Between marginality and recognition: the politics of belonging among Malaysian Christian minorities

The heterogeneous Christian communities in Malaysia wrestle with structural inequalities and enduring colonial-era stereotypes as they negotiate their sense of belonging within a state that upholds Islamic and Malay primacy. This paper argues that Christian leaders constructed a collective Christian identity that seeks to reconcile internal diversity while embedding the community within the national imagination through the promotion of nation-building and civic participation. Yet, their efforts remain constrained by entrenched state-imposed hierarchies that continue to privilege Malay-Muslim identity. The Malaysian Christians’ belonging is ultimately negotiated within asymmetrical power relations that shape recognition and entrenched marginalization at the same time.