Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book advances current understandings of contemporary national identities through the concept of primordial modernity using major events and discourses happening in Singapore and Malaysia in 2010 and 2015 as case studies. It outlines the importance of adopting a transnational perspective when examining Malay identity in Singapore and Malaysia. The book also explains the relevance of “primordial modernity” to the lived experiences of the Malays in these countries. It compares the ways in which Malay/Muslims in Singapore and Malaysia conceptualise their ethno-religious identity vis-a-vis the ideals of the local Muslim identity constructed by the respective governments. The book analyses an aspect of Malay identity that is often overlooked in the literature on the Malay community in Singapore and Malaysia, which is the developmental aspect.