The Sabah factors in the Malaysian nation-state construction: identity confusion, nationalism and migrants
The rise of Sabahan nationalism in Malaysia has been linked to concerns about the loss of autonomy and uneven distribution of resources within the federation. Sabah was granted a high degree of autonomy when it joined the Malaysian Federation under the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63), but this has be...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2025
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25418/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25418/1/80-92%20-.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848816353122713600 |
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| author | Han, Huhe |
| author_facet | Han, Huhe |
| author_sort | Han, Huhe |
| building | UKM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The rise of Sabahan nationalism in Malaysia has been linked to concerns about the loss of autonomy and uneven distribution of resources within the federation. Sabah was granted a high degree of autonomy when it joined the Malaysian Federation under the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63), but this has been eroded over time by federal government statutes and constitutional amendments. This has led to discontent among the people of Sabah and Sarawak, particularly over the distribution of royalties from the oil and gas industry. The lack of investment in infrastructure and public services in Sabah has also contributed to this discontent, fueling calls for greater autonomy and fairer treatment within the federation. The paper also analyzes the complex relationship between locals and migrants in the Malaysian state of Sabah: immigrants’ economic contributions to the local economy, the challenges faced by the local community, and the negative perceptions of locals towards immigrant events. The paper concludes with a discussion of the controversy surrounding the federal government’s naturalization of a large number of Muslim migrants as citizens through the IC Project (Identity Card Project) and its impact on Sabah’s demographic and political landscape. The paper argues that the complex dynamics between Sabah’s diverse population, foreign Muslim migrants and its federal government remains an important issue in the construction of the nation-state in contemporary Malaysia. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T01:04:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:generic.eprints.org:25418 |
| institution | Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T01:04:31Z |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | oai:generic.eprints.org:254182025-06-24T09:12:46Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25418/ The Sabah factors in the Malaysian nation-state construction: identity confusion, nationalism and migrants Han, Huhe The rise of Sabahan nationalism in Malaysia has been linked to concerns about the loss of autonomy and uneven distribution of resources within the federation. Sabah was granted a high degree of autonomy when it joined the Malaysian Federation under the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63), but this has been eroded over time by federal government statutes and constitutional amendments. This has led to discontent among the people of Sabah and Sarawak, particularly over the distribution of royalties from the oil and gas industry. The lack of investment in infrastructure and public services in Sabah has also contributed to this discontent, fueling calls for greater autonomy and fairer treatment within the federation. The paper also analyzes the complex relationship between locals and migrants in the Malaysian state of Sabah: immigrants’ economic contributions to the local economy, the challenges faced by the local community, and the negative perceptions of locals towards immigrant events. The paper concludes with a discussion of the controversy surrounding the federal government’s naturalization of a large number of Muslim migrants as citizens through the IC Project (Identity Card Project) and its impact on Sabah’s demographic and political landscape. The paper argues that the complex dynamics between Sabah’s diverse population, foreign Muslim migrants and its federal government remains an important issue in the construction of the nation-state in contemporary Malaysia. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2025-01 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25418/1/80-92%20-.pdf Han, Huhe (2025) The Sabah factors in the Malaysian nation-state construction: identity confusion, nationalism and migrants. International Journal of the Malay World and Civilisation, 13 (1). pp. 80-92. ISSN 2289-4268 http://ejournal.ukm.my/jatma/index |
| spellingShingle | Han, Huhe The Sabah factors in the Malaysian nation-state construction: identity confusion, nationalism and migrants |
| title | The Sabah factors in the Malaysian nation-state construction: identity confusion, nationalism and migrants |
| title_full | The Sabah factors in the Malaysian nation-state construction: identity confusion, nationalism and migrants |
| title_fullStr | The Sabah factors in the Malaysian nation-state construction: identity confusion, nationalism and migrants |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Sabah factors in the Malaysian nation-state construction: identity confusion, nationalism and migrants |
| title_short | The Sabah factors in the Malaysian nation-state construction: identity confusion, nationalism and migrants |
| title_sort | sabah factors in the malaysian nation-state construction: identity confusion, nationalism and migrants |
| url | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25418/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25418/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25418/1/80-92%20-.pdf |