The rise of Islamist conservatism in malaysia
By Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid
March 2014 FEATURE
Since gaining a foothold in South-East Asia around the 13th century, Islam has been a major influence on political life in the region. What lies ahead?IntroductionA wide variety of interpretations and schools of thought have characterised Islamic scholarship in the Malay world, as can be seen from its willingness to accommodate the intricacies of local customs known as “adat”. Upon gaining independence on August 31, 1957, the newly inaugurated Federal Constitution installed Islam as the state religion via Article 3(1)....
Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid
is Professor of Political Science, School of Distance Education and Consultant Researcher with the Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS) at Universiti Sains Malaysia. He recently completed a stint as Visiting Senior Fellow at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore (September 1, 2015-May 31, 2016).
