Race, Education, and Citizenship

Sin Yee Koh is Assistant Professor of Geography at the Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei. Her research, positioned at the intersection of migration studies and urban studies, is informed by three areas of interest: (1) postcolonial geography; (2) migration/mobilities and citizenship; and (3) urbanization, inequality and social change.

• Introduction.- British colonial legacies and the making of Malay(si)a.- A culture of migration.- Education-migration pathways and the (re)production of race.- Interpreting and practising citizenship.- Returning to Malaysia?.- Conclusion: Postcolonialising a culture of migration.

“Koh’s book provides a wealth of theoretical, empirical and contextual information that would be of value and appeal to a wide readership within and beyond migration, citizenship, postcolonial and Malaysian studies. Beyond its academic and policy contributions, Koh’s book will be of special interest to mobile Malaysians and other postcolonial migrants as it opens up a space for nostalgia, reflexivity and affirmation along various stages of the migration trajectory.” (I Lin Sin, Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration, October, 2018)“This book challenges existing literature on skilled migration and flexible citizenship by showing how such migration may be racialised and by highlighting the need to conceptualise migration and citizenship practices historically. … I strongly recommend this book for scholars interested in post-colonial studies, migration, citizenship and race, as well as anyone looking for a more nuanced insight into the formation of contemporary Malaysia.” (Fawzia Haeri Mazanderani, LSE Review of Books, blogs.lse.ac.uk, July, 2018)“This is a commendably bold and critical book—critical of both British colonial policies and contemporary policies pursued by the Malaysian state. … ” (Johanna L. Waters, Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, May, 2018)