Singapore’s Malay dilemma

The ban on the wearing of head scarfs or hijabs, is regarded as discriminatory against Malay culture and religion. Despite that, protests and petitions on the ban at government workplaces and schools over the last decade have gone unheeded. This issue led to a backlash against the Singapore mufti, or Islamic jurist, who was perceived as appeasing the official government line, rather than taking an Islamic stance on the issue. The Malay community has perceived the government stand as chauvinistic, as the wearing of the hijab is totally acceptable in many other non-Muslim country civil services and uniformed services around the world.

The Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) is given power by the constitution is the consulting council to advise the president of Singapore on matters regarding Islam, the religion of ethnic Malays. However, the members of the board are appointed by the government, rather than being directly elected by Singapore's Islamic community.

As Asia Sentinel has reported, there is currently a major inquiry going on concerning corruption within the body's halal certification operations. In addition, there have been criticisms about the way MUIS has handled Wakaf (donated) property zakat, and Haj cancellations and refunds. The Auditor General's report uncovered financial mismanagement and interest payments (riba) prohibited under Islamic law used within organizational financial operations. An outpouring of social media posts shows Singapore Muslims' trust in MUIS is waning amid calls to make MUIS an independent body.

One of the recent and most controversial issues is the position of the president of Singapore, held since 2017 by the long-serving PAP politician and lawyer by profession Halimah Yacob. With the new powers given to the office of president, PAP stalwarts argue that ethnic Malays now have power within the government. However, executive government in reality makes all major decision. The office is still primarily a ceremonial position. Halimah is only the second Muslim to become the president since Singapore became an independent state in 1965. Many ethnic Malays feel that they have been patronized, not seeing any reforms under her reign.

One of these issues is a proposal to teach Bahasa Malay in primary schools, as Malay is the national language and language of Singapore's national anthem. Inaction has brought rebuke against the president and Malay MPs representing their community, leading to accusations from Malays Underrepresented in Singapore (MUIS) that the representatives are just puppets of the governing People's Action Party.

There is only one ethnic Malay serving in cabinet, and one in the ministry, while representation within the judiciary and upper echelons of the civil service is far below the ethnic Malay proportion of the population. Criticism is rife about Malay leaders not engaging with the community and speaking up on Malay issues.

An initiative recently announced by Zulkifly Masagos Mohmad, the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, is a planned program to be led by the minister of state for manpower and national development Zaqy Mohamad, called Ciptasama@M3 to supposedly encourage the community to participate in policymaking. However, an explanation of the program indicates that it plans to focus on issues such as marital problems, support for families of former prisoners and mentoring youths with agencies such as MUIS, MESRA, and MENDAKI, rather than directly with government. This looks more like an outreach set of programs than policy consultation with the ethnic community.

Singapore has been socially engineered by government to reflect the core beliefs of top leaders over the past six decades. In 1990, although Singapore celebrated its 25^th anniversary with the slogan "One people, one nation, one Singapore," the government implemented a new national ideology that stressed the core values of Confucian morality, family loyalty, and placing the nation before oneself. This was a turning point away from multi-culturalism and towards a form of Chinese chauvinism that made Malays feel insecure.

There is however, a very small group of elite and successful Malays who have ostensibly succeeded under Singapore's meritocracy system. As part of the professional elite, they can network with the decision makers within society, having thrown away the mental shackles of Malay customs to project a pan-Singaporean persona of professionalism. They are the pinup heroes for the cause of meritocracy promoted by the PAP.

The potential to advance themselves requires compromise by the government or sacrifice by ethnic Malays. Malay heritage within the armed forces, police, and civil service has been taken away from them. The kampong has been destroyed and scattered, with traditional business opportunities put out of reach. 9/11 and the rise of ISIS have only made things more difficult for as the security services watch the community closely. The stereotypes have not been broken by a Muslim president. Further, their position in the country's ethnic mix is being quickly eroded due to immigration. After almost 60 years, Malay loyalty to Singapore is still in doubt by the government.

A number of Malays have emigrated from Singapore to countries like Australia, to become very successful in their professions or business. They have embraced their Malay identities and played major roles in organizing local Malay communities in their adopted countries, and are a great loss for Singapore.

The feelings about these issues are best summed up by Singaporean poet Alfian Sa'at's words in "Singapore you are not my country":

Your words are like walls on which truth is graffiti
This has become an island of walls
Asylum walls, factory walls, school walls, the walls of the midnight Istana.

A request to the minister Masagos and his press secretary for an interview has gone unanswered. Lee Hsien Loong as deputy prime minister said back in 2000 that "There is no policy too sensitive to question, and no subject so taboo that you cannot even mention it." There are many who want to discuss the Malay quandary in Singapore, but fear to do so.