Will the Malay Culture Survive the Arabisation in Malaysia?
Firdaus Alam
The recent push for RUU355, the presence of Saudi Arabia and the infamous Zakir Naik has raised many questions on whether the Malay culture, either tangible or intangible, will survive in Malaysia.
Many Malaysians irrespective of their ethnicity, including the Malays themselves from yesteryears, appear to be puzzled as to how the Malay culture that did not lose out its Islamic faith, even if remnants of Hindu and other cultural influence exist in Malay customs, appears to be imbibed with the arabisation of Malays Saudi and Zakir Naik.
Without doubt there has been such distinct infiltration duly supported by the government of Wahhabism promulgated by Saudi and Zakir Nailk in Malaysia amongst the Malays.
Saudi’s role in terrorism needs no introduction. In the past three decades, Saudi regime has spent an estimated 100 billion exporting its extremist interpretation of its Wahhabism worldwide. It infuses its fundamentalist ideology in the ostensible charity work it performs, often targeting Muslim communities in countries or places like refugee camps, where uneducated, indigent, oppressed people are more susceptible to it.
However over the last decade, it finances and promotes media penetration through televangelists like Dr Zakir, targeting vulnerable Muslims to give legitimacy to the its extreme ideology in the name of Islam.
Let me tell you, Malaysia is a classic example because one of the earliest benefactors is Sheikh Hussain Yee, the founder of Al- Khadeem and the famous man who kissed the Sultan of Saudi on his forehead during his visit to Malaysia recently.
I would be digressing if I continue how the process of Arabisation of Malaysia started over 3o years ago to the stage where it is now with the well-coordinated visit of Saudi in Malaysia, Indonesia and Maldives in tune with the travel plans of Zakir Naik.
If you are keen on reading on Saudi’s role as an Arsonist and Firefighter in terrorism and Wahhabism, do feel free to visit https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-islam.html
What the Malays face today in Malaysia is how Wahhabi teaching has undermined the Malays’ culture, pluralism, tolerance and openness to others without losing its Islamic characteristic.
Where is my songkok, my baju Melayu, my kebaya, my baju kurung, my Jawi, my ketupat, my Malay name? It is now where is my kipah (skull cap), my jubah, my Arabic, my dates, my Arabic name?
I fail to understand how my kinsmen, the Malays, are being swayed by Arabisation from strangers from hinterland in the name of Islam when we have never lost the Islamic characteristic living peacefully with our heterogeneous multi- cultural community for centuries.
The RUU355 is nothing but another Arabisation process which has nothing to do with the true teaching and path of Islam. Any true and cultured Malay will understand this but I can only see one Malay group being BEBAS that appears to advocate to reject any form of arabisation to preserve and maintain the Malay adat as it has always been.
Forget the politicians whether they are from BN or opposition as they sway according to where it would maintain their status quo but what about the Malay people collectively who can clearly see further arabisation of Malaysia will only infringe and interfere with what Malay adat is about and distort and destroy the Malay adat that has successfully sustained in Malaysia without losing its characteristic of Islam.
Please stop the Arabisation of Malaysia and preserve the Melayu adat.
If you feel I am wrong in my outlook, please drop me a line at [email protected]
