Islam vs Secularism? The New Political Terrain in Malaysia and Indonesia

Abstract

The political drama in the Malay archipelago continues to be played out in terms of the traditional Malay-Indonesian shadow theatre: the Wayang of Kerajaan. But it is impossible to deny that the latest developments in Malaysia and Indonesia have also marked a major shift in the political terrain of the two countries, with the Islamic parties and movements there poised to enter the charmed circle of kerajaan politics once again. This is something to which both the governments and the intellectual communities of the region cannot be indifferent.