Historiografi Perubatan Veterinar di Malaysia: Suatu Tinjauan Awal (Historiography of Veterinary Medicine in Malaysia: A Preliminary Survey)

Abstract

ABSTRAK: Kajian ini menelusuri perkembangan penulisan sejarah perubatan veterinar di Malaysia sejak era kolonial hingga kini. Walaupun beberapa karya berkaitan telah dihasilkan dalam kerangka penulisan era kolonial, belum terdapat kajian khusus yang meneliti landskap historiografi perubatan veterinar secara menyeluruh. Hal ini menimbulkan persoalan utama, iaitu bagaimana sejarah perubatan veterinar telah ditulis dan berkembang di Malaysia. Justeru, objektif kajian ini adalah untuk mengenal pasti corak dan tema utama dalam perkembangan penulisan sejarah perubatan veterinar, dengan memberi tumpuan khusus kepada karya yang membincangkan tempoh kolonial. Kajian ini menggunakan kaedah kualitatif melalui analisis penulisan sarjana Barat dan tempatan, yang melibatkan sumber seperti buku, bab dalam buku dan artikel jurnal. Korpus kajian turut merangkumi sumber primer daripada Arkib Negara Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur dan Cawangan Pahang) serta Perpustakaan Tun Seri Lanang, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, yang digunakan bagi mengenal pasti bahan rujukan relevan dalam kajian sejarah perubatan veterinar. Selain itu, bahan-bahan berkaitan turut diakses secara dalam talian melalui perpustakaan digital seperti Gale Primary Sources, HathiTrust dan NewspaperSG. Antara sumber utama yang digunakan termasuk rekod Pejabat Tanah Jajahan, laporan tahunan perubatan dan veterinar, serta warta kerajaan. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa penulisan sejarah perubatan veterinar perlu dikembangkan melalui pendekatan historiografi yang lebih kontekstual dan bersifat menyeluruh. Tambahan pula, bidang ini kurang mendapat perhatian dalam kalangan sarjana berbanding sejarah kesihatan awam, walaupun perubatan veterinar merupakan cabang penting dalam pengurusan kesihatan haiwan dan kawalan penyakit bawaan haiwan (zoonosis). Oleh itu, kajian lanjutan perlu dihasilkan bagi membina kerangka historiografi tempatan yang mampu mengisi kesenjangan dalam penulisan sejarah perubatan veterinar yang masih kurang diterokai di Malaysia.

Kata kunci: Historiografi; Perubatan Veterinar; Sejarah Perubatan Veterinar; Kajian Sejarah Haiwan

ABSTRACT: This study traces the development of veterinary medicine historiography in Malaysia from the colonial period to the present day. Although several related works have emerged within the framework of colonial-era writings, no dedicated study has thoroughly examined the broader landscape of veterinary historiography. This paper poses a central research question on how the history of veterinary medicine has been written and developed in Malaysia. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to identify the main patterns and themes in the development of historical writing of veterinary medicine, with a specific focus on works concerning the colonial era. This qualitative study analyses the writings of both Western and local scholars, drawing on sources such as books, book chapters, and journal articles. The corpus also includes primary sources from the National Archives of Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Pahang Branches) and the Tun Seri Lanang Library at the National University of Malaysia, which were consulted to identify relevant references in the historical study of veterinary medicine. In addition, relevant materials were accessed through online digital repositories, including Gale Primary Sources, HathiTrust, and NewspaperSG. Key sources include Colonial Office records, annual medical and veterinary reports, and government gazettes. The findings indicate that the historiography of veterinary medicine in Malaysia requires development through a more contextual and comprehensive approach. Moreover, the field has received less scholarly attention compared to the history of public health, despite the vital role of veterinary medicine in managing animal health and controlling zoonotic diseases. Hence, further research is needed to establish a locally grounded historiographical framework that addresses existing gaps in the historical writing of veterinary medicine in Malaysia.

Keywords: Historiography; Veterinary Medicine; History of Veterinary Medicine; Historical Animal Studies