Jom Bersih! Global Bersih and the enactment of Malaysian citizenship in Melbourne

Bibliographic Data

ID4524752
AuthorsJulian C H Lee, Julian Ch Lee, Julian Lee (0000-0002-0730-0669, RMIT University, corresponding author)
Year2014
Volume18
Issue8
Pages900-913
Publication date2014-11-17
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCitizenship Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1362-1025 • E-ISSN: 1469-3593
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13621025.2014.964553
OpenAlexW2057870777
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited15

This article engages with Engin Isin's theoretical contributions on citizenship by applying his concepts of 'acts of citizenship' and 'activist citizenship' to Global Bersih, a movement for electoral reform in Malaysia that has crossed national boundaries. Global Bersih, and a further case study of the Melbourne-based Malaysian community magazine Jom, demonstrate some of ways through which Malaysians have sought to exercise influence on Malaysia despite being overseas. Through a description of the activities of Global Bersih and Jom, and of key persons behind each endeavour, I demonstrate that Isin's concepts are useful in understanding transnational citizenship activities and their potential for empowerment, while also reflecting on the need for a distinction between 'scripts' and 'habitus' when considering the criterion of novelty that Isin places on an act to be an 'act of citizenship'

Citizenship · Impartiality · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Asian Studies and History · Hong Kong and Taiwan Politics · Law · Socioeconomic Development in Asia

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