The wall was white and blank but yet there I was, taking interest in the uninspiring wall. A public discussion was going on inside a small hall. I came because the names of the panel were sufficiently widely known across the urban society but as I found out later and too late, the discussion failed to fill my body with a soul; the discussion was filled with repetitive mosaic of clichés. So, there I was, inattentive, until a friend got up and announced to the audience, explaining, that we were all Malays, once. That took my eyes off the wall, my ears off the low hum of air conditioner, my mind off a pie in the sky.
I have heard many points about race and religion but this was the first time I heard a person saying that we all were Malays. As he went so eloquently, the idea of Malays was far greater than the notion ethnicity as most of us comprehend today. He asserted, if I correctly interpreted his point, that all groups living in Southeast Asia or more accurately the Nusantara were Malays.
Right or wrong, it was a curious notion, and provocative. Indeed, the crowd which was relatively chatty throughout the discussion, fell into silence, perhaps dumbstruck. The fact that the number of Malays amid the audience was limited to few people probably contributed to that silence. After a few seconds of information processing, I said to myself, ”Oooo”¦”
I have given up on the effort to define Malay due to various competing definitions. Though I do prefer certain definition , I do not dwell too much on the matter. Still, the varying definitions do provide one with the amusement one requires when one has little tasks to fill one’s time.
The Malaysian constitution defines a Malay as a Muslim, among other things. This allows Arabs, Chinese, Indians and others originated from outside of the Nusantara who are Muslims to be considered as Malays; Malays whom do not embrace Islam are somehow not Malays. This is as absurd as a pink invisible unicorn.
The regionalist Malays describe Malays as the indigenous populace of the Nusantara; the Malaya Irredenta. The formation of the now defunct Maphilindo was formed to appeal to this regionalist Malay concept, among other things. I myself prefer this definition; it is inclusive enough to bring most people of Southeast Asia organically together but yet, it is exclusive enough for “us” to be unique. I however have met Filipinos and Indonesians who frown when they are described as Malays. Old rivalries and wars between the Malays and the Javanese strengthen the difference. Yet, those wars were called Pamalayu, perang antara Melayu, a Malay civil war.
The cosmopolitan Malays prefer a more inclusive idea: everybody who resides in the Nusantara is a Malay. This, perhaps, was what the friend of mine was referring to.
Another concept of Malay refers to the citizenship of Malaya, just as the citizens of Germany are Germans, the citizens of Italy are Italians, for France French, for China Chinese; a naturalized Nepali could be a German. This was once put forward by Putera-AMCJA in the People’s Constitution of 1947 which was rejected in favor of another constitution that we Malaysians now live under. Well, after all that amendments, sort of.
These definitions are not necessarily mutually exclusive and it is likely not exhaustive either. That however does not prevent me from asking, which Malay appeals to your bias?
p/s — this entry was first published at Bolehland.
4 replies on “[1420] Of I am a Malay but which Malay?”
[…] To the skeptics, the expansion is not impossible. There are many Bumiputras that have ancestors whom were of recent migrants. For instance, Bumiputras of Indian, Arab, or even Chinese origin are not a rare sight. The expansion could eventually cover all Malaysian and in the end, turning the definition of Bumiputras almost synonymous to citizenship. In one way or another, the expansion appeals to the concept of Malays as citizenship instead of ethnicity as once presented in the 1940s. […]
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You are a racist which is why you keep racialising “Malays” and “ketuanan Melayu”. I tell you our concept of ethnicity has nothing to do with “race” which is about skin colour (and maybe ancestry too) while ethnicity is about culture! Being Malay is about practising a certain way of life or life-style. Its like being Jewish.
The Zionist Republic of Israel defines an ethnic Jew as any person who (1) speaks Hebrew language as mother tongue, (2) professes Judaism, and (3) self-identifies as Jewish. As such, Jewish Christians (ie Jews for Jesus), Jewish Muslims (ie Jews for Allah) and Jewish Atheists (ie Hebrew-speaking people who do not accept organised religions) cannot immigrate into the Jewish State under the present Aliya laws.
I am certain Israel is no more a racist state than our Malaysia and those who refer it as racist have some hidden political agenda (which is usually pro-Arab and anti-non Arab). The Jewish civil rights group, ADL counter-accuses those who accuse Israel of racism of anti Semitism. Jimmy Carter was discredited after he tried to refer to the Jewish State as “an apartheid entity”. Both Malaysia’s UMNO and Israel cannot be called “an apartheid entity”, since they do not discriminate racially (ie via skin colour or ancestry) but any discrimination is cultural (including religion). Palestinians and Malaysian Chinese can get equal rights by “masuk bangsa Yahudi” or “masuk Melayu” respectively. However, most Palestinians love their Arab-Muslim identity just as most Malaysian Chinese love their Chinese-kaafir identity (which includes eating pork, drinking beer, and keeping dogs as pets), so the nationalist war continues. Malays and Chinese cannot unite as neither will assimilate into a rival culture, so, we must accept unity in diversity.
Ethnicity is about culture and what makes you a member of a particular ethnic group is practising its culture (which is a way of life). Identity is important as it is life-style. To a Muslim, a Chinese-lifestyle may be immoral, but to a Chinese the Muslim-lifestyle may be immoral. So, we cannot “unite” as unity will be tyranny. We must learn to accept each other “as is” and uphold cultural relativism.
In the end, it all depends on the definition you use. I am a Malay because I identify as one. But I could be Chinese too or even English if I wanted but why should I as I do not get any economic advantage? Being Malay gives me Bumiputra status.
IC aku kata aku Melayu…dari puak Subang Jaya. We rock yo.
I think the topic is enough to send many Malaysia Malay to schizophrenia with genetic proof : All in a sudden, the political define ketuanan Melayu lost it lust. In evolution, any pure ethnics fail to adapt will be fall out, either by disease, weather change, etc.
Only nationalist/racist fond of ambiguity idea that define their “originality”. Just look at Lake Toba, the eruption millions years ago has make 2/3 of the SEA region inhabitable.
Perhaps the early day of “superhuman Malay”(that don’t eat and drink) that survive the valcano winter in evolve to today UMNO politicians ;) Maybe that explain their hungers of corruption.