Kekecewaan Khoo Kay Kim Dan Murid Terakhirnya

Kekecewaan Khoo Kay Kim
dan Murid Terakhirnya

Membaca kisah dan cerita Tan Sri Prof. Emeritus Dr. Khoo Kay Kim yang terkini, sangat menyentuh hati dan perasaan. Secara jujur, saya tidak tahu apakah yang sebenarnya berlaku dan merusingkan hati tokoh sejarawan terkenal ini - bagi saya ada sesuatu yang perlu dibongkarkan secara berterus-terang. Dr. Khoo Kay Kim menunjukkan kekecewaannya - termasuk terhadap bloggers dengan menyatakan,

“Bloggers especially talk absolute rubbish! They think they are very clever and that they have the right to say anything they want. We're getting more people like this who don't talk sense anymore. It isn't possible to debate with them.” “Don't talk about history unless you have done meticulous research. Otherwise, fact and fiction will merge like it is happening now.”

Saya mampu - walaupun mungkin sedikit sahaja untuk memahami jiwa prof sejarah yang hebat ini - namun demikian, pergolakkan hatinya sukar sekali dibendung. Hari-hari pentingnya di Universiti Malaya, barangkali sudah dapat digambarkan akan rasa duka-laranya melalui bait-bait kata di bawah.

“I did have a research project which I began two years ago though,” he recalled. “It was a study of Malaysia's cultural diversity. A year later it was terminated. The 'top people' had determined that such a study is – and I quote – not of fundamental importance.” He raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly as if underlining the absurdity of his statement. When asked whether he challenged this decision, he spread his hands resignedly.

“Of course I did but what can you do?” he said. “My friends and I always talk about the tyranny of the majority. There are so few of us old people so really, what can I do except continue working on the project in a private capacity. But that won't be easy because my research won't be funded.”

Dr Khoo Kay Kim secara ikhlas mengakui - beliau sangat kecewa dan sedih dengan apa-apa yang sedang berlaku di dalam negara ini - khususnya dalam politik. Ramai yang bercakap tentang sejarah Malaysia - tetapi,sebenarnya mereka sendiri tidak faham dengan sejarah yang mereka sebutkan-sebutkan itu. Ya, saya setuju dan sangat bersetuju - Dr Khoo Kay Kim boleh dianggap sebagai "Last Historian" di negara ini dan sehingga sekarang, kita masih tidak ketemu penggantinya lagi. Sambung bacaan anda di sini...