From the Mosque to the Ballot Box: An Introduction to Political Islam in Malaysia

Résumé En

Islamism has been at the forefront of Malaysian politics for the past two decades. The recurrence of religious controversies, from apostasy to the debate on the use of the word 'Allah', emphasizes the importance of the religious factor seeing the rise of a 'new phenomenon' or the 'resurgence of Islam' in a country where, in fact, Islam has been entrenched in every layer of society for more than a century. In view of the recent political and social turbulence in the country, and the next general elections (2012 or sooner), this Occasional paper aims to offer to its reader an understanding of political Islam in Malaysia and its forms of expression within political parties and civil society and understand the influence of a major phenomenon. [Free download in: http://www.irasec.com/component/irasec/?task=publication_detail&publicationid=303]