The government should have realized by now. To coalesce with the PAS, the Malays and Islamic religion become dominant. Both leaders, the UMNO and PAS should put out political differences that have been so long embedded in their political battle. The common denominators can be the groundwork for the UMNO and PAS inventing the new government.
The UMNO and PAS members came from the same source. They are Malays, and they preach Islam and share the same culture. They are the earlier settlers of the country. They are the indigenous. However, in term of politics, they are different. The UMNO believes in moderate Islamic concept whereas PAS believes in the Islamic system of politics. The UMNO won the first election in 1955 and PAS remains itself as the opposition up until today. If both parties were teamed up together, Malaysia could have the biggest Malay party in the nation.
It is more than five decades, the UMNO and its allies the MCA and the MIC have been ruling the country under the coalition party, the Barisan Nasional. Today the coalition looks fragile. The Chinese and Indians were perturbed by the concept of “Malay hegemony” propagated by the UMNO. The 13th general election marked the coalition becomes unpopular among the Chinese and Indian voters.
The coalition just gets a simple majority to form a government. This indicates that taking arbitrary power pertaining to public order is less viable. For this reason also just after the collision form the government, the Chinese and Indians led off to question many things regarding the Malay privileges, Islam as an official religion of the nation, home language, mocking the King and the Sultan and voicing their dissatisfaction towards the present government as they perceive all citizens in Malaysia including the Chinese and Indian should be obtaining an equal rights. Backing up by the Chinese opposition party, the DAP and the splinter group of UMNO led by Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of PAKATAN RAKYAT, including the PAS, the Chinese and Indians extremists had grown daring enough to dispute the constitution.
The UMNO and PAS leaders should have realized by now, the racial tug of war involved both parties, and it may disintegrate the Malays and Islam. The Malay leaders retaliated to the demand of the Chinese and Indian to repeal the seditious acts. Without the act, they perceived, the Chinese and Indians will continue to admonish the government. The government looks very exhausted; the resentful Malays grew bigger and stronger. The Malay movements back up by PERKASA demands the government to be serious on issues pertaining to the Malay rights.
The PERKASA head of youth wing, Irwan Fahmi Ideris made a shocking statement insisting Najib to resign as the Prime Minister of Malaysia for his failure to protect the Malay rights. Najib’s concept of 1Malaysia is favorable towards non Bumis (Chinese and Indians) compared to the Malays who suppose to get privileges as protected by the Federal Constitution. PERKASA claimed, in his budget speech, Najib announced millions of Malaysian Ringgit will be expended to upgrade vernacular schools in Malaysia. This implies Najib’s moves are unfavourable towards the growth of religious schools. Najib decision is tantamount to ignoring those Malays who wanted to persue religious studies.
However, Najib has a strong reason of expending the vernacular schools. It is one the government obligation to ensure the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia received equal protection as insured in the Federal constitution.
The concept of “Malay hegemony” means to shake the very foundation of unity in Malaysia. The Chinese and Indians begin to begrudge the government because the NEP has given so much advantages to the Malays. They claimed, the longest policy ever, the NEP causes the Chinese and Indians to suffer discrimination.
Disunity among races makes the government weak. The Chinese and Indians professionals had begun to flock together to pressure the government. They accused the government is racist. They criticised the religious institution, system of education and to the extent of mocking the King and the Sultan. Their vicious criticism caused the government stands to their demand by repealing the Internal Security Act, nevertheless, they do not halt at that crossroads, they demand more as to abolish the seditious act, to no avail the government not just defend the act but streghten it.
In the thick of political upheavals, PERKASA, an organization that protects the Malay interest in which the majority of its members is from UMNO, reacts nonchalantly by attacking the non Bumi for their outright viciousness and the Prime Minister as they perceived is too lenient handling this issue. All the while, PERKASA, a steadfast admirer of the prevailing party, the Barisan Nasional, has gradually drawn out its supports and yet acting independently.
According to PERKASA Youth Wing, Fahmi, Najib’s policy of 1Malaysia concept is pushing aside the importance of Malay previlages and Islam. Najib practices the old style of governing system which was always casting out the indigenous people who are the Malays and their religion is Islam.
The political situation in Malaysia not only becomes complicated, but more complex in nature. The Malays worry of loosing their rights, as though the non-Bumi (Chinese and Indians) have the same variety of perception fearing that they will be a slave in their own land.
Those perceptions, in reality it is not. Comparing the wealth of the Chinese and Indians today with the Chinese and Indians who live 50 years ago, they are better- off. Comparing the Malay today with those Malays who live 50 years ago. The former were good at mannerism and They were well mixed. The Federal constitution does not treat Malaysian citizen on the basis of race and religion.
Since the Malays have many prilivages as mention in the constitution, should they bring back the reminiscent of past. If they could, nobody, particularly the Chinese and Indian will question their privilages. It enshrines in the Federal constitution. The generation of malays particularly the UMNO should have revised their political ideology, no race is greater than the others. Propogating national integration is a wiser move. The Malay should lead the country as what is professed in the constitution of Malaysia. To bring back the malay soverign power, all malay political party should have unite into one mother umbrella. The UMNO and the PAS should lead in a new coallision government.
The UMNO & PAS SHOULD UNITE
Should the UMNO and PAS unite to form a government as to rejuvenate the Malay sovereignty? The UMNO and PAS leaders may and may not accept the coalition government, but both parties believed that the nation is on the brink of racial conflicts. The land will become a republic and bury the Malays and Islam in the chronicle of human kind. For generations, the governing system in Malaysia subjected to the rule that laid down by the Federal constitution which has protected the Malays and Islam. Consider it or not, neither UMNO nor PAS willing to see the Malay and Islamic religion destroy by their own practising. If it is, let us look at the constitution and what are the factors benefiting the PAS and the UMNO that representing a Malay population.Shad Saleem Faruqi wrote;
> The Federal Constitution contained many “indigenous features” of the Malay archipelago, among them the Malay Sultanate, special position of the Malays, Malay language, Islam as the religion of the Federation, Malay reserved land and special weightage for rural constituencies over urban ones for electoral purposes;
> State Constitutions of the nine Malay states contained provisions that the Ruler must be a Malay-Muslim and, subject to the discretion of the Ruler, the Menteri Besar must also be Malay. These provisions were not disturbed by the Federal Constitution;
> In an act of great accommodation, citizenship was offered to all persons of whatever race who were born in the Federation of Malaya. Though these generous “jus soli” provisions were repealed in the 60s, the multi-racial composition of Malaysia is largely the result of the 1957 recognition of the right to citizenship by birth;
> The Reid Commission’s time limit of 15-years on the special position of the Malays was removed. The special position of the Malays was made an integral and entrenched part of the Constitution. But clear provisions were added that existing non-Malay rights will not be extinguished in order to create quotas for Malays.
> Equality of treatment for all races in the service of the Federation was guaranteed by Article 136. It is not well known that Article 153(5) on Malay special position provides that Article 153 does not derogate from the provisions of Article 136;
> Contrary to the Reid proposal, a provision for Islam as the religion of the Federation was inserted. However, there was freedom to all other religious communities to pursue their faiths in peace and harmony. Documents were also exchanged that the addition of Article 3 on Islam will not convert Malaya into a theocratic state;
> Reid proposals on the use of Tamil and Chinese languages were modified. The permission to use Tamil and Chinese in the legislatures was replaced with the provision that these languages could be used for non-official purposes and that their teaching and learning would be allowed;
> Religious, linguistic and cultural pluralism were recognised and given constitutional protection in the chapter on fundamental liberties;
> There was an agreement to share political power. The politics of accommodation that the Alliance ushered in 1955 has provided Malaysia with the world’s longest surviving political coalition;
> The role of the Conference of Rulers was enhanced. In addition to electing the King, the Rulers were empowered to veto some constitutional amendments, to have the right to be consulted on important constitutional appointments and the right to deliberate on matters of national importance.
The feature of the Federal constitution is much favour on the Malay race and Islam. it could take the opposite direction, if the UMNO looses the political power and the Federal constitution ammnded. The Malays and Islam might not easily get privileges in the country, amidst the growing resentful Chinese and Indians. Therefore it is wise if both parties, the UMNO and PAS coalese to form a new government. To do this let us look at both parties’ charecterisctics and aims. UMNO and PAS are the Malay ethnic political parties but persuing different political ideology. Despite their differences, they are all Malays and Muslims and having the same cultural background and religion.
Since the Malays are all Muslims, and the majority of the Malays are in both parties, thus the suitability is there for the parties to combine administration in one coalition government. By doing this, the coalition will always ensure the Malay interests and Islamic religion in the country will be standing on a formidable foundation and if the coallision government is strong, excercing the law and order is easier.
Unfortunately, PAS leaders are not pragmatic calling upon building an Islamic nation of Malaysia. It is not feasible to the notion of other political parties, particularly the MCA and the MIC whose members are neither Malays nor Muslims. The UMNO, on the other hand could not accept PAS’s ambition of forming an Islamic states because Malaysia consists of many races, ethnic society and religious beliefs. The country should be ruled by the party that is pursuing a moderate philosophy of Islam. One of the causes why the UMNO and PAS could not be together is because the idealism of both political leadership is different. The extreme behaviour of PAS and the arrogant behaviour of UMNO, both parties overlooked the verisimilitude that they possess.
On the other hand, The PAS sacrifices its religious principle by coalesce with the opposition parties that resist the idea of forming an Islamic nation.. PAS should have realized by now, neither the DAP nor other Chinese and Indian party is responsible for Islam. the Malays and Islam is growing bigger and stronger because of UMNO’s persistence of vision and consistence in promoting Islamic systems in Malaysia.
The Chinese opposition party in principle rejects the concept of Malay privilege and Islam as an official religion of the country, and yet PAS leaders thought it expedient to be with them. Presumably, the Chinese oppositions took the country’s administration, could they materialize the aforementioned constitution that has given privileges to the Malays and Islam? What advantageous PAS get to be with the party that is having incongruently in beliefs? Islam works with those who only knows and loves Islam. Muslim’s proper preaching and loving other people, whose religion is not Muslim, only can make the disbelievers appreciate Islam.
Today, the relationship between the Malay- Muslim and the Chinese and Indians continued to soar. The Chinese and Indians begin to question the Malay privileges and Islam. It worsens the situation when the PAS takes side by joining the oppositions that are frequently belittle Islam and the Malays. The numbers of Malays who oppose the government increased. It could jeopardize the nation. It was so sad; PAS could not foresee a form of vengeful move would result in the entire deal. PAS leaders realized that their achievement today is part of the toils of those whom they despise most- the UMNO.
PAS should have realized also, the NEP proves a right leverage to uplift the Malay economy and Islam in the country. When the government brought in the NEP, it applies to all Bumiputras indiscriminately including the PAS members. There were plenty of people getting advantageous out of the NEP. Today, the Malays Muslim occupied all the industries, the origination of higher scholarship. They are the lawyers and doctors and religious leaders and teachers. They are the businessmen, bankers and some become a millionaire. PAS IS UNGRRATEFUL
Despite PAS repugnant to the government policy, the policy has succeeded to put the leverage to uplift the Malays at par with other people in developing countries and simultaneously, it opens up the eyes of the Malays to the outside world by allowing technology and world class education to the malays. The Malays is not anymore, becoming like what the western perceived “as human races on the trees.” PAS SHOULD SUBMIT TO UMNO POLICY
The UMNO leaders tirelessly defended the Malay reserve land from being led out by the Chinese and Indians. Eventhough, some human fallcacy occurs around UMNO circles, sucn as corruptions and mismanagement in the government but the policy is still intact and the UMNO leaders who is also the Mministers have been painstakingly cleaning the mess. The UMNO protects Malay language, quota system, Malay education, Islam as official religion of the country, Malay cultural heritage and all other Malay interests. All of this efforts make the Malay race and Islam has firmly established its position for the future. Apparently, in principle the UMNO is fighting for the Malays and Islamic faith. The PAS on the other hand is fighting for the same course. What makes them distinctive in their pursuit, the UMNO is putting more weight on the Malay importance in its struggle, whereas the PAS has a firm desire to establish the Islamic systems in total. Could both parties compromise their core principle for the purpose of forming a coalition government solely to protect the constitution- the Malay and the Islam? Given the secenario of PAS rulling the country, it will do the same not to disobey the Supreme law the malay prviligaes and Islam. So it is unwise, the PAS to a bit compromise its principles and idealism. As though the UMNO submissive to a good behaviour will make the Malay stronger forever.
Source :
Merdeka Online
