This is a detailed application of the methods of linguistic analysis to the sentence structure of Malay. It is based on extended analysis of short dramatic texts in colloquial Malay by Dato' Dr Haji Zainal-Abidin bin Ahmad, best know under his pen name Za'ba. Miss Lewis' analyses are, with certain modifications, kept within the grammatical framework which she deduced from a thesis presented by Dr E. M. F. Payne in 1964. She has shown that the framework is viable when applied to actual texts, though her analysis leads to certain modifications and extensions of the original plan. The book has a double interest. Students with a basic knowledge of Malay will find that the investigation into sentence formation refines their understanding of the language. Linguists interested in the application of a formal grammatical framework to the sentences of a Austronesian language will welcome this pioneer study.

Over 5,000 entries arranged in four parts. Part I comprises reference and general works to provide a guide to information on Southeast Asia. Part II provides the setting of space and time. Part III features the people and Part IV the many facets of culture and society — language; ideas, beliefs, values; institutions; creative expression; and social and cultural change. Within each section, the arrangement is geographical, beginning with Southeast Asia as a whole followed by the various countries in alphabetical order.