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About the Author

What does it mean to be Malay in the 21st century? This question is especially relevant in a country like Malaysia, where identity politics is frequently highlighted and closely policed by the state. Sixteen years after the publication of I Am Muslim, Dina Zaman returns with her new memoir, Malayland, a reflection on what it means to be Malay and Muslim in 21st century Malaysia.

Dina embarked on Malayland during the Covid pandemic in an effort to understand the anger and frustrations of her fellow ethnic Malays who were fighting against enemies, real and imagined, and a new world order imposed by a virus that killed over seven million people globally. Growing up in a Malaysia where Malay anger seethed and bubbled under the many nightclubs in 1980s Malaysia—a time where secularism had putatively killed the Malay Muslim heritage—Dina traces the roots of contemporary radicalism to the 1998 Reformasi movement which set the nation on a new, more extremist path.

Today race and faith are discussed and embraced frenetically, where hateful extremism is hidden under the rhetoric of nationalism, where young Malaysians are zealously asserting their political and birth identities in social media. The sense of irony and humour that Malaysia was once known for is now perhaps irretrievably lost. Malayland is a reflective book: memories and flashbacks of a childhood filled with earthquakes, spooks and a sense of wonderment and curiosity about a country that is fighting for a desired identity.
“Dina Zaman’s work stands out as a deeply reflective and essential voice in Malaysian literature, especially in light of the country's Reformasi movement. Her writing is marked by a fearless engagement with Malaysia’s evolving political and social landscape, particularly the rise of Muslim conservatism and the increasingly fundamentalist interpretations of Islam that have taken root in segments of society. [...] Through her candid and often witty writing, she highlights the growing influence of fundamentalist interpretations of Islam that call for stricter adherence to religious codes, while also noting the tension this creates within Malaysia’s pluralistic and multicultural framework. […] What makes Dina’s work so compelling is her ability to humanise this ideological conflict. Rather than treating the rise of fundamentalism as an abstract political issue, she explores how it affects people on a personal level—their choices, freedoms, and identities. […] Her narratives often reflect the struggles of those trying to reconcile their personal understanding of Islam with the increasingly dominant conservative views.

This engagement with rising Muslim conservatism aligns with the broader themes of Reformasi, a movement aimed at greater political freedom, justice, and civil liberties. Dina’s work raises urgent questions about the direction of Malaysia’s reforms, particularly how progressive values can coexist with conservative religious currents. In many ways, her writing reflects the core of Malaysia’s struggle—balancing tradition with modernity, faith with freedom, and authority with personal autonomy. Dina’s Malayland raises questions that many of us in the Philippines’ “Bangsamoroland” ask ourselves.”
—Amina Rasul-Bernardo, President of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy

“A must-read book offering a unique perspective on the unseen dynamics of Malaysian life, told by a third-culture, privileged Malaysian Muslim woman from a diplomatic family who loves her country but often feels foreign to some aspects of its culture.”
—Dr Noor Huda Ismail, Visiting Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University

“Dina Zaman’s latest book, Malayland, is a fascinating and engaging work. Its droll and witty prose makes for an easy read but there is considerably more to Dina’s book than first meets the eye. This is a deeply personal work, a frank and unflinching interrogation of stereotypical framing and lazy prejudice. Dina makes good use of her interviews with a diverse range of individuals from across the spectrum and strata of Malay society. Caught between worlds Dina, ever the curious outsider, wrestles with identity and belonging. The result is a book that is not just a delight to read but a powerful challenge to put aside superficial judgment, to enter into the worlds of others, and to be open to appreciating that which we all too quick to reject. It presents a challenge to urban arrogance, and to dismissive, simplistic, framings of religion and tradition. What does it mean to be Malay? To be Malay is to be human – a product of environment, circumstance, family, community and faith. To be Malay by definition means different things to different people. Perfect agreement is neither necessary not possible, but respect and appreciation for difference and common humanity most certainly are.”
—Greg Barton, Deakin University
Dina Zaman is a Kuala Lumpur-based writer and researcher. She is the co-founder of IMAN Research, a think tank focusing on socio-political and security matters, and a founding member of the Southeast Asian Women Peacebuilders. She has written extensively for the Malaysian media and is a contributor to The Jakarta Post. Her latest passion projects revolve around Terengganu Royal History. Dina is the author of three non-fiction titles – I Am Muslim (Silverfish Publishing), Holy Men, Holy Women (SIRD) and Malayland (Ethos/Faction). King of the Sea (Clarity Publishing) is her first foray into fiction.

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Malayland