INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA

COURSE OUTLINE
1

Kulliyyah

Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences

Department

Political Science

Programme

BHSc (Political Science)

Name of Course /
Module

Ethnic Politics in Malaysia

Course Code

PSCI 3120

Semester and Year

(Level) Offered

Alternate Semester / Level 3

Course Status

Specialisation

10 Level of Programme

Bachelor

11 Start Date

Semester 2, 2010/2011 (Start date for the use of the new

12

Batch of Students to
be Affected

17 Course Objectives

18 Learning Outcomes

course outline)

Students with matric number starting with 102

onwards.
The objectives of this course are to:
1. explain the political significance of ethnicity
and the nature of communal diversity in
Malaysia;
2. provide critical analyses of the government
and communal leaders in their handling of
ethnic problems and establishing political
legitimacy and stability; and
3. provide students with an opportunity to
conduct research on various ethnic issues in
this country.
At the end of this course, students are expected to
have the ability to:
1. demonstrate
conceptual,
theoretical
and
analytical understanding of inter-ethnic relations
in Malaysia (C3);
2. examine political issues relating to ethnic
relations in Malaysia, including causes and
implications of ethnic conflicts (A5) (CTPS5);
3. determine governments responses and policies
1

relating to ethnic conflicts in Malaysia and the

impact of Islamic reassertion on ethnicity and
politics. (P3)

21 Course Synopsis

This course is an exposition of the intricacies of the

politics of the ethnically diverse Malaysian society.
Topics include: the nature of ethnic diversity and
its impact on political relations; the role of
leadership in effecting harmony and change; the
interrelationship between Malaysian culture and the
ongoing structural changes; Islamic reassertion;
andCourse
ethnicity and politics.
Method
%
LOs
Tests
Assignments
End of semester
examination
TOTAL

Assessment Methods
and Type / Course
23 Assessment
State weightage of each
type of assessment.

26

25
25
25
100

Content outline of the course / module and the SLT per topic
Learning
Weeks
Topics
Task/Reading
Hours
Theoretical Considerations: Social
Weber
(1992):
origins, organizational types,
52-66.
boundaries, identities, value
Barth
(1969):
1
07.00
standards.
294-324.
Syed (1984): 1331.
Ethnic polarization under
Abraham (2004).
colonialism.
Passim,
Nair
2
07.00
(1999): 55-79.
Pre-Independence ethnic politics.
3

4,5

07.00
The Social Contract:
Consociationalism, its variance,
and application in Malaysia.
2

12.00

Ratnam (1965):
Passim.
Vasil (1971): 136.
Von Vorys (1976):
71-139.
Crouch (1996):

152-176.
Milne & Mauzy
(1999): 16-25.
Hwang (2003):
46-90.
Ethnic conflicts: The 13 May 1969
ethnic riot, 1987 Ops. Lalang, and
others.

6,7

10.50

Mitigating ethnic conflict: The

case of the New Economic Policy
(NEP).
8

07.00

Communalism, political parties

and elections.
9,10

14.00

Islam, Malay and ethnic politics.

11

12
13

07.00

Bangsa Malaysia: Issues and

prospects.
Ethnic politics and
developmentalism

05.50
05.50

Kua (2007): All.

Gagliano (1970):
Passim.
Comber (1983):
Passim.
Milne & Mauzy
(1999): 106-110.
Singh (2001): 4265.
Hwang (2003):
143-208.
Faaland,
Parkinson, Rais
(2003): Passim.
Gomez (2007):
157-193.
Ishak & Jomo
(1984): 329-355.
Lee (2000):
Passim.
Ratnam (1965):
175-208.
Vasil (1972):
Passim.
Loh & Johan:
Passim.
Husin (1990):
153-168.
Husin (1993): 1736.
Chong (2006:
26-46.
Ooi (2006): 4772.
Loh (2003a):
158-177.
Loh (2003c):

253-282.
14

Population trends and patterns.

Saw (2006): 125.

Main references supporting the course
07.00

Required
Abraham, C. (2004) The naked social order: The Roots of racial polarization in
Malaysia. Subang Jaya: Pelanduk.
27

Faaland, J., Jack, P. & Rais, S. (2003). Growth and ethnic inequality. Kuala
Lumpur: Utusan.
Gomez, E. T. (Ed.). (2004). The state of Malaysia: Ethnicity, equity and
reform. London: Routledge Curzon.
Von, V. K. (1976). Democracy without consensus: Communalism and
political stability in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press.

28

Additional references supporting the course

Recommended
Barth, F. (1969). Ethnic groups and boundaries. In Sollors, W. (Ed.), Theories
of ethnicity: A classical reader. London: MacMillan.
Chin, J. (2003). The Melanau-Malay schism erupts again: Sarawak at the polls.
In Loh & Johan (Eds.), New politics in Malaysia (pp. 213-227). Singapore:
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Chong, T. (2006). The emerging politics of Islam Hadhari. In Saw Swee-Hock &
K. Kesavapany (Eds.), Malaysia: Recent trends and challenges. Singapore:
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Comber, L. (1983). 13 May 1969: A historical survey of Sino-Malay relations
(pp. 26-46). Kuala Lumpur: Heinemann Asia.
Crouch, H. (1996). Government and society in Malaysia. Ithaca: Cornell
University Press.
Gagliano, F. V. (1970). Communal violence in Malaysia 1969: The political
aftermath. Ohio University: Center for International Studies.
Hussin M. (1990). Islam and ethnicity in Malay politics. Singapore and New
York: Oxford University Press.
Hussin M. (1993). Islam in Malaysia. Singapore: Singapore University Press.
Hwang, In-W. (2003). Personalized politics: The Malaysian state under
Mahathir. Chiang Mai and Singapore: Silkworm Books and Institute of
Southeast Asian Studies
Ishak, S. & Jomo. K. S. (1984). The New Economic Policy and national unity:
Development and inequality 25 years after independence. In Syed Husin
Ali (Ed.), Ethnicity, class and developmentMalaysia (pp. 329-355).
4

Kuala Lumpur: Persatuan Sains Sosial Malaysia.

Kia Soong, K. (2007). May 13: declassified documents on the Malaysian riots
of 1969. Petaling Jaya: SUARAM.
Lee Hock Guan. (2000). Ethnic relations in Peninsular Malaysia: The cultural
and economic dimensions. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian
Studies.
Loh Kok Wah, F. & Johan S. (Eds.). (2003). New politics in Malaysia. Singapore:
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Loh Kok Wah, F. (2003). Developmentalism vs. reformism: The contest for
Bukit Bendera, 1999. In Loh and Johan (Eds.), New politics Malaysia (pp.
158-177). Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Loh Kok Wah, F. (2003). Electoral politics in Sabah, 1999: Gerrymandering,
phantoms, and the 3 Ms. In Loh and Johan (Eds.), New politics in
Malaysia (pp. 228-252). Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Loh Kok Wah, F. (2003). Towards a new politics of fragmentation and
contestation. In Loh and Johan (Eds.), New politics in Malaysia (pp. 253282). Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Mahathir Mohamad. (1970). The Malay dilemma. Singapore: Federal
Publications.
Means, G. P. (1991). Malaysian politics: The second generation. Singapore:
Oxford University Press.
Milne, R. S. & Diane, K. M. (1999). Malaysian politics under Mahathir. London:
Routledge.
Nair, Sheila. (1999). Colonial others and nationalist politics in Malaysia.
Akademika, 54, 55-79.
Ooi, K. B. (2006). Bangsa Malaysia: Vision or spin? In Saw Swee-Hock and K.
Kesavapany, (Eds.), Malaysia: Recent trends and challenges (pp. 47-72).
Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
Ratnam, K. J. (1965). Communalism and the political process. Singapore:
University of Malaya Press.
Saw Swee-Hock. (2006). Population trends and patterns in multiracial
Malaysia. In Saw Swee-Hock and K. Kesavapany (Eds.), Malaysia: recent
trends and challenges (pp. 1-25). Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian
Studies.
Singh, H. (2001). Ethnic conflict in Malaysia revisited. Commonwealth and
comparative politics. 39:1. 42-65.
Sollors, W. (Ed.). (1996). Theories of ethnicity: A classical reader. London:
MacMillan.
Syed, H. A. (1984). Social relations: The ethnic and class factors. In Syed
Husin Ali, (Ed.), Ethnicity, class and developemnetMalaysia. Kuala
Lumpur: Persatuan Sains Sosial Malaysia.
Vasil, R. K. (1972). The Malaysian general election of 1969. Singapore: Oxford
University Press.
5

Vasil, R. K. (1971). Politics in a plural society: A study of non-communal

political parties in West Malaysia. London: Oxford University Press.
Weber, M. (1922). Ethnic groups. In Sollors, W. (Ed.), Theories of ethnicity.
London : Macmillan.