Nationalism and Globalization: East and West

5. Globalization and the Challenges to Malay Nationalism as the Essence of Malaysian Nationalism

132 Halim Salleh© 2000 Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore m n 5 Introduction1 Globalization has reconstructed ethnicity and ethnic nationalism the world over. The exemplary case of Eastern Europe is too well-known to require elaboration. It suffered hitherto unknown mass ethnic violence to the point of ethnic annihilation. Closer to home, Indonesian ethnic nationalism has not only produced mass violence and hardships on a massive scale over an extended period of time but also threaten to break up the Indonesian state: the struggle for independence in East Timor, Aceh, and Kalimantan are probably just the beginning. Globalization in general seems to have re-ignited old ethnic fears and excited new ethnic demands in multi-ethnic societies. How does it affect Malaysia, a multi-ethnic state-nation which experienced serious ethnic clashes in the 1960s? Does it suffer a similar predicament? If not, why? What has happened to the fiery ethnic nationalism and ethnic struggles of post-colonial Malaysia? This chapter will discuss the rise of Malaysian nationalism and the challenges to it brought about by globalization. It will focus on how Malay nationalism emerged in the early part of the twentieth century and why it became strongly asserted in the 1980s under the New Economic Policy (NEP). Other types of ethnic nationalism in Malaysia, particularly Chinese ethnic nationalism, contested Malay dominance but internal splits and inter-ethnic élite alliance as well as rapid economic 132 Globalization and the Challenges to Malay Nationalism as the Essence of Malaysian Nationalism HALIM SALLEH ISEAS DOCUMENT DELIVERY SERVICE. No reproduction without permission of the publisher: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 30 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, SINGAPORE 119614. FAX: (65)7756259; TEL: (65) 8702447; E-MAIL: publish@iseas.edu.sg Globalization and the Challenges to Malay Nationalism 133© 2000 Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore growth diluted non-Malay demands and diminished their position. This gave the opportunity for the Malays, through their major political party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), to exert their power and authority to define “Malaysian nationality” in terms of Malay interests, culture, and religion. But globalization brought about new challenges and opportunities, particularly to the Malay leadership. While they continue to safeguard Malay dominance, they at the same time turned Malay nationalism into an instrument for accumulation and concentration of corporate wealth in the hands of the few. In the process, they compromised the position of major symbols of Malay nationalism, such as Islam, the Malay-dominated education system, and the Malay language. Can the leaders defend themselves by creating new national myths and symbols and share it with other Malaysians in what may be called a new “Malaysian nationalism”? This chapter shows that ethnicity and ethnic nationalism are still pervasive and impair such a move. At the same time, the new nationalism is fragile and superficial because it is constructed mainly as a political defence. Opposing Malay camps hold UMNO leaders accountable for the decline of Malay nationalism and this seems to set the stage for a new political change in Malaysia . Early Developm ent of Malay Nationalism Peninsular Malay nationalism began with the rise of journals and newspapers in the Malay language which politicized the position of the Malay people in the face of colonialism and alien immigration (mainly Chinese and Indians). As far back as 1906, a monthly publication, Al-Iman, for instance, stirred up Malay consciousness by reminding them of their backwardness and their impending domination by aliens.2 By 1920, a Kelantan-based newspaper, Pengasuh called for a formation of a nationwide Malay association to unite Malay interests because “kami ini satu kaum” (we are one ethnic group).3 In spite of repression imposed by the Publishing and Book Enactment 1915 and Seditious Publication (Prohibition) Enactment 1919, there were no less than 147 newspapers and journals published in Malay between 1876 and 1941.4 Editors and writers such as Ibrahim Yaakob and Rahim Kajai from the Majlis and Utusan Melayu respectively questioned British colonialism and the threat this posed to the Malay people. At the same time, they mobilized the Malays into political organizations, starting with the formation of the Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM or Young Malay Union) in 1937. This led to a proliferation of Malay organizations throughout the country to lay the ground for a nationalist struggle in post-war Malaya, and later. 134 Halim Salleh© 2000 Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore The Conservative versus Radical Nationalists...