Why Some Countries become Secular State and Some Countries Become a Religious State: Cases of Singapore and Malaysia

Abstract

This article explores the divergent paths of state formation in Malaysia and Singapore, analyzing why Malaysia became a religious state with Islam as its official religion while Singapore evolved into a secular state. Despite their shared historical, geographical, and ethnic backgrounds, the two nations developed distinct political and religious frameworks. The paper employs comparative historical analysis (CHA), using Charles Tilly’s theory of state formation and critical juncture theory to explain these differences. The arrival of ethnic Chinese immigrants in Singapore and the resulting demographic shift is highlighted as a pivotal factor in Singapore's secularism. In contrast, Malaysia’s political elite leveraged ethnic and religious identity to form a coalition that shaped the nation’s religious character. The study concludes that ethnic politics and elite decision-making during critical moments of national formation led to the current divergence between the secularism of Singapore and the religious orientation of Malaysia.

Keywords: State, state-making, state religion