Introduction

Recently, Malaysian concert-goers were left disappointed when they came to witness their favorite band perform but received an unexpected lecture laden with profanities instead.

The white savior rant by Matty Healy, the lead singer for The 1975, attempted to espouse lofty values such as human rights, inclusivity, and respect for all. But in doing so, he breached their performance contract, deliberately disregarded the law, showed no concern for their fans and gravely disrespected Malaysians in many aspects.

Ironically, Healy has had a history of making offensive remarks about women and people of other races. For example, when he was a guest host in the podcast “The Adam Friedland Show”, Healy called Ice Spice, an American female rapper, “dumb”.

Later in the episode, Healy joined the hosts to mimic a Japanese accent and acted how it would be like working as a Japanese in concentration camps. The episode that has caused an uproar among listeners and was subsequently removed.

In addition, Healy has also angered Muslim communities in other countries such as the United Arab Emirates for similar acts done in Malaysia.

The Imposition of a Singular Worldview

Looking at his previous behavior, should we really be surprised by the irresponsible actions of a man who appears to enjoy provoking people on sensitive issues and exhibits symptoms of white supremacy? The more important question is, what drives such misbehavior?

The fundamental problem lies in the popular belief that only one worldview is deemed legitimate.

Ironically, the enforcement of “universal” human rights operates on the premise that it should not be questioned, which results in the neglect of other moral and cultural values different from the dominant worldview.

This conception of rights is being actively promoted by certain powerful countries, such as former colonial masters, that have a different worldview, who therefore feel entitled to dictate what the entire world should believe in and practice.

Healy’s stunt was an attempt to “educate” Malaysians and the Government that he knew better, his way of life is superior – therefore others who do not follow suit are automatically in the wrong.

Although Britain has officially ended their legacy of colonialism, the spirit of white supremacy is very much alive and continues to be practiced. Post-colonial theorists’ have elaborated on the colonialist production of knowledge, whereby Ania Loomba said “It included a clash with and a marginalization of the knowledge and belief systems of those who were conquered.”

Vinay Lal added that non-Western conceptions of knowledge are often dismissed as being in conflict with the “accepted” notions of the dominant West: the problem of knowledge – the manner in which it is embedded in systems of thought that have monopolized our capacity to comprehend the world, narrowed our options of resistance, assaulted the dignity of particular histories and cultures, demeaned the faculties of the imagination, and compromised the futures of people around the world – will haunt us in the 21^st century.

Edward Said, Frantz Fanon and Syed Hussein Al-Attas also elaborated that anything falling within the Western framework is deemed to be valid and legitimate, and all else is generally brushed aside as primitive, regressive, irrational, superstitious, extreme, and various other negative categorizations. The dominant Western narrative on “modernity” usually does not take heed of diversity of cultural values, which is used to legitimize the creation of boundaries and justify the exploitation of others.

In addition, scholars who have studied Islamophobia describe this common phenomenon as a discriminatory practice against what is perceived as “civilizational backwardness” which is “amplified and strengthened by the constant humiliation of Muslims and Muslim lifestyle in the media and social media in Muslim countries.”

False Heroism

Here, the act of The 1975 went beyond the humiliation of Muslims to include gross disregard for local norms and blatant disrespect of all Malaysians regardless of races or religions.

As Malaysians with own belief system, we need to be weary when faced with attempts to erase our cultural, ethical and moral values for a worldview deemed more superior. The political stunt that Healy pulled may have been done under the pretext of freedom of expression, but his purpose and act were not aligned with the true meaning of freedom.

Syed Muhammad Naquib Al-Attas offers his take on what true freedom means: “Freedom is to act as one’s real and true nature demands – that is, as one’s haqq and one’s fitrah demands – and so only the exercise of that choice of which is good can properly be called ‘free choice’. A choice for the better is therefore an act of freedom and it is also known as an act of justice (‘adl) done to oneself.”

In the Malaysian context, the conception of freedom should be to achieve justice and the framework of human rights should be based on the similarities of cultural, ethical, and moral values that exist between and practiced by the different races in this country. All religions espouse values and virtues such as honesty, respecting others, upholding justice, equality among people and many more.

Healy’s actions certainly did not result in justice or benefit of any kind to anyone. In fact, he has caused more tension and discord by amplifying perceptions that “they” are not compatible with “us”. The Malaysian stage only served as a platform for grandeur acts of “heroism” when in fact, it is indicative of his state of mind that is far from being truly inclusive of belief systems different to his own. Therefore, we must refrain from falling into these traps and avoid blindly adopting a way of life that may not be aligned with our worldview because what we believe is legitimate, too.

Socio-political developments in the Nusantara region have again accentuated issues surrounding race and/or religion in their respective societies. Recent and forthcoming events in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore highlight tensions between different segments of society, which may have newer implications on social cohesion.

stratsea.com, in partnership with PAKAR and SeRVE Indonesia, will host a webinar to discuss the contemporary concerns of Malay/Muslim communities today – taking into account latest developments centering around Malaysia’s 15^th General Election (GE15) and Indonesia’s General Election 2024 (Pemilihan Umum – Pemilu 2024), as well as the repeal of Section 377A in Singapore. It will discuss the perspectives of Malay/Muslim communities, political and religious authorities, and civil society in these events. It will also explore ways the Malay/Muslim communities can contribute to wider social cohesion in their respective multicultural contexts into the future.

Webinar Details:

Date: Tuesday, 31 January 2023

Time: 1400 hrs – 1530 hrs (Indonesia) or 1500 hrs – 1630 hrs (Malaysia and Singapore)

Speakers:  Prof. Dr. Hamdi Muluk (UI), Dr. Hew Wai Weng (UKM), Dr. Walid Jumblatt Abdullah (NTU)

Moderator: Ms. Nur Diyanah Anwar (NIE/CENS, RSIS)

Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82766039946?pwd=ME5oQ083RTF0MzVscFB0NkxDRmJvZz09

Meeting ID: 827 6603 9946

Passcode: PSS2023

With the current political instability and not spared from recent geopolitical developments such as the Ukraine-Russia war, how does Malaysia continue to maintain racial and religious harmony? In this on-going series, Hafiz Hassim interviews Malaysian Members of Parliaments to gain insights into such a feat and what could lie ahead for Malaysia.

Introduction

In the first article of this series, YB Dato’ Wira Haji Amiruddin bin Haji Hamzah shares his insights on maintaining racial and religious harmony in his constituency, state and federal levels. YB Dato’ Wira Haji Amiruddin bin Haji Hamzah is currently a Member of Parliament for Kubang Pasu. He had previously served as Deputy Minister of Finance from July 2018 to February 2020.

Insights from YB Dato’ Wira Haji Amiruddin bin Haji Hamzah

With the recent political uncertainties and politicking, Dato’, what are your thoughts on their potential impacts to race relations in Malaysia?

Currently, race relations in Malaysia are quite good. Indeed, the existence of political uncertainties has impacted racial harmony in Malaysia. This is due to the endless game of political chess which causes the instability of the country’s political climate. Such instability affects race relations in the country.

A stable government is required to implement policies that are effective and comprehensive for the people. However, as we have seen, the three changes in administration in a short period with none of which has served a full term, is not only evident of political instability at the central level but also the uncertain directions of the country’s administration. This was seen from the Pakatan Harapan government switching to Perikatan Nasional helmed by Muhyiddin, and subsequently changing to one led by Ismail Sabri today. This affects the country’s vision as there is now no policy that is strong enough to lead the people and instil confidence to face current challenges. For example, what we are feeling today in this post-pandemic phase.

With an unsettled economy, rising cost of living, and with many left unemployed, racist sentiments can easily take root. In other words, the welfare of the people that is not protected due to political uncertainty of the government is a factor affecting racial relations today. 

Do you think racial issues in Malaysia is simply a political tool used by politicians or political parties, or do you think the issues go beyond being a tool?

There are many factors we need to understand. First, the historical context of the formation of races especially in Western or Peninsular Malaysia where racist sentiments can easily take shape. This formation was based on British colonial policies. To confound matters, political parties in Malaysia are formed to protect the interests of specific races. Therefore, like it or not, a political party must be seen to champion a specific racial identity to be perceived as relevant in the current political context.

However, it is not necessarily wrong when a party looks after the interests of a specific race. If we look at the NEP which was the national economic policy in the era of Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, it was well intended to increase the equity of poor Malays who were affected by the divide-and-rule policy of the British. The increase in equity through NEP enables the Malays to increase their social mobility and subsequently working together with other races to further prosper Malaysia’s economy.

It becomes a problem when racial sentiments are exploited to safeguard political interests instead of safeguarding the people’s and to cover up corruptions.

Shifting to your constituency, could you describe Kubang Pasu and how you manage racial harmony there?

The majority of Kubang Pasu are Malays, roughly 85%. The remaining mainly entails Chinese and Indians with a small population of Siamese. I always keep abreast with racial issues by regularly connecting with community leaders of each race.

During the Movement Control Order, I used this approach of connecting with community leaders to better understand issues. Aid was also easily distributed because these community leaders have closer ties with their communities. So, they are better suited to understand their communities’ situation. I also facilitate direct distributions to them. I am also an Anak Bukit Assemblyman. In this capacity, I have a personal advisor representing the Tiong Hua community in Anak Bukit.

At the state level, there were past racial and religious issues in Kedah. For instance, the demolition of a Hindu temple as directed by the state government. What is your take on handling such sensitive issues?   

Such issues related to race and religion should be addressed via negotiations. The issue concerning this temple is extremely sensitive. If not handled properly, it can create tensions. What can be done, if there is an overlap between the government and a particular religious community, the parties involved should come together in negotiations to discuss the issue as well as seek a solution in reaching mutual agreement. This is the earliest step that should be implemented to avoid any tensions before other measures are taken by the state government in accordance with the law provided.

Dato’, how do you see the future of race relations in Malaysia and what are the most critical actions that must be taken by the people and the government to strengthen national unity?

The government should strive to implement a comprehensive policy. In a post-pandemic situation, the country’s economy is still volatile and the welfare of the people is not defended. In this regard, the people need a stable government as opposed to instability due to political squabbles.

The most important factor is to expand the country’s economic pie so that economic distribution can be implemented more widely to the marginalized. As I mentioned a moment ago, the NEP, for example, has a good objective which is to further expand the country’s economic pie, in addition to helping the underprivileged, namely the Malays at that time. With the expansion of the economic pie and the implementation of strong economic policies, fates of the people especially the underprivileged can be protected. Those who benefit from this can improve their socio-economic status, and in turn contributing to the country to further develop the country’s economic pie. Indirectly, this can also reduce inter-racial tensions and conflicts in our country.

Amin Mubarak contributed to the writing of this article.