I, KKK: The Autobiography of a Historian

Khoo Kay Kim

I, KKK – The Autobiography of a Historian recounts the life of Emeritus Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Khoo Kay Kim – from his earliest memories in a time of war and conflict, all through his journey into academic life in post-independence Malaysia. Prof. Khoo’s quaint recollections paint an intimate picture of life in a fledgling country finding its own unique sense of ‘nationhood’, laced with his sharp observations as one of the country’s most celebrated academics.

Emeritus Prof. Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Khoo Kay Kim is formative figure in the field of Malaysian history. Widely regarded as the country’s National Historian, his seminal work has shaped the post-independence study of history in modern Malaysia. Serving for over fifty years at the Department of History, University of Malaya, he has authored countless works in the English and Malay languages. He was among those instrumental in the formulation of the Rukun Negara (National Principles) following the aftermath of the 1969 race riots, in his illustrious career in public life.

I, KKK is the first in a series of bi-lingual publications (in English and Malay) of his writings that will be published over the course of the next few years. The accompanying volume of the autobiography, entitled Primary Sources, details the public and intellectual life of the historian, and will be published by Kala Publishers towards the end of the year.