The historical similarities between Malaysia and Indonesia, apparent in geographical proximity and social-cultural dimensions, significantly influence perspectives and discourse on their bilateral relations. Despite frequent assertions of shared kinship and racial ties, relations between Malaysia and Indonesia are consistently characterised by rivalry, marked by numerous disagreements and challenges. This paper posits that conflict is a minor element in the broader discourse of relations, emphasising the importance of cooperation due to the complex interdependence between these two countries. Using Sabah as a case study, this paper highlights the significance of interdependence between Malaysia and Indonesia, delving into pivotal issues that shape the dynamics of their bilateral relationship. It focuses on several issues such as the population and kinship ties, the reliance of the Sabah economic sector on the Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI), consumer goods and everyday necessities, interdependence in the security sector, and finally haze and environmental pollutions to outline the dynamics of interdependence between Sabah (Malaysia) and Indonesia. All facets describing these relations are emphasised since they demonstrate that these two countries are interdependent and share common interests in nearly all sectors. This paper contends that despite facing various contentious issues and problems, the interdependence that occurs contributes to a harmonious relationship and is able to avoid conflict between the two countries.

Compared to the pre-modern Arab and Persianate worlds, relatively little is known about the intellectual life of the Malay-Islamic world between the 13th and 19th centuries, and even less is known about its individual figures and their contribution to different fields of learning. This article seeks to redress this scholarly neglect by introducing Shaykh Yūsuf (d. 1111 AH/ 1699 CE), a scholar and Sufi warrior of Makassar, who led the armed opposition against the Dutch colonial forces, for which he was captured and exiled to Ceylon and later to South Africa, where he breathed his last. In this article, we examine his intellectual career and legacy, focusing on the key concepts in his teachings such as the need to observe the Divine Law (Sharī‘ah) as well as to attain the Truth (Ḥaqīqah) in order to draw near to God and become one of His “friends” (awliyā’), which can be achieved through constant liturgical remembrance of God (dhikr Allāh) as a means to attain the Truth. This study uses the historical-critical approach to investigate Shaykh Yusuf’s ideas on Sufism, which may explain his political activism and resistance against colonial rule. Drawing upon the extant manuscripts of his treatises that are now preserved in the National Library of Indonesia in Jakarta, this study concludes that Shaykh Yūsuf's life embodied the values central to Sufism, i.e., relentless trust in God, unfading sincerity, and unabated sense of sacred duty.

As COVID-19 spread globally in 2020, it culminated in distress, anxiety, and uncertainty in dealing with a global health pandemic. Paramount during this period was the dissemination of accurate and updated information about COVID-19, as a means to reduce negative emotions. Close contacts also play a vital role; in disseminating information, they must ensure that they disclose their health status, to avoid infections from spreading. However, individuals may be reluctant to seek information from close contacts, due to many reasons. Accordingly, this study seeks to examine information avoidance on COVID-19 with close contacts among young adults from the perspective of the Theory of Motivated Information Management (TMIM). Specifically, we explored factors influencing COVID-19 information avoidance, including anxiety discrepancy, outcome expectancy and close contact’s target efficacy among young adults. Through a cross-sectional survey distributed online in November 2020, we targeted undergraduate students in Klang Valley, Malaysia (N = 483). Overall, the study found support for TMIM. Only two hypotheses were not supported; anxiety did not influence outcome expectancy or target efficacy. Target efficacy also mediated the relationship between outcome expectancy and information avoidance. The repercussions of these findings on TMIM, as well as other factors that may influence health information management will be deliberated.

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic provides not only challenges the current states of economy, health, and society, but also the relevance of religion. Some scholars observe that Covid-19 pandemic triggers the rise of religious beliefs and attitudes that tend to deny scientific explanation of the pandemic and its rational coping. This unscientific religiosity is deemed irrelevant in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, others maintain that religious values and experiences are useful to cope with the consequences of the pandemic. In these two instances, religion’s relevance in the modern world is revisited, whether religion should be ignored or considered to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic. Through the lens of religious scriptural and scholastic tradition of Sigmund Freud, William James, and John Dewey, this paper weighs in the relevance of religion and shows which aspects of religion are irrelevant and which elements of religion are relevant to cope with the pandemic and its ramifications.

This research aims to find out the role of documentary films produced by the Malayan Film Unit (MFU) and Filem Negara Malaysia (FNM) as a daʿwah medium in Malaysia and abroad from 1957 to 1970. The Department of Information Service and the Federation of Malaya Government collaborated with the Islamic Department of Malaya and the Islamic Department of Brunei to use MFU and FNM documentary films to develop an Islamic Malay community, which adhered to the actual teachings of Islam, during that time. Findings indicated that these documentary films by MFU and FNM were the early medium of daʿwah in the Federation of Malaya after the independent. It also indicates that the Federal Government, together with the relevant agencies, is responsible for Islamic religious affairs in the country during the specified period.

For voters, phenomena such as increasing feelings of nationalism, the transformation of the perception of foreign powers into a political tool by the government, and the pursuit of polarisation politics by making the opposition enemies, push the importance of the economic crisis towards the back of the list of concerns for the voters. The general elections that took place between 1980 and 2018 are examined and the economic voting behaviour is explored in this study, especially in terms of periodical developments in Turkish politics. It is obvious that the economic voting model was an important determinant on the Turkish voters in the elections until 2008. However, ideological factors, strong leadership analysis or other indicators have started to replace the economic voting model in Turkey with serious political changes after 2008. In this context, this study is aimed to make an important contribution by filling the gap in the literature on economic voting in Turkish politics.