RSIS Seminar by YB Nurul Izzah binti Anwar, MP for Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Prospects of Post-Islamism in Malaysia
About the Lecture
Malaysia has seen the rise of Islamic conservatism in recent times. Malaysia holds a unique position, constitutionally a secular state while having Islam as its official religion. The politicisation of religion and a strong Islamic bureaucracy deepens conservatism across the country. Within the Islamist discourse in Malaysia, there are signs that a more moderate expression of Islamism is beginning to take shape. Many of the key opposition parties in Malaysia are discussing the role of Muslim democrats in the country’s religio-political sphere. This seminar examines the prospects of post-Islamism in Malaysia and the future role of Islam within the state governance in Malaysia.
About the Speaker
Nurul Izzah Anwar is the current, second-term Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai. Her political career began with the creation of the People’s Justice Party (KEADILAN) in 1999 where she played a vital role in its establishment and is currently on her second term as highest ranking Vice President Elect, as well as the party’s Election Director – a post she holds jointly with Dato Saifuddin Nasution (former Party Secretary General). She has worked with a number of agencies and institutes on advocacy work, among them are the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Women Leaders International Forum (WLIF) and Friedrich- Ebert Stifung (FES). She has in the past advocated on behalf of Malaysian political prisoners and Malaysian human rights movements at the international level, most noted being an intervention in the main session at the 55th Commission on Human Rights, Geneva. Prior to entering politics, she earned her Masters’ Degree from the School for Advanced International Studies – Johns Hopkins University studying International Relations (with specialization in Southeast Asia Studies). Her Bachelors’ Degree was in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from University Tenaga Nasional.
