Malaysia’s Political System is Breeding Ground For Islamic State

Malaysia is currently in a state of heightened security after the recent terrorist attacks in Indonesia. Najib Razak, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, has vowed to fight the Islamic State and protect the youth of Malaysia from what he calls “the New Evil.” However, the road to defeating the Islamic State will require cooperation from all political entities and right now that seems to be one of the biggest challenges.

Malaysia had always been deemed a moderate Islam country in southeast Asia with a population of 31 million, of whom approximarely are 60% Sunni Muslim.  However, as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East went on, the influence of the Islamic State soon began to spread into Southeast Asia. In 2013, authorities arrested 122 Islamic State jihadists and believe there are 200-250 fighting in Iraq and Syria.

At least a fraction of Malaysian jihadists have found their way into the Islamic State affiliated Katibah Nusantara (also know as Maylay Archipelago Combat Unit or Katibah Unit), led by an Indonesian man named Bahrum Syah.

There are a number of reasons why the Islamic State has surfaced in  Malaysia, even above the general global trend. In particualr, Malaysia has seen a steady growth in the invocation of Islam in politics.

Government policies by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) and Biro Tata Negara (BTN), whose world views are becoming more influential, are drawing anger from the Islamic State and other intolerant Islamists. Each organization is influential in Malaysian Muslims lives from religion, education, personal behavior, and appearance. Biro Tata Negara has been accused of insinuating ethno-centric hatred towards non-Malay citizens, and JAKIM can have people brought up on sedition charges for challenging their authority.

The “politicization of Islam” by parties in Malaysia, has also driven a wedge between the government various ethnic constituencies.  The current ruling party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) has undertaken a project of actively inserting Islamists into the highest ranks of government to help establish a Malay-Islamic State, which combines Islamic supremacy and Malay nationalism. The effort to impose political Islam on Malaysia is not limited to just the ruling party. Opposition parties like, Parti Islam SeMalyasia (PSA), is currently pushing the Malaysian parliament for the implementation of Islamic Hudud laws. Hudud are Quranicly prescribed punishments, primarily for “criminal” violations, and include amputation for theft, and floggings or death by stoning for Zina, or illicit intercourse.

Opposition parties claim the law could strain or destroy fragile relationships throughout the multiracial country.

It would be an error to divorce the issue of Islamic State’s growth in Malaysia from the larger role of Islamist politics in the Southeast Asian state. While the Malaysian government has been praised by the United States for it’s stance on counterterrorism, it is  viewed by some Malaysians as corrupt and a dictatorial. As a result, despite that it has purposefully inculcated growing support for Islamic politics, the Malaysian government itself can be viewed as not living up to its own rhetoric, leaving Islamic State and other Jihadist groups as an attractive outlet.