January 16, 2026

Located nearby each other, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore share many historical trends and demographic similarities that contribute to the complexity of the politics of race and ethnicity within their ethnically diverse populations. This has given rise to ‘racial culture wars’, which Associate Professor Daniel Goh (NUS Sociology and Anthropology) describes as complex, intersecting conflicts over cultural values and representations between different stakeholders in each country. In ‘Racial Culture Wars in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore’ (Oxford Research Encyclopaedia of Communication, 2023), Assoc. Prof. Goh argues that these conflicts have intensified and evolved through various liberalising factors and calls for actions to promote anti-racism and multiculturalism amidst such heated tensions.

Historically, all three countries have established stable compacts of multiracialism which have provided stability post-colonial independence. This took shape in the form of Indonesia’s Pancasila, the theory of a plural society amidst Javanese political dominance. Malaysia’s patronage multiracialism as well as Singapore’s corporatist multiracialism has led to some semblance of racial and ethnic harmony to varying extents. However, globalisation and the liberalising mass media and internet has facilitated culture wars, with conservative religious worldviews and practices, together with progressive ideas and identity politics, travelling from the Middle East and the United States. They take root in the historical trajectory of multiracialism and ethnicity in each country, further complicating these struggles.

In Indonesia, the 20^th century saw the rise of contemporary Islamisation, driven by political liberalisation, globalisation, and media liberalisation. The spread of Western pop culture and new media has led to attempts to Islamise pop culture, with varying success. This shift has resulted in a pervasive Islamisation of everyday life in Java, leading to the emergence of culture wars between traditionalist and fundamentalist values while fostering animosity against other religions. New media has also facilitated violence by hard-liners, highlighting the re-emergence of racial culture wars in Indonesia.

Cultural wars between religious conservatives and secular progressives have also emerged in Malaysia due to fervent Islamisation. By increasingly intertwining Islam with the majority Malay ethnicity, both culturally and institutionally, this process has deepened splits across different racial groups, sidelining minorities who lack mobilisation power. Progressive Islamisation through reform movements and civil society, amplified by new media and the cyber sphere, has led to demonstrations like those by pro-reform Malaysiakini, further fracturing the religious harmony pledged in the country.

Despite the stability of Singapore’s corporatist multiracialism, the advent of new media has led to increased discrimination against ethnic minorities. Xenophobia against Chinese migrants and general prejudices against low-skilled migrant workers from other regions of Asia have recast privilege onto the educated Chinese majority. Acts of casual racism, such as in commercials or social media trends like the “brownface” advert by YouTubers Preetipls and Subhas, have sparked significant strife among Singaporeans. This tension is further complicated by extensive immigration over the past two decades, leading to heightened political flashpoints about cases of racial insensitivity.

Assoc. Prof. Goh calls for leveraging the transformative nature of social media to promote and not distort multiculturalism. Filmmakers across these countries have utilised cross-ethnic films set in cosmopolitan spaces such as coffee shops. Additionally, documenting and showcasing the “denizens’ rights” of migrants, refugees, and minorities can raise awareness about harmony. By forging these multicultural spaces on social media through creative means, it is possible to cultivate greater understanding and acceptance among diverse communities.

Read the article here.