Religious movement and economic and social development : Islamic government experiences in Kelantan state, Malaysia

Includes bibliographical references (pages [124]-132).During the 1970s and 1980s, the Islamic world experienced a wave of Islamic revivalism. This religious revivalism was experienced more in some countries than in others. Malaysia is one of the Islamic countries that experienced a high level of Islamic revivalism. ABIM, Jamaat Tabligh and Darul Arqam were the most influential groups, elevating Islamic identity awareness among the Malay people. In the political arena, Parti Islam SeMalaysia represented the largest Islamic political party that targeted the establishment of an Islamic state. The party arose in early 1951, and since then the party has been an active participant in electoral campaigns, targeting especially the Malays' votes. Since its first electoral victory in 1959 in Kelantan, PAS encountered many challenges. The major challenge facing PAS was how to establish a modern Islamic society based on Islamic Shari'ah. This research is an attempt to examine the progress PAS has made toward this goal. In other words, the research addresses three hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that Kelantan state is significantly different from other Malaysian states in economic and social development. The second hypothesis is that PAS carried out dramatic Islamic social and economic reforms in the state of Kelantan after it took control of state government. The third hypothesis is that these reforms produced positive changes in the level of socio-economic development. The third hypothesis implies that the implementation of Shari'ah laws had a measurable effect on economic and social development. The research is divided into two parts. The first part is an historical study background on Kelantan and the PAS party. The other part of the research is an empirical analysis based on aggregate quantitative data, qualitative observation and personal interviews. Because the research focuses on PAS policies, organizational analysis forms the core of the study. That is, the study focuses on the actions of organizations or institutions and their impact on human behavior and social and economic development.Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy