Representations of Malay Rurality and Bugis Village-Making in Malaysia

Abstract:The rural landscape of the Malay Peninsula has been symbolically represented as a site of Malay traditions. As such, it has been marked by the dominant image of a homogenous Malay community and the hidden presence of ‘other Malays’. This paper discusses the rural representation and village-making practices of the Bugis Malays who work to create a place-identity in the rural landscape. It argues that despite the racialization of the rural landscape, the creation of Bugis place in the rural Malay Peninsula affirms and advances the cultural dimension of Malay rurality. Drawing from sixty in-depth interviews and participant observation, this paper sheds light on the culturally distinctive imaginations of Malay rurality.