by Jacqueline Ann Surin
The Nut Graph
4th October 2010
ARE you Malay first? Or Malaysian first? That is the current rhetoric in some parts of our political landscape and is spurring some Malaysians to engage in a contest over what it means to be Malaysian.
For certain the question is not a new one. The DAP has for the longest time been brandishing the motto of “Bangsa Malaysia” in an attempt to dismantle the Barisan Nasional (BN)’s race-based politics. DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, for one, is nowhere close to letting up on this issue. He has demanded repeatedly for, especially, Umno politicians to declare if they are Malaysian or Malay first.
And while Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin seemingly failed the test question, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz recently scored some points by declaring he was “Malaysian first and Malay next”. But is the question really about which should come first? Why does it seem to matter so much? And which of the two labels — one about race and the other about citizenship — is more profoundly important to us as Malaysian citizens?
Asset vs liability
If there’s anything that we’ve learnt from our series of Found in Malaysia interviews, it’s that our identities are far more complex than, first, the British colonialists and now, the BN government would like us to believe.
Just read some of the stories from the Malay Malaysian personalities we’ve featured. Chef Wan has Japanese and Indonesian ancestry in him, national squash player Mohd Azlan Iskandar is European, Indian, Malay and Chinese all in one, and Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz who is featured exclusively in the Found in Malaysia book is, in her own words, of pendatang stock since her ancestors were from Sumatera.
And so, one wonders why someone like the deputy prime minister, who is also Umno deputy president, feels compelled to respond to Lim’s challenge by making his Malay identity more important than, in this instance, his national identity. Why was it not possible for Muhyiddin to have replied that he was both Malay and Malaysian with neither one identity being more important? After all, our racial identities are far more complex than the tightly contained boxes we are expected to tick.
But this isn’t just about Muhyiddin although what our deputy prime minister, who is also education minister, says has implications on politics in Malaysia. It is about a larger issue of why being Malay to some is far more critical in Malaysia than placing equal or more importance on being Malaysian.
This is where I find a commentary by Deputy Education Minister Dr Puad Zarkashi and the remarks by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the end of September at the United Nations rather disingenuous. Our racial diversity, we are told, is an asset, not a liability, that is cherished.
These claims, however, belie the fact that it is really far more advantageous to be a Malay citizen than a non-Malay citizen in Malaysia. From quotas for education and housing to promotions in the civil service to becoming prime minister, it cannot be denied that the system in place clearly favours Malays over non-Malays primarily on the basis of race.
And so if it’s clear that there are two classes of citizens in Malaysia — Malays and non-Malays — it is only logical to expect the growing incidence of name-calling of non-Malay Malaysians whether in political rallies, Biro Tatanegara programmes or in schools. In order to maintain the paradigm of ketuanan Melayu that is repeatedly used to justify continued Malay privileges and dominance, one must not ever admit that regardless of race, we are, as citizens, all actually the same and hence deserving of equal opportunities and treatment.
No surprise then that the likes of Muhyiddin are not about to declare they are Malaysian first. Similarly, that would also explain just why Puad, who is an Umno supreme council member, would so quickly label the likes of Nazri as suffering from “Malayphobia”. Those who declare themselves as Malaysian first, Malay second, are dangerous because they are violating the constitution and Umno’s raison d’etre, charged Puad.
Herein lies the weak link to the BN’s claim that it believes in the vision of 1Malaysia. How can citizens believe that the government, especially Umno, cherishes our diversity if it consistently favours one racial group of citizens over others?
Inclusive instead of exclusive
Any attempt to reframe the equation so that all of us are the same — from a citizenship point of view — would of course be seen as a threat. After all, such thinking could just dangerously lead to changing the equation of privilege and superiority to one of equality.
And that’s why Nazri‘s remarks made him such an instant hero in some circles. No matter the actual motivation for his remarks, this is what I suspect many people heard him say. That it was more important to him to belong to a group of people (“Malaysians”) where everyone was the same than it was to belong to another group of people (“Malays”) who enjoy exclusive privileges at the expense of others.
For many Malaysians, including me, saying “I am Malaysian first” is not about denying the cultural heritage of our respective ethnic groups. It is about reclaiming an identity that is inclusive instead of exclusive. It is about contesting the equation of Malay privilege so that no citizen needs to feel disadvantaged because of their race.
For certain, our identities are not one or the other, and cannot be limited to just race or nationality. Class, gender, sexuality, and religion are other aspects of identity that have been sidelined in this debate about being Malaysian. Indeed, depending on context, one aspect of our identity may be far more important than another with no contradiction at all to who we are. When Malaysians are overseas for example, it’s the most natural thing to say, “I’m Malaysian” instead of “I’m Malay/Chinese/Indian/etc”.
Still, if Umno politicians, or any other politician for that matter, want us to believe that 1Malaysia is for real, they best start talking and acting in ways that demonstrate they believe in an equation of inclusivity instead of exclusivity. The sum result, after all, is in the proof.
The NEP was devised as the method by which financial status and occupations would not be factors that delineated the various races in Malaysia as the economic gap was considered one major factor for the May13 riots for which we have never had an official open inquiry to find the culprits.
However the UMNO elites realised early on that the NEP gave them unbridled access to unlimited wealth and BN cronies became engrossed with how to get more from the system.
In the process, even vital bodies like the Judiciary and PDRM became collateral damage in the quest for power.
Now that is one reason why Malay first has become the mantra for some leaders.
We can purge Malaysia of such parasites in the next elections or the nation will never recover.
No way race is not d number 1 factor in M’sia as long as BN rules
Bcos BN comprises race-based n racist political parties n practises divide-n-rule
Furthermore, UmnoB is tai ko n make sure rich Malay UmnoBputras continue 2 gasak everything dat has $ sign there, guaranteed by law
Si big fat parasite bijak
The writer failed to point out the most important benefit of being a Malay – that is, he can ridicule non-Malays or call him names like “pendatang”, “prostitutes and beggars”, mata sepet or si botol.
If a non-Malay even says the faintest and most innocuous of remarks against a Malay, his photo will be burned, demonstrations will be held and hundreds of police reports made.
And the non-Malay will be demonnized by Utusan as racist and questioned by the police for hours under the Sedition Act.
50b of our money given to umnoputras over the years under the NEP for shares in listed companies. Where are they now? Where are we now, as a nation?
If the same 50b were used to educate malay kids and other poor kids over the same time period what would have happen? I am sure at least today I will have a lot less problem looking for capable employees.
And hey isnt this one of the major complaints by our foreign investors?
Malay youths would then have fulfilling jobs/careers and they need not while away their time as mat rempits or survive as snatch thieves.
Were we really fooled to be believe that UMNO/BN was not a Malay First party under Mahathir? Were they ever fooled by the weakness of the policy? I asked my parents and grandparents and none of them were ever fooled. They tolerated it because it was more practical – given the Malay economic weakness, it was no threat to non-Malays – better to get along than to argue about what is wrong about it.
The bottom line really is the Malay First is no longer practical. The success of Mahathirism is because it covered up its failures well. Well, those failures are no longer practical. Like any endeavour, things get harder and the formula is failing. Its simply the law of marginal returns.
But there are other things that are wrong, why must Malay First go first? Because its simply the biggest factor that permeates each and everyone of our lives – from when you go to school, to your job, your career, your private property, your security, your religion, even your love life. All other factors pale in comparison. As our economy mature, and its not about putting food on the table and roof over our head, the factor increases its inefficiency, in its failures.
Is it everything? No. But it is the biggest. That is why the Malay first makes absolute no sense because Malay First implies that the giving it up means giving up everything or most things. It does not. It means giving up unrealistic dominance in most things and thereby opening it up to more so that there is more for everyone.
In reality, giving up Malay first is all about practicality and not about some idealism. Its not about taking anything away so much as making more in a tougher world for everyone – while we still can.
///These claims, however, belie the fact that it is really far more advantageous to be a Malay citizen than a non-Malay citizen in Malaysia. From quotas for education and housing to promotions in the civil service to becoming prime minister, it cannot be denied that the system in place clearly favours Malays over non-Malays primarily on the basis of race.///
Malays were favoured over non-Malays because there were in the special position as would an endangered species where care was needed to nurture them. The late Tun Dr. Ismail said out of pride Malays would not want to be so classed permanently, and they would willingly give up that position to be equal with other races, as independent beings.
Mamakthir who shares no loss in pride having Malays remained in the rut of endangered species want the status remained for ever.
Human matured within 20 years. That was perhaps why Article 153 was set up to be implemented for 15 years and be reviews after that. It considered that if one generation of the people has been nurtured, he should be able to look after his offspring. Razak ignored what had been done by Article 153 until May 13 and declared that NEP would be implemented in one generation of 20 years. That too was intended, unless he had other ulterior motive, to make one generation of Malays strong enough to look after their offspring. Mamakthir thought the 20 years was the time to enrich his cronies, and since he could extend it at will, shy should he give up the chance to enrich himself and his cronies, haram in its implementation notwithstanding. Now 53 years of Article 153 and 40 years of discriminatory practice, Malays born at independence are due for retirement in government services spawning children and grandchildren having good life all the time. Would the claim that they are not yet ready to face the new world tenable? Yes, the argument could be not all Malays are civil servants, and some are poor. That is the same argument too that not all non-Malays are successful businessmen and wealthy, and many are poor. Worse, the poor non-Malays have been discriminated against in the past 52 years. Isn’t enough is enough?
Until the government is willing to forgo race consideration in political organization, there could be no unity. Muhyiddin instead of telling his race about the rationale of why the special position is ‘bestowed’ on Malays and urged them to be true practitioner of Muslims faith to acknowledge equality of people irrespective of other consideration chose to insist that the special treatment would continue. He is clearly Mamakthir the second, a racial opportunist.
The mamak sees himself as the reincarnation of Parasmeswara who founded the Melaka sultanate 500 years ago
Declaring themselves as MELAYU first only makes them “ME-layu” first!