Intercultural Dialogue between the Malay-Islamic World and the West: Insights from English Literature and Malay Classical Texts

Abstract

This study examines how the Malay-Islamic world is represented in Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim and the classical Malay text Hikayat Hang Tuah. Using postcolonial literary criticism and Said’s contrapuntal reading as the main framework, it applies comparative textual analysis to explore how both works construct ideas of heroism, morality, and cultural identity. The analysis reveals contrasting portrayals: Lord Jim depicts the Malay world as mysterious and passive, a setting that highlights Western leadership and redemption, while Hikayat Hang Tuah presents a cosmopolitan civilisation actively engaged in diplomacy and global interaction long before European colonialism. These findings underscore the tension between colonial and indigenous narratives and point to the importance of rebalancing literary interpretation. The study concludes that contrapuntal reading allows for a more critical understanding of colonial discourse while bringing forward the richness of the Malay-Islamic worldview. Its novelty lies in integrating English literary analysis with classical Malay texts, offering both a contribution to postcolonial scholarship and a model for using literature to foster intercultural dialogue and strengthen Islamic human capacity in an era of globalisation.