Malaysia: Abdullah Does It His Own Vague Way

Southeast Asian Affairs 2007 MALAYSIA Abdullah Does It His Own Vague Way Ooi Kee Beng The ethnic diversity in Malaysia makes politics an endless balancing act that is reflected in the public sphere as an endless series of controversies and crises. This was certainly true of 2006, Abdullah Badawi's third year as prime minister. The long-term effects of Mahathir's 22 years in power had by now become more and more undeniable, and put to the test the ability of his successor to control the excesses of that period. The constitutional right to worship freely also became a pressing issue throughout the year, alongside heated debates about the affirmative action programmes — the New Economic Policy (NEP) — and the methods used to monitor them. Reforms to fight corruption and wastage were pushed to the back seat by events that aggravated inter-ethnic and inter-faith relations, and threatened to damage the already dented image of the dominant party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). On 6 June 2006, former premier Mahathir Mohamad finally decided to vent his frustration over government policies by attacking Abdullah Badawi himself. This occurred soon after the latter cancelled the Johor Bahru-Singapore "halfbridge " project. The country witnessed half a year of confusing accusations being hurled at Abdullah Badawi, with the situation calming down only after Mahathir suffered a mild heart attack in November. Where foreign relations are concerned, Abdullah Badawi's administration was able to improve matters substantially immediately on coming to power. This he managed to do with ties to governments both near and far. Unlike the home front, Malaysia's foreign relations did not provide much drama during the year. Ooi Kee Beng is a Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. 184Ooi Kee Beng Economically, signals have been mixed. However, worries about the longterm health of the country's economy have been steadily rising. The gross national product ended at around 5.6 per cent, inflation was on average at an eight-year high of 3.6 per cent, and, most worrisome of all, foreign domestic investments have been falling sharply. Freedom of Worship within a Jurisdictional Dualism During the last week of 2005, the burial of national hero Moorthy Maniam led to a controversy that caused many to question Article 121 (IA) of the Federal Constitution, which, by stating that the civil courts "shall have no jurisdiction in respect of any matter within the jurisdiction of the syariah courts", put the two court systems on par in their respective areas of jurisdiction.1 This amendment was pushed through parliament by Mahathir in 1988 without debate since major opposition members of parliament were among the 106 held in detention at that time under the Internal Security Act.2 Moorthy, who was 36 years old when he died, was claimed by Islamic authorities to have converted to Islam in 2004. This shocked his wife, S. Kaliammal, who insisted that her husband was certainly uncircumcised, ate pork, and observed Hindu rituals.3 The Syariah Court stood firm while the High Court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction over the case, leaving the widow without legal recourse, and sparking a national debate that will continue for some time to come. Moorthy was buried as a Muslim without his closest relatives present. Exactly 11 months after the Moorthy case hit the headlines, a similar case came to public attention when the body of A. Rayappan, a Hindu at the time of his death according to the National Registration Department, was taken away for burial by Muslim authorities.4 Rayappan had in 1990 converted to Islam when he took a Malay woman as a second wife. He reverted to being a Hindu six years later, however, and was officially registered as such when he passed away on 29 November. This time around, the civil courts did not have to take a stand on where the jurisdictional line between the two legal systems went. Amidst public uproar, the relevant Islamic authority withdrew its claim on the body of the 71-year-old. Rayappan was then buried as a Catholic by his family. His wife, Lourdes Mary, and five children subsequently filed a civil suit against...