The history of Malay nationalism traces a path from secular issues before World War II to religious issues in the post-independence period. Before the war, Malay nationalists were concerned with the encroachment upon their freedom by British colonialists and non-Malay immigrants. The establishment of Malay political power after the war effected important economic changes, creating new classdivisions in Malay society. These divisions provide a basis for the rise of Malay religious nationalism. Reactions of the non-Malay population to these changes were expressed as non-Muslim religious revivalisms. The role of the state in regulating religious movements through a process of ethnic rationalization cannot be understated. The recent proliferation of writings on nationalism suggests a continuing interest in a phenomenon that defies its predicted demise by theorists of modernization. The aim of this article is to analyze the interaction of the state, religion and nationalism in Malaysia. [Download]