ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors explore why the Malays in both Malaysia and Singapore remain true to their cultural and nationalist roots and simultaneously partake in modernization despite the varied inequalities they face at home. They show how the Singapore government reiterates Malay national identity through the rhetoric of the “kampung spirit” in its pursuit of reviving the perceived communal trait of the Malays. More specifically, while the rest of Singapore had been enjoying high growth and development, the Malay community was set apart by their apparent economic backwardness as well as social pathology, especially with regard to juvenile delinquency and “dysfunctional” families. In Malaysia, the notion of development also entails the employment of innovative methods to do dakwah, which has been a key characteristic of the nation's development agenda since the pre-world war two era. The urbanisation and technological advancements in urban cities exist side by side with the celebration of the paranormal.
