This Year’s Ramadhan was Difficult for Malaysians
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri from Malaysia, stratsea.com.
The past few months have been terrible for Muslims all over the world, as they watched helplessly at the genocide and violence faced by fellow Muslims in Palestine, Syria, and Yemen, for example.
At the time of writing, Iran had just hit back at Israel in defence after its consulate was bombed in Syria, which saw 12 people killed. Israel’s war on Gaza just seems to expand bigger with each passing day.
Meanwhile, in Malaysia, identity politics have intensified. Socks bearing the name of Allah have caught the ire of Muslims, which saw a couple of the supermarket franchise, KK Mart, attacked with Molotov cocktails. Shoes that some people saw seemingly had “Allah” stamped on their soles have been taken off the market, despite calligraphy experts saying that there was hardly any resemblance to the word Allah.
Even an Opposition politician, Bersatu Youth Chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said in a post on X that Muslims should not be so paranoid as to think that everything is an act to challenge Islam.
Indeed, this year’s holy month of Ramadhan kept all of us in Malaysia on our toes.
Malaysia has in a month become a paranoid state, with non-Muslims preferring to discuss sensitive issues in private. It is the same for moderate Muslims, except that the conversation is often led by angry nationalists. The question that begs to be asked would be this: are we being overly paranoid or is our anger justified?
The “war” against non-Muslims have long been drawn, but this time around, it has become more volatile.
A Shift in the Region’s Identity Politics
Being Malay in the past decade has become even more urgent for many Malay-Muslims who feel that they truly are at siege. Israel’s war on Gaza, the way Muslims are being treated by India’s right-wing Modi government and the cultural genocide happening to Uighur Muslims have further impressed upon them that yes, Islam and Muslims are endangered, and that its people must defend the faith through any means.
As previously argued, the Malay identity supersedes almost everything else in our country – Malayness is about Malaysia’s politics, religion, governance and business.
In a significant display of cultural assertion amidst the political milieu, members of parliament from the Malay-majority provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani in southern Thailand made a striking statement during a national parliamentary session on 4 April 2024. They chose to attire themselves in the traditional Baju Melayu, symbolizing a nuanced shift in the dynamics of identity politics within the region.
This unprecedented move resonates deeply within the political landscape of Thailand, especially considering the historical emphasis on adherence to Thai identity codes, as introduced by former Prime Minister Phibun Songkhram in 1941.
This step by the seven parliamentarians aligns with their efforts to support the revitalization of Malay identity among the local community in Patani, a cause that has long been championed by grassroots movements.
Kamolsak Liwamo, a Member of Parliament representing the Narathiwat constituency, emphasized that the decision to wear the Baju Melayu during the final days of Ramadan was aimed at reshaping the government and security forces’ perceptions regarding its association with separatist activities. He is also the Chair of the Parliament’s Committee on Law, Justice, and Human Rights.
“We aim to clarify to the authorities, particularly the military and police, that wearing the Baju Melayu is a common practice within the Malay community and does not entail separatist elements,” asserted Kamolsak.
This trend coincides with efforts towards peaceful dialogue in southern Thailand between separatist factions and the Thai government, which are driven by three key factors. Firstly, the government’s willingness to facilitate the re-emergence of Malay identity. Secondly, the readiness, especially among the youth, to shape the future of Patani in the background of the peace talks. Thirdly, the concerted efforts to strengthen Malay identity, supported by various stakeholders including youth activists, NGOs, religious leaders and local political figures.
However, Dr. Ahmad Omar Chapakia, Deputy Rector of Fatoni University in Thailand, while welcoming this trend, cautioned that it should be approached with care to ensure that the surge in Malay nationalism does not impede ongoing peace processes or exacerbate sensitivities within the country.
“This is a positive development, as Malay identity previously existed under a subtext, but when the government allows an open space to manifest Malay identity, it is a significant step forward for the promotion of Malay identity,” stated Dr. Ahmad.
“However, we must pay attention to this trend because if left unchecked, it may become excessive, and I believe it is the role of politicians to ensure that this trend does not become exaggerated to the point of causing additional issues.”
The Gaza Question Lingers
On the other hand, Israel’s war on Gaza has raised temperatures among Malay-Muslims. Historically, Malaysia and its leadership has always been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. This was especially true during Mahathir’s first premiership where he consistently expressed strident criticism against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. This sentiment is shared across both political leadership and the Malay-Muslim public.
Over the decades, the Malay-Muslim society expressed solidarity through rallies, aid and boycotts that flared up every time Israel conducted a major attack on Palestinians. This time around, this sentiment has sustained for longer due to Israel’s extended military operation in Gaza. Malay-Muslims have dug their heels deeper into the boycotts, affecting both McDonalds and Starbucks’ Malaysia’s revenue so much that it pressured both companies to appeal to Malay-Muslim consumers to stop the boycotts. Malays have also taken to shaming and denigrating other Malay-Muslims or non-Muslims who are not seen to be boycotting.
The intensity of this sentiment did not intensify in a vacuum. Since the fall of the Barisan Nasional government in 2018, Malay anxieties and fears have been incited by right-wing groups. This had led to increasingly tense relationships between Muslim and non-Muslims, based on perceived attacks towards Malay political hegemony and the sanctity of Islam. This is the backdrop that further intensifies Malay-Muslim sentiments during Israel’s war on Gaza this time around, with parallels drawn between the plight of Palestinians and the possible downtrodden future of the Malay society.
Conclusion
We all live in our bubbles, especially so when we live in Southeast Asia, far away from Gaza, Sudan and Congo, where atrocities are a daily fact of life. However, the implications of events in these far-off lands will impact us as Muslims and citizens of the countries in this region. The recent Iranian retaliation has far-reaching effects to our region, including Indonesia. In fact, all of the aforementioned controversies do.
The intensification of the Malay-Muslim community’s sentiments towards global issues affecting the Ummah has forced the government to respond to these sentiments, sometimes in unproductive ways. A recent example: the Malaysian government’s response to the community flare-up towards the KK Mart socks issue has been incredibly lukewarm.
Little has been done to rectify or moderate ties between Malaysian Muslims and non-Muslims, at the perceived cost of losing electoral support among the Malays. This is, in effect, a government held hostage by a growing far-right movement. Too afraid of moving to the middle, lest they be seen as non-committal to the Malay-Muslim cause.
If this is how the government reacts to domestic issues, it raises concern to how they may react to important issues in the region. We must be careful that the above agendas are not co-opted by parties that may misuse the cause.
