Dynamics and Institutional Development of the Muslim Minority in Post-Conflict Cambodia: An Educational Leadership Perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In the aftermath of the extensive social and institutional disruption caused by the Khmer Rouge period, the Muslim Cham and Chvea communities gradually moved beyond basic survival toward a process of organized institutional reconstruction and community development. Drawing on qualitative case studies of two Cambodian “Tahfiz” boarding schools, MTDU (Maahad Tahfiz Darul Ulum) and MTDH (Maahad Tahfiz Darul Hadith), the study examines how educational leaders combine classical Islamic moral education (ta’d?b) with contemporary approaches to instructional leadership to support student rehabilitation and strengthen community life. The thematic findings are presented through comparative analysis, tables, and researcher-developed visual representations to illustrate the relationships among leadership practices, residential education, moral development, and institutional recovery. The findings demonstrate that effective character formation is grounded in an integrated educational process that emphasizes the personal embodiment of moral values by educators (mu’addib), restorative forms of discipline, consistent residential routines, and a structured institutional hierarchy. These institutions place ethical conduct, personal responsibility, social interaction, and moral development at the center of the educational process. The boarding schools to function not only as centers of religious learning but also as important institutions for rebuilding individual character, social cohesion, and community resilience.
KEY WORD: Muslim Minority in Cambodia; Educational Leadership; Tahfiz Boarding Schools; Post-Conflict Education; Restorative Discipline. 

ABSTRAKSI: “Dinamika dan Pengembangan Kelembagaan Minoritas Muslim di Kamboja Pasca-Konflik: Perspektif Kepemimpinan Pendidikan”. Setelah mengalami gangguan sosial dan kelembagaan yang luas akibat masa Khmer Merah, komunitas Muslim Cham dan Chvea secara bertahap beralih dari sekadar bertahan hidup menuju proses rekonstruksi kelembagaan yang terorganisir dan pengembangan masyarakat. Melalui studi kasus kualitatif terhadap dua sekolah berasrama Tahfiz di Kamboja, yaitu MTDU (Maahad Tahfiz Darul Ulum) dan MTDH (Maahad Tahfiz Darul Hadith), penelitian ini menganalisis bagaimana para pemimpin pendidikan memadukan pendidikan moral Islam klasik (ta’d?b) dengan pendekatan kontemporer dalam kepemimpinan instruksional untuk mendukung rehabilitasi siswa dan memperkuat kehidupan bermasyarakat. Temuan tematis disajikan melalui analisis komparatif, tabel, dan representasi visual yang dikembangkan peneliti untuk menggambarkan hubungan antara praktik kepemimpinan, pendidikan berasrama, pengembangan moral, dan pemulihan kelembagaan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pembentukan karakter yang efektif berlandaskan pada proses pendidikan terpadu yang menekankan pada perwujudan nilai-nilai moral secara personal oleh para pendidik (mu’addib), bentuk disiplin restoratif, rutinitas asrama yang konsisten, serta hierarki kelembagaan yang terstruktur. Lembaga-lembaga ini menempatkan perilaku etis, tanggung jawab pribadi, interaksi sosial, dan pengembangan moral sebagai inti dari proses pendidikan. Sekolah berasrama tersebut berfungsi tidak hanya sebagai pusat pembelajaran agama, tetapi juga sebagai lembaga penting dalam membangun kembali karakter individu, kohesi sosial, dan ketahanan masyarakat.
KATA KUNCI: Minoritas Muslim di Kamboja; Kepemimpinan Pendidikan; Sekolah Berasrama Tahfiz; Pendidikan Pasca-Konflik; Disiplin Restoratif.

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About the Authors: Marjuwan Ibrahim, M.A. is President or Chairman of IGDA (Ikatan Guru dan Dosen Alwashliyah / Alwasliyah Teachers and Lecturers Association) in Indonesia; Ismail Suardi Wekke, Ph.D. is a Research Fellow at INTI International University, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia and Vice Rector of IAI (Institut Agama Islam / Islamic Religion Institute) Rawa Aopa, Maros, South Sulawesi, Indonesia; and Jaswan, M.Pd. is an Experienced Educator and Doctoral Candidate in Islamic Education of UMPAR (Muhammadiyah University of Parepare), South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Corresponding Author: mibrahim01@gmail.com 

Suggested Citation: Ibrahim, Marjuwan, Ismail Suardi Wekke & Jaswan. (2026). “Dynamics and Institutional Development of the Muslim Minority in Post-Conflict Cambodia: An Educational Leadership Perspective” in MIMBAR PENDIDIKAN: Jurnal Indonesia untuk Kajian Pendidikan, Volume 11(2), September, pp.71-92. Bandung, Indonesia: MINDAMAS (Minda Masagi Suci) Foundation and ASPENSI (International Association for Historians and History Educators) in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia with ISSN 2527-3868 (print) and 2503-457X (online).

Article Timeline: Accepted (July 17, 2026); Revised (August 15, 2026); and Published (September 30, 2026).