Ceritalah 2 (2009)

How can we define Southeast Asia - a region that has a plethora of diverse faiths and cultures?

Karim Raslan, one of Asia's upcoming commentators and author of Ceritalah: Malaysia in Transition, addresses this question as he trudges through the region's vast landscape. From Dr Mahathir to Michelle Yeoh, from Islam to Indonesian rap music, Journeys through Southeast Asia: Ceritalah2 pieces together the seemingly irreconcilable icons of our region. Sweeping us from our familiar environs, Karim brings us to the neglected Muslim enclaves in Buddhist Thailand; the bustling Rangoon of the 1930s; and the debilitated kratons in Solo.

Following painters and poets, politicians and clerics, our guide wonders through overlooked communities, prominent conferences and exquisite art galleries. With his usual wit and insight, Karim paints an image of Southeast Asia that is both familiar and excitingly remote.