Fourth Australia-Malaysia Conference

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Postponed until further notice

About the Conference

This Conference will involve invited papers by fifteen distinguished Malaysian and Australian scholars, businesspersons, politicians and other analysts. It will comprise two days' of papers and discussions, and a further day including a workshop for researchers on Malaysia, showings of Malaysian films and photographs, and panel discussions on special topics. It will be partly sponsored by the National Institute for Asia and the Pacific.

The Conference will be the fourth in a highly successful biennial series. Two books based partly on earlier Conferences, 'Modern Malaysia in the Global Economy' (Edward Elgar, 2001) and 'Malaysian Economics and Politics in the New Century' (Edward Elgar, 2003), have been produced, and a third book, 'Malaysian Industrial Development in the New Millenium', will be published shortly.

The Conference will open with a comprehensive overview of current economic, social and political conditions in Malaysia. It will move directly to examining the broad place and nature of Islam in Malaysia, and the impact of Islam on key aspects of Malaysian society. Thus Islamic influences on daily life and economic relations will be scrutinised, as will Islamic education and Islamic banking. Islamic effects on government, and the latter's administration of Islam, will also be considered, and the impact of shariah law along with issues in shariah reform will be addressed. Islamic politics in Malaysia, its interactions with main political parties, and the roles of Islamic NGOs will be canvassed. Malaysian Islam's relations with the West, including Australia, will be finally treated.

The Venue

Coombs Lecture Theatre
Australian National University (See ANU Map)

The Date

Unfortunately the conference has been postponed. Please visit this website for further information.

Registration

A web page providing more details and allowing direct registration will appear in the near future, while further announcements will be made as the meeting approaches.

The Program

The program promises be stimulating and informative, and attending this event is a ‘must’ for those interested in one of our most significant near-neighbours. It is hoped that academics, businesspersons, public servants, members of non-government organisations, others dealing with Malaysia, and the general public will come to the meeting, for which there is no registration fee. The 'Malaysia Colloquium' on a similar theme will be taking place at the ANU directly after the Australia-Malaysia Conference, so making a visit to Canberra will be even more worth while.

Details of Topics and Speakers

1. Overviews

• Current Economic Conditions. Speaker yet to be identified
• Current Political Conditions. Dr Bill Case (Griffith University, Brisbane)*

2. Keynote Address

• Islam and society in Malaysia. Speaker yet to be identified

3. The Administration of Islam

• Division of powers between states and federal institutions. Dr Patricia Martinez (Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur)*
• Syariah law and legal reform. Dato' Dr Abdul Monir b. Yaacob (Institut Kepahaman Islam Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur)*

4. Islamic Education

• Religious schools in Malaysia. Dr Uthman El Mahmudi (International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur)*
• The Politics of Administration of Islamic schools. Ms Kikue Hamayotsu (Australian National University, Canberra)*

5. Economic and Social Issues

• The Muslim economy. Professor Syed Othman Alhabshi (Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, Penang)*
• Muslim religiosity in Malaysia. Professor Riaz Hassan (Flinders University, Adelaide)*
• Popular Islam and the Malaysian Media. Datin Rose Ismail (New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur)*
• Womens' rights in the Islamic framework. Puan Askiah Adam (Institute for Malaysian and Strategic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi)*

6. Islamic Non-government Organisations

• Jemaah Tabligh and other special Islamic groups. Prof. Dr. Sharifah Zaleha Syed Hasan (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi)*
• KMM and Jemaah Islamiah. Dr John Funston, Australian National University, Canberra)*

7. Politics and Islam

• Barisan Nasional policies towards Islam. Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir (Member of the Executive Council, UMNO Youth, Perak)*
• PAS and Islam. En Nasaruddin Mat Esa (Secretary-General, Parti Islam sa-Malaysia, Kedah)*

8. International Connections

• Islamic civilisation in its wider aspects. Dr Mohd Nur Manuty (Centre for Studies in Modernity and Civil Society, Petaling Jaya)*
• Engagement with the Islamic world and the West. Dr Farish Noor (International Movement for a Just World, Petaling Jaya)

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* Formally accepted the invitation to participate.

Contacts

Information is available from:

Dr Colin Barlow
Tel: 02 6251 2507; Fax 02 6125 5523;
Email: drcolinbarlow@hotmail.com

Dr John Funston
Tel 02 6125 2925
Email: John.Funston@anu.edu.au

Beverley Fraser
Tel: 02 6125 5915; Fax 02 6125 5523;
Email: Beverley.Fraser@anu.edu.au

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