- Colonial and Post-Colonial Forms of Knowledge, Modernization of Religious Identity, Politics, Culture and Economic Development, Nationalism and Nation-Of -Intent, History, Anthropology, and 23 moreNationalism, Comparative Politics, National Identity, Southeast Asian Studies, Identity politics, Asian Studies, Ethnic Studies, British Imperial and Colonial History (1600 - ), Malaysia, Malaysian Studies, Colonial Studies, Colonial Knowledge, The Malay World, Muslim in Singapore, Islam in SEAsia, Artikel Hubungan Etnik, Kesepaduan Sosial, Political Science, Race and Ethnicity, Subaltern Studies, New Religious Movements, Diasporas, and Diaspora and transnationalismedit
- I am a social anthropologist by training but has now expanded my research interest to a number of different fields in... moreI am a social anthropologist by training but has now expanded my research interest to a number of different fields in social sciences, published extensively in English, Malay and other European languages. I am one of the five Distinguished Professor appointed by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia and Founding Director, Institute of Ethnic Studies, The National University of Malaysia (UKM). In 2018, I was inducted as a Fellow of Academy of Science, Malaysia. I was awarded in 2019 a UNESCO Chair (Communications and Social Cohesion) based at UKM, Malaysia. Since July 2020 I have been appointed as Adviser on Unity, Ministry of National Unity, Malaysia.edit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
On the history of the introduction of elections in Malaya during the colonial period, which was essentially 'election without democracy' because no colonial power endorsed democratic principles. Election was a tool of... more
On the history of the introduction of elections in Malaya during the colonial period, which was essentially 'election without democracy' because no colonial power endorsed democratic principles. Election was a tool of colonial social control and solving conflict through the ballot box. It engenders 'electocracy', namely, a bureaucratic institution anchored in election. Its success depends on the level of political literacy amongst the voters and elections become a stage for party leaders gladiator-like struggle.
Research Interests:
... Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10068/99435. Title: Village: The imposed social construct in Malaysia's development initiatives. Authors: Shamsul,AB. Issue Date: 1989. URI:... more
... Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10068/99435. Title: Village: The imposed social construct in Malaysia's development initiatives. Authors: Shamsul,AB. Issue Date: 1989. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10068/99435. ...
Research Interests:
... Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, - (2010) Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat. Utusan Malaysia . pp. 13-13. [img] Preview. ... ID Code: 321. Deposited By: Mr Md Hafiz Ahmad Zulkifli.... more
... Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, - (2010) Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat. Utusan Malaysia . pp. 13-13. [img] Preview. ... ID Code: 321. Deposited By: Mr Md Hafiz Ahmad Zulkifli. Deposited On: 05 Apr 2010 15:52. ...
ABSTRACT Malaysian society is experiencing rapid urbanization and modernization. A sizeable new middle class has emerged and the traditional ways of life and eating habits of the different ethnic communities are changing. For many years,... more
ABSTRACT Malaysian society is experiencing rapid urbanization and modernization. A sizeable new middle class has emerged and the traditional ways of life and eating habits of the different ethnic communities are changing. For many years, nutritional surveys have been capturing the transformations of food consumptions. To date no comprehensive survey focusing on the socio-cultural determinants of food habits at the national level have been reported. The Malaysian Food Barometer, a nationally representative with follow-up survey, intends to fill this gap. This article presents the conceptual framework and methodologies used to investigate the eating practices and cultural representations on food and eating in a multicultural context. It analyses the influence of modernization on social hierarchies and ethnic cultures, and ultimately on food eating patterns and food styles.
Research Interests:
Chapter 12 Anthropology, Identity, and Nation Formation in Malaysia AB SHAMSUL Anthropology at its best is analytic, comparative, inte-grative, and critical, all at the same time. It is a mode of knowledge like no other.(Wolf 1999:... more
Chapter 12 Anthropology, Identity, and Nation Formation in Malaysia AB SHAMSUL Anthropology at its best is analytic, comparative, inte-grative, and critical, all at the same time. It is a mode of knowledge like no other.(Wolf 1999: 132-133) Introduction The teaching of ...
Research Interests:
3 From Orang Kay a Baru to Melayu Baru Cultural construction of the Malay 'new rich' AB Shamsul Does any culture seek inferiority?... We studied how non-Western cultures alter their societies in an effort to attain equality or... more
3 From Orang Kay a Baru to Melayu Baru Cultural construction of the Malay 'new rich' AB Shamsul Does any culture seek inferiority?... We studied how non-Western cultures alter their societies in an effort to attain equality or superiority, but we used criteria and a framework that ...
... ISSN, 巻, 号, ページ, 出版者, 参考文献, 出版年, 年から 年まで. すべて CiNiiに本文あり CiNiiに本文あり、または連携サービスへのリンクあり. The Construction and Transformation of a Social Identity--Malayness and Bumiputeraness Re-examined. SHAMSUL AB; 本文を読む／探す. ...
Research Interests:
This chapter examines the experience of Arqam, an Islamic NRM which emerged in Malaysia in the 1960s, then became so successful at the national and international levels, (with members recruited from various countries in Europe, Africa and... more
This chapter examines the experience of Arqam, an Islamic NRM which emerged in Malaysia in the 1960s, then became so successful at the national and international levels, (with members recruited from various countries in Europe, Africa and Asia), that it was eventually banned and dismantled in the late 1990s at the pinnacle of its success, when it was accused of aiming to take over the government. By focusing on shared mechanisms of contention rather than, say, the uniqueness of the movement, such an approach opens up a broader array of theories, and comparative empirics, for studying successful and failed movements and gives equal weight to the dominant and the dominated, which is needed to explain them This chapter focuses on the rise and fall of a Malaysian Islamic movement, Arqam, and in doing so, contributes three unusual perspectives: Islamic movements in Asia, (in this case, one of revitalization of a traditional religion), a global religious movement originating from a developing economy, Malaysia, and finally a case of failure. A cursory browsing of digital and paper-based material on Asian globalized religious movements reveals the fact that the successful examples, especially new religious movements (NRMs), are overwhelmingly from Japan. Their success is often explained with reference to their style of organization which is highly corporate in nature and is measured, along with membership size, by their global reach made possible by good management, leadership, and a compact internal bureaucracy.
Research Interests:
This paper provides the background, historical perspective, structures of peace, conceptual framework and preliminary findings of a research project which monitor ethnic relations and creates an early warning system on the ‘health’ level... more
This paper provides the background, historical perspective, structures of peace, conceptual framework and preliminary findings of a research project which monitor ethnic relations and creates an early warning system on the ‘health’ level of ethnic relations in Malaysia in order to manage peace. Existing monitoring projects on ethnic relations in the country tend to focus on the negative aspects of these relations such as ethnic-related grievances and the number of ethnic group conflicts taking place. This project uses a positive indicator based on good governance and quality of life indices as a way to understand the level or quality of ethnic relations in Malaysia. Keywords: ethnic relations, Malaysia, monitoring system, managing peace.
Research Interests:
The US-or Europe-based world media, often being the self-appointed, political and moral judge of postcolonial societies' ruling elites, have played a major role, in the last three decades, in portraying and reinforcing the... more
The US-or Europe-based world media, often being the self-appointed, political and moral judge of postcolonial societies' ruling elites, have played a major role, in the last three decades, in portraying and reinforcing the 'authoritarian' image of mostly non-Western leaders, some justified ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The New Economic (NEP) 1971-1990 has created an expandedn Malay middle class. This essay is a narrative of that process.
Research Interests:
Colonial knowledge is the most powerful, influential, defining and lasting of all the colonial legacy in decolonised societies around the world. It defines the history, territory, citizenship and rule of law in such societies. It is both... more
Colonial knowledge is the most powerful, influential, defining and lasting of all the colonial legacy in decolonised societies around the world. It defines the history, territory, citizenship and rule of law in such societies. It is both orientalist and occidentalist in nature against which the colonized has failed to unshackled themselves from, including those so-called scholars of 'subaltern studies' scholars, who are now occupying important academic positions in the West and become 'de-subalternised' thriving in the very system they once opposed and criticized. The impact of colonial knowledge in Malaysia is examined in this essay.
Research Interests:
It is a general belief that rational knowledge empowered humans not only to understand how the world works but also how to progress. The European pre- modern dependence on virtues of tradition and continuity gave way to a commitment to... more
It is a general belief that rational knowledge empowered humans not only to understand how the world works but also how to progress. The European pre- modern dependence on virtues of tradition and continuity gave way to a commitment to reason- inspired change, innovation and progress. The rapid economic development in Europe in the nineteenth century depended crucially on easy access to raw materials, cheap labour, and new markets around the globe. Therefore, to the Europeans, colonialism was imperative and it became the most effective ‘rational’ political economic instrument at their disposal.
Research Interests:
The concept of McDonaldization is a well-known metaphorical figure of the globalisation paradigm, presenting neo liberalism as a form of cultural imperialism leading to global cultural homogenisation. The 'Golden Arch Theory... more
The concept of McDonaldization is a well-known metaphorical figure of the globalisation paradigm, presenting neo liberalism as a form of cultural imperialism leading to global cultural homogenisation. The 'Golden Arch Theory (GAT)', often regarded as an economist offspring of McDonaldization, was much more ambitious: GAT posited itself as a transnational conflict prevention system. In short, countries that were endowed with McDonald's restaurants on their national soil would not go to war with one another, as their respective middle-classes would have far much to lose, having reached standards of wealth and comfort symbolised by the presence of the Golden Arches on their territory. It is noticeable that the GAT theory was conceived to explain cross-borders or international conflicts, rather than to shed some light on the state of social cohesion in a given country. If we view social cohesion antithetically, as absence of social conflict, rather than opposing it to social exclusion, we pave the way for an alternative theory. We propose that this theory-in-the-making should be socially embedded and empirically rooted in order to analyse the level of social cohesion of a specified country. The main purpose of this chapter is to introduce the construct of 'Mamakization,' which draws from an iconic figure among food stalls in Malaysia: the 'Mamak' stall. In opposition to the 'global' McDonaldization, the foundations of the Mamakization paradigm derive from an alternative food network framing, outlined by two main precepts: localisation and divergent modernity. Mamakization views primarily the act of patronising a food stall in multiethnic Malaysia as a social transaction that can be analysed and made sense of. The objective of this chapter is to propose and discuss the construct of Mamakization as a comprehensive analytical tool to investigate social cohesion through a specific social practice: eating out in a Malaysian food stall. Introduction The disciplines of Anthropology and Sociology have been traditionally compartmentalized as the study of man for the former and the study of men for the latter. Anthropology would typically view food and eating as manifestations of the diversity of man, therefore exploring the rituals, taboos, myths and symbolic meanings that make this dualism a culturally conditioned object. By contrast,
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The concept of McDonaldization is a well-known metaphorical figure of the globalization paradigm, presenting neo liberalism as a form of cultural imperialism leading to global cultural homogenisation. The “Golden Arch Theory (GAT)”, often... more
The concept of McDonaldization is a well-known metaphorical figure of the globalization paradigm, presenting neo liberalism as a form of cultural imperialism leading to global cultural homogenisation. The “Golden Arch Theory (GAT)”, often regarded as an economist offspring of McDonaldization, was much more ambitious: GAT posited itself as a transnational conflict prevention system. In short, countries that were endowed with McDonald’s restaurants on their national soil would not go to war with one another, as their respective middle-classes would have far much to lose, having reached standards of wealth and comfort symbolized by the presence of the Golden Arches on their territory. It is noticeable that the GAT theory was conceived to explain cross-borders or international conflicts, rather than to shed some light on the state of social cohesion in a given country. If we view social cohesion antithetically, as absence of social conflict, we pave the way for an alternative theory. We therefore propose that this theory-in-the-making should be socially embedded and empirically rooted in order to analyze the level of social cohesion of a specified country. The main purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of “Mamakization”, which draws from an iconic figure of street food in Malaysia: the “Mamak” stall. In opposition to the “global” McDonaldization, the foundations of the Mamakization paradigm derive from a food alternative network framing, outlined by two main precepts: localization and divergent modernity. Mamakization views primarily the act of patronizing a food stall in multiethnic Malaysia as a social transaction that can therefore be analyzed and made sense of. The objective of this paper is to propose and discuss the key concept of Mamakization as a comprehensive analytical tool to investigate social cohesion through a specific social practice: eating out in a Malaysian food stall. Keywords: Mamak stall, Mamakization, McDonaldization, Food, Multiethnic Malaysia, Food Alternative Network, social transaction.
Research Interests:
The late Dr. Kosaku Yoshino is a Japanese sociologist with an anthropological imagination, he first came to Malaysia in 1986. For the next 30 years he was a frequent visitor to Malaysia and also conducted research on a number of themes.... more
The late Dr. Kosaku Yoshino is a Japanese sociologist with an anthropological imagination, he first came to Malaysia in 1986. For the next 30 years he was a frequent visitor to Malaysia and also conducted research on a number of themes. This essay records the author's academic and non-academic interactions with the late Dr. Yoshino.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Malaysian society is experiencing rapid urbanization and modernization. A sizeable new middle class has emerged and the traditional ways of life and eating habits of the different ethnic communities are changing. For many years,... more
Malaysian society is experiencing rapid urbanization and modernization. A sizeable new middle class has emerged and the traditional ways of life and eating habits of the different ethnic communities are changing. For many years, nutritional surveys have been capturing the transformations of food consumptions. To date no comprehensive survey focusing on the socio-cultural determinants of food habits at the national level have been reported. The Malaysian Food Barometer, a nationally representative with follow-up survey, intends to fill this gap. This article presents the conceptual framework and methodologies used to investigate the eating practices and cultural representations on food and eating in a multicultural context. It analyses the influence of modernization on social hierarchies and ethnic cultures, and ultimately on food eating patterns and food styles.
Research Interests:
... A Brief Historical Overview", Ilmu Masyara-kat 4:67-69 ... and Anthropology and the State in Malaysia", Minpaku Anthropological Newsletter 1(1) :5-6 1996a "Nations-of-Intent in Malaysia", in: Stein... more
... A Brief Historical Overview", Ilmu Masyara-kat 4:67-69 ... and Anthropology and the State in Malaysia", Minpaku Anthropological Newsletter 1(1) :5-6 1996a "Nations-of-Intent in Malaysia", in: Stein Tonnesson, and Hans Antloev (eds.), Asian Forms of the Nation, 323-347. ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Ethnic Studies, Development Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, Social Indicators, Political Science, and 15 moreRace and Ethnicity, Malaysia, Economic Development, Urban Sociology, Biodiversity, Theory and Method, Malaysian Studies, Social cohesion, Lessons Learned, Ethnic Group, Ethnic diversity, Economic Value, Ethnicity In Malaysia and Southeast Asia, Indexation, and Diversity index
... considerable de literatura sobre este tema (v., por ej., Roff; Firdaus Abdullah; Ariffin Ornar ... es decir, una «raza» con todos sus apuntalamientos sociales darwinistas (Hirschman; Shamsul, en prensa). ... a lo que debía constituir... more
... considerable de literatura sobre este tema (v., por ej., Roff; Firdaus Abdullah; Ariffin Ornar ... es decir, una «raza» con todos sus apuntalamientos sociales darwinistas (Hirschman; Shamsul, en prensa). ... a lo que debía constituir la «malayidad»: «bahasa, agama, dan raja», es decir ...
Research Interests:
... Shamsul AB,'Nations-of-intent in Malaysia', Asian Forms of the Nation, edited by Stein Tonnesson & Hans Antloev, London: Curzon, 1996: 426-456. Shamsul AB,'Ethnicity, Class, Culture... more
... Shamsul AB,'Nations-of-intent in Malaysia', Asian Forms of the Nation, edited by Stein Tonnesson & Hans Antloev, London: Curzon, 1996: 426-456. Shamsul AB,'Ethnicity, Class, Culture or Identity? Competing Paradigms in Malaysian Studies', Akademika, 53, July 1998: 33-60. ...
Research Interests:
... The last rekindled an old and latent nationalist 'nation-of-intent' debate amongst the Malay-Muslim political parties on the issue of 'Islamic state.' It re-entered the public sphere when Prime Minister Dr Mahathir... more
... The last rekindled an old and latent nationalist 'nation-of-intent' debate amongst the Malay-Muslim political parties on the issue of 'Islamic state.' It re-entered the public sphere when Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed declared that Malaysia is an 'Islamic state,' to which PAS ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
... Asha'ari and others. 27 They were strongly influenced by the modernist thought of the Arabic reformists Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (d. 1879), Shaikh Muhammad... more
... Asha'ari and others. 27 They were strongly influenced by the modernist thought of the Arabic reformists Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (d. 1879), Shaikh Muhammad 'Abduh (d. 1905), and Rashid Rida (d. 1935). The influence of the ...
Research Interests: Space and Place, Islamic Education, Islamic Education & Islamic Schooling, Egypt, Malaysian Politics, and 10 moreIslamic Family Law, Anthropology of Islam, Stuttgart, Cairo, Syariah, Islamic Studies Education, Space And Power, Colonial And Post Colonial Cities, Islam In Germany And Europe, and Halal Laws
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
29 Pengajian Alam Melayu di Pentas Global: Teknologi Maklumat Sari 22 (2004) 29 - 47 Pengajian Alam Melayu di Pentas Global: Teknologi Maklumat dan Penstrukturan Ilmu di ATMA, UKM SHAMSUL A. B. RUMAIZAH MOHAMED HASLINDAWATI HAMZAH ABSTRAK... more
29 Pengajian Alam Melayu di Pentas Global: Teknologi Maklumat Sari 22 (2004) 29 - 47 Pengajian Alam Melayu di Pentas Global: Teknologi Maklumat dan Penstrukturan Ilmu di ATMA, UKM SHAMSUL A. B. RUMAIZAH MOHAMED HASLINDAWATI HAMZAH ABSTRAK ...
Research Interests:
This article is a critique of ethnicity theories based on essentialism – the idea that ethnic traits are innate (essences) both in the individual and the ‘ethnie’ as a social group – which have been adopted, wittingly or unwittingly, by... more
This article is a critique of ethnicity theories based on essentialism – the idea that ethnic traits are innate (essences) both in the individual and the ‘ethnie’ as a social group – which have been adopted, wittingly or unwittingly, by historians in mainstream Malaysian historiography in their effort to explain the formation of ‘Malay-Malayness’ as a social identity. It proposes instead that Malay ethnicity is not innate but rather learned or constructed, and Malay-Malayness has been created as a result of intersecting historical, cultural and social factors at a particular moment in a culture's life and history. Indeed, Malay-Malayness has been constructed by a colonial historiography and subsequently adopted uncritically by most historians in postcolonial Malaysia, both Malays and non-Malays.
Research Interests:
The circumstances under which patron-client relationship exist and function in peasant society have been perceived by many scholars as the product of a 'social gap'. Frequently, this gap is seen as a physical one, corresponding to the... more
The circumstances under which patron-client relationship exist and function in peasant society have been perceived by many scholars as the product of a 'social gap'. Frequently, this gap is seen as a physical one, corresponding to the rural-urban gap which separates the villager and the outside world. The assumed homology between social and geographical space has since gained popularity as the dominant model is describing patron-client relationship.
This paper presents a critique of such a conception, and suggests two alternative explanations. Firstly, there is not a gap in the social structure. What separates the villager from his fellow villagers and the outside world is their differential access to wealth and power which is markedly defined by their positions in the class structure of economic exploitation and political domination. Secondly, the patron-client relationship, and what is constitutes, is in fact and aspect of peasant ideology to which both parties subscribe and adhere, as a conscious model of behaviour. The ideology then helps to maintain the status quo, beyond which lies a structural relationship of exploitation.
This reformulation of the patron-client model is illustrated with reference to the Malay peasantry in particular and peasant societies in general.
This paper presents a critique of such a conception, and suggests two alternative explanations. Firstly, there is not a gap in the social structure. What separates the villager from his fellow villagers and the outside world is their differential access to wealth and power which is markedly defined by their positions in the class structure of economic exploitation and political domination. Secondly, the patron-client relationship, and what is constitutes, is in fact and aspect of peasant ideology to which both parties subscribe and adhere, as a conscious model of behaviour. The ideology then helps to maintain the status quo, beyond which lies a structural relationship of exploitation.
This reformulation of the patron-client model is illustrated with reference to the Malay peasantry in particular and peasant societies in general.
Research Interests:
Konsep perpaduan tiga serangkai diaplikasikan dalam dokumen Indeks Perpaduan Nasional 2018 (IPNas 2018): perpaduan, kesepaduan dan penyatupaduan. Esei ringkas ini ialah sebuah naratif mengenai evolusi dan signifikannya konsep perpaduan... more
Konsep perpaduan tiga serangkai diaplikasikan dalam dokumen Indeks Perpaduan Nasional 2018 (IPNas 2018): perpaduan, kesepaduan dan penyatupaduan. Esei ringkas ini ialah sebuah naratif mengenai evolusi dan signifikannya konsep perpaduan tiga serangkai tersebut. Kata kunci: Perpaduan awal; perpaduan terkini; perpaduan tiga serangkai 'perpaduan, kesepaduan dan penyatupaduan; Kementerian Perpaduan Negara; dokumen rasmi mengenai perpaduan negara ABSTRACT 'Unity,' or perpaduan, is a concept that has been promoted, discussed, and researched widely extensively since Malaysia's ethnic conflict of 13 May 1969. Before the notion of unity was introduced officially in the Second Malaysia Plan 1971-75, 'union' was a more common concept used by colonial and post-colonial government until 1970 to characterize the socio-political nature of Malaysian society. The raison d'etre for the introduction of the unity concept after 1969 was because the society was viewed as being broken down because of the violent conflict, hence there was a necessity as such to piece together again the society guided within the broader framework of unity through the existing central planning approach, better known as Malaysia's five-year development plan. For the first five years after May 13, 1969, the concept of unity was understood as a singular notion to frame the effort to bring together the society again.
Research Interests:
... lar to describe the current Anwar–Mahathir conflict. There was, for example, the Dato'Onn Jaafar conflict with Tunku Abdul Rahman in the late 1940s over non-Malay membership in umno. In the aftermath of the 1969... more
... lar to describe the current Anwar–Mahathir conflict. There was, for example, the Dato'Onn Jaafar conflict with Tunku Abdul Rahman in the late 1940s over non-Malay membership in umno. In the aftermath of the 1969 ethnic riots ...
Research Interests:
... Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, - (2010) Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat. Utusan Malaysia . pp. 13-13. [img] Preview. ... ID Code: 321. Deposited By: Mr Md Hafiz Ahmad Zulkifli.... more
... Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat. Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, - (2010) Sumbangan akademia penting kepada masyarakat. Utusan Malaysia . pp. 13-13. [img] Preview. ... ID Code: 321. Deposited By: Mr Md Hafiz Ahmad Zulkifli. Deposited On: 05 Apr 2010 15:52. ...
This article discusses the significance of etymology and its role in the construction of social concepts pertaining to amalgam, namely an ethnic group whose formation stemmed from amalgamation as part of assimilation process which occurs... more
This article discusses the significance of etymology and
its role in the construction of social concepts pertaining
to amalgam, namely an ethnic group whose formation
stemmed from amalgamation as part of assimilation
process which occurs continuously in interethnic
relations between the majority ethnic group and the
minority. It is an ethnic group that is often overlooked
in the discourse of ethnicity as a way to organise social
difference in a society into different ethnic categories.
The perception that such a group has no place in
mainstream society is reflected by the way labels that
are created and used on the group tend to be negative
and pejorative. As a result, this contributes to ethnic
contestation in the society. However, this is not the
case in the Malay Archipelago where culturally
localised, local-born of non-indigenous descent,
particularly offspring from mix-marriage with native
women, are referred to as „Peranakan‟. Derived from
the root word „anak‟ (meaning child), Peranakan may
be seen as one of rare social concepts that refers to
amalgam in a neutral, if not positive way where the
majority accepts the minority as one of their own while
simultaneously acknowledging the latter‟s ethnic
differences. As such, Peranakan may be adopted into
societies from non-Malay world as a more suitable
social concept to explain amalgamation harmoniously
as a way to promote social cohesion in a society.
its role in the construction of social concepts pertaining
to amalgam, namely an ethnic group whose formation
stemmed from amalgamation as part of assimilation
process which occurs continuously in interethnic
relations between the majority ethnic group and the
minority. It is an ethnic group that is often overlooked
in the discourse of ethnicity as a way to organise social
difference in a society into different ethnic categories.
The perception that such a group has no place in
mainstream society is reflected by the way labels that
are created and used on the group tend to be negative
and pejorative. As a result, this contributes to ethnic
contestation in the society. However, this is not the
case in the Malay Archipelago where culturally
localised, local-born of non-indigenous descent,
particularly offspring from mix-marriage with native
women, are referred to as „Peranakan‟. Derived from
the root word „anak‟ (meaning child), Peranakan may
be seen as one of rare social concepts that refers to
amalgam in a neutral, if not positive way where the
majority accepts the minority as one of their own while
simultaneously acknowledging the latter‟s ethnic
differences. As such, Peranakan may be adopted into
societies from non-Malay world as a more suitable
social concept to explain amalgamation harmoniously
as a way to promote social cohesion in a society.
Research Interests:
Malaysia has been able to manage the challenges of diversity since 1970, after the ethnic riot of May 1969. How has Malaysia managed to do this. The evolution of the process is sketched in these slides presented at Sciences Po in Paris,... more
Malaysia has been able to manage the challenges of diversity since 1970, after the ethnic riot of May 1969. How has Malaysia managed to do this. The evolution of the process is sketched in these slides presented at Sciences Po in Paris, 2019
Research Interests:
A review of K.J.Ratnam's book, Identity, Nation and State-Building in Malaysia (2019) in Sojourn (Vol.36.No.1, 2021: 192-186) that summarises and comments the central ideas and argument sin the book against the historic political defeat... more
A review of K.J.Ratnam's book, Identity, Nation and State-Building in Malaysia (2019) in Sojourn (Vol.36.No.1, 2021: 192-186) that summarises and comments the central ideas and argument sin the book against the historic political defeat on the National Front Party in May 2018 and its aftermath. A brief but excellent book.
Research Interests:
A review of K.J.Ratnam's book, Identity, Nation and State-Building in Malaysia (2019) in Sojourn (Vol.36.No.1, 2021: 192-186) that summarises and comments the central ideas and argument sin the book against the historic political defeat... more
A review of K.J.Ratnam's book, Identity, Nation and State-Building in Malaysia (2019) in Sojourn (Vol.36.No.1, 2021: 192-186) that summarises and comments the central ideas and argument sin the book against the historic political defeat on the National Front Party in May 2018 and its aftermath. A brief but excellent book.