The Malays in Singapore: Political Aspects of the "Malay Problem"
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I ' THE MALAYS IN SINGAPORE: POLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE "MALAY PROBLEM" , , THE MALAYS IN SINGAPORE: POLITICAL ASPECTS OF THE "MALAY PROBLEM" By LYNDEN H. S. PUNG, B.A. (Hons) A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts McMaster University (c) Copyright by Lynden H. S. Pung, September 1993 MASTER OF ARTS (1993) McMASTER UNIVERSITY (political Science) Hamilton, Ontario TITLE: The Malays in Singapore: Political Aspects of the "Malay Problem" AUTHOR: Lynden H. S. Pung, B.A. Hons (University of Waterloo) SUPERVISOR: Professor Kim Richard Nossal (Acting) NUMBER OF PAGES: ii, 136 ii ABSTRACf The social, economic, and cultural aspects of the "Malay problem" has received attention at the expense of political issues. There are glaring differences in perspectives on the sources of the Malay problem; however, the debate on the Malay problem has tended to attribute the source of "Malay weakness" to Malay culture or personality. As a consequence, there is a huge gap in the literature on the politics of the Singapore Malays; this thesis will focus on the political aspects of the Singapore Malay community. Whereas the administration views Malay cultural values as an obstruction to the acculturation of the Singapore Malays with "modem" functional values which encourage the acquisitive spirit and subsequently, the aspiration for economic success, the Malays argue that the problems afflicting the community extends into the political sphere. For the Malays, ) political issues are as significant and pressing as are the non-political aspects of their relative / " social, economic, and political weakness. This thesis examines the nature of the political difficulties afflicting the Singapo,re / , ' Malays in light of these conflicting views on the issue, by placing the study wit;Ji.'tITthe context (j" of the political environment in order to explicate the impact and impl!9Vdbns of that /..----_/~ environment on the Malay problem. Both the political .~l»ftfoiiment as well as the willingness and ability of the Malays to seize opportunities proVi(ed by that environment, are key variables in the issue of Malay political marginality. / iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis has benefitted from the immense knowledge and suggestions of my initial supervisor, Professor Gordon Means, as well as the many insightful comments of Professor Michael Stein. Professor Richard Stubbs provided encouragement as well as clear and concise advice at various points of the entire process. Professor Kim Nossal saw the thesis through to its completion as the acting supervisor from July 1993 after the retirement of Professor Means. I would like to thank the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies and the National University of Singapore for extensive use of their collections. A sincere terima kasih to those Singapore Malays who set aside valuable time from a tight agenda to accommodate the research curiosity of a Singapore Chinese, as well as other Malays who have contributed academically in one way or another. The insights gained from these conversations have found their way into this thesis in various forms; however, formal citations will not be made in the text of this thesis due to the politically sensitive nature of the topic. I am grateful to McMaster University and the Department of Political Science for the Ontario Differential Fee Waiver to offset the substantial foreign student fees, as well as to the McMaster Graduate Students Association for a travel allowance for this research project. Finally, I would like to thank my parents who are solely responsible for making this valuable, enlightening, and rewarding experience of studying overseas possible. Ms. Ong Shao Wei took time from her short vacation in Canada in the Fall of 1992, and contributed in ways too numerous to mention. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................. .. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv LIST OF TABLES. ................................................ .. vii INTRODUCTION .................................................. .. I The Problem Defined 1 Rationale and Approach 5 Chapter I. BRITISH RULE AND MALAY AUTHORITY IN SINGAPORE: 1819-1824 .... 7 The Political Context and the British .......................... .. 7 Profile of Early Singapore Malay Community. ................... .. 8 The Concept of Adat in Malay Society 12 British Treaties and the Malay Rulers 15 Reasons for Curtailing Malay Authority ....................... .. 20 Status of Malay Authority after 1824 ......................... .. 22 Summary , 24 2. NEW ELITES AND MALAY NATIONALISM IN SINGAPORE: 1900-1945 .. 26 The Socio-Political Context 26 Jawi Peranakan and Malay Consciousness 29 The Arabs and Reforms in Malay Society 33 Impact of Reformist Activities on Singapore Malay Society ......... .. 36 Non-religious Associations of Muslims 38 Malay Reaction to non-Malay Muslim Initiatives 41 The Re-emergcnce of Malay Political Leadership 46 British Policy and non-Malay Muslim Movements 49 Implications of British Policy for Malay Politics. ................ .. 50 Japanese Policy and Malay Political Consciousness ............... .. 57 3. POST-WAR CONSTITUTIONAL SETTLEMENTS AND THE SINGAPORE MALAYS: 1945-1965 63 Post-war Constitutional Settlements and the Singapore Malays ....... .. 63 UMNO and the Singapore Malays ........................... .. 68 UMNO Singapore and the Singapore Malays 7I v The PAP, Merger, and the Singapore Malays 77 Summary 84 4. MALAY POLITICS IN INDEPENDENT SINGAPORE: 1965-1991 86 Political Expulsion of Singapore from the Federation 86 The Political Context in Independent Singapore 89 Impact of Political Separation on the Singapore Malays ............ .. 93 Institutional Changes and the Singapore Malays 96 Constitutional 96 Religious 97 Political 99 Cultural 100 Malay Response to the New Political Context in Singapore 103 Malay Politics in the 1980s 104 MENDAKI ................. .. 106 The Association of Muslim Professionals 109 Summary ..................... .. 116 5. CONCLUSION 119 ABBREVIATIONS AND GLOSSARY 125 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 127 vi LIST OF TABLES Table l. Population of the Federation of Malaya and Singapore. 1947 67 vii INTRODUCTION The Problem Defined Ambiguity surrounds the issue of Singapore "Malay weakness." The minority Malay community in Singapore has frequently been characterized as a socially and economically weak ethnic community associated with high rates of divorce, drug addiction, low educational attainment, and low employment status. l As the largest minority of approximately 15 percent of the total population of Singapore, the Singapore Malays have been depicted as an ethnic community plagued by socio-economic problems attributable to causes inherent in Malay culture. There is a widespread impression that the source of Malay weakness originates from Malay culture or personality, and that any change or improvement in the Malay social, political, and economic position in Singapore will have to begin with a reorientation of Malay cultural values from a "traditional peasant mentality" to one oriented to the acquisitive values of a "modem capitalist economy." Partly as a result of this widespread and ready acceptance of this conventional perspective on the weakness of the Malay community in Singapore, analyses of the problem have tended to focus on the social, economic, or cultural aspects of the "Malay problem." The assumption underlying this non-political view of Malay weakness is that Malay culture is either static and not dynamic, or that it is deeply entrenched and resistant to external changes in the social environment. 1 "Please ... Kick the Drug Habit, Urges Malay MP Close to Tears," Straits Times. 14 July 1990,22; "Malay Addicts 'Waste $17m on Drug Habit'," Straits Times, 6 August 1990. 2 The administration views Malay cultural values as an obstruction to the acculturation of the Singapore Malays with "modem" functional values which encourage the acquisitive spirit and subsequently, the aspiration for economic success. As Betts notes, special assistance policies seek to encourage "Malay adoption of the acquisitive mentality which is essential to Singapore's progress.,,2 Associated with the cultural explanation is that relating to the educational performance of Malays. It is argued that the key to improving the Malay condition lies in educational attainment which will equip the Malays with the required qualifications for the economy. Educational failures are accordingly linked to the inhibiting values of Malay cuiture. Even if Malay culture may influence the attitudes of Malays, it will be shown that institutional arrangements which derive from public policy concerning the Singapore Malays have also had the effect. whether intended or otherwise, of perpetuating Malay weakness. Specifically, these institutions have constrained the scope of Malay political participation in Singapore. Perhaps influenced by official government appraisals of the Malay problem, non- government studies of the Singapore Malay community also tend to be socio-economic rather than political in nature. Likewise, these studies focus on the Malays and education and link poor Malay educational performance with socio-economic malaise. At its most general level, these studies find that deficiencies in Malay educational attainment result in the inability of Malays to find employment, and to a subsequent discontent and disillusionment resulting in a withdrawal from society, and in most cases, a resort to drug dependence especially among Malay youths. Subsequently,