Politics, Piety, and Biomedicine: The Malaysian Transplant Venture (Culture and Social Practice)

The discourse on transplantation and brain death has become emblematic of conflicts between certain perspectives on adequate medical care, death and dying. Scientific and religious, modernising and traditional as well as academic and popular voices debate on how to approach these topics. This work captures the heterogeneous and often contradictory views on the Malaysian transplant venture and the treatment option of end stage organ failure from the Malay and Chinese population, physicians, state officials, and Muslim, Buddhist and Daoist clergy. It also addresses vital issues as to the use of and extent to which biomedicine and medical technology in contemporary Malaysia actually benefits its people. Cover. Politics, Piety, and Biomedicine Table of Contents List of Figures, List of Tables, List of web-based Appendices List of Figures List of Tables List of web-based Appendices Abbreviations Glossary Acknowledgements Preliminary Remarks Preface Abstract / Zusammenfassung 1. Introduction 1.1 Objective of the Study 1.2 Ethnicity, Culture, and Religion 1.3 Medical Pluralism 1.4 Bioavailability of Organs 1.5 Anthropological Problems 1.6 Overview of Healthcare Research concerning the Attitude of Malaysians towards Organ Donation 1.7 Fieldwork 1.7.1 Qualitative in-depth Interviews with Medical and Religious Experts 1.7.2 Quantitative Survey among the Rural Malay and Chinese Communities 1.8 Structure of the Present Work 2. Politics, Piety, and Biomedicine 2.1 Political Background and Context 2.2 The Transplant Venture and the Media 2.3 From Sporadic Transplant Activity to the National Transplantation Programme 2.4 Laws, Government Policies, and Medical Guidelines Pertaining to Transplantation, Organ Donation and Brain Death 2.5 Promoting Organ Donation: From Grass-Root Initiatives to Large Scale Government Campaigning 2.6 Making the National Transplantation Programme a ‘Muslim-Friendly’ Enterprise 2.7 Normative Islamic Obligations: Their Generation and Content 2.7.1 Generating Federal Fatwas under the National Fatwa Committee 2.7.2 The Content of Federal Fatwas Concerning the Transplant Venture 2.7.3 Generating State Fatwas under the State Mufti Department 2.7.4 The Content of State Fatwas Concerning the Transplant Venture 2.7.5 IKIM, the Institute for Islamic Understanding and Their Viewpoint on Transplantation 2.8 Normative Obligation in Chinese Realms: The Generation and Content of Buddhist and Daoist Normative Obligations 3. Malaysian Lifeworlds, Medical Pluralism, and the Transplant of Organs 3.1 Malay Lifeworlds 3.2 Chinese Lifeworlds 3.3 End-stage Organ Failure between Traditional Medicine, Supernatural Healing, and Biomedicine 3.4 Local Perceptions on the Practice of Transplanting Organs 3.4.1 Experience with and Practices of Organ Donation and Transplantation 3.4.2 Knowledge about Organ Donation and Transplantation 3.4.3 Attitudes towards Transplant Practices 3.4.4 Attitudes towards Organ Donation 3.4.5 Local Perceptions on Increasing the Organ Donation Rate 3.4.6 Attitudes towards Certain Organs, the Body, and the Corpse 3.4.7 Religious Aspects on Organ Donation and Transplantation 3.4.8 The Role of the Family in Organ Donation 3.4.9 The Concept of Brain Death 4. Conclusion Epilogue References Books, Book Chapters, and Journal Articles Newspaper Articles Statutes, Government Publications, and Publications from Medical Professional Bodies Brief Biography Web-based Appendices| The discourse on transplantation and brain death has become emblematic of conflicts between certain perspectives on adequate medical care, death and dying. Scientific and religious, modernising and traditional as well as academic and popular voices debate on how to approach these topics. This work captures the heterogeneous and often contradictory views on the Malaysian transplant venture and the treatment option of end stage organ failure from the Malay and Chinese population, physicians, state officials, and Muslim, Buddhist and Daoist clergy. It also addresses vital issues as to the use of and extent to which biomedicine and medical technology in contemporary Malaysia actually benefits its people. Brain Death,Chinese Buddhism,Islam,Malaysia,Transplantation,Medical Care,Death,Dying,Science,Religion,Politics,Piety,Biomedicine,Medical Technology,Culture,Medicine,Ethnology,Sociology of Medicine,Biopolitics,Body