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The Malay Peninsula has traditionally been considered to harbour a diverse land-snail fauna, both in terms of a high species richness and a wide variety of conchological traits, especially within the limacoid land snails. A recent survey along the Malay Peninsula of southern Thailand discovered an overlooked limacoid taxon "Trochomorpha" sculpticarina Martens, 1883, previously assigned to genus Trochomorpha of the Trochomorphidae. This genus is herein described as Janbinmorpha gen. nov. based on comparative studies of shell morphology, external features, genital anatomy and radular morphology, as well as analyses of partial sequences of two mitochondrial markers, COI and 16S rRNA, and of one nuclear marker, 28S rRNA. This new genus is characterised by a combination of distinct morphological and anatomical features. The most distinguishing features are a depressed trochiform shell with a keeled last whorl, gametolytic organ without a duct, gametolytic sac with two lobes, and proximal epiphallus encircled with a thick sheath and attached by the penial retractor muscle. In addition, an analysis of the differentiation in mitochondrial and nuclear markers confirmed that this new genus, first recognised by morphology, is also genetically distinct. The molecular data also confirm that J. sculpticarina comb. nov. is a member of the Ariophantidae and has a close evolutionary relationship to Hemiplecta and Maelamaodiscus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Straits Settlements, a collective colony under the administration of British Malaya, was a very unhealthy area in the early years of the nineteenth century. One of the most common sicknesses was mental illness, which could not be cured by medicines. The number of women suffering from mental illness was higher than in men, and it was found that there were many internal and external causes. The increasing number of women patients affected the role of mental hospitals, which were not only for treatment purposes, but also for business. This study will discuss the factors causing women to suffer from mental illness, and the role of the asylum for women mental patients in the nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article outlines some of the key cultural shifts that influenced moviegoing for girls and women in British Malaya. To reconstruct the patterns of film exhibition during the silent and early sound era, it draws on archival resources, including American trade press, local popular press, and oral interviews with elderly Singaporeans; these were conducted in the 1980s, by the Singapore National Archives, when spectators who experienced silent moviegoing were still alive. Methodologically, this work draws on feminist film scholarship that focuses on the socio-cultural role of cinematic consumption at a defined, historical moment. The article contextualises cinemagoing within a wider framework of spatial geographies under colonial rule. It also interrogates the popularity of Hollywood on the national screens, and the related, gendered anxieties on moviegoing expressed across the Malayan public sphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Melaka's links with the Middle East during the long fifteenth century through the evidence of the sources written in Arabic, Persian and Turkish. These comprise Arabic navigational texts, Arabic inscriptions from Melaka itself, Persian geographical texts, and Turkish chronicles and administrative documents. Together, they show how the Melaka sultanate was perceived and remembered in the broader Islamic world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focusses on the relationships and networking of journalists in the Malay Peninsula/Straits Settlement with Sumatra before Indonesia's independence. The relationship was seen from the involvement of the Sumatera community with the Malay Peninsula in printing and publication coverage and issues. During the Dutch and British occupation, the magazine and newspaper companies in Sumatra opened their agency in the Malay Peninsula and the Straits Settlement. This study uses a historical perspective by referring to current press documents and magazines. The analysis used was historical and narrative. The influence of the Sumatran media can be seen in the reports of Sumatra journalists in the Malay Peninsula. In addition, the issues of the Indonesian national movement published in newspapers and magazines also influenced the turmoil and awareness of nationalism in the Malay Peninsula and the Straits Settlements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In British Malaya, Scouting promoted the virtues of the Great Outdoors and opened up space for alternative views of boyhood for indigenous boys. Although Malayan boys were no strangers to being out-of-doors prior to the movement's introduction, Scouting established an educational framework in which outdoor learning gained traction and where the Great Outdoors came to be identified as an ideal environment for cultivating a wholesome, active, and healthy boyhood. In an era where social exchanges between colonial and colonised boys were limited, Scout activities in the open-air, notably camping and hiking, fostered homosocial bonds between boys of diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds in their 'boys-only world'. Outdoor activities also nurtured the ideal of an insouciant, yet physically demanding and vigorous boyhood, where a boy's 'innate gang-spirit' and 'tendency for mischief' were to be encouraged. In that endeavour, the Great Outdoors was conceptualised and extoled by (adult) Scoutmasters as a desirable substitute for a boy's very own home. By harnessing newspaper sources, Scout literature, and the oral histories of former Malayan Scouts, this paper seeks to demonstrate how Scouting shaped and regulated cultural representations and understandings of the 'Great Outdoors' for boys' education during the colonial era into the post-colonial present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is based on oribatid mite material collected from Malaysia. A list of 23 species, belonging to 19 genera and 14 families, is presented; of these, two genera and five species are reported for the first time from Malaysia. Two new species of Oripodoidea – Muliercula malaysiaensissp. nov. (Scheloribatidae) and Neoribates (Neoribates) pahangensissp. nov. (Parakalummidae) – are described from forest leaf litter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores transregional connectivity between South and Southeast Asia, which facilitated the mobility of people, goods, ideas, and plants. However, imprecise labeling of diverse South Asian migrants in colonial records has made it difficult to reconstruct the historical migration of specific South Asian communities. This paper proposes techniques to recover their history, using the example of Bengali mobility, by consulting archival documents, oral testimonies, and other primary sources. This study calls on academics, historians, and experts on mobility studies to be vigilant of indiscriminate categorizing systems in colonial records because stereotypes and imprecise ethnic identity in such records may mislead them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over a century after the Qing Dynasty, Chinese migration to the Malay Peninsula surged, bringing challenges of new geography, diverse cultures, languages, politics, and survival. Despite this, Malaysian Chinese remained deeply rooted in their cultural traditions. Among these, Chinese music played a crucial role, serving as a spiritual anchor for Malaysian Chinese, carrying the essence of their heritage. Through surveys and interviews with teachers and students from Malaysian-Chinese secondary schools, the author investigated how Malaysian Chinese Music, exemplified by the widely embraced "Chuan Deng," holds such a profound cultural identity function within the community and its underlying principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This photo essay chronicles the life of my grandfather, C. Rajah, who travelled from India to British Malaya in or around 1920. He eventually made his home in a rubber estate in the north of the Malay peninsula called Foothills Estate, Kulim. There, he grew his family and built a life that was, by all accounts, a good one. The story I tell is based on tales I heard about him and Foothills Estate, documents in my possession and some items I inherited. It is an attempt to counter the stereotype in modern Malaysia that those who come from the estates are to be regarded as 'uncultured, illiterate and poor'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermittent climate change episodes since the Late Pleistocene resulted in decreasing or increasing the earth’s temperature causing the global sea levels to drop or rise accordingly. These episodes had a remarkable impact on landscape and soils in the Malay Peninsula. The peninsula is characterised by the presence of steep highlands in the central region with the rest occupied by upland undulating terrains and flat alluvial areas. Major soils in the upland regions are formed from igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks ranging in age from Mesozoic to Paleozoic. Most soils developed from those rocks are classified as Ultisols or Oxisols. Both soil types are acidic in nature, having low basic cations insufficient to sustain crop production. Three levels of riverine terraces are scattered sporadically in the peninsula. The age of the sediments forming the highest terraces is 40,000 years, while the lowest terraces are found in the present flood plains. The fluvial characters of the terraces are preserved in the sediments that can be observed and studied. Marine deposits are located along the low-lying coastal plains. The alluvium is divided into clayey sediments found mainly in the West coast and the sandy ones in the East coast of the peninsula. The former contains pyrite at certain locations that produces acidity on oxidation, while the latter have very high sand content. The pyritization of the sediments took place 4,300 years ago when the sea level in the peninsula rose by 3-5 m above the present level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The British East India Company (EIC) made connections between the Malay Archipelago and Bengal and established a penal settlement at Bencoolen, followed by the Straits Settlements for the Indian convicts. The convicts from different parts of South Asia today were generally described as “Indian”, such generalisation often hides the identity of specific convicts from South Asia. Among the Indian convicts, the Bengalis were transported to Bencoolen and the Straits Settlements. However, the generic term has made it difficult to reconstruct the history of Bengali convicts’ experiences and pathos. Therefore, this paper attempts to “rediscover” the afterlife of transportation of Bengali felons in the Malay Peninsula. Design/methodology/approach – By examining a range of archival records and current scholarships, this article shows the inclusivity, diversity and accessibility of convict labourers with mainstream society. This study will open up a new avenue of convict histories and subaltern studies on Asia. Findings – The Bengali convicts in the Straits Settlements, one of the oldest migrant sections, have largely been ignored in historical literature. Though the Bengalis, among other South Asian convicts, constituted a significant portion, they were categorised under the generic term “Indian” (Rai, 2014). Their manual labour was invaluable for the colonial economy and the development of the Straits Settlements. Research limitations/implications – Researcher faced difficulties to get the descendant of Bengali convicts. Originality/value – This article is a research paper based on mostly archival records; therefore, it is an original contribution to the existing knowledge on the convict history.

The exploration of unsurveyed areas in southern Thailand discovered two new karst-adapted species, Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe sp. nov. and Cyrtodactylus wangkhramensis sp. nov., from Thung Wa and La-ngu Districts, Satun Province, respectively. These new species are members of the C. pulchellus group that occur along the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The new species can be distinguished from all other congeners by their key morphological characters and genetic divergence. Morphologically, Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe sp. nov. and Cyrtodactylus wangkhramensis sp. nov. can be diagnosed from other members by having a combination of differences in body size; degree of dorsal tuberculation; absence of tubercles on ventral surfaces; number of ventral scales, paravertebral tubercles and femoroprecloacal pores in males only; deep precloacal groove only in males; absence of a scattered pattern of white dorsal tubercles; number of dark body bands; and the extent of caudal tubercles on an original tail. Although the two species are sister taxa and have nearly identical morphologies, they are considered to be different species, based on a relatively high uncorrected pairwise genetic divergence of the mitochondrial ND2 gene (6.59-6.89%), statistically significant univariate and multivariate morphological differences (PERMANOVA and ANOVA) and diagnostic characteristics of caudal tuberculation on the original tail. Moreover, Cyrtodactylus sungaiupe sp. nov. and Cyrtodactylus wangkhramensis sp. nov. are currently restricted to their karstic type localities which may serve as a geographic barrier to dispersal and gene flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1877, the small territory of Muar in the Malay Peninsula was ceded to Maharaja (later Sultan) Abu Bakar of Johor after the death of Sultan Ali Iskandar Shah of Johor. This was done with the connivance and approval of the British Governor and Colonial Office, setting aside the claims of Sultan Ali's son, Tunku Alam. Although presented locally as a triumph for the politicking of the Maharajah, the Muar Succession was a short-lived check to the British forward movement in the Malay Peninsula. This article attempts to explain the reason for this anomaly, and the role of Governor Robinson during the event. The qualitative research was conducted using primary sources like Arkib Negara Malaysia documents, colonial newspapers and Colonial Office files. Contrary to conventional historiography which portrays the British forward movement as linear and inevitable, we show that the personal initiative of the Governor of the Straits Settlements played a crucial role in the development of British policy towards Muar, which would later influence the politics of British colonial administration in the Malay Peninsula in the 19th century. In particular, the personal convictions of Governor Robinson against granting the Maharajah more influence marked the start of hardening colonial attitudes towards the Maharajah, leading to a resumption in British forward policy from the 1880s. The Muar affair would prove to be the exception that proves the rule, where the British experience in nonintervention in the Malay Peninsula provided instead justification for further direct expansion in the name of good administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal rainfall regime is a key factor control on local ecological and social processes and is commonly thought to be stable under long‐term climate changes. Here we present a unique high‐resolution rainfall record from the Thai‐Malay Peninsula, combined with a state‐of‐the‐art transient climate simulation, demonstrating a fundamental rainfall regime shift from summer to winter during the Holocene. Transient model simulation and new sensitivity experiments further reveal that westward migration of the boundary between summer and winter rainfall regimes results in a summer to winter rainfall regime shift forced by distinct changes in summer and winter monsoons. Our findings suggest that the seasonal rainfall regime could be unstable under climate change around the boundaries of rainfall regimes in the tropics and possibly worldwide, which might be more critical for shaping both past and future ecological environments. Plain Language Summary: The observed seasonal rainfall regime, which varies over time, challenges the assumption of stable seasonal patterns in reconstructions of paleorainfall, suggesting that a reappraisal of the understanding of past ecological‐social changes with respect to rainfall may be needed. In this study, we have used a high‐resolution rainfall record from the Thai–Malay Peninsula and a state‐of‐the‐art transient paleoclimate simulation to describe a novel summer to winter rainfall regime shift during the Holocene era in the tropics, which may apply to regime‐boundary regions worldwide and thus provide a new perspective on dramatic ecological and social changes recorded around regime boundary regions for both past and future studies. Key Points: A unique rainfall record in the Thai‐Malay and a transient simulation suggest a summer to winter rainfall regime shift during the HoloceneTransient paleoclimate simulation simulation reveals that this shift was caused by westward migration of the boundary between summer and winter rainfall regimesThis regime shift could occur in regions around the boundaries of rainfall regimes in the tropics and possibly worldwide [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a long history presuming smell is not expressible in language, but numerous studies in recent years challenge this presupposition. Large smell lexica have been reported around the world thereby showing high lexical codability in this domain. Psycholinguistic studies likewise find smell can be described with relatively high agreement, demonstrating high efficient codability. Often the two go hand-in-hand: languages with high lexical codability also display high efficient codability. This study compares two Austroasiatic (Aslian) languages – Semaq Beri and Semelai – previously shown to diverge in their efficient codability for smell: Semaq Beri showed relatively high efficient codability, whereas Semelai did not. Despite this, we demonstrate that both languages have high lexical codability, i.e., large lexica of basic smell terms. This seems to be a feature of the Aslian language family, suggesting a long-standing preoccupation with odours. More generally, the dissociation between lexical and efficient codability suggests a more nuanced approach towards linguistic expressibility is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development goals assume that basic notions, such as health, life, and water, can be universally and easily expressed and understood across diverse communities and stakeholders. Yet, there is growing evidence pointing to considerable semantic diversity in how humans represent the world in language. In this paper, I discuss such semantic diversity in the context of key notions of sustainability. Focusing on an environmental term of broad relevance to sustainability goals, forest, I explore how this notion compares with assumed equivalent notions in a non‐Western lesser‐known speech community. Specifically, I analyze representations of treed environments in the language of the Jahai, a forager community inhabiting the rainforests of the Malay Peninsula. The results show that an understanding of local indigenous systems of representation can be crucial to the communication and implementation of sustainability goals. Sustainable development goals assume that environmental notions can be universally expressed and understood across languages. In this paper I discuss the notion of forest in the context of an indigenous Jahai term, showing that there are significant challenges to translation and communication of such notions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) evolved under the impact of the Cold War. Considering that the CPM was a left-wing political party that had a significant impact on many areas of Malaysia, this study tries to identify and investigate the causes of the CPM's inability to win the political fight from 1948 to 1989. Both domestic and internal party issues, along with the Cold War scenario, were a significant component that could not be neglected by the researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boletoxenus mixtus dynastes ssp. nov., a new subspecies of mycetophagous Bolitophagini darkling beetles from mainland SE Asia, is described and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sets of beach ridge plains and sand spit at Laem Pho, Chaiya coast of Surat Thani, the Thai-Malay peninsula, the Gulf of Thailand show their evolution in response to a long-term sea-level change from the middle Holocene to the present. The most landward set of beach ridges defines the paleo-shoreline located at 4.5 km far inland with an elevation up to 4 m of ancient sea level above the present mean sea level. Interestingly, the orientation of beach ridges reflects that they were mainly formed by longshore current in southeast direction likely similar to beach ridges in the other coastal sectors of the western part of the Gulf. The major composition of beach ridge included quartz, whereas minor composition was feldspar. Roundness and sphericity of beach ridge sediments showed sub-rounded and sub-angular. Physical properties of beach sediment and the preservation of feldspar in beach sediment suggest the main source from granite exposure near this coastal plain. Major sediment pathway was possibly supplied from the Phum Rieng canal. Optically stimulated luminescence dating revealed the formation of beach ridge plain here starting from 7,171±460 years BP. The sand spit has been formed at 440 years BP. These ages responded to the formation of beach ridge after sea level had reached the highstand in the middle Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I examine epidemiological research into scrub typhus in British Malaya between 1924 and 1974. Interwar research, I show, explained the incidence of the disease through conjunctions of rats, mites, plantations, lalang grass, and "jungle." In the process, interwar researchers bridged a novel scientific vocabulary centering on disease "reservoirs" with older suspicions of plantations enabling "pests," as well as with a later, explicitly ecological understanding of infectious disease. In exploring this history I thereby help to re-historicize the emergence of ecological notions of disease reservoirs, whilst also pushing at the limit-points of influential notions of "tropicality." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thinodromus (s. str.) excisiussp. n. is described from Pahang State, Malacca Peninsula, Malaysia. The new species belongs to the Thinodromus lunatus group widespread in Southeast Asia. Within this group, the species seems to be most similar to Thinodromus (s. str.) cattiensis Gildenkov, 2017, Thinodromus (s. str.) spotus Gildenkov, 2017, Thinodromus (s. str.) batuensis Gildenkov, 2021, and Thinodromus (s. str.) bruneiensis Gildenkov, 2021 in the structure of the unpaired anterior shield of the internal sac of the aedeagus but clearly differs from these and from the other species of the lunatus group in the structure of the parameres with a characteristic emargination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirteen species of leaf beetles of the genus Colaspoides Laporte are described as new to science: Colaspoides cameronensissp. n.,C. asarovisp. n.,C. nikandrovitshisp. n.,C. pahangensissp. n. from the Malay Peninsula, and Colaspoides aeneoviridissp. n.,C. borneomontanasp. n.,C. bruneiensissp. n.,C. metallactussp. n.,C. costipennissp. n.,C. gunungensissp. n.,C. latipalpissp. n.,C. paraviolaceasp. n., and C. vityukovaesp. n. from the island of Borneo. New keys are proposed for the species complexes of C. cognata Baly, 1867 and C. cognatella L. Medvedev, 2004, C. borneomontanasp. n., and C. viridimarginata Baly, 1867. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove seedlings are subject to natural tidal inundation, while occasional flooding may lead to complete submergence. Complete submergence reduces light availability and limits gas exchange, affecting several plant metabolic processes. The present study focuses on Rhizophora mucronata, a common mangrove species found along the coasts of Thailand and the Malay Peninsula.To reveal response mechanisms of R. mucronata seedlings to submergence, a physiological investigation coupled with proteomic analyses of leaf and root tissues was carried out in plants subjected to 20 days of control (drained) or submerged conditions.Submerged seedlings showed decreased photosynthetic activity, lower stomatal conductance, higher total antioxidant capacity in leaves and higher lipid peroxidation in roots than control plants. At the same time, tissue nutrient ion content displayed organ‐specific responses. Proteome analysis revealed a significant change in 240 proteins in the leaves and 212 proteins in the roots. In leaves, most differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) are associated with nucleic acids, stress response, protein transport, signal transduction, development and photosynthesis. In roots, most DAPs are associated with protein metabolic process, response to abiotic stimulus, nucleic acid metabolism and transport.Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of submergence responses in R. mucronata seedlings. The results suggest that submergence induced multifaceted stresses related to light limitation, oxidative stress and osmotic stress, but the responses are organ specific. The results revealed many candidate proteins which may be essential for survival of R. mucronata under prolonged submergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly everywhere in the world, plant phenology is tightly linked with climatic seasonality. When all the individuals of a species flower at the same time each year, they are genetically linked to each other by crosspollination. Phenological conformity maintains the genetic integrity that defines a species. Where the climate allows individuals of a species to flower at different times, individuals and subpopulations of a species may get reproductively isolated from each other. Since reproductive isolation is the essential first step for the evolution of a new species from a pre-existing one, it may be argued that wherever the climate is least effective in regimenting phenological behaviour, there would be maximum opportunities for phenological differentiation and reproductive isolation, and maximum opportunities for sympatric speciation. Data from the Malay Peninsula is presented to support this hypothesis. The Malay Peninsula has an exceptionally large number of species in relation to its land area, a wider range of well-documented phenological expressions than any other region of the world, and what appears to be the least seasonal of all climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snorkel snails (genus Rhiostoma) are widely distributed in Indo-China and on the Malay Peninsula. The shell morphology is traditionally used for species identification yet in Thailand, the common snorkel snail, Rhiostoma housei , shows considerable variation in shell morphology within and between populations. Therefore species identifications and delimitations are difficult. We used two mitochondrial DNA fragments (COI and 16S rRNA) and morphological characters to delimit species and infer phylogenetic relationships of Rhiostoma housei s.l. from eight localities in Thailand, representing potential cryptic species suggested by earlier allozyme and karyological data. Results revealed four distinct clades from different geographic areas in Thailand. Species delimitation analyses confirmed the clades as four separate species and a geometric morphometric analysis demonstrated subtle but consistent conchological differences between the four clades. The high COI sequence divergences among the four clades (mean: 14.8%; range: 10.3–16.5%) further supported the species level recognition. As a consequence, three new species are described from Thailand: R. khoratense , sp. nov., R. nakwangense , sp. nov. and R. phunangense , sp. nov. ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EE534749-9346-4972-BF2E-3B5D0EB8AED8 Snorkel snails of the genus Rhiostoma have considerable variation in shell morphology. We used two mtDNA fragments, morphological characters and shell geometric morphometrics to infer phylogenetic relationships. Results revealed four distinct clades and four separate species under the name R. housei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many large-scale Cenozoic sedimentary basins with plentiful river deltas, deep-water fans and carbonate platforms in the southern South China Sea. The Crocker Fan was deposited as a typical submarine fan during the late Eocene—early Miocene, and stretches extensively across the entire Sarawak-Sabah of the northern Borneo area. However, systematic analyses are still lacking regarding its sediment composition and potential source suppliers. No consensus has been reached yet on the provenance evolution and sedimentary infilling processes, which seriously impeded the oil-and-gas exploration undertakings. By combining with sedimentary-facies identification, heavy mineral assemblages, elemental geochemistry and detrital zircon U-Pb dating, this paper aims to generalize an integrated analysis on the potential provenance terranes and restore source-to-sink pathways of the Crocker Fan. In general, the Crocker Fan was initially formed over the Cretaceous-lower/middle Eocene Rajang Group by an angular Rajang unconformity. The continual southward subduction of the proto-South China Sea resulted in magmatic activities and subsequent regional deformation and thrusting along the Lupar Line in the northern Borneo. The lowermost Crocker sequence is featured by a thick conglomerate layer sourced from in-situ or adjacent paleo-uplifts. From the late Eocene to the early Miocene, the Crocker Fan was constantly delivered with voluminous detritus from the Malay Peninsula of the western Sundaland. The Zengmu Basin was widely deposited with delta plain and neritic facies sediments, while the Brunei-Sabah Basin, to the farther east, was ubiquitously characterized by turbiditic sequences. The Crocker Fan successions are overall thick layers of modest-grained sandstones, which formed high-quality reservoirs in the southern South China Sea region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species limits in Piper spp. have been unstable, with specimens often assigned to different species by different botanists. Using a strongly supported clade of Asian Piper section Muldera, I investigated species boundaries in the eight Malay Peninsula species using morphological, anatomical and molecular approaches. I assessed morphological variation using principal component analysis (PCA) and a model-based clustering method. Herbarium specimens and samples collected in the field were examined, and the latter were also used to examine variation in vegetative anatomy. Potential evidence of reciprocal monophyly of species came from the molecular phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ITS and g3pdh and plastid trnL-F. Morphological analyses did not lend support for any of the hypothesized species from the Malay Peninsula. Nuclear phylogenetic trees supported a combination of Piper schizonephros, Piper polygynum and Piper maingayi as a single species that might also have a distinct distribution of calcium oxalate crystals in the mesophyll of the leaf and a prominently raised leaf midrib raise. Nevertheless, shared characters between this species and some, but not all, of the other morphogroups, and paraphyly of other morphogroups in the phylogenetic analyses, might suggest hybridization or lateral gene transfer among species of the section Muldera. In-depth population studies coupled with examination of morphological variation for all species of the section Muldera, including those from outside the Malay Peninsula, are necessary to disentangle the species limits and ultimately the evolutionary history in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultural, technological, and socioeconomic dimensions of exotic animal introductions into the Malayan Peninsula have largely escaped the notice of scholars of British Malaya. At the same time, the scientific literature on exotic ichthyological introductions into Malaya has framed such introductions in largely biological terms. Biological factors alone, however, cannot explain the introduction and cultivation of exotic (sometimes temperate) fishes in tropical Malayan waters. Between 1923 and 1942, the Fisheries Department of the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States experimented with introducing three categories of exotic fishes into the Malayan Peninsula. These fishes—the sepat siam , Chinese carp and English trout—were reared and released into demographic and geographical landscapes profoundly shaped by imperial power. These animals were thus 'fishes of Empire', their introduction and cultivation in the Malayan Peninsula significantly influenced by the scientific, socioeconomic, technological, and cultural contexts of the British Empire. Studying the places, peoples, and technologies that shaped (and were in turn shaped by) these fishes of Empire offers insights into the intersections of imperial power, colonial science, and environmental history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral-associated bacteria play critical roles in the regulation of coral health and function. Environmental perturbations that alter the bacterial community structure can render the coral holobiont more susceptible and less resilient to disease. Understanding the natural variation of the coral microbiome across space and host species provides a baseline that can be used to distinguish shifts in community structure. Using a 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding approach, this study examines bacterial community structure across three scleractinian coral hosts. Our results show that corals of three regions—eastern and western Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore—host distinct bacterial communities; despite these differences, we were able to identify a core microbiome shared across all three species. This core microbiome was also present in samples previously collected in Thailand, suggesting that these core microbes play an important role in promoting and maintaining host health. For example, several have been identified as dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) metabolizers that have roles in sulfur cycling and the suppression of bacterial pathogens. Pachyseris speciosa has the most variable microbiome, followed by Porites lutea, with the composition of the Diploastrea heliopora microbiome the least variable throughout all locations. Microbial taxa associated with each region or site are likely shaped by local environmental conditions. Taken together, host identity is a major driver of differences in microbial community structure, while environmental heterogeneity shapes communities at finer scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Katydids produce sound for signaling and communication by stridulation of the tegmina. Unlike crickets, most katydids are known to sing at ultrasonic frequencies. This has drawn interest in the investigation of the biophysics of ultrasonic sound production, detection, evolution, and ecology (including predator-prey interactions) of these katydids. However, most of these studies are based on species from the Neotropics, while little is known about katydid species from the hyperdiverse region of Southeast Asia. To address this, a concerted effort to document, record, and describe the calling songs of Southeast Asian katydids, especially species that call at ultrasonic frequencies, was made. A study spanning two years (2018-2020) in the Malay Peninsula (Singapore and Malaysia), Borneo (Brunei Darussalam and Sabah), and the Philippines revealed previously unknown calls of 24 katydid species from four subfamilies. The calling songs of Southeast Asian katydid species are highly diversified in terms of time and frequency. Call structure can range from isolated syllables (e.g., Holochlora), continuous trills (e.g., Axylus philippinus), to short pulse-trains (e.g., Euanisous teuthroides) and complex echemes (e.g., Conocephalus spp.), with 87.5% of species having ultrasonic peak frequencies and 12.5% being considered extreme ultrasonic callers (peak frequency >40 kHz). The call spectrum ranges from tonal (e.g., spectral entropy is 6.8 in Casigneta sp. 2) to resonant (entropy is 8.8 in Conocephalus cognatus). Of the 24 species whose calls are described here, we imaged and described the soundproducing structures of 18. This study provides a preliminary overview of the acoustic diversity of katydids in Southeast Asia, and the authors hope to inspire further investigation into the bioacoustics of little-known katydids from these areas. Amassing a database of calling songs and soundproducing organ illustrations from different species is important to address taxonomic impediments while advancing our knowledge about the bioacoustics of Southeast Asian katydids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the cultural integration of Indian Buddhist art and Chinese Buddhist art, standing Buddha statues carved in-the-round with thin, tight-fitting robes require special attention. Unlike other types of Buddha statues found in China, they are depicted wearing robes of a foreign style, while displaying the facial and body features of East Asians. These statues, which were excavated on the Shandong Peninsula in the last century, are believed to have been carved during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550–577). After years of academic exploration, the transmission route, transit point and reasons for their introduction into Shandong remain unclear, which are topics that this paper aims to address. According to typology analysis, the Buddha statues in question can be divided into three types, and their foreign counterparts have been identified through the iconology comparisons of Chinese and foreign Buddha statues. From this, in chronological order, the transmission route of three Buddha statue types can be inferred, namely from India to the Shandong Peninsula via the Malay Peninsula, the Mekong Delta and the southeastern coast of China. The route of contemporaneous Indian monks travelling from the east to the Northern Dynasties, as recorded in Chinese historical documents and the Buddhist Canon, verifies this conclusion. Along this route, the north-central Malay Peninsula is one of the main transit points where the Buddha statues were locally adapted and then spread further east. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The de-fractal approach was used to calculate the depth to bottom of magnetic sources (DBMS) beneath the Malay Peninsula and surrounding regions. DBMS estimates for the study area range from ~ 7.3 to 49.3 km with a mean value of 21.4 km. The deepest DBMS (up to 49 km) is associated with Sumatra Island, while elevated DBMS as shallow as 7 km have been documented in areas impacted by thermal springs in the western Malay Peninsula. This suggests that the hot springs in these regions are highly promising for geothermal exploration. Comparison of DBMS estimates with crustal thickness from previous studies shows that the DBMS in the Malay Peninsula region are shallower than the Moho, indicating that the Curie surface is a thermal boundary layer, rather than reflecting a change in mineral composition. However, depth estimates along the Sumatra Island suggest that the upper mantle beneath the region have contributed to surface magnetization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hugh Charles Clifford (1866-1941) was a colonial functionary who served in various capacities in British Malaya, notably in the kingdom of Pahang (as colonial agent, 1887-1888; Superintendent (1889) and Resident (1896-1900, 1901-1903). Apart from his duties as a colonial administrator, Clifford was also the author of numerous works of fiction that were set in the kingdom and was thus an active contributor to the colonial imaginary. This paper looks at the fictional works of Hugh Clifford. It focuses on one specific theme that recurs repeatedly in several of his works, which is the notion that the aboriginal and other Asiatic communities of the Malay Peninsula were living under the overlordship of the Malays. That a British colonial functionary like Clifford could have foregrounded such a theme while seemingly unaware of his role and subject-position as a functionary of the British Empire is telling in many respects. In many ways, the fictional works of Clifford can be read as a systematic and sustained effort to deny and deflect the racism at the heart of racialized colonial capitalism then, which served as the basis of British imperial rule across Asia and Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new orchid species from southern Thailand, Aphyllorchis periactinantha, is described and illustrated. The novelty is characterized by the subactinomophic flowers, the concave labellum, not divided into hypochile and epichile, the reduced staminodes, the shallowly bilobed stigma and the semicircular rostellum. A key to the species of Aphyllorchis in Thailand is updated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lesser Treeshrew, Tupaia minor Günther, 1876 , is a small mammal from Southeast Asia with four currently recognized subspecies: T. m. minor from Borneo; T. m. malaccana from the Malay Peninsula; T. m. humeralis from Sumatra; and T. m. sincepis from Singkep Island and Lingga Island. A fifth subspecies, T. m. caedis , was previously synonymized with T. m. minor ; it was thought to occur in northern Borneo and on the nearby islands of Banggi and Balambangan. These subspecies were originally differentiated based on pelage color, a plastic feature that has proven to be an unreliable indicator of taxonomic boundaries in treeshrews and other mammals. To explore infraspecific variation among T. minor populations across the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, and smaller islands, we conducted multivariate analyses of morphometric data collected from the hands and skulls of museum specimens. Principal component and discriminant function analyses reveal limited differentiation in manus and skull proportions among populations of T. minor from different islands. We find no morphometric support for the recognition of the four allopatric subspecies and no support for the recognition of T. m. caedis as a separate subspecies on Borneo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British government in Malaya conducted treatment for women suffering mental illness in an effort to deal with the increasing number of cases in the Federated Malay States in 1930–57. This paper explores the role of mental asylums and society in contributing to methods of treatment during the twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The African sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus, is a globally invasive species with known severe impacts, including native species declines through ecological (e.g., competition, predation) and genetic interactions (e.g., hybridisation, introgression). The species was introduced to the Malay Peninsula in the late 1980s, and has since become widely established.In this study, we used structural equation models (SEMs) (habitat analyses) and stable isotope analyses (dietary analyses) to elucidate the determinants of C. gariepinus invasion success in streams of the Malay Peninsula and investigate potential impacts on native counterparts.Our SEMs indicate that C. gariepinus invasions were mediated by greater anthropogenic influences as well as environmental conditions associated with open streams (large channels, higher temperatures and lower canopy cover). Additionally, on the one hand, we find that invasions by C. gariepinus have led to substantial negative impacts on the native Asian walking catfish, Clarias batrachus, with the latter being displaced, or in some areas extirpated, from its characteristic open‐stream habitats. On the other hand, C. gariepinus invasions did not appear to impact the native forest specialist, Clarias leiacanthus. Stable isotope analyses showed that all three Clarias species were opportunistic, generalist feeders. There was substantial overlap in the diets of C. gariepinus and C. batrachus. However, C. leiacanthus generally assimilated comparatively greater volumes of aquatic macroinvertebrate prey, therefore reducing dietary overlap with introduced C. gariepinus.Our findings indicate that propagule pressure and exaptations probably have played a major role in facilitating C. gariepinus invasions in the Malay Peninsula. Furthermore, our results suggest that habitat competition may have acted synergistically with trophic competition to drive C. gariepinus impacts on native species, although this was mitigated by differentiation in ecological preferences.Our results help shed light on the general characteristics of invasive species, the mechanisms facilitating their proliferation, and the potential outcomes of biological invasions. These highlight the urgent need to manage the introduction, spread and impacts of invasive C. gariepinus in the Malay Peninsula and elsewhere in its invaded range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rifting initiation and development in Western Sundaland is spectacularly synchronous and diffuse spatially, with only one exception, the Malay Peninsula that appears as a large crustal horst, weakly deformed and thus isolated from the presently offshore stretched crust. Cenozoic stratigraphic records are limited onshore, with only isolated conglomeratic series that are keys to integrating the Malay Peninsula in the regional chronology of events. This study focuses on the Lawin and Chenderoh conglomeratic series, located in the Perak Valley, Peninsular Malaysia, that were previously interpreted as Late Tertiary to Quaternary in age, albeit without proper basin analysis and/or geochronological data. Through a GIS‐based kinematic analysis, we investigate the deformation affecting the basement rocks, while a field‐based study and palynomorph analysis were used to constrain the tectonic framework at the time of deposition of each conglomeratic series. Our findings reveal that the Lawin alluvial fan was deposited during an episode of E–W extension controlled by a N–S normal fault. The fan evolved from debris flow to sheet flooding depositional stages. The palynomorph study suggests a burial from the Pliocene onwards (<5 Ma) but older series are suspected at depth. From the Oligocene Chenderoh shale unit, a Miocene age of the conglomeratic series is inferred. Chenderoh conglomerate is believed to have developed within pre‐existing isolated depressions formed during regional transtensional events. Our study reveals that the Malay Peninsula was indeed affected by extension in the Late Palaeogene‐Early Neogene, but with low rates of subsidence as compared to rapidly subsiding offshore basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rural landscape of the Malay Peninsula has been symbolically represented as a site of Malay traditions. As such, it has been marked by the dominant image of a homogenous Malay community and the hidden presence of 'other Malays'. This paper discusses the rural representation and village-making practices of the Bugis Malays who work to create a place-identity in the rural landscape. It argues that despite the racialization of the rural landscape, the creation of Bugis place in the rural Malay Peninsula affirms and advances the cultural dimension of Malay rurality. Drawing from sixty in-depth interviews and participant observation, this paper sheds light on the culturally distinctive imaginations of Malay rurality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the representations of the modern Malay in Katherine Sim's Malacca Boy (1957), which is set against the backdrop of historical events in British Malaya, including the Japanese Occupation. An important historical commentary on Malay life and modernising Malaya, the novel invites us to revisit the ingrained scholarly views about colonial writers as well as the contemporary racial discourse about the Malay. Using a new historicist approach, this article has a two-fold aim: first, to analyse how Malacca Boy engages the critical issues of race and modernity in its portrayal of Malay identity through the protagonist, Hassan; and second, to examine the relevance of Sim's portrayal in relation to the contemporary political narrative of the Malay in Mahathir Mohamad's The Malay Dilemma (1970). Indeed, very little research has been done to consider how the trajectories of fiction and non-fiction intersect in the discussion of race and modernity, and therein lies the novelty and strength of our study. Although it is uncommon to compare literary fiction and non-fiction writing, we contend that such an unconventional approach to literary analysis will yield important insights to the narration of Malaysian history, both in the colonial past and postcolonial present, and the place of the modern Malay in it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of vegetation across glacial Sundaland and the underlying mechanisms have long been debated. We address this issue by comparing a compilation of vegetation reconstructions with climate simulations from the Community Earth System Model 2 (CESM2). A new n -alkane δ13C record derived from higher plants, covering the period from 21 to 5 cal ka BP in the southern South China Sea, is presented. This record, combined with previous pollen-based reconstructions, indicates that C 3 forests dominated the outer-to-mid shelf regions of the northern Sundaland between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Heinrich Stadial 1, while open grasslands occupied the inner shelf region. A compilation of vegetation reconstructions shows a glacial contraction of lowland rainforests in longitudinal extent compared to the Holocene, especially in southern Sundaland. Furthermore, the previously proposed "savannah corridor" or "dry tropical forests" existed in the interior of Sundaland during the LGM, extending from the Malay Peninsula to the Lesser Sunda Islands. Modelling studies suggest that changes in the seasonality of precipitation, rather than mean annual rainfall, are more relevant to vegetation changes between the LGM and the Holocene. The glacial emergence of Sundaland caused an eastward shift of the ascending branch of the Walker Circulation and a substantial reduction in atmospheric convection activity over Southeast Asia, leading to a decrease in water availability during the dry season in both hemispheres. The enhanced water stress thus favors the expansion of open environments. • Regional vegetation reconstructions are compared with hydroclimate simulations from the CESM2 model. • Glacial outer-middle continental shelf of northern Sundaland was covered by rainforests. • Savannah landscape or dry tropical forests occupied the glacial interior of Sundaland. • Enhanced dry-season water stress could account for glacial expansion of open environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bat species commonly comprise at least 50% of tropical mammalian assemblages, but Afrotropical bat faunas have been little studied leading to perceptions that they are depauperate. Here, we compare alpha taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of insectivorous bats belonging to the narrow‐space foraging ensemble from a bat diversity hotspot in Nigeria to species‐rich sites in Indonesia and Malaysia, using previously published data. The Nigerian site is protected unlogged forests at Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary and Cross River National Park. For comparison, we targeted similar unlogged forest sites in Southeast Asia: Indonesia—Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park Forest in Sumatra; and Kakenauwe Forest Reserve on Buton Island, Sulawesi; and another in Malaysia—Krau Wildlife Reserve. All sites were sampled using comparable methods, with an emphasis on harp traps that effectively capture the forest‐interior ensembles. We also compare regional beta diversity of bat assemblages in ecoregions using occurrence data (literature, unpublished records, and online natural history collections) from the Lower Guinean Forest and the Malay Peninsula. We demonstrate comparable alpha taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of narrow‐space bats among sites in Nigeria and Indonesia, but greater diversity in Malaysia. Turnover and overall beta diversity of bats among ecoregions was comparable between the Lower Guinean Forest and the Malay Peninsula, but nestedness was higher in the latter. Our results reiterate the value of harp traps in generating bat survey data that allows equatable comparisons of "mist net avoiders" in the Paleotropical forest understory. Our findings have implications for regional and local bat conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxonomic status of gliding squirrels belonging to the "northern" form of Petinomys setosus known from N. Burma and Thailand has been controversial. Earlier it was assigned to a distinct genus Olisthomys, however, currently it is synonymized with P. setosus s. str. from Sumatra and Borneo Islands, and Malay Peninsula. A squirrel collected in Song Hinh forest (Phu Yen Province, south central Vietnam) was examined genetically using sequence data on three mitochondrial genes (cytb, 12S, 16S) and one nuclear (IRBP) gene. The molecular results demonstrated that this squirrel is significantly divergent from the other examined specimens of Petinomys and belongs to a separate genetic lineage within the Glaucomyina clade. The obtained phylogenetic pattern supports recognition of Olisthomys as a valid genus; however, to confirm this conclusion a comprehensive taxonomic revision of Petinomys and related genera is required. The reconsideration of taxonomic position of the "northern" P. setosus also raises the question of the conservation status of this taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the drivers of algal endosymbiont communities hosted by reef corals is a requisite for predicting coral resilience. For the biodiverse reefs of Southeast Asia, few studies have characterised the spatial variability of Symbiodiniaceae communities amongst reefs and investigated species and environmental effects on community structure and diversity. To profile the endosymbionts associated with reef corals inhabiting Southeast Asia, three common species, Pachyseris speciosa, Pocillopora acuta and Diploastrea heliopora, were sampled from 10 reef sites along the coasts of the Malay Peninsula. The nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 region of Symbiodiniaceae was targeted for high-throughput sequencing, and the SymPortal framework was used to establish the identities of endosymbiont genera and types. Effects of environmental variables on endosymbiont community structure and diversity were then tested. Analyses revealed that Symbiodiniaceae diversity in this region is higher than previously known. Endosymbiont communities are structured significantly by host species and are relatively invariant in D. heliopora, with P. speciosa associating strongly with both Cladocopium and Durusdinium while P. acuta and D. heliopora are dominated by Durusdinium. Environmental parameters influence Symbiodiniaceae communities and diversity distinctly between host species. In particular, higher sea surface temperature (SST) affects endosymbiont diversity positively for P. acuta while higher SST range affects diversity negatively for P. speciosa and D. heliopora. Overall, this study has uncovered the hidden diversity of Symbiodiniaceae types previously unrecorded in the region and established a baseline for future comparative studies on how Southeast Asian reef corals acclimatise and adapt to changing environments through the natural variation of endosymbiont communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We here describe a new subspecies of the white-rumped shama Copsychus malabaricus from the western islands of the Thai Malay Peninsula. The new subspecies is mitogenomically distinct from other members of the complex. Morphologically, its tail is longer and the black breast in males is much less extensive than in males of all other taxa. The discovery of a new shama in a relatively well-explored part of Southeast Asia brings to light a gap in our taxonomic understanding of tropical Asian birds, which continue to be understudied. The new Langkawi shama is the subject of extensive specialized poaching efforts, and its survival may be at risk, calling for immediate conservation action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phylogeography of coastal plant species is heavily influenced by past sealevel fluctuations, dispersal barriers, and life‐history traits, such as long‐distance dispersal ability of the propagules. Unlike the widely studied mangroves, phylogeographic patterns have remained mostly obscure for other coastal plant species. In this study, we sampled 42 populations of Scaevola taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb., a coastal shrub of the family Goodeniaceae, from 17 countries across its distribution range. We used five chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and 14 nuclear microsatellite (simple sequence repeat [SSR]) markers to assess the influence of abiotic factors and population genetic processes on the phylogeographic pattern of the species. Geographical distribution of cpDNA haplotypes suggests that the species originated in Australia, followed by historical dispersal and expansion of its geographic range. Multiple abiotic factors, including the sealevel changes during the Pleistocene, the presence of landmasses like the Malay Peninsula, and contemporary oceanic circulation patterns, restricted gene flow between geographically distinct populations, thereby creating low haplotype diversity and a strong population structure. Population genetic processes acted on these isolated populations, leading to high nuclear genetic diversity and population differentiation, as revealed from analyzing the polymorphic SSR loci. Although genetic divergence was mostly concordant between cpDNA and SSR data, asymmetrical gene flow and ancestral polymorphism could explain the discordance in the detailed genetic structure. Overall, our findings indicate that abiotic factors and population genetic processes interactively influenced the evolutionary history and current phylogeographic pattern of S. taccada across its distribution range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]