This work is a modest attempt at examining and understanding
the nature and impact of development process in Malaysia
during the Mahathir administration. The main time frame
chosen is from the year 1981 to 1992, although the events
after this period up to the completion of this thesis are
also relevant in various ways. The analysis is made primarily
in the light of the Government's Islamization policy and
Vision 2020. The study is undertaken in view of a popular
belief that development during this time demonstrates a
significant shift from its long standing traditional
approach. How far does this claim bear the truth? The result
of this study reveals an answer to this primary question.
The research, which adopts what the researcher calls a
comparative sociological study or approach that combines the
elements of sociological and Islamic studies together, primarily
analyses the Government development policies and strategy which
are believed to have been responsible in bringing about the
observed changes and impacts on the society, especially on the
Muslims. For practical reasons, comparison takes place in
various forms and on different levels. For example, in the
theoretical chapter the philosophy of development and change as
seen from both perspectives is established as a framework upon
which our analysis of Malaysian development is based. Contrasts
between certain development policies and the achievements of two
different eras are also made through longitudinal comparison.
Standard comparison is used more often due to the nature of the
subjects under scrutiny. Despite its unavoidable reference to
Malaysia as a whole, the research, however, places more emphasis
on the development and changes in the Peninsular. Logistic and
financial constraints explain the need for this geographic
limitation.
Divided into five main chapters, namely Introduction,
Development and Change: A Comparative Theoretical Framework,
Development Under Mahathir: Genesis, Ideological Foundation and
l
Profile, The Impact of Development Policy I: Various Impacts on
the Society, and The Impact of Development Policy II: Various
Muslim Responses respectively, the study is multi-disciplinary
in nature, with sociological and Islamic elements as its main
features. The study involves both library research and fieldwork .
This research draws its resources from various types of
materials like relevant Governmental and non-Governmental
documents, interviews, Mahathir's articles, books and speeches,
personal observations, journals, articles, working papers,
newspapers, magazines and others. Recourse to data, statistical
or descriptive, is reached by'consulting important documents
like the Social Statistics Bulletin, Annual Reports of relevant
institutions, State and District Data Banks, Malaysia Plans,
Economic Reports and Educational Statistics.
The writer is hopeful that this work will be a useful
addition to existing academic works in the field, and will
benefit those who are interested especially in such areas of
study as Sociology of Development, Islamic Sociology, and
Malaysian Studies.
