The MSC4 is the flagship of the Malaysian Social Science Association, held biennially since 1997. Its objectives are to bring together scholars from Malaysia and abroad to deliberate on the various dimensions of Malaysian studies, to draw comparisons between Malaysia and other countries, to strengthen networking and community building among social science scholars, and to initiate collaborative activities of mutual benefit such as research, publications, workshops, and others so as to advance Malaysian studies. This year’s MSC - the fourth in the series - is the biggest so far showcasing four keynote addresses, three special plenary sessions, 140 papers presented in 38 concurrent sessions, two book launches, and a book fair participated by four national and international publishers. It has also brought together about 200 participants – the majority from the various Malaysian universities, while about a quarter from abroad, namely scholars from the ASEAN region (Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines), as well as from Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, the United States, and Mexico. MSC4 is without doubt the most significant and the biggest Malaysian studies congress ever held in this region.