I always laugh when I hear politicians claim that Sabah and Sarawak epitomises 1 Malaysia. In the main, Sabah and Sarawak are supposed to be fine examples of places where race and religion do not matter, and where all ethnic groups and religions live happily side by side. Paradise on earth. Malaysians living in the peninsula would do well to go, see and learn from Sarawakians and Sabahans on how to apply 1 Malaysia.
As someone who spent nearly 20 years in Sarawak, and visited Sabah often, I really have to say that the Sabah and Sarawak of 1 Malaysia do not exist anymore. Yes, before 1970 you really can say that ethnicity and religion were minor issues. In Sabah it was common to see several religions in one family and mix marriages in East Malaysia were quite common. In fact in Sabah they became a distinct category — the Sino-Kadazans. The number of Iban-Chinese marriages was also quite common in the upper river regions of Sarawak. Muslims were quite happy to sit in the same kopitiam where pork was served, and churches, temples and mosques can all be found on the same street. People visit each other during the festivals and you do not have to second guess if the food was halal or not.
Fast forward to today. The politics of today, especially the BN model where political parties are mobilised along ethnic and religious lines, is the norm. This is more so in Sabah when UMNO and its three “runners” — MCA, Gerakan and MIC — established branches there in 1990. This established the clear race and religion politics framework you have in the peninsula. Prior to that, in the 1980s, the “Project M” was to ensure Muslim numerical supremacy in Sabah — again with the aim of reconfiguring the political balance there. Thousands of Muslims from Sulu and Indonesian Borneo ended up as Sabahans with their names on the voting roll.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Sabah politics was between the Muslims, Chinese, Dusuns, Kadazans and the minor groups. By the late 1980s, the lines were completely redrawn into three categories — Chinese, Muslim Bumiputera and non-Muslim Bumiputera. Sounds similar to the Malay, Chinese and Indian game?
In Sarawak, in the immediate post-independence days it was the Chinese, Ibans, Bidayuhs and Malays who played a major role in politics. By the late 1970s the game was reduced to the Ibans, Chinese and the Melanau. Truly multi-racial parties such as Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) and Sarawak National Party (SNAP) became “Chinese” and “Iban” parties.
The Melanau hegemonic control over Sarawak politics has ensured that the polity there now is even more aware of ethnicity and religion. The divide-and-rule tactic ensures that almost all ethnic groups there want to establish their own little party so they can “represent” their people. Like Sabah, politics there is now based firmly along the three categories — Chinese, Muslim Bumiputera and non-Muslim Bumiputera.
Today while all the parties in East Malaysia claim to be multi-racial and 1 Malaysia, in reality they only pander to one ethnic group. Yes, in every one of them, they will have some token minority but in reality when it comes to the grand bargaining such as forming a government, they represent a single ethnic group.
The trend towards Islamisation of politics in Peninsular Malaysia is also moving into East Malaysia. In the early 1980s, you hardly saw women wearing the tudong, and men wearing the jubah were mostly non-East Malaysians. Today it is a common sight in East Malaysia. Religion is now a sensitive issue in East Malaysia.
So let us be brutally honest with ourselves. The race and religion political framework that destroyed ethnic relations in Peninsular Malaysia is well entrenched in East Malaysia after 46 years of the Federation of Malaysia. Let us not fool ourselves that things are better in East Malaysia. The BN structure based on ethnic representation is the same model being used by the state BN coalitions in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Peninsular Malaysia has successfully “exported” its political framework to East Malaysia! Now that’s what I called “1 Malaysia”!
DM
25/02/10
As someone who spent nearly 20 years in Sarawak, and visited Sabah often, I really have to say that the Sabah and Sarawak of 1 Malaysia do not exist anymore. Yes, before 1970 you really can say that ethnicity and religion were minor issues. In Sabah it was common to see several religions in one family and mix marriages in East Malaysia were quite common. In fact in Sabah they became a distinct category — the Sino-Kadazans. The number of Iban-Chinese marriages was also quite common in the upper river regions of Sarawak. Muslims were quite happy to sit in the same kopitiam where pork was served, and churches, temples and mosques can all be found on the same street. People visit each other during the festivals and you do not have to second guess if the food was halal or not.
Fast forward to today. The politics of today, especially the BN model where political parties are mobilised along ethnic and religious lines, is the norm. This is more so in Sabah when UMNO and its three “runners” — MCA, Gerakan and MIC — established branches there in 1990. This established the clear race and religion politics framework you have in the peninsula. Prior to that, in the 1980s, the “Project M” was to ensure Muslim numerical supremacy in Sabah — again with the aim of reconfiguring the political balance there. Thousands of Muslims from Sulu and Indonesian Borneo ended up as Sabahans with their names on the voting roll.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Sabah politics was between the Muslims, Chinese, Dusuns, Kadazans and the minor groups. By the late 1980s, the lines were completely redrawn into three categories — Chinese, Muslim Bumiputera and non-Muslim Bumiputera. Sounds similar to the Malay, Chinese and Indian game?
In Sarawak, in the immediate post-independence days it was the Chinese, Ibans, Bidayuhs and Malays who played a major role in politics. By the late 1970s the game was reduced to the Ibans, Chinese and the Melanau. Truly multi-racial parties such as Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) and Sarawak National Party (SNAP) became “Chinese” and “Iban” parties.
The Melanau hegemonic control over Sarawak politics has ensured that the polity there now is even more aware of ethnicity and religion. The divide-and-rule tactic ensures that almost all ethnic groups there want to establish their own little party so they can “represent” their people. Like Sabah, politics there is now based firmly along the three categories — Chinese, Muslim Bumiputera and non-Muslim Bumiputera.
Today while all the parties in East Malaysia claim to be multi-racial and 1 Malaysia, in reality they only pander to one ethnic group. Yes, in every one of them, they will have some token minority but in reality when it comes to the grand bargaining such as forming a government, they represent a single ethnic group.
The trend towards Islamisation of politics in Peninsular Malaysia is also moving into East Malaysia. In the early 1980s, you hardly saw women wearing the tudong, and men wearing the jubah were mostly non-East Malaysians. Today it is a common sight in East Malaysia. Religion is now a sensitive issue in East Malaysia.
So let us be brutally honest with ourselves. The race and religion political framework that destroyed ethnic relations in Peninsular Malaysia is well entrenched in East Malaysia after 46 years of the Federation of Malaysia. Let us not fool ourselves that things are better in East Malaysia. The BN structure based on ethnic representation is the same model being used by the state BN coalitions in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Peninsular Malaysia has successfully “exported” its political framework to East Malaysia! Now that’s what I called “1 Malaysia”!
DM
25/02/10
No comments:
Post a Comment