Role of Islam in Malaysian Politics

Question: Discuss about the Role of Islam in Malaysian Politics. Answer: Introduction: The chief purpose of this essay is to make a critical discussion upon the impact of the changing role of Islam in the political atmosphere of Malaysia. Malaysia is among one of those Islamic domains which undergoes multiple political transformation due to the wave of constant resurgence of this particular religion. Most importantly, Malays are found to have nationwide appeal for the revivalist organizations and communities those have vaulted few years ago. Transforming trend towards the orthodox aspect of Islam could possibly bring a new political discourse in a multicultural territory like Malaysia. The aim of the discussion is therefore to understand whether the growing revival of this individual religion has potentially altered the socio-political aspects of Malaysia or not. Malaysia is considered to belong to one of those regions which possess oldest forms of democracy in the continent of Asia. Interestingly, the domain have multifaceted ethic group that established a multicultural society in the country. There probably an ambiguity about the connection between Malaysia and the Islam. There is several ambiguities about the exact date or year of appearance of the Islamic people in the domain of Malaysia. However, scholars believe that probably in the 8th century with the arrival of the Arab Islamic sailors, the country first has been introduced by the Islam religion. It is important to keep in mind that the initial bearers of Islam in Malaysia have been the traders belonging to the south west region of India. Most importantly, Sufi mysticism has spread its influence on this territory through the hands of the Sunni Muslim traders of India. Furthermore, Islamic political aspects started to dominate the south east region of Asia since an Islamic leader bega n to rule the regime of Malacca. The present Islamic political life of Malaysia is nothing but the eventual outcome of the Islamic legacy of Sultanate that established itself in the soil of Malaysia. Nevertheless, there may be question regarding the way in which the religion converted into more integral part consuming Malaysias potential indigenous affairs. Arrival of the British Raj can be suspected highly in this context as the British East India Company on the port of Penang which belongs to the northwest peninsular of Malaysia. To have firm hold on the entire south eastern region, the East Indian Company initially tied their knot with Peraks Sultan through Pangkor engagement. It has been the cunning strategy of the British traders to become permanent resident of the South East Asian regime with the help of which the race started to give advice as resident advisor. Through the process of acquiring residential power all over the Muslim Sultanates, the British community gradually maximized the development of the fusion between the political, social and culture aspects of Malay and Islam. The present sovereignty of the elite Muslim classes in the political atmosphere of Malaysia is the eventual consequence of the British policy to establish academic institutions for the Muslim inhabitants who belong to the families of the Sultans. Therefore, questions may arise again about the equal dominance of the non-Malay and non-Muslim communities in the country. It has been the decision of the clever British royalty that once again planned to reduce the controlling of power and influence of the Sultans from the Malayan domain and gave permit to the non-Malay and non-Muslim communities to enjoy rights and honor of the independent citizenship. Such a plan provoked a resistance pointing the inauguration of the Malaysian political background and nationalism. Additionally, the growing economic insecurities of the Muslim communities of Malaysia with respect to the inhabitants belonging to the Christian and Indian community fueled up the backlash. Malay-Muslim community therefore began to develop the belief that Bumiputras or the original inhabitants of Malaysia will be given exclusive privileges and the facility for safeguarding. Nonetheless, one thing should be kept in mind that Muslim politics have interconnectivity with the Malay nationalism. Initially Islamic fundamentalist political attitude created problem for the Malay nationalism which gradually spread up to Malay identity and Malay language Bahasa Malayu. It has been the emergence of UMNO (United Malays National Organization) through which the nationalist movement of Malaysia began to give importance to the Islamic issues from the year 1946. However, the country keeps a multi-party political format involving a good number of communal parties who calls themselves to be the representatives of the interests formed by multitudinous ethnic communities residing in the country. Such representation of the political authorities gradually advanced with the formation of grand coalition by the acknowledged authoritarianism of UMNO. It is little astonishing as instead of being capable enough in ruling the nation without the help and support of the grand coalition, UMNO considers to broaden up the it participatory system to maintain the stability of the interests of the communal parties. Malaysia predominantly falls under the two pivotal Islam dominant countries and therefore suffers through the ongoing process of metamorphosis in the Islam religion. It is unfortunate that the age-old intensity to colonize and build nation has corrupted minds of most of the Muslim leaders after post-colonialism. As a consequence of which nations dominated with Islamic rules and regulations are having political storm for past few decades. Governments of Islam dominated countries like Malaysia, Indonesia are therefore struggling hard to make a suitable balance between the parochial communal dimension and modern frame work of nation. It is fortunate enough on the other side that unlike other Islam dominated nations, Malaysia goes through less political hazards created by the sudden upsurges of the religion. Malaysia recognized the initial form of Islam direction eventual part of the year 1970. The wake-up call began with the political riot of 1969 and finally the Islamic political aspects nailed its ground in the year 1980. The teaching vindication of some prophetic traditions like Koran, Hadith came through the hands of the religious Arabic group of educated people. The nation found extreme jolts by several international Islamic leaders who claim to reform Malaysia as an Islamic State based on multiple ideological and institutional spectrums propagated by several Muslim fundamentalists. According to Nazib Razak who is currently the sixth prime minister of the nation, presently Malaysia is encountering robust turn towards numerous political vision of Islam. It astonishes well enough that both political and non-state opponent groups are intruding in the political framework of Malaysia and making an effort to drive the general notion of socio-political aspects entirely towards those core ideas of Muslim fundamentalism. According to Mr. Razak, values and concepts of Islam have always been part of the crucial concern in the political culture of Malaysia. However, the notion to embrace major Islamic doctrines and customs among the progressive generation has started to grab the pace in recent times. At the initial stage of Razaks premiership, the nation observed the authorization of the terrible consequential effect of the Islamic groundwork through the hands of the official bureaucratic department of Islam. Surprising enough that the bureaucratic department of Islam which is supposed to be colored with general concepts of religios acceptance is dominated with the visions of core concept of uniformity proliferated by the Islamic fundamentalist. Hence, the whole picture finds its resemblance with the movement of PAS (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) who roared about the doctrine of building Islamic State in the year 1998 when Anwar Ibrahim, the departed deputy prime minister had been imprisoned by the administration of Mahathir Mohammad. Nonetheless, it should be kept in mind that Mahathir Mohammad, the former prime minister has been the one who labeled Malaysia to be a state designed with the decorum of Islamic fundamentalism. The occurrence of such a ghastly episode started to threaten the "grand coalition" along with the non-Islamic minor parties. PAS could not find success in demolishing UMNO, though it has successfully promoted the withdrawal of the dominance of Chinese party for free actions. Nevertheless, to preserve the national peace along with the economic, political and cultural growth of Malaysia, the national leadership that came into force after postcolonialism has established political independence of Islam. Such a strategy helped in making a favorable balance between the ideologies and political supremacies of the Islamic Malays. It is a worth considering fact that Muslim community of Malaysia which has been a called a small minor one is now revealing itself to be a major one holding a large portion of the current population along with political powers. Right after the reestablishment of Malaysia to be among the considerable Islamic domain of the world through the voice of Mahathir Mohammad, large political issues concerning the core rivalry between the secular values of Islam and the dominant adverse fundamentalism of the Islamic leaders. One significant point which should be considered pivotally is that multiple societal groups of Malaysia have contributed majorly in the case of influencing the minds of the Muslim inhabitants of the country. Societal groups containing Muslim professionals are responsible for infesting the minds of the minor Islam communities of most of the countries which are populated and dominated by Islamic leadership. Most significantly, according to the current scenario of Malaysia, Muslim professionals who play a strong defining role in Malaysian politics comprises near about 40% of the group of professionals in the province. It is probably the fortune of Najib Razak that BN (Barisan Nasional) triumphed over the general election in the year 2004 and the position of PAS fell to an unusual position. As per the result of the 11th general election of Malaysia, BN obtained the power to control more than 199 parliamentary seats and in entire peninsular Malaysia, Barisan Nasional preserved 394 seats of the legislative assembly of Malaysian state out of 445. On the contrary, the rank of PAS dropped down from 27 to direct 6 in the Malaysian parliament. It is surprising at the same time that PASs position in the legislative assembly of the state came down to 36 straight from 98. Furthermore, PASs sole dominance upon Terengganu shifted to BN after the partys triumphant victory. The entire consequence seems like a sudden jolt to PAS although there are still possibilities that the group can regain its former power as the party possess 24 legislative assembly seats of the country whereas BN now sits on 21 seats. Another important fact that should be considered in this context is the sudden upsurge of another opposition party DAP (Democratic Action Party) who have wined almost 11 seats along with 15 seats in the legislative assembly in the Malaysian parliament. It is indicative of the fact that the upheaval brought by the influence of the changing circumstances of Muslim politics ultimately found a way to benefit native political parties like DAP. Though it should not neglect that still the country is running high on the success of its opposition parties.On the other hand, the election proves yet another thing that PAS should probably fold its political business from the domain of Malaysia as they have already lost their aim of capturing potential provinces like Perlis, Kedah. In this context, it is essential to consider that PAS started to radicalize its entire political discourse from the year 1980 as they face the compellation to provide defensive acknowledgments to the aggressive policy of Islam and various factors from the Iranian revolution. Most importantly one should not ignore the fact that PAS has been among one of those institutions which has ties with terrorist parties like Hamas. Hence the particular opposition aspects of this party are detrimental and destructive for the peaceful and harmless political atmosphere of Malaysia. However, it is little fortunate that the party could not become fruitful in the case of showing powerful electoral performances in the country. PAS could have done better if its ideology had attached with the Malay nationalism. It seems that PAS's performance is beyond repair since the group has been taken over by Ulama which forced the committee to concentrate more upon the radical notion of Islam. Malaysia encountered a turbulent political year in the year 1999 when both the opposition parties PAS and DAP emerged with infinite potentialities. In comparison with DAP, PAS arrived to be more potent as they acquired 27 opposition seats in the Malaysian parliament. With the victory, PAN possessed north segment of the Peninsula. Additionally, the party grabbed the ruling power for states like Terengganu, Kelantan. The party has been initially alienated by the other supreme political parties of the country and could not have completely enjoyed its victory until the entire nation filled with the terror of the Islamic militant groups who is found to be terrorists. PAS began to show its preponderance as UMNO and BN started to fall by the hegemonic power of PAS and its associated terrorist groups. However, the promise of keeping the Islamic religion away from the Malaysian state by Abdurrahman Wahid the former Islamic leader of Nahdlatul Ulama- one of the largest Muslim movements in Indonesia ultimately turned out to be fruitless. Mr.Wahid assured audiences from domestic and international background about the separation though ideology failed right after his resignation from the group. His secularist opinion and pledge setback since his successive replacement Megawati Soekarnoputri found to be susceptible under the pressure of Islamic parliament and finally left a fragmented leadership for the nation. No matter what one thing should not be denied that the fundamentalist concepts of Islam politics are futile in the case of establishing a peaceful and mode nation. For example, Indonesia suffered in a high volume for adopting the core political aspects of Islamic politics. Malaysia, on the contrary, found a fortune for being compatible enough in making a profitable balance betwee n the maintaining the secular ideologies of Islam and forming a modern nation. Nevertheless, it is fortunate as the terrorist activities supported by PAS began to effect less on the Malaysian front as from the year 1970; most of the members of PAS began to leave the party and shown interest in the youth movement party of Malaysian Islamic Youth. PAS still captures peoples attention for its terrifying activities and violent confrontation with UMNO that has almost cracked the stability of UMNO. The electoral consequence of the year 2004 is the apparent clincher that the group has petite hope left for the Malaysian political future. From the above critical discussion, it can be deducted that Malaysia is one of the regimes whose political sky gathered many clouds by the frequent changes and upsurge of Islam. The countries initial political atmosphere has not been corrupted by the power of Islam by hegemonic powers of PAS, UMNO appeared. PAS started to rule the political scenario of Malaysia with the power of their association with terrorist groups and demolished the power of UMNO. However, fortunately as per the latest election, the power of PAS seems to be stepping down whereas the power of UMNO, DAP is finally finding some solid ground to settle again. Bibliography Abdul Hamid, Ahmad Fauzi. 'Syariahization of Intra-Muslim Religious Freedom and Human Rights Practice in Malaysia: The Case of Darul Arqam', Contemporary Southeast Asia, vol. 38/no. 1, (2016), pp. 28. AHMAD FAUZI ABDUL HAMID. 'Islamist Realignments and the Rebranding of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia', Contemporary Southeast Asia, vol. 30/no. 2, (2008), pp. 215-240. Au, Eunice. 'Malaysia DPM Zahid's Answers on 1MDB Spark Outcry: 'Political Donation' to Najib Not Illegal, He Says. Cop-Out, Says Opposition Leader', The Straits Times,2015. Bakar, Mohamad Abu. 'Islamic Revivalism and the Political Process in Malaysia', Asian Survey, vol. 21/no. 10, (1981), pp. 1040-1059. Bakar, Mohamad Abu. 'Islamic Revivalism and the Political Process in Malaysia', Asian Survey, vol. 21/no. 10, (1981), pp. 1040-1059. Barraclough, Simon. 'Managing the Challenges of Islamic Revival in Malaysia: A Regime Perspective', Asian Survey, vol. 23/no. 8, (1983), pp. 958-975. Boase, Roger, Dr. , 'Islam and Global Dialogue: Religious Pluralism and the Pursuit of Peace', Anonymous Translator(, Farnham, Routledge Ltd, 2016;2013;2005;2007;). Dingley, James. , 'Terrorism and the Politics of Social Change: A Durkheimian Analysis', Anonymous Translator(, Farnham, Routledge Ltd, 2016;2013;2010;). Hamayotsu, Kikue. 'Islam and Nation Building in Southeast Asia: Malaysia and Indonesia in Comparative Perspective', Pacific Affairs, vol. 75/no. 3, (2002), pp. 353-375. Johansson, Anders C. 'On the Challenge to Competitive Authoritarianism and Political Patronage in Malaysia', Asianà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Pacific Economic Literature, vol. 29/no. 2, (2015), pp. 47-67. Khoo, Ying Hooi. 'Malaysia's 13th General Elections and the Rise of Electoral Reform Movement', Asian Politics Policy, vol. 8/no. 3, (2016), pp. 418-435. Lee, Raymond, and Susan Ellen Ackerman. , 'Sacred Tensions: Modernity and Religious Transformation in Malaysia', Anonymous Translator(, Columbia S.C, University of South Carolina Press, 1997). Millard, Mike. , 'Jihad in Paradise: Islam and Politics in Southeast Asia', Anonymous Translator(, Armonk, N.Y, M.E. Sharpe, 2004;2015;). Muhammad Faiz Mukmin Abdul Mutalib, And Wan Fariza Alyati Wan Zakaria. 'Pasca-Islamisme Dalam PAS: Analisis Terhadap Kesan Tahalluf Siyasi', International Journal of Islamic Thought, vol. 8/(2015), pp. 52-60. Parameswaran, Prashanth. 'MALAYSIA IN 2015 Crises of Confidence', Southeast Asian Affairs, (2016), pp. 183. Sargent, Wendy M. , 'Civilizing Peace Building: Twenty-First Century Global Politics', Anonymous Translator(, GB, Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2007;2016;). Teik, Khoo Boo. 'Networks in Pursuit of a "Two-Coalition System" in Malaysia: Pakatan Rakyat's Mobilization of Dissent between Reformasi and the Tsunami', Southeast Asian Studies, vol. 5/no. 1, (2016), pp. 73. Tittensor, David, Dr, and Matthew Clarke Professor. , 'Islam and Development: Exploring the Invisible Aid Economy', Anonymous Translator(New edn, Farnham, Routledge Ltd, 2016;2014;). Tittensor, David, Dr, and Matthew Clarke Professor. , 'Islam and Development: Exploring the Invisible Aid Economy', Anonymous Translator(New edn, Farnham, Routledge Ltd, 2016;2014;). Tuck, Christopher. , 'British Propaganda and Wars of Empire : Influencing Friend and Foe 1900-2010', Anonymous Translator(, Farnham, Ashgate, 2014;2016;).