Keen to share knowledge, Nor Ibrahim presses on with writing of historical books

While others at his age may take things easy, enjoying life at a slower pace, septuagenarian Major (Rtd) Dr Nor Ibrahim Sulaiman keeps himself busy writing historical books, one after another, due to his deep love for the country’s history.

History buffs out there may have been regular visitors to his blog, which he started in 2009, where he shared the country’s historical accounts, especially related to the struggles of national heroes.

Hence, it was understandable that he decided to write at length on the Baling Talks, in his fifth book which was published in April.

Nor Ibrahim, 72, a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) veteran, admitted that he would feel guilty if he did not share his knowledge with others, particularly on historical events that shaped the country to what it is now.

“Indeed, I do not deny that historical reading materials are quite heavy and less popular for a large group of people, especially the younger generation. But I will feel guilty if I don’t share what I know.

“Another factor as to why I am willing to sacrifice time and money (to write a book), is because I want to give a different view on what happened behind the scenes, before a certain event, such as the meeting (of the Baling Talks) took place,” he told Bernama.

After years of gathering information on the Baling Talks, finally, in April his book on the country’s historical event, entitled ‘Liku-Liku Pertemuan Baling’, was published by the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP).

“I do not use the term Rundingan Baling (as the title of the book) because for me there was no direct negotiation. Both sides, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and Chin Peng, did not budge from their respective objectives,” said the former Nuri helicopter pilot.

“Tunku, from the beginning, said that the purpose of his meeting with Chin Peng was to explain the conditions of the amnesty that the communists wanted to surrender, and firmly stated that he would not recognise the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) at all.

“On the other hand, Chin Peng insisted that the government recognise the CPM, and that they would not give up and would continue their struggle to the last drop of blood – they just wouldn’t surrender; it didn’t matter even if Malaya has gained its independence,” he said.

Nor Ibrahim said that he also intended to contribute his work to the National Archives and the state libraries, as he found that the materials on the topic were relatively lacking.

“When I wanted to find more information about the Baling Talks, I asked for help from friends abroad, and thankfully they were willing to help,” he said.

In a quick look at the ‘Foreword’ section of the book, Pahang State Museum Fellow, Prof Datuk Dr Ramlah Adam, stated that the writer has managed to record history as a treasure and heritage of the nation, and his writing should be emulated by history buffs regardless of their age.