Malaysia S Race Religion Faultline Being Severely Tested

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A recent visit to Tamil Nadu in India was an eye opener. The most interesting observation I made was how religion does not seem to sway the voters.
In an otherwise apparently disorganised society, as seen in their road traffic, and despite the chaotic situation that one sees, most things end up being done for the day before working people all leave for their homes.
When in Chennai, you must learn how to embrace the chaos to enjoy your stay!
About 88% of the 63 million people there are of the Hindu faith, most of them being staunch followers of the religion. But for about 50 years, Tamil Nadu has been largely ruled by two parties led by atheists: the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
The chief ministers have been mostly linked to the cinema world. It included the most popular actor in Tamil cinema MG Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR to Malaysians, his protégé J Jayalalitha, often his leading lady, and revered movie script writer and lyricist M Karunanidhi.
Only Jayalalitha broke the Dravidian practice of atheism but she did not delve into religious fanaticism to win votes. Her popularity in filmdom and her pro-poor policies kept her as chief minister until she died.
The current chief minister is K Stalin, son of Karunanidhi. He underscored his atheism when taking his oath of office three years ago. He chose to consciously and conspicuously remove “swear in the name of God” from his oath. But it did not matter to the mostly Hindus in the state.
He was also a movie producer and introduced his son Udhayanithi as an actor about 15 years ago. Udhayanithi is now a member of the state assembly and a minister. Some say he’s being groomed to take over from his father.
Recently, Udhayanithi openly described the principle of Sanathana Dharma, which refers to the absolute set of duties or religiously ordained practices incumbent upon all Hindus, as akin to malaria and dengue which must be eradicated.
There was some outrage but not the kind you’d expect from a society mainly made up of Hindus.
Despite this pro-atheism political leadership in the state for decades, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which openly promotes Hindutva, a Hindu nationalist ideology, only won four of the 234 seats in the last Tamil Nadu state elections.
Indians say BJP, which has never won any parliamentary seat in Tamil Nadu, is unlikely to win any of the 39 constituencies when India holds its general election next month.
It’s a wonder that a state composed mainly of obsessed Hindu followers is not paying any heed to the religious fervour stirred up by the BJP. The electorate continues to vote in an atheist-led government. There appears to be no religious faultline in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK focusses on giving away freebies, especially to help people with cost of living. And it uses movies occasionally to drive home its message.
Socks and race relations
When I returned home, however, I ran smack into the raging “Allah” socks controversy, with the open spat between Malay and Chinese political leaders starting to take an ugly turn.
The religious faultline became very apparent, with discussions on  social media turning vile and uncomely.
I admit the socks matter is a serious religious issue which shocked even the non-Muslims. You cannot blame Muslims for feeling that way, as the Quran says it’s the duty of every Muslim to defend their religion.
Having said that, the ugly and dangerous tone that certain politicians are taking needs to be checked before the faultline widens beyond repair.
No one in their right senses, especially in Malaysia, would have dared sell a pair of socks with the word Allah on it. It would be stupidity of the highest order of the manufacturer and those selling it.
Most Malaysians would be similarly outraged if symbols or deities of any other religion were used in this manner.
How did those socks land there?
Most agree some form of action must be taken against KK Mart which sold the socks. But calling for the shutting down of this chain is not the answer. To use this outrage for political purposes and trying to be a hero in the eyes of the public is unforgivable as it could result in serious repercussions.
Umno and DAP leaders have taken opposite sides, making a mockery of the unity government. They should have summoned a meeting among them to think of a way to calm the situation instead of pouring oil into the fire.
There is an element of uncertainty about how these socks landed there. Only a few pairs, according to reports, were found in one KK Mart outlet. None were seen in all the franchise’s other outlets. We should leave it to the police to investigate.
Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh’s rampage did no good for anyone except for the opposition Perikatan Nasional. While his anger is understandable, his “bull in a China shop” styled reaction could have been better.
The good doctor should have known better about early treatment to stop any wound from festering.
KK Mart is a popular chain among the B40 households, selling things cheaper than the bigger supermarkets and malls. The chain contributes greatly to the nation’s coffers which is then used for the benefit of Malaysians of all races and religions.
It also employs thousands of Muslims. If they lose their livelihood, we are going to face serious socio-economic repercussions.
Racial and religious tremors
Every now and then, Malaysia’s leadership gets bogged down dealing with religious or racial tremors in the country. A lot of effort is required for the government leaders to tend to these issues, which can cause serious fissures in Malaysian society. Don’t forget, this takes an emotional toll on Malaysians of all races.
Before this episode, the move to try and get Unesco to declare new villages as heritage sites was hotly debated. Unfortunately, it took a completely racial twist.
The housing and local government minister is Nga Kor Ming from DAP. Those who attacked him were from Umno and also the Malay-based Perikatan Nasional.
A difference in policies was turned into a battle between Chinese and Malays. Seriously, most Malaysians can’t be bothered whether new villages are declared a heritage site or not. People want basic amenities and facilities to be at their best.
The issue of “bak kut teh” being declared a national heritage dish saw a heated exchange between tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing and Malay politicians. The minister’s brash style of defending the matter raised the ire of the Muslim community.
Again, the arguments were between the Chinese and Malay politicians.
It appears that certain politicians wait to champion racial and religious issues, at the expense of unity.
Nga and Tiong must have been politically naïve to have thought that their controversial announcements would have gone down well with a majority of Malaysians. They must be tone deaf if they thought so.
Shouldn’t contentious issues such as these be debated extensively by the multi-racial Cabinet before an announcement is made?
The socks controversy is not going to be the last. In a plural nation which is currently split down the middle between Malays and non-Malays, and with politicians throwing caution to the winds, the racial and religious faultline will continue to be under severe stress. - FMT
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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