Covering the period 1963 to 1986, this study demonstrates the degree of influence that Islam exerts on Malay identity. Islam is not only a focal point in relations between Malays and non-Malays, but also in the Malay ethnic community since Islam is integral to its culture and identity and is involved in a tense, dialectical relationship with Malay ethnicity. The Malay tendency to opt for ethnic Malay-based solutions instead of an Islamic alternative results in an upsurge of Malay ethnic nationalism, and is here explored against the backdrop of the current Islamic resurgence in Malaysia.

This book focuses on two major Malay politic parties, UMNO and PAS, two major dakwah movements, ABIM and Al-Arqam, to analyse and to examine their impact on Malaysian politics. This book explores the role of Islam in Malay society and politics and tries to establish a systematic linkage between Islam and Malay unity.

A case study of a multi-ethnic Muslim state and a contribution to the study of the domestic functions of foreign policy. The book also addresses the real and imagined significance of Islam as a force in contemporary global politics.

This title explores the relationship between the Malaysian state and its citizens in creating and maintaining fixed identities. The book focuses on new modalities of being Muslim in a modern world.

"The Malay population makes up Singapore's three largest ethnic groups. This book provides an analysis of the debates on religion, politics and citizenship of Malay Muslims in contemporary Singapore. Comprehensively and convincingly argued, the author examines their disadvantaged circumstances in the fields of politics, education, social mobility, and freedom of religious expression."--Publisher's description.

This book describes the Islamisation process that has unfolded in Malaysia over the last fifty years and provides feedback from in-depth interviews with 100 individuals from Malaysia’s “educated classes”, or the “elite”, regarding their reactions to the changes that have accompanied Islamisation and how they feel it has impacted them. It includes a brief overview of Islamisation globally and a brief history of Malaysia, focusing especially on those aspects relevant to the book’s subject. The book gives a comprehensive explanation of how and why Islamisation occurred in Malaysia and illustrates the extent of change that has accompanied it. The feedback from the research participants includes special analysis of reactions from Muslim women and non-Muslims. The reasons behind there being so little public debate about Islamisation and the concerns that this group of people have about what is happening is also explained. Finally, the author gives his opinion on the impact the change in government in May 2019 is likely to have.

The Malays as an ethnic group has been defined on the basis of both legal-constitutional and historical-cultural factors. While it is difficult to speculate or visualise correctly the future of any country or people, it is possible to provide a general outline of the trends of the past and present, and probably attempt to at least indicate what should be avoided and promoted to ensure a better future. This is what Dr Syed Husin Ali attempts in this book. In nine chapters, he discusses the Malays and their origin, history, religion, economy, politics and development up to the present day. He connects all of these to the various changes in the forms of modernisation and development programmes which affected, and continue to impact upon, the Malays. Three decades have passed since the book was first published. During that time many changes have taken place in the country. But the basic problems facing the Malays, contends the writer, have remained the same. The current controversies on the declining power of the Malays, as perceived by some, affirm these problems, and make the book more relevant.