Orang Asli is a generic name given to the indigenous people living on
the Malay Peninsula. Using extensive ethnographic data, Living on the
Periphery reveals the way in which state-initiated development projects
and the process of Islamization influence the life world of the Orang
Asli in the name of national unity. The Malaysian government stands
behind the Muslim Orang Asli and regards anyone resisting Islamization
as a rebel against the nation state. The Islamization program that aims
at state-based integration brought about large-scale socioeconomic
changes and created class divides, splits, and disharmonies in the
community. Conflicts escalated notably between the Muslims supported by
the government and the non-Muslims that are subjected to repressive
forces of the state.