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David Martin Jones - Southeast Asian Studies

This edition of JATI brings together two aspects of the evolving character ofSoutheast Asian Studies at the millennium: namely the analysis of politicaldevelopment in Southeast Asia and the study of traditional cultural forms.The two fields of scholarship are not unrelated. Traditional cultural practiceshave proved surprisingly resilient despite the often deracinating consequencesof rapid modernization. At the same time development friendly polities inSoutheast Asia have often found it politically expedient to adapt traditional

cultural understandings both to the modernization process and to mitigate themixed consequences of rapid globalization upon the states of Southeast Asia.

In the context of the increasing difficulties that globalized markets andinvestment flows pose for the Southeast Asian development several papersexamine the challenges to deeper regional integration in an East Asia that isincreasingly interconnected but by no means integrated. Thus Kim Hyung Jongexplores the problems that bilateral and multilateral approaches to trade maypose for export oriented Asean states like Thailand. Kims paper evaluates theconflicts that can occur when the Thai government considers that an ASEANbilateral treaty with Korea might require greater openness than a country to

country treaty. In an analogous vein, Nazery Khalid draws attention to thecompetitive relationship that exists between ports in Southeast Asia as theycompete for dominance of trade sometimes to the detriment of bothcompetitive advantage and wider regional integration of a shared ASEANmarket. A distinctive characteristic of Southeast Asian growth and developmenthas been its dependence upon foreign direct investment and export orientedgrowth. Thirunaukarasu Subramaniams paper examines the complexrelationship between FDI, employment and economic growth and drawsattention to both the problems and opportunities that FDI offers Malaysia. Ina similar vein, Mala Rajo Sathians Thailand in 2008 examines the impact of a

year of protests following the election of Samaks PPP party to government.As with Malaysia, political uncertainty in Thailand does little for investors nervesin a time global financial crisis.

From a somewhat different perspective, Wan Shawaluddin Wan Hassanand Ramli Dollah analyse the impact of non traditional threats upon security intheir paper Issues in Sabah Security and Its Impact to Malaysia. The paperdiscusses how non state actors whether terrorists, pirates or illegal migrantshave contributed to insecurity in the East Malaysian state of Sabah in an era ofincreased global interconnectedness. In a similar vein Mohammad Mizan Aslamconsiders how the separatist insurgency in Southern Thailand has affected the

understanding of security in Southeast Asia. Both these papers draw attentionto the difficulties that ASEAN norms of non interference encounter in dealingwith the transnational activities of non state actors that can disrupt regionalcooperation.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES: JATI 13

David Martin JonesGuest Editor

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Jati, Vol. 13, December 2008

Whilst transnational actors have volatized the problem of regionalsecurity, the politicization of Islam has dramatically affected the conduct ofregional politics since the Asian Financial Crisis. In this context, Amer SaifudeGhazalis paper The Support to UMNO and PAS in 1999 and 2004 MalaysianParliamentary Elections, and its Implication to the 2008 Election discusses the

varying support for both UMNO and the opposition Islamic party PAS atfederal and state elections in 1999 and 2004. Ghazali attempts to extrapolatethe changing character of the Malay vote over these two elections and drawout their implications for the seminal 2008 elections. By contrast, RahiminAffandi Abdul Rahim in Malaysian and Indonesian Approaches in Facing theDevelopment of Islamic Thought: A Comparative Analysisexamines the differentunderstandings of Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia and the socio politicalimplications that have arisen from controlled and open approaches toreligious interpretation.

The second part of this issue of JATI addresses the cultural traditions of

Southeast Asia and looks at their enduring social influence. Harris EffendiTahars paper Radical Elements in Indonesian Short Stories Published in KompasDaily (1992-1999): A Structural Genetic Perspective offers a structural analysisof the performance violence in the annual Kompas anthology of short storiespublished in the later years of the New Order regime in Indonesia. The analysisindicates that government officials overwhelmingly predominate as violent actorsin the literary presentation of New Order political culture. Somewhat differentlyRodney C Jubilados article on The Filipino Language in the Malaysian LinguisticSpace considers the neglected topic of the status and role the Filippinolanguage plays in the Malaysian linguistic space and its pedagogoy in Malaysian

universitiesAddressing a more traditional and conventional range of cultural

performances a series of essays by Hanafi Hussin, Paul Mason , MCM SantaMaria, Marzam Ibadhita and Rebecca T Anonuevo and Ruby Gamboa Alcantaradraw attention to the complex role that theatre, dance and music continue to playin the cultural experience of the Sama of Southern Philippines, the Kadazan ofEast Malaysia, and the Minangkabau of West Sumatra. Hanafi Hussin and MCMSanta Marias Dancing with the Ghosts of the Sea: Experiencing the PagkanduliRitual of the Sama Dilaut (Bajau Laut) in Sikulan, Tawi-Tawi, Southern Philippinesdemonstrates how ritual reinforces traditional social roles, whilst Hanafis

analysis of Kadazan rice farming rituals examines how secular performancesweaken the sacred character of these distinctive rituals. Paul H. Masons workexamines the role of dance in The Neuroanthropologist and the Self-Accompanied Minangkabau Dancer, and Marzam the role of sirompak musicamongst the peoples of West Sumatra. Both draw attention to the continuing socioreligious role and rich heritage of music and dance in the region. From a lessculturally specific perspective Rebecca T Anonuevo and Ruby Gamboa Alcantaraexamine the place of the Sarsuwela tradition in Philippine drama and how itcontinues to offer a resilient and enduring vehicle of social commentary.

Demonstrating a similar concern with culture , but addressing its character

from a socio-economic perspective, Mohammad Raduan bin Mohd Ariff,Thirunaukarasu Subramaniam & Mohammad Sharir bin Mohd Raduan in theirpaper on Bajau Woman as Key Workforce in Artesenal Fishing Households inKampung Mengkabong, Tuaran Sabah examine the socio economic role that

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David Martin Jones - Southeast Asian Studies

women play in the fishing culture practiced by the Bajau community of Sabahwhilst Muliadi Bin Yakop@Yahya and Mohammad Raduan Bin Mohd Ariffexplain the role of the yellow puffer fish in the Manggut village community ofSarawak.

This collection of papers therefore draws attention once more to the variety

and diversity of political and cultural experiences of Southeast Asia. Jati 13illustrates once again that those commenting upon the region from outside itoften miss the complex range of spiritual, cultural and political experiences thatcomprise this complex geographical space.

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