Towards a History of Malaysian Ulama

Abstract

This paper traces the religio-political role of ulama in Malaysia. Its key argument is that historically the ulama in Malaysia have maintained a symbiotic relationship with various political authorities. From early Islamic history to the Japanese occupation, ulama have usually worked with any power willing to secure their authority and influence. The paper also shows that even when the ulama oppose the government – exemplified by the opposition of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia ulama to the UMNO-led Malaysian government – this opposition tends to stem from differences in politics rather than religious ideologies.