Pertubuhan Jamaah Islah Malaysia and Good Governance (1991-2012)

Abstract

‘Good governance’ agenda promoted by international institutions and other aid agencies as part of the globalisation phenomenon, proposes amongst others, the active role of a civil society as part of the process towards development. The effective functioning of a civil society is believed to facilitate the achievement of ‘good’ governance. Currently, the dynamism of global civil society movements has shifted to a new dimension to incorporate culture and faiths into the discourse on development, economy, politics and governance in a more progressive approach. Faith and religion, in tandem, have been identified empirically as another motivator for the civil society activism, hence, its distinctive role in development and good governance. Such phenomenon has been addressed in the many circles of academia. This paper will try to explore the role of faith in mobilizing civil society towards the achievement of what is known as ‘good governance’ in Malaysia by looking into Pertubuhan Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) as its case study.