Islam in Southeast Asia: Political, Social and Strategic Challenges for the 21st Century

9. ISLAMIZATION, CIVIL SOCIETY, AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN MALAYSIA

162 162 Peter G. Riddell 9 ISLAMIZATION, CIVIL SOCIETY, AND RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN MALAYSIA Peter G. Riddell INTRODUCTION The last three decades of the twentieth century witnessed a fundamental shift in Islamic politics in Malaysia. Islamic resurgence throughout society produced a discernible response at the level of the state directed towards conscious and concerted Islamization through the organs of state. This went hand in hand with a power struggle between the main Muslim political actors in Malaysia. This intra-Muslim struggle concerning the shape of Islamization in Malaysia has had a series of dramatic knock-on effects on religious minority communities in that country. In this chapter the impact of Islamization in Malaysia, with particular reference to religious minorities will be considered. The various themes addressed will be seen through the eyes of the minorities, as it were. PERCEPTIONS OF ISLAMIZATION THROUGH NON-MUSLIM EYES What are the hallmarks of Malaysian Islamization according to the perception of the religious minorities? Several features are key. 162 09 Islam Pt II_Ch 9 4/2/05, 10:40 AM 162 163 Islamization, Civil Society, and Religious Minorities in Malaysia 163 1. Demographics Recent decades have witnessed verifiable demographic changes in Malaysia which are significant to the Islamization process from the perspective of the religious minorities. The national census taken in the year 2000 showed that the Muslim proportion of Malaysia’s population had increased from 58.6 per cent to 60.4 per cent over a ten-year period.1 The Muslim percentage had been counted as 53 per cent according to the 1980 census,2 so there had been a rise of 7 per cent in 20 years. In 2000 figures for other religions stood at 19.2 per cent for Buddhism, a significant reduction from the 28 per cent recorded in the census of 1970; 9.1 per cent for Christianity, up from 6.4 per cent in 1980;3 and 6.3 per cent for Hinduism, down from 7 per cent in 1980.4 Though conversion to Islam accounted for some of this change,5 a greater cause was the changing ethnic composition of Malaysia’s population. The 2000 census recorded that Bumiputera — Malays and indigenous tribes in Sarawak and Sabah — constituted 65.1 per cent of the population, up by 4.5 per cent in 10 years, while Chinese represented 26 per cent, down from 28.1 per cent in 1990 and 37 per cent in 1957. As the vast majority of the Bumiputera are Muslim, and the majority of the Chinese are non-Muslims, especially Buddhists, such changes in ethnic composition of the population had a telling effect on the religious mosaic of Malaysia. 2. Statements by Political Leaders While the society around the religious minorities is perceived to be becoming more Islamic through demographic changes, another factor which adds fuel to this perception relates to a changing emphasis in statements made by political leaders. Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaya (1957–63) and of Malaysia (1963–70), made the following statement in Parliament in May 1958: “I would like to make it clear that this country is not an Islamic State as it is generally understood; we merely provide that Islam shall be the official religion of the State.”6 He was rejecting a statement by Dato’ Haji Yahya bin Haji Wan Mohamed in Parliament that “We have been officially recognised as an Islamic State.”7 On another occasion Tunku Abdul Rahman affirmed his opposition to the concept of an Islamic state for Malaysia in the following terms: “There is no way we should have an Islamic State here … we cannot force the non-Malays and non-Muslims to follow our way of life. Our 09 Islam Pt II_Ch 9 4/2/05, 10:40 AM 163 164 164 Peter G. Riddell slogan ‘live and let live’ must be maintained because it is the only practical solution in a multi-racial society like ours.”8 However, in October 2001 Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister from 1981-2003, declared Malaysia was already an Islamic state, and that the kind of constitutional change called for by the opposition Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) was not necessary.9 In mid-June 2002, Dr. Mahathir affirmed his earlier statement, adding that Malaysia was “an Islamic fundamentalist state” because his Barisan Nasional government adhered to the fundamental teachings of Islam.10 These statements were essentially reactive, as...