Culture, Religion and Conflict in Muslim Southeast Asia: Negotiating Tense Pluralisms by Joseph Camilleri & Sven Schottmann

Author:Joseph Camilleri & Sven Schottmann [Camilleri, Joseph & Schottmann, Sven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political Science, General
ISBN: 9780415625265
Google: GJTWQm3ZM_4C
Goodreads: 15858811
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2012-10-01T00:00:00+00:00

Managing pluralism: the role of the state

One might be tempted to argue that the accentuation of difference or deepening ethnic polarization described above is, or could be, a recipe for conflict between the different ethnic and religious groups in the country. Such conflict, in turn, could easily escalate into violence. But while it does lead to inter-ethnic squabbling, quarrels are either kept behind doors and if they do get into the public arena they are summarily acted upon, are stifled through threats of prosecution or are swept under the carpet by promises of fair resolution. These are the immediate responses of the Malaysian government to prevent ethnic disputes within the country turning deadly. There are, however, several policies and measures that the state employs or institutes in its cultural diversity management. This chapter focuses on the top-down policies and measures; elsewhere I have analysed different forms of civility, namely quotidian, sly, and organic, that are practised by Malaysians in their inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations. Some of the state-directed strategies are coercive while others are hegemonic in the Gramscian sense. Some are explicit or overt and others implicit or covert. The following begins with what I have labelled as the ‘pressure cooker’ strategy before proceeding to analyse the official use of fear.

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