When Parties Swing: Islamist Parties and Institutional Moderation in Malaysia and Indonesia

Abstract

This article examines the extent to which the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) are becoming more moderate in their strategy and ideology. The author contends that both parties are struggling over the extent to which they should moderate in response both to strategic incentives present in the Malaysian and Indonesian political systems and to the political learning process whereby both parties are coming to understand the preferences of voters in their respective political systems. This process is complicated by divisions in the parties between pragmatists who would postpone controversial goals to reach out to non-devout voters, and purists who prioritize ideological authenticity.

Islam, Parties, and Women's Political Nomination in Indonesia

“…2.The roots of the inclusive Islamic parties lie in Indonesian Islamic mass organizations. PKB is culturally and historically linked to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, with its main support base centered in NU communities in East and Central Java, while PAN's base of support is among urban Muhammadiyah members (Hwang 2010). During the Suharto administration, PPP was recognized as the party for NU members as PPP was the only party with Islam as its ideology.…”

ISLAMIC POLITICS AND POPULAR CULTURE IN MALAYSIA: Negotiating normative change between shariah law and electric guitars

“…the 'world of right and wrong, of lawful and unlawful, of valid and void' (Cover 1983: 1 Several authors have, for example, discussed whether inclusion in party political or governmental structures would lead to a strategic and/or ideological abandonment of previously held Islamist positions. For an insightful discussion of this 'inclusion-moderation-hypothesis' in the context of Malaysia, see Chernov Hwang (2010). 4), or halal and haram in PAS' Islamic terminology.…”

Traditionalism of Tolerance in Dayah System: A Reflective Note on the Biography of Abon Aziz Samalanga of Aceh

“…From these groups, radical and intolerant views emerge (Hwang, 2010). In traditional education system, the most essential thing is reverence to teacher, followed by teaching method, then lastly teaching material.…”