What meaning do you attach to history?

This is in reflection to what our smart Ahmad Ismail has explained regarding his recent remarks about Chinese community in Malaysia.

(see http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/5/nation/20080905165907&sec=nation)

History in itself has no meaning, hasn't it?

I had been very poor before and now that I'm better off, how do I describe those experiences and the stages of life past? What do those experiences mean to me now? Well many had been poor before and now have become better off; but I'm sure each individual relates differently to the similar poverty experience. We all attach certain meaning to past history.

Coming back to AI's explanation that he was merely referring to history, which is correct according to the textbooks we learned in schools, what was the conclusion he tried to arrive at?

Well, the report didn't give a clue to my question, hence the explanation was only half-baked at best. It's as if he had said nothing at all still.....

I'm curious about his conclusion; let's wait and see.