In a society recognized for its multi-racial constitution, the relative
homogeneity of Kelantan has inspired numerous researchers to seek the
essence of Malay-ness in the traditional ethnic events and distinctive
form of Islam practiced there. Drawing on the research conducted during
more than ten site visits to the Kelantan community over a 30-year
period, One Malay Village is a comparison of Tsubouchi's initial and
final surveys. Through the juxtaposition of two snapshots taken twenty
years apart, he reveals a process of change occurring in the community
which even the locals are at risk of overlooking. The rapid changes
experienced by this Malay community expose the limitations of analytic
frameworks such as urban-rural community, modernization, and
urbanization. In fact, these changes are of such a magnitude as to
challenge the classification of Malaysia as a developing nation.