really interested in the local development of borderlands.

Through these concrete examples of agricultural lands, products and commerce the author shows the practical side of the analytical and theoretical reflections and how they change the everyday life of the people living in the borderland. This book may be recommended for specialists and academics, as for those who have general interest in Southeast Asian affairs. The narrative grasps the attention from the beginning with its rich and detailed information, extensive research and profound analysis, archival documents, and photographs. It can be easily understood as it is clearly written, well organised and structured, with solid methodological and detailed historical background. Moreover, this monograph will further stimulate the ongoing research debate about the nation-building and the nation-formation in borderlands as well as the current situation on Borneo/Kalimantan.