Towards a Malaysian Criminology

Book excerpt: This book provides a critical analysis of criminological scholarship in Malaysia, presenting a focused exploration of the key qualities and limitations to studies on crime, deviance, victimization and criminal justice in this country. This text connects contemporary crime problems with historical legacies such as the impact of colonialism and the influence of ethno-nationalism and authoritarianism in the region. Conflict and tension created by legal pluralism is illustrated via three case studies exploring apostasy, Islamic rehabilitation centres, and retention and use of the death penalty. In addition to a critique of contemporary Malaysian criminological scholarship, Towards a Malaysian Criminology suggests a composite, critical criminological approach to guide future research. This approach draws on theoretical traditions in critical race theory, critical realism, ultra-realism and the emerging field of Islamic critical realism. Given the multidisciplinary nature of the discipline, this text will appeal to scholars of criminology, sociology, law, politics and Islamic theology.