Today, I received the deeply saddening news that Datuk Dr Ahmat Adam, one of Malaysia’s most respected historians and critical thinkers, has passed away. Though I never had the chance to meet him in person, we had been connected online since 2017 and over the years, he became more than just a scholar I admired. He was a voice of reason, a fearless intellect, and a generous online friend who never hesitated to share insights, correct inaccuracies, and provoke deeper thought.
His passing marks not only the loss of a towering academic figure but also the silencing of a rare kind of honesty in Malaysian historiography.
I own most of his recent works, texts that I return to again and again for their clarity, their rigorous logic, and their refusal to simply accept myth as history. In particular, his research and theories surrounding the legendary Hang Tuah stand out. Where others romanticized blindly, Dr Ahmat insisted on facts, on philological scrutiny, on evidence. He challenged the long-held assumptions embedded in nationalist narratives and argued for a more grounded, historically responsible view of our cultural past.
To many, he was controversial. But to those who truly appreciated his work, he was courageous.
He had a sharp mind and an even sharper pen. But behind the intellectual edge was a human being who carried a deep love for truth, for his country, and for the dignity of historical inquiry. Our conversations, often brief but always illuminating, are memories I’ll carry with me.
I mourn not only his loss, but also the urgent, unfinished questions he leaves behind. Who will take up the mantle of confronting mythology with scholarship? Who else will dare to say, “this is not quite right,” even when it’s unpopular?
May he rest in peace, and may his legacy inspire new generations to think critically, write honestly, and seek truth over comfort.
Al-Fatihah.
(For non-Muslim friends, a moment of reflection will suffice.)
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” – William Faulkner
But thanks to Dr Ahmat Adam, we understand the past with clearer eyes.