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Latest Updates
Book Review: “Elite Malay polygamy: Wives, wealth and woes in Malaysia” by Miriam Koktvedgaard Zeitzen (2018)
My review of Miriam Zeitzen’s book on elite Malay polygamy has just been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Southeast Asian Studies. This book offers perhaps the first detailed account of Malay polygamy in monograph form, and would be of interest to scholars studying marriage, intimacy, and polygyny (a type of polygamy…
New Publication in Journal of Legal Anthropology
I am excited to share that my peer-reviewed article, “Between Intention & Implementation: Recent Legal Reforms on Child Marriage in Contemporary Malaysia”, has just been published in Journal of Legal Anthropology. This article analyzes news reports of a child marriage scandal in 2018 involving a 41-year-old polygynous man who married an 11-year-old girl as his…
“Gender & Logistics in Malay Polygamy”: Upcoming Colloquium at CSEAS
On Thursday the 26th of May, I will be presenting a paper entitled “Gender & Logistics in Malay Polygamy: A Revolution of Rights, Roles & Responsibilities” at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University, Japan. The talk will take place on site, and is open to the public. All are welcome. Date: Thursday,…
Research Themes
Halal Intimacy
The pursuit of love and intimacy “halal” (permissible) in the eyes of God, the state, and Malay adat (culture & traditions).
Cross-Border Marriage
Syariah-compliant elopements across the border to Southern Thailand.
Ethnography of Malaysian Syariah Courts
Marriage, divorce, and inheritance under the Malaysian Islamic Family Law.
Polygyny
n. When a man is married to two or more wives.
Moral Policing
Being intimate within limits: State-led moral surveillance in Malaysia, and the perils of moral transgressions.
The Malaysian Islamic Bureaucracy
The agents behind the nationwide bureaucratization of Islam in Malaysia today.
Love Magic & Sorcery
The politics of the supernatural, and the power struggle for love.
Where I work
Kelantan
From the bustling markets of Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah, to the halls of Kota Bharu’s Syariah Court.
Southern Thailand
Marriage tourism in Hat Yai & Songkhla. And the place for fantastic tom yum.
Kuala Lumpur
The beating heart of Malaysia. A productive site for a comparative fieldwork vis-à-vis Kelantan.
Negeri Sembilan
Up close and personal: The daily life of an anthropologist in a polygamous household.
Nurul Huda Mohd. Razif 