Political mobilization of the Malaysian Christian minority in the 1980s

ABSTRACT

Amid Islamic revivalism in the 1980s, the Malaysian government introduced policies to promote the primacy of Islam. These policies impacted the religious rights of the Christian community and compelled Christian leaders to respond. However, they had to navigate the delicate balance of defending their religious rights without being perceived as anti-Islamization. In their response, Christian leaders employed elite and political mobilization strategies. The former focused on consolidating support with like-minded allies while the latter sought to promote a sense of shared awareness among the broader Christian community. Christian leaders also framed their message in a way that draws the attention of their audience to the growing threat of erosion of their religious rights without openly criticizing the government. These strategies are likely to be used among religious minorities in semi-democratic countries, especially those that are in the nascent stage of defending their interests.

KEYWORDS:

• Christian minority
• Islamization
• religious freedom
• mobilization
• frames
• Malaysia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Interview, Seremban, 13 September 2015.

2 Interview, Seremban, 26 July 2015.

3 Interview, Seremban, 26 July 2015.

4 Interview, Seremban, 26 July 2015.

5 Kertas Perintah 14. 1988. “Ke Arah Memelihara Keselamatan Negara.' White Paper presented in the Parliament, 9–10.

6 Interview, Seremban, 7 July 2015.

7 Interview, Petaling Jaya, 22 November 2015.

8 Interview, Seremban, 7 July 2015.

9 Interview, Kuala Lumpur, 12 September 2015.