Malay supremacy unIslamic, suggests chosen race, says Asri

Dr Asri: Should this be the case, it can be likened to the Jewish claim that they are the 'chosen race'.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — A renowned Islamic scholar silenced arguments today over the controversial “Malay supremacy” concept, charging that it was un-Islamic and akin to the Jewish’s “ chosen race” claim.

Former Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin wrote today that the act of placing the Malay race as more supreme than the others was against the teachings of Islam, which preaches tolerance and the equality of all races.

“If someone considers himself more noble simply because of race or ethnicity factors, or considers others lower than himself because they are not of the same race, such belief is wrong and goes against the teachings of Islam.

“Should this be the case, it can be likened to the Jewish claim that they are the 'chosen race',” he said.

The outspoken scholar added that such “pride” was rejected by Islam.

Dr Mohd Asri's view on the contentious concept is a direct blow to Malay rights group Perkasa, whose leaders have been blaring the “Malay supremacy” rhetoric to push for Malay rights.

In recent days, Perkasa clashed head-on with PKR leaders on the issue, with the latter group arguing that “Malay supremacy” or “ketuanan Melayu” was undemocratic, irrelevant and should be replaced by a more inclusive concept of “ketuanan rakyat” (people's supremacy).

PKR leaders, like its de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, his wife party president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and deputy president Azmin Ali have openly rejected “Malay supremacy”, interpreting it to mean the supremacy of the Malay race above the others.

But Perkasa leaders shot back with a biting insult on Dr Wan Azizah and called her a “political prostitute” for rejecting the concept, claiming that it was tantamount to showing disrespect to the Malay Rulers and the Federal Constitution.

The right-wing leaders have argued that the concept of “Malay supremacy” was provided for in the Constitution as it referred to the special positions of the Malays as well as the Malay Rulers.

Today however, Dr Mohd Asri appeared to back PKR's view on the topic, pointing out that while there was no clear definition on the “ketuanan Melayu” terminology, the concept was also not formally expressed in the Federal Constitution.

“Hence it is strange for any party to attempt to defend such a fuzzy concept, whose meaning remains unclear,” he said.

Despite this, Dr Mohd Asri described the concept as one that propagated the supremacy of the Malay race above others, explaining that ultimately, the word “ketuanan” was derived from the word “tuan” in Bahasa Malaysia.

Its English equivalent, the scholar claimed, was “supremacy”.

“It refers to the root word 'tuan' and when combined with 'Melayu', it means that the Malays are in the status of 'tuan' or in Arabic, it is called 'siyadah' (supremacy).

“If you refer to the meaning according to the language, it means that the Malays are always on top, are more supreme and more noble if compared to the non-Malays,” he said.

A clearer definition, added Dr Mohd Asri, would mean that the “Malay race is supreme and most noble”.

He continued to assert that such a belief was un-Islamic and cited several verses in the Quran to back his claim.

As an example, Dr Mohd Asri pointed out that Allah himself had declared in Surah al-Hujarat verse 13, “Oh mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other, not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sigh of Allah, the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well-acquainted (with all things).”

“This verse explains that human dignity comes from one's core values, which is noble faith and morals that is defined as righteousness,” he said.

Dr Mohd Asri added that Islamic teachings also preached principles in assessing man without looking at his skin colour or race but at the moral values that he possesses.

“If a race should be viewed as noble, this nobility must be proven in how they lead their lives. The Malays or the other races can achieve this through their efforts towards upholding dignity, and not just by relying on their races or different ethnicities,” he said.