Deploying nationalism : fear and ethno-nationalist mobilization in contemporary Malaysia

This research focuses on contemporary Malay ethno-nationalist movements in Malaysia, which have in the last few years been more numerous and more vocal than before. Such non-governmental and civil society movements are advocating the Islamic cause and Malay dominance while creating the atmosphere of...

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Main Author: Vedrana Ristic
Other Authors: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Format: Theses and Dissertations
Language:English
Published: 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10356/53215
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-532152020-11-01T08:06:37Z Deploying nationalism : fear and ethno-nationalist mobilization in contemporary Malaysia Vedrana Ristic S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Badrol Hisham Bin Ahmad Noor DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science This research focuses on contemporary Malay ethno-nationalist movements in Malaysia, which have in the last few years been more numerous and more vocal than before. Such non-governmental and civil society movements are advocating the Islamic cause and Malay dominance while creating the atmosphere of fear and insecurity of the Malay ethnic group. Through a comprehensive study of two pro- Malay non-governmental organizations - Pekida and Perkasa - this paper attempts to answer why such movements are on the rise, what their origins and goals encompass and what role they play in the Malaysian society. The research is based on extensive study of existing literature, official documentation and media reports, as well as personal interviews and observations. The research findings show that, although officially non-governmental, the two groups are nevertheless maintaining tight links with the political elites and as such play an important political role. On the other hand, ethno-nationalist outbursts are expressions of the loss ofhegemony of political elites, who are unable to adapt to new socio-economical realities. Furthermore, such organizations operate as a part of the “deep state”, i.e. the unofficial, unaccountable political domain which is nonetheless not autonomous. Such concealed structure is potentially dangerous, as it lacks transparency and predictability. On a broader level, this research shows how nationalist and ethno-nationalist discourses, due to their fluid and multiple meanings, are still important and vulnerable social mobilizers. Master of Science (Asian Studies) 2013-05-30T08:22:48Z 2013-05-30T08:22:48Z 2012 2012 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10356/53215 en 84 p. application/pdf
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science
spellingShingle DRNTU::Social sciences::Political science
Vedrana Ristic
Deploying nationalism : fear and ethno-nationalist mobilization in contemporary Malaysia
description This research focuses on contemporary Malay ethno-nationalist movements in Malaysia, which have in the last few years been more numerous and more vocal than before. Such non-governmental and civil society movements are advocating the Islamic cause and Malay dominance while creating the atmosphere of fear and insecurity of the Malay ethnic group. Through a comprehensive study of two pro- Malay non-governmental organizations - Pekida and Perkasa - this paper attempts to answer why such movements are on the rise, what their origins and goals encompass and what role they play in the Malaysian society. The research is based on extensive study of existing literature, official documentation and media reports, as well as personal interviews and observations. The research findings show that, although officially non-governmental, the two groups are nevertheless maintaining tight links with the political elites and as such play an important political role. On the other hand, ethno-nationalist outbursts are expressions of the loss ofhegemony of political elites, who are unable to adapt to new socio-economical realities. Furthermore, such organizations operate as a part of the “deep state”, i.e. the unofficial, unaccountable political domain which is nonetheless not autonomous. Such concealed structure is potentially dangerous, as it lacks transparency and predictability. On a broader level, this research shows how nationalist and ethno-nationalist discourses, due to their fluid and multiple meanings, are still important and vulnerable social mobilizers.
author2 S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
author_facet S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Vedrana Ristic
format Theses and Dissertations
author Vedrana Ristic
author_sort Vedrana Ristic
title Deploying nationalism : fear and ethno-nationalist mobilization in contemporary Malaysia
title_short Deploying nationalism : fear and ethno-nationalist mobilization in contemporary Malaysia
title_full Deploying nationalism : fear and ethno-nationalist mobilization in contemporary Malaysia
title_fullStr Deploying nationalism : fear and ethno-nationalist mobilization in contemporary Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed Deploying nationalism : fear and ethno-nationalist mobilization in contemporary Malaysia
title_sort deploying nationalism : fear and ethno-nationalist mobilization in contemporary malaysia
publishDate 2013
url http://hdl.handle.net/10356/53215
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