The International Conference on Islam and Development in Southeast Asia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Safar 4-5, 1412/September 25-26, 1991

Abstract

The International Conference on Islam and Development in Southeast
Asia was held during September 25-26, 1991, at the Equatorial Hotel, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia. The conference was jointly organized by the Academy
of Malay Studies (University of Malaya), the Islamic Academy (University
of Malaya), and the Information and Resource Center (Singapore) and was
sponsored by the Hanns-Seidel Foundation. The conference's stated aim was
to demonstrate the differences in programs for cooperation between Islamic
countries, the integration attempts of developing countries, and the actual
economic and political situations of Southeast Asian countries.
There were four main panels in the program: a) Islam and Development
in Southeast Asia: A Historical Perspective; b) Islam and the Political Process;
c) Islam and Economic Development; and 4) Islam and the Future of the
Region.
In the first panel, Khoo Kay Kim (professor of Malaysian history,
University of Malaya) pointed out that Muslims have historically emphasized
education, while in modern times they have tended to allow education to
be shaped by outside rather than inside influences. In addition, Muslim
education in Southeast Asia has lagged behind national development. At
present, the education system in Malaysia continues to produce students who ...