|
Singapore: Malay-Muslims Taken To Task In Political Controversy
by Kazi Mahmood
JAKARTA (IslamOnline) - The political storm that hit Singapore and trailed the headlines for two weeks seems to have set a time bomb in action. Malay members of Parliament associated with the ruling government have reacted and taken to task a group of Malay-Muslim professionals.
The group has succeeded in breaking the tide by forcing the political awakening of Muslim leaders in the country and causing a political controversy that was as unexpected as it is much welcomed by the community at large.
The Association of Malay Professionals (AMP) has staked claims on political decision-making within the Muslim community. They argue that the existing Malay members of Parliament are not in touch with the realities affecting the community and that there was a serious gap between the leadership and Malays at the grassroots level.
After being severely criticized by the Singaporean Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong, the AMP was asked by Malay MPs not to penetrate areas that could damage the country’s thin layer of political stability.
Eleven Malay members of Parliament said they could not agree with the formation of a "collective leadership" or “consultative leadership”, as conceived by the AMP.
Headed by Abdullah Tarmugi, Minister for Community Development and Sports and Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs, Malay MPs issued a press statement in which they gave reasons for not supporting the AMP.
They felt the “collective leadership” proposal by the AMP was exclusively ethnic-religious based and that this could arouse suspicion from other communities. It could lead other communities to form similar institutions and seek greater political role in the country largely dominated by ethnic Chinese.
Malay MPs added that the AMP could develop into a pressure group against the government and themselves. Hence, instead of complementing Malay MPs, they could lead to an undermining of Malay MP roles as political leaders.
The Malay MPs also conceded that with the AMP and Mendaki, a council in charge of the Malay-Muslim community's development, and the existence of their own philosophies, fissures within the community have already come to the fore causing a great divide among the 15% of Malay-Muslims in the country.
Stating that they have been giving genuine feedback on issues that affected the community, the MPs brushed aside claims made by the AMP that their role was redundant.
They said their aim now was to prepare the community to take on how it could meet religious needs and prepare Malay children for the new economy. The Malay MPs claimed they had presented the community's concerns and have been assured of the government's understanding on the issues.
Malay MP Ahmad Magad said the AMP has veered into a contentious area of politics with the proposal for a collective leadership. He said the group should avoid this in the future.
''There is no problem in becoming thinkers for the Malay-Muslim community, but I think AMP, on its own, should steer away from areas that could give rise to political controversy in the future,'' said Magad, also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pasir Ris GRC.
Last Sunday, Goh Chok Tong challenged the proposal when he spoke at the 2nd National Convention of Singapore Malay/Muslim Professionals.
He told the convention that AMP was ''straying into the political arena'' and that as a non-political community group it should not do so. ''The purported purpose is to 'balance and complement' the Malay MP leadership,” he asserted.
''But no matter how you package it, you are seeking to replace the Malay MP political leadership's influence,'' said Tong who suggested that AMP join Mendaki as an institutional member.
Magad, tipped by members of the Malay community as their choice to be Minster for Islamic Affairs in Singapore, saw merits in the Tong’s suggestion. He said institutional members could join in the overall planning for programs and yet retain the independence to design their own.
The showdown between the Muslim professionals and the Singapore government has touched issues that are directly linked to the future of the Muslims in the country.
The Malays, in general, do not want to be sidelined from the mainstream political and economic decision-making bodies. They feel that they might lose their cultural identity if they are not given a fair chance to represent themselves.
Professional Malays who are not members of the AMP said both Tong and the Malay MPs should think of the problems faced by the Malays in the country and stop quibbling.
|
