Reformist Muslim intellectuals and movements in Malaysia and Indonesia have played a pivotal role in promoting progressive interpretations of Islam by reconciling Islam with the principles of secular democracy . They have resisted the attempts of conservative Islamists to impose traditional sharia and reject the agenda of short-sighted politicians from secular-based parties intent on out-Islamising conservative Islamist parties even at the expense of compromising the foundations of the quasi-secular state. Responding to the increasingly conservative Islamised environment, progressive Muslims are at the forefront of indigenising secular democracy from the bottom-up, reclaiming the constitutional underpinnings of secular democracy, engaging in rainbow alliances with progressive forces in civil society, celebrating indigenous traditional culture and promoting an Islam that is rooted in the principles of pluralism, gender justice and universal humanism. They recognise that, in contrast to Islamic states, the neutrality of the secular democratic state in religious matters can effectively mediate relations between the various religious communities and promote an inclusive approach towards nation-building in an era of intense globalisation. The paper examines the prospects of progressive Islamic reform in the quasi-secular and democratising states of Malaysia and Indonesia where the prospects of Islamic reform appears more promising compared to the authoritarian Islamic states and authoritarian quasi-secular states prevalent in the Middle-East.
