Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia or the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia is an Islamic organisation founded on 6 August 1971 by Ustaz Abdul Wahab Zakaria.
History
ABIM was established by Ustaz Abdul Wahab Zakaria on 6 August 1971 during an international trend of Islamic revivalism. Founded by Muslim students, :ms:Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia|PKPIM in particular, the organisation promoted Islam through its charity work and education programs aimed at the poor. Yayasan Anda, a private school known as the "Institute", served as a centre for its promotion of Islamic education. The popularity of the organisation was aided by widespread scepticism among the youth towards secularisation and Westernisation. ABIM supported and assisted Islamic students practising Dawah, the preaching of Islam, and was a crucial organisation in the early stages of the Malaysian dawah movement. According to Bubalo and Fealy, ABIM was inspired and influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood, which the authors describe as both a socio-political movement and intellectual tendency or current within Islamism. The group reached its height during the late 1970s with a call to return to the basics and the true teachings of Islam through advocacy channel. In the 1980s decade, ABIM renewed its approach through the concept of "partnership in nation building" with the government. The idea that also was known as "the reform from within" had undergone the highly successful period particularly when the idea of establishing Islamic University and Islamic Banking that derived originally form ABIM's Annual General Assembly had been realised through the establishment of International Islamic University of Malaysia-IIUM and Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. For an organisation that was nominally not political, ABIM consistently criticised the government particularly in the scope of good governance which is non-compliance with Islamic principle. By 1986, the group had 40,000 members and now reaching 60,000 members and ABIM's mission continuously received encouraging support from Muslims in Malaysia. ABIM now remain as strong youth based and non-partisan movement led by ninth President Mohamad Raimi Ab Rahim. ABIM managed to enhance its religious legitimacy and gain international recognition by maintaining excellent relations with International NGOs from various Islamic countries. Domestically, they became one of the most significant religious pressure groups, promoting the idea of moderation and progressive thinking.
