Trust, society and governance : an Islamic perspective on Malaysian institutions

Abstract EN

The significance of trust cannot be overestimated for an individual or a society.

its value may become more discernible when trust is not present and its opposites such as uncertainty, accusation and cynicism take over a person or a group.

the major aim of this paper is to investigate the role of the Islamic worldview in building and explaining the trust levels discovered in the survey.

this paper first explores the religious dimensions and sociological implications of the concept of trust in Islam.

the elements of trust in a host of Malaysian institutions are then analysed based on a survey conducted among Muslim respondents.

this survey was conducted across Malaysia with hundreds of Malay / Muslim respondents.

it covered social, public and governmental institutions.

these include parents, siblings, relatives, spiritual/religious leaders, community leaders, friends, neighbours, teachers, the military, the civil service, the legal and judiciary system, the police, local big companies, mass media, the parliament, the federal government, political leaders, and political parties.

the study concluded that some levels of trust towards certain institutions among Malaysian Muslims reflect the Islamic ideals of a Muslim community.

however, the Islamic standards demand better outcomes from some institutions that are not highly trusted by the Muslim respondents.