Introduction: Among all the factors that influence the rapidity and substance of economic growth, it is now clear that state institutional capacities (and related bureaucratic competence) for economic governance are among the more decisive (Evans and Rauch 1999, Rauch and Evans 2000). Among the countries that have sustained an impressive record of economic growth in recent decades, Malaysia occupies an unusual - and perhaps unique - position. It does so for three related reasons. Firstly, it is the only one of the dynamic economies of East Asia that is substantially multi-ethnic in social composition 1; secondly, it is the first 'Muslim-majority' state from the developing world to have industrialised 2; and thirdly it is one of the few - perhaps the only - capitalist society to have integrated commitments to poverty elimination and redistribution as central moments in its growth strategy. As a result of this combination, Malaysia warrants close investigation, both in its own right and in terms of what its experiences might have to 'say' about the relation of economic governance to poverty and its reduction in equivalent societies.

The article elaborates the status of Malay language as national language that unites as well as divides the nation. Article written in Malay.  Publication: 4th International Malaysian Studies Conference; 3-5 August 2004, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi.  Author: Zulkifley Hamid.

The diversity of naming forms adopted by Chinese Muslims shows the complexity of the community and the flexiblility ot their identities depending on the situation. The choice of names for their children also reflect Chinese Muslim tendencies whether to maintain their “Chineseness” to the next generation or not. Besides this, the use of Chinese Muslim names as ethnic and religion markers is flexible and can shift when the situation and actors changed. Publication: 4th International Malaysian Studies Conference; 3-5 August 2004, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi.  Author: Hew, Wai Weng.

The study was aimed at understanding the phenomena of poverty among the communities of Redang Island whereby most of them have an average income between RM251 to RM500 per month. The study was found that the tourism sector does give a considerable impact on this community by contributing to 44% of their households income. Article written in Malay. Publication: 4th International Malaysian Studies Conference; 3-5 August 2004, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi.  Author: Roshanim Koris.

The paper sets out to examine present-day alcohol consumption as well as positive and negative experiences related to alcohol in Peninsular Malaysia as well as in Sarawak, East Malaysia. The focus of the paper is to study the impact of ethnic and religious identity on alcohol consumption in East and West Malaysia. The information on West (Peninsular) Malaysia was collected in 1996 and 1997 and the information on East Malaysia (Sarawak) in 1999. The study, however, is not only about the quantities and qualities of alcohol consumed in Malaysia. The alcohol issue is used as a ‘window’ through which the broader issue of the construction of ethnic or racial boundaries in the country is studied. Officially, Malays do not drink alcohol because they are Muslims. In reality, however, some Malays do drink. Ideologically, politically and socially drinking is used as a way of segregating races in Malaysia in general and defining the superiority of the Malay race in particular. Author: Timo Kortteinen (Academy Research Fellow, Department of Sociology, University of Helsinki, Finland)