{"title":"The fall of Singapura: The necessity of unjust violence in the <i>Sejarah Melayu</i>","authors":"Zi Hao Tan","doi":"10.1017/s0022463423000462","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463423000462","url":null,"abstract":"In the Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals , the fall of Singapura is widely appraised as an act of divine retribution unleashed upon rulers who have committed injustice. Implicit in this theodicy is the promise of moral justice enshrined in the Bukit Siguntang covenant, which ensures mutual reciprocity between the rulers and the ruled. But a cautious approach to the narrative of Singapura's demise reveals how justice is suspended, rather than upheld, in service of power. Enabling this suspension of morality is the transformative capacity of violence. This article performs a close reading on three consecutive episodes of unjust violence inflicted on a foreigner, a child, and a concubine, respectively, prior to the sacking of Singapura by Majapahit. In scrutinising the symbolic significance of these victims as persecuted by injudicious rulers, this article posits that violence functions as a rhetorical trope in the retelling of a Malay history. As victims are made scapegoats, unjust violence brings about the fall of Singapura and, by the same token, necessitates the birth of Melaka. Violence impels the forward movement of a royal genealogy by permitting an uninterrupted sequence of reigns through a sequence of crises.","PeriodicalId":46213,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southeast Asian Studies","volume":"22 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136308550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking the causes of Islamisation: Ontological (in)security, postcoloniality, and Islam in Malaysia","authors":"Nicholas Chan","doi":"10.1017/s0022463423000450","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463423000450","url":null,"abstract":"Theories about state-led Islamisation tend to attribute the phenomenon to domestic dynamics, such as political competition, institutional co-optation, and changing social norms. When exogenous factors are considered, they usually refer to imported ideologies. Moreover, Islamisation is often depicted as a firm rejection of the West. This article seeks to complicate those explanations. Using insights from the ontological security literature in International Relations, I argue that Malaysia's state-led Islamisation cannot be understood comprehensively without looking at macro-historical factors, particularly Malaysia's postcoloniality and its elites’ perception of the global order. Instead of being a manifestation of anti-West sentiments, I argue that the initial receptivity towards Islamisation by Malaysia's largely secular ethnonationalist elites constitutes a quest for recognition within an international order within which the Muslim identity is racialised and stigmatised. This is most obvious in Mahathir Mohamad's ideas on Islam, in that his calling for a developmentalist Islam has as its (imagined) respondent the stigmatising ‘West’. I argue that the forms of Islamisation undertaken during the Mahathir administration reflected this drive to catch up with the West while simultaneously securing recognition for Islam; and that such a leitmotif persisted even into the post-September 11, post-Barisan Nasional world.","PeriodicalId":46213,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southeast Asian Studies","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136308398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The eradication of Cham Muslim women's ethnic identity in Cambodia, 1975–79","authors":"Francis Williams","doi":"10.1017/s0022463423000498","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463423000498","url":null,"abstract":"Between 1975 and 1979 the genocidal regime of Democratic Kampuchea (DK) in Cambodia targeted minorities including the Cham Muslim population. To hold the regime to account for its crimes against the Cambodian people, the Cambodian government in 2001 formed the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). Using transcripts of testimonies and judgements from the ECCC, this article examines Gender-Based Violence (GBV) among the Cham Muslim population. The study shows that Alexander Hinton's arguments to explain GBV using cultural frameworks are insufficient in this case. Indeed, Nicole Rafter has proven it is important to take into account the broader genocidal context to the violence. This article argues that ECCC documentation proves that GBV cannot be explained by cultural contexts alone and instead needs to be understood as a means to destroy the Cham and Cham culture.","PeriodicalId":46213,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southeast Asian Studies","volume":"27 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135203028","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Southeast Asia. The camphor tree and the elephant: Religion and ecological change in Maritime Southeast Asia By Faziah Zakaria, foreword by K. Sivaramakrishnan Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2023. Pp. xv + 254. Maps, Plates, Notes, Bibliography, Index.","authors":"Timothy P. Barnard","doi":"10.1017/s0022463423000541","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463423000541","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46213,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southeast Asian Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44931513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cambodia. Early Theravādin Cambodia: Perspectives from art and archaeology Edited by Ashley Thompson Singapore: National University of Singapore Press (with the Southeast Asian Art Academic Programme, SOAS University of London). Pp. xxix + 288. Maps, Images, Bibliography, Index.","authors":"Andrew Harris","doi":"10.1017/s0022463423000590","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463423000590","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46213,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southeast Asian Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45142528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Southeast Asia. Merchants, bankers, governors: British enterprise in Singapore and Malaya, 1786–1920 By Peter J. Drake Singapore: World Scientific, 2018. Pp. xii + 194. Map, Bibliography, Notes, Index.","authors":"Tirthankar Roy","doi":"10.1017/s0022463423000504","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463423000504","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46213,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southeast Asian Studies","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"56748398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Indonesia. When violence works: Postconflict violence and peace in Indonesia By Patrick Barron Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2019. Pp. 280. Figures, Tables, Glossary, Appendix, Notes, References, Index.","authors":"Risa J. Toha","doi":"10.1017/s0022463423000516","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463423000516","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46213,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southeast Asian Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43267556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Johor–Singapore Causeway: Celebrating and conceptualising its centenary","authors":"Francis E. Hutchinson, Shaun Lin, T. Bunnell","doi":"10.1017/s0022463423000486","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463423000486","url":null,"abstract":"The Johor–Singapore Causeway was inaugurated on 28 June 1924. With this, Singapore became physically connected to the Malay Peninsula via a 1,056-metre-long raised track across the Johor Strait. Since then, this understated piece of infrastructure has come to underpin many aspects of life in Singapore and Malaysia. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 300,000 people crossed between Malaysia and Singapore via the Causeway every day, making it one of the busiest border crossings in the world, and perhaps the busiest of all in Southeast Asia. The reasons for this transborder travel included daily commutes for work, access to education and health services, as well as shopping and leisure. In addition, people crossed the Causeway to then use either Singapore or Johor as a gateway to destinations further afield. While the pandemic curtailed almost all cross-border movement of people, as of early 2023 trips across the Causeway were approaching their pre-COVID-19 levels.","PeriodicalId":46213,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southeast Asian Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47337734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Asia. Detention camps in Asia: The conditions of confinement in modern Asian history Edited by Robert Cribb, Christina Twomey and Sandra Wilson Leiden: Brill, 2022. Pp. 314. Maps, Notes, Bibliography, Index.","authors":"K. Blackburn","doi":"10.1017/s0022463423000565","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463423000565","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46213,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southeast Asian Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47581509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Philippines. The Filipino migration experience: Global agents of change By Mina Roces Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2022. Pp. 254. Notes, Bibliography, Index.","authors":"Jon G. Malek","doi":"10.1017/s0022463423000528","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022463423000528","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46213,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southeast Asian Studies","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45060335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}