When parties swing: Islamist parties and institutional moderation in Malaysia and Indonesia

South East Asia Research

Volumn 18, Issue 4, 2010, Pages 635-674

  Hwang, Julie Chernov ^a  

^a GOUCHER COLLEGE   (United States)

Author keywords

Islamist parties; Moderation; PAS; PKS; Strategic incentives

Indexed keywords

ISLAMISM; PARTY POLITICS; POLITICAL IDEOLOGY; POLITICAL SYSTEM; STRATEGIC APPROACH;

INDONESIA; MALAYSIA;

EID: 78651306978     PISSN: 0967828X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.5367/sear.2010.0016     Document Type: Article

References (133)

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11. It would not make sense to compare PAS with either the National Awakening Party (PKB) or the National Mandate Party (PAN), which are rooted in the Nahdlatul and Muhammadiyah communities respectively, for several reasons. First, both of these parties reject calls for the implementation of sharia law; both parties have been open to non-Muslims since their inception in 1999; and both parties have emphasized universal themes, rather than religious ones. Thus, both parties are fundamentally different from PAS, which emphasizes its desire to implement sharia law, including hudud.
12. Nathan Brown, Amr Hamzawy, and Marina Ottoway (2006), authors of Islamist Movements and the Democratic Process in the Arab World, Carnegie Paper No 67, March, Washington, DC, identify issues pertaining to the implementation of sharia, the rights of women and the rights of minorities as 'grey zones' of ambiguous thinking in Islamist parties and movements. While debates on sharia within PAS and PKS have been covered diligently by scholars, a comparable analysis of issues pertaining to women and minorities has been lacking. The decision to explore the issue of minority rights came about as a result of two events that occurred quite close together - the February 2008 decision in PKS to open the party to non-Muslims and the mushrooming of PAS Supporters Clubs following the March 2008 Malaysian elections. These twin decisions seemed to represent compelling and marked shifts from past positions, thus indicating the kind of moderation to which Wickham refers. In fact, the desire to explore these two policy shifts propelled the 2008 field research for this article. Moreover, the treatment of women and minorities represent two very important issues that Islamist parties must address if they are to become major parties within democratic and semi-democratic political systems. The implementation of sharia is a subjective issue, since there is no agreement within the Muslim umma on what constitutes sharia and sharia has numerous universal principles. However, equality of citizenship is a cornerstone of a modern, democratic polity.
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57. Ibid, p 35.
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59. Ibid, p 391.
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67. Ibid, p 55.
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91. The Pancasila is the Indonesian national ideology, which is composed of five principles: belief in one god, unity in diversity, social justice, humanitarianism, and democracy through deliberation and consensus.
92. Collins, supra note 82.
93. Collins, supra note 82. Ibid.
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108. Fealy, supra note 88, at p 64.
109. Collins, supra note 82;
110. Siregar, Wahidah Zein Br (2006), 'Political parties, electoral system and women's representation in the 2004-2005 Indonesian parliaments', CDI Policy Paper on Political Governance, 2006/2, CDI, Canberra, p 15.
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112. Siregar, supra note 109, at p 15.
113. Interview, Zulkieflimansyah, senior member of parliament, July 2008, Bumi Serpong Damai, Indonesia.
114. Interview, Zulkieflimansyah, senior member of parliament, July 2008, Bumi Serpong Damai, Indonesia. Ibid.
115. Interview with Ledia Hanifa, Head of Women's Affairs for PKS Party Central Board, July 2008, PKS Central Party Office, Mampang Prapatan Raya, Jakarta.
116. Interview, Irmawati, Chairwoman of the PKS South Sulawesi Chapters' Women's Division, 22 July 2008, PKS Mukernas, Makassar, South Sulawesi.
117. Siregar, supra note 109, at p 6.
118. Siregar, supra note 109, at p 6. Ibid.
119. Siregar, supra note 109, at p 6. Ibid.
120. Siregar, supra note 109, at p 6. Ibid.
121. Data derived from the list of candidates from all parties published by the Indonesian Election Commission, Komisi Pemilihan Umum, Website: www.kpu.go.id.
122. Data derived from the list of candidates from all parties published by the Indonesian Election Commission, Komisi Pemilihan Umum, Website: www.kpu.go.id.
123. Siregar, supra note 109, at p 18.
124. Fealy, supra note 88, at p 66.
125. Greg Fealy (2008), 'Democracy Mengerem Kekerasan Islam', Madina, No 4, April, p 34.
126. Republika Online (2008), 'PKS siap jadi parti terbuka bagi non-Muslim', 28 January;
127. Tempo Interaktif (2008), 'PKS Siap Usung Caleg Nonmuslim', 1 February.
128. Interview, senior member of parliament, July 2008, Bumi Serpong Damai, Indonesia.
129. Interview, Yunus Kebetelemi, Anggota DPRD Papua, Chairman Commission A, Puncak Jaya Regency, July 2008, Makassar, Indonesia.
130. Interview, Anis Matta, Secretary General of the Partai Keadilan Sejahtera, July 2008, Jakarta.
131. Interview, Tifatul Sembiring, President of the Partai Keadilan Sejahtera, July 2008, Mampang, Jakarta.
132. Fealy, supra note 88, at p 66.
133. Interview, Irgan Mahfidz, Secretary General of PPP, July 2008, Jakarta.