Managing religious diversity and radicalisation in Malaysia and Indonesia

Abstract

Malaysia and Indonesia are Muslim-majority countries with a significant presence of other religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Both countries face major challenges in managing religious diversity and countering religiously inspired radicalisation. This policy brief provides insights into the successes and trade-offs of both countries in their efforts to address these challenges. While Islamist militancy has been more pronounced in Indonesia, top-down, state-driven Islamisation is increasing in Malaysia, infringing on the civil liberties of both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Meanwhile, each state is now coping with a vocal strain of majoritarianism that seeks to exploit Islam’s status as the official or majority religion in order to impose an anti-pluralist and ultraconservative version of it. In doing so, right-wing Muslim majoritarianism is undermining efforts to successfully manage religious diversity in both countries.