In the recent United Malays National Organisation’s (UMNO) general assembly, the “Prime Minister and Umno President Datuk Seri Najib Razak launched a Bumiputera Economic Transformation Roadmap” as a gesture to inform the Malay community that his political party will continue to advance the Malay agenda.[1]
UMNO’s Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin further affirmed this race-based ideology by saying that “it is vital” to protect “Malay political power.”[2] He justified such ideology by painting the picture that the interest of the Malay race, given its demography in the country, dictates the well being of the whole nation. “[W]hen we talk about Malay interest it does not mean we are racist because the largest group in the Malaysian society whether you like it or not is still Malays, Bumiputeras and Muslims.”[3]
Seeing ‘Malays’, ‘Bumiputeras’, and ‘Muslims’ being juxtaposed next to each other certainly stirs up curiosity as to what actually has the third group (Muslims) to do with the other two:
Does Islam teach race-based ideology or race-favouritism? Is it true that Islam requires the advancement of ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ (Malay Supremacy)?
It is common understanding among theologians and scholars of comparative religions that Islam promotes racial equality. One of the clearest indications of this is in the fact that Allah’s Prophets consist of individuals from different races. There is no distinction made among them:
“‘Say: “We believe in God and what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob and [his] children, and what was given to Moses and Jesus, and what was given to [all other] prophets from their Lord. We make no difference between any of them; and to Him we submit ourselves.”’ (Qur’an 2:136).
Not all of these messengers are Arab, yet all are considered equally authoritative. There is simply no relevance to their prophethood whether they came from the Jewish, Arabian, or any other race.
Besides the Prophets, there are also Qur’anic teachings concerning equality of humankind:
“O people! Be careful of (your duty to) your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same (kind) and spread from these two, many men and women; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, by Whom you demand one of another (your rights), and (to) the ties of relationship [the wombs]; surely Allah ever watches over you.” (Qur’an 4:1)
Here, the Islamic Scripture teaches that all ethnic groups are created in the same way, and bear close ties to one another.
Reflecting on this, Abd-al‘Aziz ‘Abd-al-Qadir Kamil, Professor at the University of Cairo and Minister of Waqfs and Azhar Affairs of Al-Azhar University, commented that: “God […] commands us to fear two things: God and ‘the wombs’ (al-arham). ‘The wombs’ refers here to the human bond that links all men, however remote they may be from each other in space or time, and however unlike they may be in language and colour, and however much they may differ in economic or social position. We are charged to fear God’s commands, and this applies first and foremost to the observation of human brotherhood on the widest scale…”[4]
At another place of the Qur’an, we find similar teaching:
“O Humankind! We have created you from male and female and have made you into peoples (shu‘ub) and tribes (qaba’il) that you may know one another; truly, the noblest (akram) among you before God are the most pious (atqa) among yourselves; indeed, is God the All-knowing, the All-seeing.”
(Qur’an 49:13).
Although it is commonly interpreted that this passage is talking about race, some said that it actually refers to ‘tribes’ and not ‘race’.
Responding to this, Paul A. Hardy, who lectured on Islamic thoughts at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the Universityof London, remarked that there is no difference between tribe and race in this passage. He pointed out two early Islamic commentators—the eighth century C.E. Sufyan ath-Thawri and the tenth century C.E. Tabari—who understood this verse as reference to genealogy.[5]
In other words, this verse is indeed referring to race. It describes the creation of the various ethnic groups with their own genealogy. No race or genealogical lineage is declared superior or should be favoured than others. The only superiority is that of piety, between those who are loyal to Allah and those who are not—Not between those who are Malay and non-Malay, Bumiputeras or non-Bumiputeras.
Besides, this verse also states that the diversity of races is intended for mutual learning (“that you may know one another”). The instruction to cultivate multi-racial learning is understood by Hardy as “a motivating force for mutual love.”[6] If this is followed, then this further undermines the ideology that one race is or should be more favoured than others.
Turning to the Hadith, we find in Prophet Muhammad’s Farewell Sermon his conviction of racial equality:
“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action.”[7]
The Prophet has a deep sense of racial impartiality. Probably this is the reason why he condemned those who claim supremacy over others because of their ancestral-racial lineage:
“Allah, Most High, has removed from you the pride of the pre-Islamic period and its boasting in ancestors. One is only a pious believer or a miserable sinner. You are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust. Let the people cease to boast about their ancestors. They are merely fuel in Jahannam [hell]; or they will certainly be of less account with Allah than the beetle which rolls dung with its nose.”[8]
“Your lineage is of no account… you are all the children of Adam… the pride you take in your forefathers transgresses the teaching of your Lord… no man is superior to another save in faith and fear of God.”[9]
These Hadith accounts prompted Abd-al Aziz Abd-al-Qadir Kamil to conclude that, “Islam sees mankind as a large garden, in which there are flowers of many colours, but no one colour is superior to any other;”[10] and, “The diversity of tongues and colours is simply a manifestation of divine power, and does not imply any notion of preference or privilege. On the contrary, in Islamic thought, privilege is opposed to God‘s commands of love and brotherhood.”[11]
Commenting on the Prophet’s teachings on racial equality, Zakaria El-Berry, the then Minister of State for Wakfs and Head of the Higher Council for Islamic Affairs, who was also Professor of Sharia Law at Cairo University, wrote, “In this powerful style, the Prophet, peace be on him, has destroyed all racial and other discriminatory grounds artificially claimed by selfish and conceited forces.”[12]
The implication of this to the Malaysian context is obvious: the Prophet opposes all race-based ideology, including ‘Ketuanan Melayu’.
Among the Hadith accounts, there was an incident where the Prophet made clear that there should not be favouritism based on racial, cultural, economic, or even familial affinity in Muslims’ handling of public policy:
“During the Prophet’s lifetime, a woman of the Banu Makhzum (a noble Arab clan) stole and was due to be punished. Some of the men of Quraish thought it intolerable that judgement should be executed upon the person of a woman of Makhzum and considered who would be able to speak to the Prophet and convey the people’s intercession to him. Their choice fell on Usamah ibn-Zaid, who was near to the Prophet’s heart and well loved by him, because of his own and his father’s rank and standing. But the Prophet rejected Usamah’s mediation, and rebuked him, saying: ‘Would you intercede against a punishment ordained by God?’ He then stood up and addressed the people: ‘Verily those that came before you were destroyed. It was their wont, if a noble man stole, to let him go free and if a weak man stole, to execute judgement upon him. By God! Were even Fatimah the daughter of Muhammad a thief, she should have her hand severed.”[13]
Such was the firmness of the Prophet’s sense of impartiality. Probably due to his stern stand on this issue that subsequent Muslims continued to exemplify the same deep sense of racial equality. One example is seen in the trial presided by the second Caliph, Umar ibn-al-Khattab, which involved a Jew and Ali ibn-Abi Talib.
During the trial, the second Caliph called the Jew by his name and addressed Ali by his agnomen (Abu al-Hasan), because that was how the Caliph called Ali when they talk. As the trial proceeded, the Caliph noticed the angry expression on Ali’s face. So the Caliph rebuked Ali, “Are you displeased that your opponent is a Jew and that you have appeared with him before the court!”
Ali said in reply, “No, but I take it amiss that you have not treated us equally but have displayed partiality in my favour, inasmuch as you addressed him by his name and me by my agnomen.” (At that time, the use of the agnomen was a mark of esteem).[14]
In this account, Ali displayed the same fervency to uphold racial equality like the Prophet. Such was the admirable sensitivity of the first Muslim leaders with regard to racial differences. (We know that later on Ali assumed the caliphate as the fourth Caliph, ruling over the entire Islamic community of that time.)
The Qur’an stipulates that the concern of the people of Allah should not be dictated by race and kinship, but by justice and righteousness. “O you who believe! Be maintainers of justice, bearers of witness of Allah’s sake, though it may be against your own selves or (your) parents or near relatives; if he be rich or poor, Allah is nearer to them both in compassion; therefore do not follow (your) low desires, lest you deviate; and if you swerve or turn aside, then surely Allah is aware of what you do.” (Qur’an 4:135)
Therefore it is remarkable that some Muslim politicians in our present day differ so much from their earliest religious leaders. The contemporary racist mentality displayed by local Malay supremacists who claim to be Muslims contradicts directly against the values held so dear by earlier Islamic rulers. There is inherent inconsistency to juxtapose the interest of the ‘Muslims’ with that of the ‘Malays’ and ‘Bumiputeras’.
Nonetheless, one may understand that the proponents of ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ justify their race-based ideology and propaganda by their appeal to the Malaysian Constitution. The recent remark made by the Rector of Melaka University Technology MARA, Mizan Hitam, is a case in point, “A Malay, as defined in the Constitution must be a Muslim, speaks the Malay language and practices Malay customs. So, it can be concluded that the Malays in Malaysia are Muslims, while the most relevant Malay party is Umno.”[15]
However, there is a grave theological danger in such reasoning for it confuses the place of the Constitution in the Muslim consciousness. Before elaborating further on this, it is worthwhile to take a look at the present consensus among global Islamic authorities on the identity of Muslim.
In “July 2005, H.M. King Abdullah II convened an international Islamic conference of 200 of the world’s leading Islamic scholars (Ulama) from 50 countries”[16] to engage on the issue of Islamic identity in the present time. The conference unanimously issued a ruling on three points considered fundamental, of which the first is on the identity of Muslims.
In order to facilitate our appreciation of the consensus, I have quoted the relevant portion at length:
“Whosoever is an adherent to one of the four Sunni schools (Mathahib) of Islamic jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i and Hanbali), the two Shi‘i schools of Islamic jurisprudence (Ja‘fari and Zaydi), the Ibadi school of Islamic jurisprudence and the Thahiri school of Islamic jurisprudence, is a Muslim. Declaring that person an apostate is impossible and impermissible. Verily his (or her) blood, honour, and property are inviolable. Moreover, in accordance with the Shaykh Al-Azhar’s fatwa, it is neither possible nor permissible to declare whosoever subscribes to the Ash‘ari creed or whoever practices real Tasawwuf (Sufism) an apostate. Likewise, it is neither possible nor permissible to declare whosoever subscribes to true Salafi thought an apostate.
Equally, it is neither possible nor permissible to declare as apostates any group of Muslims who believes in God, Glorified and Exalted be He, and His Messenger (may peace and blessings be upon him) and the pillars of faith, and acknowledges the five pillars of Islam, and does not deny any necessarily self-evident tenet of religion.”[17]
Nowhere in the Amman Message states that the Malay ethnicity must be Muslim. The criterion is in the conviction in the tenet of Islam, not in racial identity. These leading Islamic scholars from around the world unanimously do not recognize that one’s religiosity marks one’s ethnicity.
To be fair, the Amman consensus is not aimed at addressing ethnic identity. Rather, it is concerned with the identity of Muslims. However, due to the Malaysian context that intertwines ethnicity with religiosity that the Amman Message carries implication. And as far as it goes, the ijma ulama (concession of Islamic scholars) does not acknowledge any sort of correlation between race and Islam.
It is notable that there are eight signatories from Malaysia who endorse the Amman Message statement: Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, Anwar Ibrahim, Abdul Hamid Othman, Kamal Hasan, Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Shahidan Kasem, Khayri Jamal Al-Din, and Salih Qadir Karim Al-Zanki.[18] At least three out of these eight are publicly known as leaders in the political party UMNO. This means that either they agree with the statement that there is no correlation between race and Islam, or they simply stamped their signature on the consensus without giving much consideration to its implication.
Now back to the confusion that I have mentioned earlier regarding the Malay supremacists who think that the Malaysian Constitution defines the Malay-Muslim identity. It seems that they have committed very serious mistake. Saying that the Constitution is able to define and identify an ethnic group (Malay) as Muslim, which is not stated in the Amman Message nor the Qur’an, is making the bold claim that the Constitution is superior to the ijma ulama and the Qur’an! This has effectively misplaced the Islamic scholars and the Qur’an in the consciousness of the Muslims.
Nevertheless this is not to say that Malaysia should do away with its Constitution. The Constitution is still essential in governing the country. What I am pointing out is the need to recognize that the Constitution has its limit when it comes to Islamic matters.
“We have revealed the Qur’an to you explaining clearly everything, and a guidance and mercy and good news for those who submit.” (Qur’an 16:89, emphasis added.)
Defining who is or who is not a Muslim is undeniably an Islamic matter, and hence its appeal should be the Ulama and the Qur’an. Not the Constitution. The Malay supremacists can certainly pursue their race-based ideology all they want. However, they should not confuse their own agenda with that of Islam.
Joshua Woo Sze Zeng is currently reading theology at Trinity Theological College, Singapore, and blogs at http://szezeng.blogspot.com and http://friendsinconversation.wordpress.com. He is the co-editor (with Soo-Inn Tan) of ‘The Bible and the Ballot: Reflections on Christian Political Engagement in Malaysia today’ (Singapore: Graceworks, forthcoming).
This article is part of a series of articles under the theme, “Faith in Malaysia.”
[1] MY Sin Chew website: Lim Sue Goan (translated by Soong Phui Jee), Umno General Assembly and Malay agenda, dated 29 November 2011, http://www.mysinchew.com/node/67075 (accessed 30 November 2011).
[2] Sun Daily website: Umno reaffirms its Malay agenda, dated 30 November 2011, http://www.thesundaily.my/news/224184 (accessed 30 November 2011)
[3] Bernama website: Umno Not A Racist Party—Muhyiddin, dated 26 November 2011, http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=629917 (accessed 30 November 2011). Emphasis added.
[4] Abd-al‘Aziz ‘Abd-al-Qadir Kamil, Islam and the race question (Belgium: Unesco, 1970), p.26.
[5] Masud website: Paul A. Hardy, Islam and the Race Question, http://masud.co.uk/ISLAM/misc/race.htm (accessed 30 November 2011).
[6] Masud website: Paul A. Hardy, Islam and the Race Question, http://masud.co.uk/ISLAM/misc/race.htm (accessed 30 November 2011).
[7] Islami City website: Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Farewell Sermon, dated 15 February 2011, http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IC0107-322 (accessed 30 November 2011).
[8] As stated in Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 41, number 5097. This verse can be read at http://www.cmje.org/religious-texts/hadith/abudawud/041-sat.php (accessed 30 November 2011).
[9] Quoted in Abd-al‘Aziz ‘Abd-al-Qadir Kamil, Islam and the race question (Belgium: Unesco, 1970), p.34.
[10] Ibid, p.29.
[11] Ibid, p.63. Emphasis added.
[12] Islam Basics website: Zakaria El-Berry, Man’s Rights in Islam, http://www.islambasics.com/view.php?bkID=5&chapter=1#equal (accessed 30 November 2011). Emphasis added.
[13] Abd-al‘Aziz ‘Abd-al-Qadir Kamil, Islam and the race question (Belgium: Unesco, 1970), p.41-42.
[14] Ibid, p.42. Emphasis added.
[15] Bernama website: Mohamad Bakri Darus, Umno Continues To Promote The Sanctity of Islam, dated 29 November 2011, http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newspolitic.php?id=630401 (accessed 30 November 2011).
[16] The Amman Message (Jordan: The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, 2008), pp.v-vi.
[17] Ibid, pp.16-17.
[18] Ibid, pp.53-53.
I found this article very interesting. The prophet apparently was racially impartial, and taught that no one race is superior to another. Using this argument, the author attempts to challenge the Malay superiority in Malaysia.
However, allow me to quote the author himself. He said that,
“No race or genealogical lineage is declared superior or should be favoured than others. The only superiority is that of piety, between those who are loyal to Allah and those who are not.”
Using this argument, I can say that since Allah is the exclusive God of Muslims and those who are loyal to Allah are then superior to those who are not, Muslims are then superior to non-Muslims, since they are the exclusive believers of Allah, to whom they are loyal and pious.
Since all Malays are Muslims, and majority of non-Malays are non-Muslims, do we not come to the same point that the Malays are indeed superior to the non-Malays due to their Muslim superiority. Doesn’t this argument also mean that realistically speaking, the so-called equality between all mankind does not really exist?
The prophet did not believe in racial inequality. However, since superiority based on religious belief was still advocated, inequality and bias was still encouraged, just from a different aspect.
Did Allah make the Muslims superior or blessed? Superiority makes one greater than the other. Blessedness makes one at privilege than the other purely by the grace of Allah, a privilege to which Muslims should not cling to, in order to demand superiority, but a privilege that Muslims should use to point the way back to Allah.
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I wish to state the defining whether one is moslem or not is in the realm of the Divine.
Whilst we are guided by the Koran on our Syariah ( the law) we also need to seek our tariqah ( the way) and finally with the Mercy of Allah the haqiqat ( the Truth) which only if we are sincerely seeking Him, sincerely annihilating this world, sincere in actions, sincere in thoughts, sincere in service to all mankind would we even begin to be considered in the way to the ultimate Truth.
Whether we are Islam or complete in our Islam is not determined by what we utter but by what Allah decrees.
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Our outward manifestation of our differences is a necessary precondition to the physical realm. However the outward (race)does not affect the Inward( the spirit). Allah decreed in the Koran that He created different races. Our duty as vicegerents on this earth is to follow in footsteps of our Spiritual leaders of the past, the Chosen Ones of Allah, be it Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus or Prophet Muhammad ( pbu them all) and that is to serve all of mankind and do good deeds inspite of our differences outwardly ,especially so.
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Hi Danielle Jusof #1,
Thank you for your considered comment. May I converse with you further.
You argued that from this:
“I can say that since Allah is the exclusive God of Muslims and those who are loyal to Allah are then superior to those who are not, Muslims are then superior to non-Muslims, since they are the exclusive believers of Allah, to whom they are loyal and pious.”
To conclude this:
“Superiority makes one greater than the other. Blessedness makes one at privilege than the other purely by the grace of Allah, a privilege to which Muslims should not cling to, in order to demand superiority, but a privilege that Muslims should use to point the way back to Allah.”
If by “privilege” you mean piety towards Allah, then yes it is a privilege for Muslims to use their pious devotion to point the way back to Allah. You are correct to come to that conclusion.
However, if by “privilege” you mean or connote soci0-political or legal privilege or status, then it is a non-sequitur. For the article has pointed out that even though Muslims in the time of the Prophet to the immediate caliphate were superior in their piety towards Allah, it did not followed that they are privileged in term of public policy.
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Danielle has posed a good question on superiority of Muslims and Joshua has answered quite convincingly that superiority is based on spirituality and not in the physiological sense.
May I add that, in whatever sense, race superiority could not be acceptable as Muslims could be of any race and it would be in conflict for Malay Muslims to claim superiority over other Non-Malay Muslims.
The only sensible position is to embrace humanity as what the Christians have been doing with a high degree of success and they are at peace with God and man. For one cannot claim to be Godly when one does not treat others equally.
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Hi Joshua,
You brought out a very important point. Thank you for that.
By privilege, I definitely did not mean socio-political or legal advantage. By privilege, I meant that perhaps, Allah has blessed Muslims with a revelation of Himself and His wisdom. And Muslims are called to use that Wisdom for the good of all mankind. That is what i meant as privilege.
In every other aspect, all mankind are equal.
Thank you for enlightening me that though the prophet rendered Muslims superior in terms of their piety, that did not translate into superiority in public policies or race. Glad to hear that.
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Danielle # 1
I totally agree with your assertation that the Malays are superior in Malaysia. I however have a hard time reconciling the “superior” label with the constant cries for help, assistances and govt crutches by the Malays.
Please explain to me, how a superior race would need all those extra “leg up” help? Should not a superior race be extending a “helping” hand to others instead?
In case you have a hard time understanding my question, let me illustrate.
Should a student “superior” in his or her studies be asking for a lower passing mark and extra tuition versus the “lesser” student, or should he / she be put on the same “grading table”? In fact should not the superior student be offering help to the “lesser” student?
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I’ll say this much.
What UMNO had for it all this time was fear. And when that fear subsides…as it has and must, the residue that remains is hate.
I live in this country. Schools, jobs, housing, contracts, government projects, medical facilities et al, have preferential quotas for the MAJORITY of the people – The Malay Muslims, almost all of which use the Jew argument to suppress the rest. 50 years of self rule and they still have not been able to come out ahead. My government is Apartheid. No two ways about it. It preaches discrimination by race and religion. Notably…. 20% of the Christian minority… is responsible for all their ills. In the meantime, drug abuse, baby dumping and incest are almost entirely a Muslim hallmark.
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It is sad that the only thing left will be hatred when things change. A new Order is difficult but a new way must be done for Malaysia to go on. It cannot be sustained the way it has been. But I do have hope for Malaysia for we are sensible people , we have reason on our side.
Allah did promise blessings on whomsoever He wishes too with a revelation of Himself and His wisdom for the Koran and the Prophet were sent to the world not just to some, like all those other chosen ones were sent to this world from Abraham to Moses to Jesus and to Muhammad ( pbu them all). They were all sent for us to emulate and learn form.
But I raise the question , who in the eyes of Allah is muslim. It is not the one that is MERELY BORN into it or CLAIMS he is muslim. It is up too Allah. So it can be anyone,no matter their outward .
Just because the malays are born into it doesnt mean they are . To claim one is a muslim is a covenant to be fulfilled and not an easy one. Mere adherence to the syariah ( the law) is only the first level of seeking. It is the base level.There are another two levels, one which is the tariqat ( the way) the other is the final level of seeking the haqiqat ( the truth). Whether one even reaches the level of tariqat is questionable let alone haqiqat. The majority of those who claim to follow the Koran is at the base level of syariah. Even then there are arguments as to the interpretaion and outward manifestation of that worship.The seeking of who we are vis a vis God and why we are here is not that simple as to mere proclaiming we are moslems. It takes more that the outer act of worship at the syariah level. We need to delve deeper into the act of Becoming.
Also as one comment has correctly observe there are moslems who are of other races. what of them?
The author has quoted here the Prophet saying their our physical ancestral lineage means nothing when it comes to spirituality or the realm of the divine. It is our hearts that we need to guard, our thoughts, our deeds on this earth .
Superiority over another race is also irrelevant. By what measure do we give the Creator the evidence of that. He is the one that created us all. So ,are we not all then superior then why do we act inferior (hatred greed envy)to one another?
It is too long to delve into the Koranic revelations of Man vis a vis God here . In time .
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Hi Alan, #8
I’ll really appreciate if we don’t generalise by making statements like:
“..In the meantime, drug abuse, baby dumping and incest are almost entirely a Muslim hallmark…”
This is racial stereotyping. Your doing what UMNO is doing – which is what we want to change.
Have you read Interlok which asserts that Indians are drunkards, wife-beaters, and Chinese would sell their daughters for money.
If Malaysia were to change, Malaysians need to move away from racial stereotyping and/or profiling. This is what UMNO wants as it divides Malaysia.
Why are there baby dumping, incest, wife abuse, etc – these are social issues and not racial issues alone. There could be a myriad of reasons.
Let’s learn to understand and analyse issues from more nuanced and universal perspectives. At the same time, the misfortune of others should not be a political scoring point for others.
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Its time to get this religion in sync with the modern times as other religions have evolved. If you still believe that your religion condones preferential treatment in this day and age, then it’s relevancy with other religious groups is in serious question. If you are still interpreting what you think someone quoted hundreds years ago, to manifestly suit your point of view, then your ability to conduct a fair and productive dialog with others is in serious question. If you are still feeling good and vindicated about the fact that your prominence is essentially supported by suppression and oppression, then your judgement and faith is in serious question.
For a faith that counts more than a fifth of the worlds population as its followers, there needs to be a serious introspection about where this is all going. Almost all the nations that have its followers in the majority, almost all without exception have less personal and political freedom than just 50 years ago. The amount of modern scholarship from this huge segment does not even register based on their numbers representated as Nobel prize winners. Many rule by regime.
Modern Malaysia was built into what it is by the collective efforts of all it’s citizens. The history on that is clear. So don’t tell me that someone should feel more special than others.
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While it is common for many religions to build a sense of superiority – us and/against ‘the others’ – it would be important to understand the uniquely Malaysian politico-construct of Malay-Muslim identities.
Policies favouring Malays are intentionally translated as an empowering birthright (and with it a justification of ‘rightful superiority’) for the natives of the land. Once this interpretation is mainstreamed, it is inevitable for expectations to grow and perks treated as a given. Religion is merely played as a tool under the guised servitude of what really is a racial issue.
Yet what is more concerning to me is the continued insistence of this interpretation of superiority and its accompanying economic benefits by the wider Malay community. In such a case, ‘superiority’ is merely used to mask an underlying insecurity amongst its community. These privileges dis-empowers its people from ever leaving its cage to fly free. Religion, like race, is merely the material that builds and sustains this cage.
A lesson all religions can learn is that setting aside arguments of who is ‘right’ (and ‘wrong’), religiosity should not be an inhibiting sense of comparative superiority but one of mutual respect; cooperating to build a better tomorrow.
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Please read the other postings on Islam and Malaysia on New Mandala.
What Islam actually professes is very different from what UMNO is practicing.
Hence, the blame is not on the religion but the people who twist it.
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Dear Neptunian,
I wasn’t asserting that the Malays are the superior race in Malaysia. I believe in human value and equality too much to assert such.
What I did mean was that perhaps they are perceived to be the superior race not merely by racial lineage but also due to their religion.
I believe that the intention in the constitution, article 153 was to ensure that as the ‘aborigines’ of Malaysia, the Malays should be protected from oppression and loss of opportunities by ensuring they have placements in civil service, job opportunities and education. This practice is extremely common in many countries, just to ensure that the aborigines do not lose out, especially since with time, they end up becoming a minority due to massive immigration.
However, what the current Malaysia government has been doing for the past 5o years or so was not ensuring that the Malays are oppressed, but to ensure that they themselves achieve a level of superiority socio-politically in the name of their race and religion. And the danger of it all, is that they have convinced a number of Malays that they are doing this for the good of the Malays, to ensure that they do not lose out. Which is pretty much a blatant lie, as we can see that the only people who seem to have benefited much from this policy are the crooked politician themselves and their families. If you know what i mean.
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Dear Neptunian,
I wasn’t asserting that the Malays are the superior race in Malaysia. I believe in human value and equality too much to assert such.
What I did mean was that perhaps they are perceived to be the superior race not merely by racial lineage but also due to their religion.
I believe that the intention in the constitution, article 153 was to ensure that as the ‘aborigines’ of Malaysia, the Malays should be protected from oppression and loss of opportunities by ensuring they have placements in civil service, job opportunities and education. This practice is extremely common in many countries, just to ensure that the aborigines do not lose out, especially since with time, they end up becoming a minority due to massive immigration.
However, what the current Malaysia government has been doing for the past 5o years or so was not ensuring that the Malays are NOT oppressed, but to ensure that they themselves achieve a level of superiority socio-politically in the name of their race and religion. And the danger of it all, is that they have convinced a number of Malays that they are doing this for the good of the Malays, to ensure that they do not lose out. Which is pretty much a blatant lie, as we can see that the only people who seem to have benefited much from this policy are the crooked politician themselves and their families. If you know what i mean.
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#Greg
I’m putting no such blame on Islam at all! What i was commenting on was the political construct of religio-racial identities in Malaysia today. As UMNO is unable to beat the drum of racial supremacism like it used to in the 70s and 80s, religion is now the new tool but its strategy remains the same – Malay superiority.
Being Malay and being Muslim are exactly the same thing in Malaysia (hence my reason to refer them as ‘Malay-Muslim’ instead of ‘Malay Muslim’). These dual identities are inseparable since the years under colonial rule – in fact it possibly grew stronger during colonialism but i’m no historian.
I am merely highlighting this as many Malaysians are unable to see through the present spin constructed for political purposes. Divide and conquer remains the best weapon for most post-colonial strong states including Malaysia. As i said in my last post, religion is merely a disguise of what is, and consistently has been a racial issue.
My second point is religious in nature but it refers to the attitudes shared by many religions (not just Islam). Supremacist attitudes of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and ‘us’ against ‘them’ will continually divide; and not unite a nation so long as it exist. I believe my comments are consistent with the themes discussed in this board. But i apologize if anyone misunderstood me.
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Agreed that UMNO is abusing Islam to maintain control and power just as in other Islamic countries. As individuals, most Muslims are very nice and conscientious people but as a community and group, they are somehow driven by “herd” mentality and one cannot help but attribute such influence to Islamic teachings.
Many Muslim groups, especially in democratic countries, are trying to reform the religion to be in conformity with modern times and we sincerely hope that they would be able to play down the unsavory Quranic verses and bring to the fore the inspirational ones. May they succeed in this praise-worthy quest.
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Liang #14
Thanks for your explanation
I was not referring to you but a general caution to everyone not to blame race or religion when the issues are complex.
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Thanks to Greg for the caution yet I empathise with the hurt and anger with Umno here. I am hurt and angered by them too because I am the meat in the middle of all this. I think what is crucial here is for healing to happen and thus empathy can be a good starting point and it costs me nothing to show it to my fellow Malaysians.
I dont take money for free and neither do I want my spiritual journey and my Koran to be used to oppress the people. The miracle of the Koran is that The Koran allows for interpretation of the Book according to ones human life experiences with all its nuances and prejudicisms too.
Thus many many interpretations are witnessed from the higher path of Sufism to the lowest path of syariah. There are many levels of interpretation according to ones station in life and thus the moslem world are manifestly in confusion, at war with each other and with others because they wont confront their own fears. They think the purpose of God is to control. They dont see that it is their own need to do so . Their own Ego.
Closer to home,for Umno the agenda is too control and keep perpertuating what they are comfortable with and thus they will use the religion to convince the massess that the “kafirs” /non believers are out to destroy the malays and Islam. Not only are they disuniting the malysians the malasy are the most oppressed tied by this concept of “sin” and do not even know how to live this life.Yet one has nothing to do with the other, race and religion that is and the term “kafir” has been completely distorted in its understanding. There is too much to go into all in one day. It is a life long journey of patience to find God. And I would be bordering flippancy to sstate that the malays themselves are destroying themselves without the help of anyone else, yet they dont see this.
Whislt it is noble to protect those who are most vulnerable we must do justice to all too. The help and support of the malays should have been maanged over time and amended to help and support the most vulnerable of Malaysians. This the the first step to healing of this country.
The other healing process that must occur is that we collectivley should decide if we want to be Malaysians or we dont. When we have decided that then we can charter the course of our nation as a collective. We cannot move forward if we carry the burdens of the past. We should grieve for a while beacuse of the hurt that has been done by this mismanagement but we must then roll up our sleeves and collectively move away from past thoughts to create New ones whilst being aware not to repeat past mistakes we musnt not be burdened by it anymore. Because if we are constantly looking backwards how do we steer forward?
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Malaya was governed by Muslim kingdoms who adopted Malay as lingua franca. All ethnicities unite into one nation under Islamic rule.
Western colonies came and bring nationalism ideology to split up people. Portuguese and Dutch failed because they’re too harsh. but British succeeded.
British are clever. divide and rule. Malaysians were destined to be split into three nations, Malay, Chinese, Indian. Malays were given cheap sweets in exchange of losing their total authority, the Sultanates. which was called that day ‘Hak Keistimewaan Orang Melayu’ (Malay Special Rights).
Its the tradition of Islamic kingdoms to encourage spreading of Islamic ideology among its people. the more people with a common ideology that there is no god but God and Muhammad is His Messenger is the more peaceful the community will become.
thus in every Muslim countries, Muslim populations will always get special treatment from the government.
the problem is, as years pass by, the so many benefits that a Malay can get fails to attract people to be a Malay. (Malay is defined as Malay speaking and Muslim in the constitution.) Chinese still wants to be Chinese. Indians still wants to be Indians.
meanwhile, UMNO became corrupt. they used Malay Supremacy slogans while betraying the Malay nation itself.
how many Malay villages and lands has UMNO sell to his MCA business partners with cheap prices. now, go to any cities in Malaysia, the Malays are selling in street stalls alongside foreigners such as Indonesians and Banglas. while Chinese owns the businesses in premium shopping complexes. but at the same time, these Malays also get bad names due to the Malay Supremacy slogans.
the sufferings of Malay people are ignored as much as possible nowadays. that is a question mark for everyone to answer. but for Malays who still retains our Islamic ideology, we just say to all our shortcomings ‘Inna lillah wa inna ilaihi raji’uun’. (We are for the sake of Allah, and verily to Him we will return).
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Malay #20
Do you invest in the stock market. (KLSE) Please take the monday stock section of the “Star” newspaper and have a look at the top 100 companies listed on the KLSE. 18 out of the top 20 are “GLCs” or Malay owned / controlled. If you would just add up the valuation, you will find that they account for more than 75% of the KLSE capitalisation.
Please visit any 5 star hotel during lunch or dinner time. The patrons are mainly “Malays” Visit “premier” golf courses like KLGCC / Tropicana / the Mines. Members and patrons are mainly “Malays” These clubs even have special “drivers / body guards” rooms and waiting areas. Meanwhile the non malays are playing golf in cheap clubs and courses, buying AGS cards for low expense golf etc
You have been seriously conned by UMNO. Related Malay elites and cronies are the true “wealth” holders in Malaysia NOT the Chinese / Indians. The seemingly “Chinese” wealth is an illusion caused by the concentration of Chinese in the cities. A large percentage are small business people or trades people, thus making them more visible. That is all
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Professor Kobkua Suwannathat-Pian’s considered view on the Malay identity
UMNO has the popular slogan, “untuk Bangsa, Agama dan Negara” (for race, religion and country). Does this reflect the Malay psyche, that race and religion should come before the country/national interest?
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We have been framing the situation in Malaysia from the perspective of race or religion. It is the idea of “Malay vs the rest” or “Muslim vs the rest”.
While certain policies of the ruling elites prefered a particular race or religion, we have to ask why are there still poor Malays/Muslims after so many years of affirmative actions? Could the affirmative actions actually benefitted a small elite only, and since the Malay/Muslim are the majority in Malaysia, the elites used race and religion as a framework to win the supports from the masses for the elite’s wealth accumulation?
From the various news footages, we could see even the Malays/Muslim have joined forces with their fellow Malaysians to demand for justice and a change of status quo of lack of accountability and corruptions. Corruptions, nepotism and greediness affected the Malays/Muslim as much as other Malaysians.
I feel we should look beyond race and religion to deal with the challenges facing Malaysia. These challenges could be framed from the perspective of the “elite vs the masses.” Race and religion divisions are the products of colonial era and in the 21st century, they are baggages that should be thrown into the rubbish bin. But sadly some still cling onto race and religion for their political survival because they could not deliver the actual needs of the people.
The last point is that race and religion are powerful symbols of propaganda. Religious teachings have been twisted to support political agenda in many countries, and to instill fears in the mind of the masses to ensure the survival of the political regime. Those who adhere closely to their religious teaching, be it Islam or Christianity, will know that racism does not have any place within the religion domain. As stated in the Quran :
” O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another”.
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It’s important to distinguish between race and culture. They correlate highly but they propagate by entirely different mechanisms, one by genes which are bits of DNA, and the other as memes which are bits of human behaviour (especially verbal behaviour) that catch on. A racially half-Chinese, half-Indian child adopted by a Malay family would end up culturally Malay but non-Malay by birth.
When Malay culture mixes with Chinese and Indian cultures in a capitalist economic system, Malays tend to come out the poorest because they are, on the whole, less enthusiastic about working hard for profit than either Chinese or Indians. That is a cultural characteristic, and one that I as a scientist can sympathise with, because profit has never been a major motive for my work. Given that situation, I can’t see how things could have turned out much different from the way they have. The Government is elected, and the majority are of Malay culture. The Government will naturally try to compensate for the tendency for Malays to end up poorer than Chinese or Indians. The rhetoric is a mess, especially the confusion of race and culture, and people are getting upset because of that, but what is happening is a natural outcome of a reasonably democratic system. The non-democratic alternative, a Chinese-Indian plutarchy ruling over a poor Malay majority, would, I think, be worse.
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R.N. England #24.
I find some of your statements fascinating, especially from a scientist (are you a scientist in the hard sciences or the soft sciences?).
How does culture in your view explain this – “…When Malay culture mixes with Chinese and Indian cultures in a capitalist economic system, Malays tend to come out the poorest because they are, on the whole, less enthusiastic about working hard for profit than either Chinese or Indians…”
I had assumed this type of explanation (culture) had been discredited some time ago.
Also this statement: “…The non-democratic alternative, a Chinese-Indian plutarchy ruling over a poor Malay majority, would, I think, be worse…”
First, the current system is already non-democratic although you note that its reasonably democratic. Hence, what do you mean by non-democratic and reasonably democratic?
Second, how do the minority Chinese and Indians – who have no influence over any of the current institutions, and have access to force or even the threat of force, actually become a plutarchy?
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Greg Lopez (25). I am from the hard sciences (hard rocks, actually), and I sympathise with the hard-science views of the human condition, as popularised by Richard Dawkins, and developed and popularised by B. F. Skinner. These views have, of course, been “discredited”, but only by advocates for various causes who wished to protect them from analysis.
You say that my assertion that “…When Malay culture mixes with Chinese and Indian cultures in a capitalist economic system, Malays tend to come out the poorest because they are, on the whole, less enthusiastic about working hard for profit than either Chinese or Indians…” has been discredited. Then which culture does actually come out at the bottom? Or are you saying that analysis in terms of culture is not valid? Admittedly it is difficult because cultures overlap in complex ways, but throwing out culture seems pretty desperate, and smacks of anti-analysis.
That the Malaysian Government governs with special consideration for the interests of Malays which are the majority of the population seems to me to be an indication of democracy. They might talk a lot of inflammatory nonsense which gets up our noses, but that does not stop them from being democratic. I have tried not to use “democratic” as a loaded term in the way that the US State Department does, for example. Their usage means little more than “our son-of-a-bitch”.
What may be happening is that many Malays are fed up with an increasingly corrupt UMNO and would prefer another organisation to better serve their interests. That may or may not be helpful. If the two sides turn out to be nothing more than rival teams of professional advocates, then representative government will become bogged in empty adversarial politics, just as it has in the the West.
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R.N. England #26
(1) I was thinking of Weber’s Protestant Ethics or Al-Attas Myth of the Lazy Native when I had meant culture had been discredited.
Perhaps we should start by defining culture? (Your right that culture overlaps and makes analysis difficult)
Also, its important to note that the poorest people in Malaysia are not the Malays. It is the indigenous peoples of Malaysia – the Orang Asal/Asli of Peninsular Malaysia (who are not classified as Bumiputeras) and several indigenous communities in Sabah and Sarawak (who are classified as Bumiputeras). Malays on the Peninsular are poor especially in the East Coast. The reasons for their poverty range from the lack of property rights, geographical conditions that are not conducive for economic growth, poor human capital development, corruption, etc. Culture can be one of the reason but not the main reason, I would think.
Statistically, the main reason the Malay economic performance is driven downward is because it is conflated with other Bumiputeras. Concentration of wealth at the top 1-3% makes it worse. There are also poor Chinese, poor Indians, etc. In fact 80 per cent of Malaysians are relatively poor.
If culture is defined as traditional practices, I’m not sure one can attribute Malay under-performance to “Malay culture”. Since the 70s, as you must be aware, and particularly under Mahathir, the state has sought to modernise the Malays and have provided ample social, political and economic opportunities.
To blame culture is the easy way out I think.
I’m more inclined to the economic history/institutional argument rather than Malay culture for Malay under performance. Essentially, the incentive structures in Malaysia, past and present, undermined/s the Malay community’s dynamism (in general, as the Malay community is not monolithic).
I’ll be interested to hear how you define culture. We maybe talking about the same thing.
(2) Interesting views on democracy. Instead of using the U.S. State Dept’s loaded term, are there certain principles that defines a democracy. In your view what would those principles be?
I think if the Malay community, and Malaysians understood democracy better, their economic outcomes would be vastly improved.
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Greg (27). A suggestion for a definition of culture: a major set of human behaviours (memes) that has evolved more rapidly than would be possible for genetic evolution alone. Cultures can be defined broadly or narrowly, and almost always overlap. Some cultures are limited geographically. Some are not. Science is a culture that overlaps many (all?) national cultures.
Capitalism is a culture that has been selected because it is a game highly competitive people can play for money instead of cutting each others’ throats. In addition to promoting peace (though not as effectively as one would like) it also has the benefit of driving down prices, thus allowing even half-hearted players to also survive comfortably. It’s possible to rank national cultures according to how well they adapt to capitalism, and better to do so without any moral connotation. A typically chauvinistic capitalist would rank them morally, but that is narrow-minded, and unfortunately gives rise to a situation where it seems necessary to muddy the water so as not to give offence to the people of cultures where capitalism has not done so well. It would be better to face up to a cultural deficiency that if made good, would improve the lives of individual members.
Democracy? How about: A game everybody gets to play with equal status, by which the government is determined. It operates only when the vast majority of the population play by the rules. If a significant proportion does not, and resorts to violence, then democracy is not possible and government falls into the hands of those who manage violence most effectively. When people elect representative law-makers, they are more likely to get laws that they can live by without resentment. They get that feeling of “freedom”. The more educated the electorate, the more conscientious their representatives need to be in order to hold down that job.
Sorry for the verbiage.
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This is not verbiage R.N. England. This is an interesting take on something as old as humans.
Thanks very much for this. It is a new definition (at least to me) and will need some time to digest it.
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