Islam, Modernity and Entrepreneurship among the Malays

This book is an ethnographic study of Malay Muslim enterprise and entrepreneurial culture among the newly rich beneficiaries of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in Malaysia, a government program of affirmative action intended to develop the indigenous Malay population in an ethnically polarized nation. Focusing on social class, ethnicity, gender, domestic arrangements, networks, and the dramatic impact of government policy on economic development, this is the first in-depth study of urban, affluent Malay culture in the process of transformation as a consequence of state-led, pro-Malay capitalist intensification and Islamic resurgence. Arguing that Islamic morality and economic ambition have emerged as the key factors in the construction of Malay modern identity, Sloane examines the role of religion and culture in establishing new roles of capitalist leadership. She uses her own experience on Wall Street to develop her analytic understanding of modern business and capitalism in Malaysia.