"I did not know what to make of this people. Their carelessness seemed to me a matter for both admiration and contempt. But I always regretted the Malays of my imagination...And I had found only this little placid and polite men. They had destroyed my illusion..."
The Soul of Malaya by Henri Fauconnier
I was taken aback when reading about the Malays described by Fauconnier, a French who lived in Malaya in the midst of 20th century. It feels like watching me in a movie, because the Malay blood runs deep in my vein. Fauconnier’s portrayal shows that Malays is a complex ethnic group, with virtues that is difficult to comprehend. Despite these qualities, I felt that it is remarkable that we managed to attain independence at all. Like other post-independence Malay, I am always critical of my people’s characteristics. But the fact that it was attained without bloodshed is obviously no mystery. A typical Malay characteristic is dominated by pride, humility and most importantly, both are laced with fierce loyalty. These virtues are of course admirable, but when it is manifested in the form of blind acceptance, it was the reason for our ancestors’ downfall in the anal of history. The legend of Hang Tuah who killed his best friend because he revolted against the King’s tyranny, is a true example. Hang Tuah’s loyalty made him a legend, while his best friend was demonized, despite his empathy for the people. It took the Malays more than six hundred years to openly admit that Hang Tuah’s loyalty was unfortunately misplaced.
Malays today reside mainly in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. In pre-British hegemony, these Malays were one and the same people, albeit under different kings that are related with one another. Presently, the Singaporean and Malaysian Malays are still very similar. Their only difference is the political demarcation. But again, it is amazing how centuries of similarity are gradually wiped out by political differences. Recently I was in Singapore. The land remained the same and is as beautiful as ever, today and as been told in our history. I love the smell of the air and the color of the rain in Singapore, as I do in Malaysia. Although a true Malaysian in breath and spirit, I was born in Singapore. A family wedding gathered all of us in the two countries. Ties are still strong between the Malays of Malaysia and Singapore, but there is where it ends.
To my observation, Singaporean Malays remain true to ethnic values…that is, if Malay-ness is to be measured solely by its traditional virtues. A Malay wedding is comically held under apartment buildings, which happens to be the same space shared by Chinese funeral procession. If there is a death, the wedding is postponed. The Malay’s exemplary obedience and civility is legendary. Either driven by the fact that they are today outnumbered by other ethnics in their ancestral land, or just fierce loyalty to leadership, Singaporean Malays are embracing their life sans questions. It is these Malay traditional virtues that the Singaporean government can count on, to enable the building of a true Singapore nation, aspired by their post-independence ruling party.
The extent of Malay loyalty goes all the way to deserting the evolution of the Malay language. It is amusing to have a conversation with Singaporean Malays, because it reminisce the pre-independent Malay movies, scripted mostly by Indonesian-educated Malays those days. The thick Indonesian flavor and the apparent grammatical chaos in the language makes you feel transported to the old days, where Malay language is primitive in its own class. Third and fourth generation Singaporean Malays are fluent in English and some, in Mandarin, because these are the country’s official languages. It is understandable how tough it is to have the time and space to develop the Malay language there, when they have to focus in keeping up with their peers in many areas especially education, employment and general livelihood. Now compounding this loyalty is the fact that the new generations of Malays in Singapore are not even officially classified as “Malay”. Their willingness to please their leadership goes all the way to shedding their ethnic group for the future generation. All my nephews and nieces are classified as “Arab”, “Indian-Muslim”, “Bawean”, Jawa and the list goes on. For those unfamiliar with these ethnicities, suffice to say, except for Arab and Indian-Muslim, the rest are the various sub-group in the Malay Archipelago. That loyalty is fully compensated by the Singaporean government, by providing them with a peaceful and almost monotonous life. But again, who are we to question that? It is their life and they are content with it. Most skilled labors are filled by the Malays, while the non-skilled are imported from Indonesia, Philippines or Bangladesh. Professional workforce however, is dominated by other ethnic groups and by imported ex-patriot group from America and Europe. There should never be any doubt about justice and equality because all societal positions are based on merit and of course, empathy. Singaporeans are indoctrinated into believing that they are superior than their neighboring countries.
Regardless where they stand in their own society, that feeling of superiority is cascaded all the way to the dwellers of the lowest strata in the economy. Being a Singaporean means giving up your life to be managed by the government, like education, employment, savings, even housing and etc. It is believed that is the motivation behind the ferocious contentment of the Malays in Singapore. That has set them off to be oblivious to the global evolution and competition today. Their focus is fixed to surviving day to day and from one generation to the next, even if it means sacrificing their own identity.
While the legend of Hang Tuah is being re-written in the minds of most Malays in other parts of the world, it seems to have found its eternal “home” in Singapore. Malays in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia are going through an evolution with their focus directed to global achievement and excellence. No where can that be felt stronger than in Malaysia, where all levels of Malays are embracing pride, humility and loyalty in a new and unique way. The first Malay man walked the moon this year, signifying more scientific advancement to come in the country. Malaysian global companies are made up of mixtures of Malay-dominated corporations and Chinese-dominated conglomerates, standing proudly side-by-side taking the world by storm. Fortunately loyalty to Malaysia is not at the cost of having to shed ethnic skin and beliefs. The Malays are truly Malaysian, the Chinese are very Malaysian and the Indians are genuinely Malaysian.
How can the same people turn out to be so dissimilar in the two countries? Perhaps it’s the different values brought by each government in managing its own country. Perhaps also it could have been the complexity of the Malay values that has caused them to be as they are, both in Singapore and Malaysia. Attempting to identify and point to a single cause, will risk accusations of insensitivity in this “neighborly” region. Whatever the underlying reasons are, as long as there is contentment and peace and as long as it works for each country, I guess its acceptance, no matter how misplaced it is to one’s eyes, should not be argued. After all, it is we who decide our own destiny…
