Syed Hussein Alatas' legacy: what it means to be Malaysian

Masturah decided to add to the book rather than simply having it republished, as she had discovered new material and new topics to write about, which she felt had relevance to the contemporary times we live in. Photo: The Star/Raja Faisal Hishan

It's been 14 years since author Masturah Alatas first published The Life In The Writing, a biography on the late Syed Hussein Alatas (1928-2007), her father and notable Malaysian scholar.

But there’s always something new to discover and consider in his writings, which was why Masturah, who currently lives in Italy and teaches English at the University of Macerata, decided to revisit the book, resulting in an updated edition that was published recently by Gerakbudaya.