This is all very confusing if you live in Indonesia and are used to how Indonesians identify ethnic groups.
In Indonesia you would say that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib is a a orang Bugis. At no time would the Indonesians say that he is a orang Melayu or even orang keturunan Melayu because his ancestors hail from Sulawesi, not Riau or a small part of Kalimantan that is home to orang Melayu in Indonesia.
Yet in Malaysia, Najib is head of the United Malays National Organization, or Umno, that is the main coalition partner in Malaysia. The organization champions Malay rights and such interesting concepts such as ketuanan Melayu (Malay superiority).
So please help me out: Is Najib a Bugis or a Malay? Or a Gowan (if such a word exists and its not Scottish for a yellowish flower).
Najib: Gowa visit like a homecoming
By SA’ODAH ELIAS
MAKASSAR (South Sulawesi): For Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak, his second visit to this capital city of South Sulawesi since becoming Prime Minister is by far the most nostalgic one.
Royal welcome: Najib (centre) and his wife Rosmah, dressed in traditional Gowa costumes, arriving for the 689th anniversary ceremony of the Gowa kingdom yesterday. — Reuters
Royal welcome: Najib (centre) and his wife Rosmah, dressed in traditional Gowa costumes, arriving for the 689th anniversary ceremony of the Gowa kingdom yesterday. — Reuters
“I feel like I am returning to my roots,” said Najib at the end of his one-day official visit yesterday. He is making his fourth visit to the capital.
Najib was here as the guest-of-honour at the 689th anniversary of the Gowa state government. He was invited by Gowa head of state Ichsan Yasin Limpo.
Najib, who is the descendant of Gowa’s 19th King, Sultan Abdul Jalil Tumenanga ri Lakiung, and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor were earlier accorded a welcome normally reserved for royalty.
The elaborate Bugis “official welcoming ceremony” or amantuli was held at South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo’s official residence.
Najib and Rosmah also wore special Gowa attire, a cream coat and black and gold silk sarong with a gold songkok for him and a dark red Bugis “bodo” tunic with a sarong similar to Najib’s for her.
They then proceeded to the Shekh Yusuf Discovery Park where the anniversary celebration took place.
Speaking to Malaysian journalists at the airport before returning to Kuala Lumpur, Najib said he truly felt at home in Makassar.
Asked to comment on the possibility that some people might view the fact that he had roots here in a negative light, Najib said: “I am not apologetic about it. This is my family history and I am proud of it.”
Najib, who is the 11th Orang Kaya Shahbandar of Pahang, said he was the direct descendant of Bugis royalty who migrated to Pahang in the 18th century and was made the first Orang Kaya Shahbandar carrying the title Toh Tuan.
Najib had inherited the title from his father, the second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak who was the 10th Orang Kaya Shahbandar.
In 2005, Najib was awarded the title Mappadulung Daeng Mattimung Karaeng Sanrobone by the Bugis government.
Najib said Malaysia’s interest to jointly develop Makassar and its surrounding areas into ricebowl areas would benefit both sides as food security had become very important for the region. Malaysia was also interested in developing livestock and animal husbandry industries in the region, he added.
Najib said he had already raised the issue with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during his recent visit to Malaysia.
Najib also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between four Malaysian research and development companies with the Hassanudin Universiti.
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