Orang Asli is a generic name given to the indigenous people living on the Malay Peninsula. Using extensive ethnographic data, Living on the Periphery reveals the way in which state-initiated development projects and the process of Islamisation influence the life world of the Orang Asli in the name of national unity. The Malaysian government stands behind the Muslim Orang Asli and regards anyone resisting Islamisation as a rebel against the nation state.

The Islamisation program that aims at state-based integration brought about large-scale socioeconomic changes and created class divides, splits, and disharmonies in the community. Conflicts escalated notably between the Muslims supported by the government and the non-Muslims that are subjected to repressive forces of the state.