近年馬來西亞南方漢傳佛教的公共介入（engagé）：以官、民兩版國族主義的競爭為線索=Social Engagement of Southern Chinese Buddhism in Contemporary Malaysia: The Opposition of Official and Civil Nationalism
The scale of Chinese Buddhist communities in Malaysia is not considerable, yet in recent years these groups have gradually become more important, a characteristic still quite rare to see in Chinese Buddhist groups. Malaysian Buddhism’s nationwide organization has refrained from stooping to narrow outlooks based on denomination or ethnic heritage; every time the rights and interests of Christians, Hindus, or other religions are subjected to government harassment, Malaysian Buddhists time and again issue prompt response, publicly condemning the government for violating constitutional law. Thus, they have safeguarded civil society through a kind of Buddhist devotee religious duty and served as a valuable foundation of expression, becoming an atypical corps of modern Chinese Buddhists. After becoming independent in 1957, the Malaysian government authorities Islamicized to create a new political identity and identify a national ethnicity. In recent years, led by a younger generation Malaysian citizens and through means differing from those planned by government officials, there has been an acknowledgement of national ethnicity taking shape together with a civil rights consciousness. The acknowledgement of a national ethnic identity hasn’t emerged according to strategies of the newly established government, but has instead evolved as a huge force to push forward civil society. This article first puts forth concepts of “Southern Chinese Buddhism” (Nanfang hanchuan Fojiao 南方漢傳佛教). Second, it recounts the Youth Buddhist Association of Malaysia’s (YBAM) series of socially engaged practice. Third, the author attempts to explain how political attitudes of Chinese society in Malaysia were directly and comprehensively altered after tremendous changes to the political scene in 2008; that is, attitudes changed from an apathetic powerlessness to active struggling. These incredible circumstances of this Chinese society have indirectly impacted younger members of Chinese Buddhist social groups and their views on public affairs; through a subtle shift of traditions, civic awareness in recent years has been awakened. Last, with this assessment and the prospects of this new appearance of Buddhism, the article responds to some viewpoints of Malaysian Buddhism in academic research.
