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July 22, 2021
10:00 (BST) / 16:00 (WIB)
Dina Zaman of IMAN Research will speak about on the ground sentiments Post 2018, where two groups: young Malay men, and women who have taken the path of far right and toxic nationalism are becoming more vocal about their dissatisfaction with the way the country is governed.. The presentation is just an exhibition of ongoing research. Whereas Dr Kevin Fernandez will talk about the challenges women activists meet. Due to structural, political and cultural reasons, women activists face burdens in their work, especially in relation to two particular issues: child marriage and stateless children. Our recent study attempted to investigate how these women organise themselves to challenge notions of patriarchy in Malaysia, which have been buttressed by its colonial and postcolonial history, as well as the institutionalisation of political Islam through state and non-state actors. Results from the study found that there was a marked divergence in the issues that were focused on by activists in East and West Malaysia, with structural reform and injustice as key motivators. Different cultural factors and historical ties were among the factors which caused significant east-west differences in the results collected. Structural discrimination, such as state actions (as informed by right wing populism) and online harassment were among the challenges faced.