Response to “Does PERKASA reflect Malay ideology?”

Luqman L

I am writing this as a response to the article ‘Does Perkasa Reflect Malay Ideology?’ that can be found at this link http://www.malaysia-today.net/does-perkasa-reflect-malay-ideology/

While I may agree with the overarching message of his letter, I believe some of the points mentioned are akin to the pot calling the kettle black.

The writer consistently makes references to Malays and non-Malays, further affirming and strengthening the social-construct of us-and-them. He consistently implies and in some instances states explicitly, that Malays are not the ones who are corrupt and they are the ones who have claims to more illustrious or more accurately, respectable ancestors.

I find it ironic that he unequivocally tells Malaysians what is wrong with their societal relations today, while at the same time conveying it in the manner that reinforces the exact thing that is wrong with our society. In terms of race relations, we have not progressed at all from the 1940s. It is deeply-rooted biased and frustrated ‘intellectuals’ or ‘mouth-pieces’ like these who think they have a clue to the solution which unfortunately is essentially the affirmation of the current status-quo and conditions in a different manner, and who unfortunately, are just foundationally biased towards any who are not of the same ethnic group.

Did the writer think that he would be able to coat the subtle propagandic ideologue of Melayuisme within crafted calls to rationality?

I remember thinking that Mahathir’s book on the Malay Dilemma was a white-washing of the Malay ethnic group – that all problems ailing the nation, and everything that was wrong with the Malay ethnic group can fundamentally be blamed on the Chinese ethnic group. And I remember thinking that it takes two hands to clap.

I am reminded of that today.

Let me address his assertion that Malays on the street are not what these extreme groups portray them to be.

I have been to a talk about the Cape Malays/Muslims at what I later found out to be an event organised by an ultra-Malay nationalist group, for the purposes of disseminating background information of Cape Town before offering up business opportunities for Malays to diversify their businesses there. I was there for academic reasons as the speaker was a renowned Professor on the topic. Apart from the organisers and one other Malay attendee, the whole atmosphere was openly hostile towards me as a non-Malay.

I have been to taskirahs where the imam or ustaz talking would rouse the pulp-like minds of the ummah attending for calls to further the cause of the Malay-Muslim, to protect the faith of the Malay-Muslims. And all the while looking directly at me. I did not know that Muslim = Malay. If this is so, I wonder why so many gullible Malay minds are now trying to be Arab, while so many gullible Chinese-Muslim minds are trying to be Malay.

I have sat at roadside Malay warongs to eat – because though I’m not Malay, I’m Muslim you see, and have to eat halal food. And I will never fail to receive hostile looks, inept service (not that I require nor expect that, but I do question when tables seated with Malays who ordered later, are getting served their food while I am still waiting), and even at some stalls, rude and brash communication from the Malay operators.

I have also been at a conference where a Malay attendee who was in conversation with me on a topic totally unconnected to race or politics, just deviated and spurted out “We don’t need much. We just want to be better than the Chinese”.

Now, I make plenty of distinctions between Malay and others here and before I get called out for doing the same as the writer, I must point out that I am merely illustrating why, drawing from my own personal experience of having to ‘meld’ with the Malay community due to my religious conviction as a Muslim, I have to disagree with his assertion that the real Malays on the street are markedly different. Note that I am opining about this based on having been treated such for the past 10 years. Note also, that I have met the nicest and helpful Malays from these same 10 years as well.

No one ethnic group is not guilty of the acts, thoughts, or speech of what they are being accused of by another group.

The problem with Malaysian society today, and yes I mean Malaysian and not Malay, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians and ‘dan lain-lain’, is that any one group consistently and stubbornly claims racial and cultural superiority or even ancestral superiority over another group. Until that stops – which the writer’s article clearly hasn’t – we will continue this tussle as has been evidenced by the fact that we are still gripped in the same issues of race-relations that have plagued us since the 1940s and even before then.

Might I suggest that the writer perhaps get off his saddle for a bit – I think his horse needs to be watered.