The development of Christian theology and practice in Malaysia after independence from the British are understudied subjects. During decolonization, an ethno-religious form of Islamic nationalism emerged, and it was concretized in the 1980s by modernizing Islamic bureaucratic agencies. Consequently, the position of the Church was threatened, and its popular influence was weaning. Worse yet, 1988 amendments to the 1957 Federal Constitution put the Shari’ah law parallel to the secular Malaysian judicial system and curbed religious freedom significantly; proselytizing Muslims and apostasy from Islam were prohibited. These administrative and legal changes forced the Church to strategize its developments in a cautious and suspicious posture, such that it was growing with the fear of pre-emptive strikes on the institution. Although significant scholarship exists on the emergence and institutionalization of Islamic nationalism in Malaysia, little has been written about the strangely precarious yet fervently convicted form of Christian nationalism that was birthed in response to five decades of surveillance and suppression. Malaysian Christian’s double minority status is best explored through the theology and practices of Christians who sit on the fence of inclusion and exclusion: non-Malay Indigenous Christians. Existing scholarship on indigenous Christianity in Malaysia has brought extensive focus to the history of missionary history, ethnography of syncretic practices, and political theories of everyday resistance. However, no scholarship exists on the politically mutually beneficial relationship between indigenous Christians and the Church. How could a Malay-Muslim nationalist disavow the “Malaysian-ness” of a Church that is majority Indigenous and shares the same indigenous rights as you based on claims to indigeneity? Can one be more indigenous than another because of the incumbent religious practice? What about historical ancestry, cultural-linguistic lineage, and relationships with the land? Hence, this paper will intervene in this gap of existing literature on indigeneity and Christianity in Malaysia, giving special attention to mutual dependence for sustained efforts to resist the realities of Islamization.
Malaysia’s identity is shaped by its multi-ethnic and multireligious landscape, yet the 1957 Constitution privileges the Malay-Muslim majority. Since the 1970s, ethno-religious nationalism has intensified, marginalizing non-Malay, non-Muslim communities. Race and religion remain central to Malaysian identity, with legal structures reinforcing Malay-Muslim hegemony (Ketuanan Melayu). Malay Islamic nationalists challenge Christianity’s place in Malaysia due to its colonial legacy, yet the Malaysian Christian population is growing, particularly among indigenous populations. This paper argues that Christianity functions as a two-way bulwark: the Church protects indigenous communities from Islamization, while indigenous Christians safeguard the Church from political suppression. Islamization, tied to modernization efforts, is resisted through indigenous self-determination. While non-Malay bumiputera Christians play a crucial role, their precarious position raises sustainability concerns for the Church writ large. Ultimately, the paper concludes with an alternative vision for the church that surpasses tactful political strategy: peacemaker and reconciler.