The definition of Malay as a race in the constitution and hence the national economic policy has been and still is the fundamental source of racial discrimination. In fact, in the way it is practiced, it is now a religious discrimination. We all know this is politics at its worst in this country. It may be about time that this explicit discrimination is removed from our national psyche.
It therefore gave me great joy to read this letter to the editor in the New Straits Times last week. For once, I feel that at last the NEP has produced enlightenment which can really be a light of hope for this nation of ours. I therefore copied that the letter below for you to read for yourself.
What It Means To Be Malay
by Dr. Sabariah Mohamed Salleh
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
Bangi, Selangor
10 February 2017
"According to Article 160 of the Constitution, a Malay is
defined as someone who professes to be a Muslim, habitually speaks Malay and adheres
to Malay customs. Therefore, I am constitutionally defined as a Malay.
However,
this does not erase the fact that my paternal grandfather, Pateh Akhir, was of
Bugis descent and my maternal grandfather, Abu Bakar, was of Thai descent.
To
me, culture and cultural identity are interesting topics. When discussing
cultural identity, people often look at a person’s history, ancestry and
clothing as identifying markers.
I remember sitting in my visual culture
seminar, when I was doing my PhD in Vienna, Austria, when my lecturer,
Professor Filitz, asked me: “What makes you a Malay?”
Confidently, I said I
spoke Bahasa Malaysia, wore baju kurung and celebrated Eid.
He said: “Does this
mean, by sitting here in my class, wearing a pair of jeans and Adidas sneakers,
and speaking in English, you are not a Malay?”
I was stumped. Growing up, I had
always assumed that cultural denominators, like clothes and language, were
elements that made us culturally distinct.
To me, the basis of culture is made
up of differences because we are assigned in a system that categorises us in
groups, as exemplified by the racial categorisation that we adhere to when
filling in forms and answering demographic questions.
According to Filitz, this
made me an essentialist. He said I had a utopian idea of what a Malay should be
like, and that I had failed to realise that culture was constantly evolving.
How was I sure that the concept of Malayness that I practised and believed in
was the original Malay culture practised centuries ago?
“How can you put
culture in a box?” Filitz said.
That made me question myself. When getting
dressed for work, I prefer suits than baju kurung.
I express myself better in
English. I am not well versed with the names of Malay kuih. Does that make me
less Malay?
Scholar Anthony Giddens said globalisation played a big role in how
cultures were practised. He said new technologies and developments had
encouraged people to venture out of their comfort zones to travel or immigrate.
This increase in mobility makes it possible for cultural activities to be
practised anywhere and for people to know cultures from around the world.
Interestingly, nowadays, people do not have to travel to experience other
cultures.
The Internet and advanced technology have enabled people to offer
recommendations for French cuisine in Paris, despite not being there.
One can
learn how to speak Korean from YouTube videos or experience Bhutan through an
Instagram account.
This virtual movement provides choices as to how people
could construct their cultural identity.
These options enable people to pick
any style or personality they want and mix and match it to construct their
identity.
So, would it be possible for people to claim that they are purebred
Malays, Chinese and Indians?
I believe that cultural identity is immeasurable.
For instance, no particular sect of Malay — Javanese, Bugis and Boyan— is more
superior than the other.
My limited knowledge of Malay syair or penchant for
hot mocha and dim sum should not be a reflection of my level of Malayness.
Stuart Hall aptly said cultural identity was fluid and constantly changing.
Thus, as an individual, I can choose to adapt, change or omit any cultural
element to construct my own cultural identity."
