Hishamuddin Rais is a community activist, writer, and film maker. Currently he is writing as a columnist at The Edge, Malaysiakini.com, and The Sun. He also at present actively shares his ideas and opinions at his very own blog tukartiub.blogspot.com.
Known as Isham, he received his secondary education at Kolej Melayu Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) before furthering his study in University Malaya (UM). While studying at UM, he was aggressively involved in the uprising of students’ movement at the time. In December 1974, there was a large-scaled demonstration conducted by students to fight for the fate of poor farmers in Baling, Kedah. Isham fled the country during the time when government was carrying out order to arrest the demonstrators.
He then was granted a political asylum from the Belgium government before he moved to London where he studied filmmaking at the University of Westminster and graduated in the year 1992. He stayed in London for 15 years.
When he returned to Malaysia in 1994, he was immediately arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for two weeks. While in detention, he got the idea to direct the film Dari Jemapoh ke Manchestee which is full of metaphors and shows the rebellious youth culture.
It was his involvement in the "Reformasi" movement in 1998 that really gave a big impact on himself. At the early stage of the movement, he was not directly involved but later changed his mind and started to take part in street demonstrations. During that time, he frequently wrote for several publications in the country.
His involvement in the movement has caused the refusal from all mainstream newspapers to publish his writings. However in the end of 1999, Malaysiakini.com an internet news portal was launched and he became one of the columnists there.
On April 9, 2001, he was arrested by the police under the ISA with nine other "pro-reformasi" activists and held in detention until 2003.
He was scheduled to be featured on the Malaysian Digest's 4th Teh Tarik session when it was canceled due to health reason. Finally we are proud to feature him in our next TTS. Hisham will be presenting the subject 'Cultural and Social Change'.
