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Mahathir Bashes "Islamic Appearance" of Malay Culture
KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Malay Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad again attacked Malaysian Muslims on Sunday, criticizing their culture and urging them to adjust to modern times.
The aging prime minister said the decay of Malay culture has resulted in a slew of social problems in Malaysia, such as corruption and drug addiction.
He added that even his party, ruined by money politics and kickbacks, did not escape the decay observers said.
Mahathir"s United Malays National Organization (UMNO) remains the main Malay party in the country, leading the National Front (NF) government.
It draws its support from the Malay community, which comprises around 60 percent of the Malaysian population, according to the latest official population census.
However in 1999, it lost a large share of its support to the growing force in the country, the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), that controls two Malay majority states in the country.
Analysts in Malaysia, giving their comments on the speech made by Mahathir, said the prime minister is simply figuring out how to bring the Malays back to the folds of the UMNO.
They say that Mahathir is also readying himself for the next electoral battle due in 2004.
Although Islam seems to have a greater hold among Malays today, it is merely in terms of appearances rather than substance, he told the New Sunday Times in an interview marking his 20 years as prime minister on Monday.
This comment by Mahathir will certainly inflame the Malays in general and the PAS in particular.
In Malaysia, a majority of women cover their hair. Mosques are still filled during the five prayers in the country, and young Malays are giving more importance to Islam.
Mahathir lamented that although the Muslims in Malaysia have been reminded repeatedly, "...our culture is still on the decline."
"In the past, UMNO was clean of money politics," he said.
"It is not anymore now. We explained. I pleaded, I cried, I prayed, I did everything. It didn't change.
"One day, we will even sell our country if we become a race which can be easily bribed," he said.
He also lambasted what he called "an Islamic appearance" of religious teachers who seemed to be involved in politics.
"I don't agree that the awareness of Islam among Malays is becoming greater," he said.
He referred to recent reports of Malay youths stepping on the Qur'an in their bid to join "Black Metal" groups, some of which were said to be devil worshippers.
"It appears the Malays are more religious now than in the past, but we must remember that in the past, we didn't see Malay boys stepping on and tearing the Qur'an," he said.
He said the government was baffled as to why there seems to be more social problems despite the government's providing of religious teachers to schools.
He also cited the wave of violent crimes, such as a father killing his own son, and a teenager raping and murdering another teenager.
"Why does it involve only the Malays? Why not the Chinese? Why only the Malays? Those with Aids are Malays, drugs also involve the Malays, rape and murders.... You name anything that is bad, the majority are Malays," he said.
"If we change our culture and consider corruption as a disgusting and humiliating thing to indulge in, and if we make an effort to reject it, we will succeed," he said.
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