Chitchat Masagoes - Malay is Indian, new version of Malay culture

[The_Hypocrite]

Yes, just like all blacks are same to me too,,,Caribbean, ah nehs, and africans

So Malay is Indian and Indian is Malay huh. Well that makes sense actually. Brown people all the same to me.

 

[gatehousethetinkertailor]

They are clutching at straws. They seriously trying to make the pig fly. Never seen the Malay community under siege and their leaders completely hapless. And it is not even something that they started.

This is their land and they are the natives and Masagoes spinning that Singapore Malay culture is a special version?? Understandable if it's a migrant community such as the Babas who have to adapt and evolve differently. Same with Singapore Indians and Chinese who are so different from those in India and China.

And he is a cabinet minister.

On balance if he was making such comments outside this EP fiasco it is a legitimate comment as the wave of Wahhabi/puritanical fanaticism has also flowed down into the community here but not so much from KSA directly but from Aceh - you can tell they are the ones under the influence from their white caps and white cloth over their shoulders. They have already started rejecting the kind of practices that are indeed rooted in the Hindu-influences of the Archipelago - again if it were not EP season I would be less cynical of the sincerity around this but I do sense there is a pushback against the Arabisation of local culture under the guise of Islamic practices (without room for cultural divergences) - the same issue is also prevalent in Malaysia*.

(the image here is for illustration purposes on the uniform of this movement)

Bilveer Singh from NUS is quite well-versed in this and as he has a very special role and place in an important community he has been playing a pivotal role in that aspect - yes another non-Malay but he is an authority, more so than the often quoted Dr Rohan Gunaratna from RSS.

*
We are not Arabs

DEC 9 — It is stupid trying to legislate and license religion.

Wasting public funds aside, we are talking about personal choices.

How can you monitor who watches and reads what on the Internet? How are you going to stop people from preaching their faith?

Keeping tabs on your citizens, trying to work out their faith, then persecuting and prosecuting them is unlawful and unconstitutional.

It is better for the government to remove religion from public spheres.

There is this worrying Arabisation trend in Malaysia. People want to talk, dress and behave like Arabs. Schools, for instance, have become places where students are indoctrinated with what is Arabic and what is not. Worse is when they associate Arabic culture with Islam which cannot be further away from the truth.

Putrajaya’s attempt at making Sunni the legal sect in Malaysia is therefore a bad move. The state has no business trying to dictate a citizen’s beliefs and faith.

It is enough that Islam is Malaysia’s official religion without having to specify which sect. We should not try to become another Arab state and choose sides.

At the end of the day, we should not judge people by the religion they follow. Be it Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, there will be those who are good and those who are not. We must judge them by their deeds and not their skin colour, certainly not what they believe in.

It is time our leaders get back to work instead of coming up with ridiculous and fund wasting ideas like these.

This “us” versus “them” attitude must stop if we want to continue down the path of moderation.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.



With Arabisation, whither Malay culture?
by johan jaaffar
You don’t need to be an Arab to be a Muslim, but many seem to be abandoning their customs and traditions.

I HAVE said it many times: as the Malays become more Muslim, they become less Malay. They are discarding almost everything that they perceive as positing “Malayness” and embraced what they believe to be “Islamic.”

In doing so they are losing their real identity by trying to be what they are not. There is a real issue pertaining to identity struggle and contestation among the Malays today. In the name of religion, they are questioning not only how they look but their tradition, even folktales and performing arts.

Islamisation is not about Arabisation. You don’t need to be an Arab to be a Muslim.

But what we are seeing in this country today is the process of Arabisation of the Malays. The Malays have never been as confused in manifesting their true identity as they are now.

Islam is never against the discourse on race. The Quran acknowledges the existence of tribes.

But propagating a notion of one’s race as superior to others is not acceptable. In short, there is nothing with wrong with manifesting one’s race and at the same time professing the religion.

It used to be a lot less complicated back then. The race is Malay, the religion, Islam. Insofar as there is no conflict, race and religion co-exist.

But things have changed significantly over the last few decades. The Islamic movement of the 1970s has pressured the Malays to rethink their culture.

The fault lines were established. It is like telling the world that one needs to “look Muslim” to be one. To “look Muslim” is by imitating the Arabs.

There is a new demand to be “more Muslim”, for example in attire. Gestures, too, matter.

And by being Islamic, one is also judged by the words one uses. It is no more Hari Raya but Eid Mubarak. It is no more Selamat Hari Lahir but Sanah Helwah. The term for the yearly Quran reading competition too has evolved to ensure its purity in Islamic terms: musabaqah, tilawah, ujian.

Perhaps the reading competition itself is an interesting indicator of how Islamisation has evolved in Malaysia. One should read 50 Tahun Tilawah Al-Quran, a book published by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim). It is informative, as well as an eye opener.

The first official national Quran reading competition was started by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister, in 1960. A year later, the first international competition was organised. Interestingly, the venue chosen was Stadium Merdeka, the same venue for Pesta Bola Merdeka.

Two of the most successful qariah (woman readers) were Faridah Mat Saman and Rogayah Sulong, from Kelantan and Terengganu respectively. Faridah won the international competition seven times and Rogayah, four times.

They never wore the hijab while reading. The first qariah wearing a full tudung was a lady from Perak in 1978. The 1970s was the decade when the so-called new Islamic revival and consciousness came to the fore.

Prior to that, Malay women, as manifested in the movies of the 1950s and 1960s wore what they believed suitable for them, simply Malay dress.

I am sure Malay women of my mother’s generation were never less Muslim before they adhered to the new dress code. Perhaps times have changed.

Perhaps Malay women today are comfortable trading off their baju kurung and kebaya for what they believe to be “Muslim dress”.

But again, as pointed out by the Sultan of Johor some time back, the Malays should retain their culture instead of trying to imitate the Arabs. He was concerned that there are those who do not wish to follow Malay customs and traditions.

Historically, Johor leaders have always been in the forefront in arguing for modernisation, tolerance and moderation. The religious education of the state is exemplary in nurturing students who are open-minded yet confidently Malay and Islamic.

Earlier on, the then Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister, Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim, also spoke about the need for the Malays to put a stop to Arabisation of their own culture. “We are not Arabs,” he argued.

Lately the former Information Minister, Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin, in his controversial blog wrote about the danger of Malays unwittingly believing that what is Arab is Islam.

The debate will rage on. Sadly, despite a spirited effort by a few well-meaning and concerned Malay intellectuals, the voice of conservatism is suppressing all discourse of reason.

Religion is an emotive subject. As the result of the tyranny of the silent majority, pleas for reason are little heard these days.

The Malays have adapted well to other cultures, unashamedly embracing traits and characteristics from others. But they have been steadfast in protecting what they believe is their own culture and identity.

But Arabisation, in the name of religion, is changing all that. The entire culture (with a big “C”) is being challenged.

Something definitely is not right: the growing conservatism that comes with it. The Malays have always taken the position that adat (customs and rituals) and agama (religion), insofar as it is not against the teaching of Islam, should supplement each other.

I hope this critical issue was addressed at the Kongres Budaya (Congress on Culture) last Saturday.

Johan Jaaffar was a journalist, editor and for some years chairman of a media company, and is passionate about all things literature and the arts. The views expressed here are entirely his own.

 

[gatehousethetinkertailor]

on a related note:

Zahid Hamidi faces backlash after attacking Mahathir’s racial origin
WorldFuture TVJuly 31, 2017
YB Dato' Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

In a ‘Mahathir is not truly Malay’ campaign, the Malaysian deputy Prime Minister is said to have gone so low in claiming that former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is of Indian origin.

Zahid accused Mahathir of using the Malays and Umno all this while on the “pretence” of championing the Malay agenda.

He brought up Mahathir’s Indian ancestry, saying that the man who had been prime minister for 22 years has a ‘blue IC’ that states that his name is Mahathir anak lelaki (son of) Iskandar Kutty. His IC number is 2232519.

“The National Registration Department (NRD) chief gave me this information,” said Zahid.

Little did Zahid know that the social media will be abuzz with his claim, with some blasting him off for the ‘racial’ attack.

The video below shows Zahid speaking in Malay, attacking Mahathir on his alleged Indian origin and making a point that people who have ‘anak lelaki’ or ‘son of’ in their identity cards are not Malays.

Many among the Mamak group – Indian Muslims – in Malaysia still have ‘son of’ in their identity cards and they are now considered Malays.

The division of Muslims in Malaysia has been an ongoing issue, fought against by those who do not fall under the ‘Malay’ banner.

But many Malays refuses to accept them too, in the ‘Melayu’ contingent.

However, Zahid’s attack against Mahathir drew harsh comments from many opposition followers.

Some calling him ‘betrayer’ and the worst deputy PM that has ever been born in this country.

But most of those who criticised Zahid for his comments on Mahathir said the Deputy PM should look back at his own origins before attacking others for not being ‘Malay’.

Others said since Zahid is of ‘Javanese’ origin – and saying that he praised his Javanese origin on Indonesian television recently – should ask Mahathir and the Indian Muslims for forgiveness.

“If you fail to ask forgiveness, lets all of us join forces and vote against the BN-Umno regime,” says one WhatsApp message circulating in Malaysia.

 

[scroobal]

This is very interesting topic as the pushback began with Mahathir. It was Mahathir that went tough on the emerging fundamentalists. It was also Mahathir that gave the first clue to the yanks on the impeding attack on USS Cole where the planning took place in KL.

Despite the leadership pushback it was the rural and semi qualified imans that began to mimic the Arabs. Your faith and being Arab like became too intertwined and the answer to handle DAP which was gaining ground.

I am however delighted that the Sultan of Johor blasted them

Stop aping Arabs, Johor Sultan tells Malays
Thursday March 24, 2016

Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Sultan Iskandar urges Malays to stop trying to imitate the Arabs and retain the Malay culture. ― Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 ― The Johor Sultan has urged Malays to retain their culture instead of trying to imitate the Arabs, amid growing conservatism among Muslims and adoption of Arabic cultural practices.

Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Sultan Iskandar told English language daily The Star that he preferred using Malay words like “Hari Raya” and “buka puasa” (breaking fast), instead of the respective Arabic terms “Eid al-Fitr” and “iftar”.

“If there are some of you who wish to be an Arab and practise Arab culture, and do not wish to follow our Malay customs and traditions, that is up to you. I also welcome you to live in Saudi Arabia,” Sultan Ibrahim was quoted saying in the interview published today.

“That is your right but I believe there are Malays who are proud of the Malay culture. At least I am real and not a hypocrite and the people of Johor know who their ruler is,” the outspoken ruler added.

The Johor sultan’s remarks come amid the so-called “Arabisation” of Islam in Malaysia, where there is increasing pressure on Muslim women to wear a headscarf and to cover their “aurat”, as well as the growing popularity of Arabic terms and dress like the “jubah”.

Sultan Ibrahim also told The Star that he has shaken women’s hands, even as conservative Muslims frown upon members of the opposite sex shaking hands.

“Why must I change? You do not have to be fanatic. If they (women) are not sure, I ask if they want to shake my hands. If they do not want to shake my hands, there is no problem,” he was quoted saying.

The ruler also criticised the Batu Pahat Public Works Department (JKR) for putting up a notice that warned Muslim women that they would be hung by their hair in hell if they did not cover up.

State Public Works, Rural and Regional Development committee chairman Datuk Hasni Mohammad reportedly said the notice would be taken down.

“Since when is JKR, whether at state or district level, being put in charge of religious matters? Their main job is to make sure the roads are properly maintained and not worry about women’s hair,” Sultan Ibrahim was quoted saying.

“It is not the business of government departments to worry about people’s dressing. Just do what you are paid to do and mind your own business,” he added.


Read more at http://www.themalaymailonline.com/m...johor-sultan-tells-malays#VFpbq95IYA4L58vW.99

On balance if he was making such comments outside this EP fiasco it is a legitimate comment as the wave of Wahhabi/puritanical fanaticism has also flowed down into the community here but not so much from KSA directly but from Aceh - you can tell they are the ones under the influence from their white caps and white cloth over their shoulders. They have already started rejecting the kind of practices that are indeed rooted in the Hindu-influences of the Archipelago - again if it were not EP season I would be less cynical of the sincerity around this but I do sense there is a pushback against the Arabisation of local culture under the guise of Islamic practices (without room for cultural divergences) - the same issue is also prevalent in Malaysia*.

(the image here is for illustration purposes on the uniform of this movement)

Bilveer Singh from NUS is quite well-versed in this and as he has a very special role and place in an important community he has been playing a pivotal role in that aspect - yes another non-Malay but he is an authority, more so than the often quoted Dr Rohan Gunaratna from RSS.

.

 

[scroobal]

As to Singapore, like all Muslims the World around, they too got sucked into the vortex. It difficult how we can bring back the Malays from the margins of mainstream Singapore society.

Masagoes' goatee is not there for nothing. He too cannot fight it. Add to that PAP wonderful idea of containing one man - Tan Cheng Bock. I can only say that we are looking at a proper where our PM is concerned.