Citation

Duile, Timo and Ramli, Ahmad Faizudin and Poh, Willie Kaw Lik and Abdul Fatah, Muhammad Aiman (2025) The (Im-)possibilities of Public Atheism in Malaysia. Asian Studies Review. pp. 1-18. ISSN 1035-7823

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Abstract

Religion, especially Islam, plays a crucial role in Malaysia’s post-plural society and ethnic Malay identity. Atheism, as a conviction that challenges religious beliefs, is therefore highly controversial in Malaysia: it not only conflicts with the Rukun Negara (national principles) state ideology, which holds the belief in God as its first principle, but also challenges the notion of ethnic Malay identity, which is framed as Islamic and occupies a special place in Malaysian society. This article explores the potential of atheism to challenge Malaysia’s religious pluralism by analysing cases of public atheism and responses to it. Rather than simply concluding that atheism is not acceptable to Malaysians, the article demonstrates the circumstances under which public atheism is possible. It also argues that atheism, although seldom discussed in public, represents a ‘social symptom’ for Malaysian society: atheists are regarded as ‘malfunctioning’ citizens, but they tell us much about how Malaysia’s post-plural religious society functions as it simultaneously rejects and tolerates atheism. This paradoxical social context, we argue, stabilises and challenges the idea of Malaysia’s religious society as the essence of the Malaysian people.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Atheism
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
Depositing User:	Ms Rosnani Abd Wahab
Date Deposited:	05 Mar 2025 06:42
Last Modified:	05 Mar 2025 06:42
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/13558

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