Malaysia and the Rise of Muslim Consumer Culture

Malaysia is the country understood as the breeding ground and main development stage of halal products and Islamic consumer culture. Johan Fischer has systematically traced that phenomenon in a number of publications. The chapter relates the emergence of a national Muslim consumer culture to the country’s experience as a former British colony, its specific demographic setup with over 60 percent ethnic Malay people that led to Islam being declared as the national religion, Islamic tourism from the Middle East, the institutionalized emergence of ‘Islamic knowledge’ in its international universities, the Islamization of business management techniques, and the creation of certified logos by JAKIM. Although initially planned as a secular state after independence, Islamic propaganda (dakwah) activities have successfully turned the table. Fischer’s field research and analysis of the historical developments over many decades offer a broad picture of the rise of a middle class in Malaysia (notably in its capital Kuala Lumpur) and a growing bureaucracy and technological apparatus to administer halal products. The author glances at the comparable developments in Indonesia and points out the global relevance of the processes kickstarted or enhanced in Malaysia.