The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXIV, Part 1-2, 1976 - Khamkoo

REVIEWS 429
social and political forces in Kelantanese society. Nash defines some of
the dimensions of conflict between "modernizing" elements as represented
by the bureaucracy and the kampong ideology which holds that " ... a
Malay should live in the sweet shade of his own dusun (house orchard),
engaged primarily in padi farming, among a group of co-religionists and
many kinsmen. In this setting he is to exhibit the grace and charm of
relaxed primitive sufficiency as he orders his life according to Islam and
treats his neighbors with the 'soft and gentle' manners involved in face
to face social interaction." The educational system, run primarily by the
central government, appears, according to Nash's survey, to be replacing
this value system with one based on western ideas and aimed at
encouraging competition and social and economic achievement. He sees
no way in which the aspirations and expectations instilled by the system
can be fulfilled given the present social and political situation and thus
predicts increased ethnic competition.
The Winzeler essay is largely descriptive. He outlines the basic
components of the Islamic social and political order of a Kelantanese
community. The roles and functions of the various religious figures are
defined together with the structure and operation of the pondok (village
religious schools).
The book is concluded with an outstanding study by Clive Kessler
titled "Muslim Identity and Political Behavior in Kelantan". This is an
attempt to, among other things, explain the success of the Pan-Malaysian
Islamic Party (PMIP) in Kelantan. He outlines the conflict between
UMNO and the PM!P as one between a party of salaried urbanites,
traders, money-lenders and land-lords against a radical peasant party.
Kessler takes a large step toward destroying the notion tbat the driving
force of the PMIP is simply attributable to an "outbreak of archaic
religious fanaticisms". But rather, be demonstrates that the appeal of
the PMIP brand of Islam is that it provides an idealistic social theory
which makes possible a critique of the established order and offers a