nation states, if that many, could today meet that imposing test, and now Multiculturalism at Risk seems to be drawing precipitously close to the point where its entire multicultural The Indian Minority in Malaysia edifice is at grave risk. South Indian Tamils account for 81 per The unique Malaysian experiment in multiculturalism is cent of the Indian population of Malaysia, and the bulk of them are Hindus; there is increasingly at risk today. Policies of the state are being consciously a also generous sprinkling of Bengalis, framed to favour the Malay-speaking population. Concomitantly, Sindhis, Gujaratis, Malayalis, Telugus and minorities, including Indian Hindus, find their cultural and social Sri Lankan Tamils. Recent developments identity under threat in the name of development. point to the increasingly precarious posi- tion in which non-Muslim Indians find VINAY LAL Spanish is “creeping” upon large urban themselves, and one could point to the fact spaces, the movement to proclaim English that even the former deputy prime minis- alaysia has long claimed that it as the official language is attracting much ter, Anwar Ibrahim, who promoted the represents one of the world’s attention. Multiculturalism in Malaysia is movement to instill Islamic values into Mmost arresting experiments in not merely a yellow pages list of ethnic politics and then found himself hauled into multiculturalism, but recent events, at the foods to be consumed, or a celebration of jail on what are widely believed to be centre of which are political and cultural “world music” and “international cinema”, trumped-up charges of sodomy and sexual negotiations wrought by the Indians to even as the American attachment to the solicitation, has recently expressed mis- assure some semblance of dignity for most parochial politics remains un- givings about the increased “Arabisation” themselves among the dominant , diminished. of Malaysian society. Though it is by no have very much put Malaysia’s claims to Malays have an absolute if slim majority means certain that the disabilities from be a genuinely multicultural and pluralistic in Malaysia, constituting nearly 54 per which non-Muslims suffer always have society seriously in doubt. To be sure, cent of the population, but there are very some intrinsic relationship to the privi- Malaysia is a multicultural society, even significant minorities, among them the leges conferred on Muslims, the unique if it never quite peddled its multiculturalism Chinese and Indians, with 26 per cent and status conferred on Malays and Islam in with the ostentatiousness with which, for 8 per cent of the population, respectively. Malaysia cannot be doubted. Whereas in example, the US customarily announces (These figures are drawn from the 2000 most countries affirmative action pro- its “diversity” and multiculturalism as its Census.) However, arithmetical notions grammes or quotas are reserved for under- unique gifts to the world. One might, indeed, of “majority” and “minority” do not al- privileged or disenfranchised minorities, make a strong prima facie case for Malay- ways coincide with the psychological states in Malaysia the beneficiaries of govern- sian varieties of multiculturalism that one or political conditions that one might as- ment largesse are the bumiputras, (sons seldom encounters in the west and almost sociate with “majority” and “minority”. of the soil), a category that includes, never in the Anglo-American world. The The Hindu majority of , judging from expectedly, the orang aslis and other formidable Consumer Association of the pronouncements of many of the ideo- aboriginal people, but also, quite unex- (CAP), which spearheaded the logues of Hindu nationalism, often imag- pectedly, the numerically dominant Malays. consumer rights’ movement in Malaysia ines itself as a minority; on the other hand, It has been argued, of course, that though and south-east Asia more generally, and the Jewish population of India, which was the Malays are a majority, the Chinese are has in many ways been something of a always so minuscule that even rendering the dominant economic force. But the model to the burgeoning NGO movement, it as a “minority” would be something of claim that bumiputra must be understood furnishes a good demonstration of Malay- a stretch, displayed an extraordinary con- in the economic register can only be viewed sian multiculturalism at work. Its monthly fidence in a country where it does not ever as disingenuous, considering that the In- newsletter, with wide circulation in Ma- appear to have been subjected to anti- dians, whose poverty is only eclipsed by laysia, is published not only in Bahasa Semitic sentiments or discrimination. that of aboriginals, are not only not entitled Melayu (Malay), the official language, but Mohandas Gandhi, for one, was not par- to affirmative action privileges but, some also in Chinese, Tamil and English, which ticularly receptive to the idea that minori- five generations after they arrived in retain official language status in neigh- ties always feel like minorities, and his Malaysia, still may find themselves denied bouring Singapore, once part of the Malay lengthy encounters with dalits, Christians, citizenship and even identity cards. In the Federation. Muslims, Sikhs, Anglo-Indians, Buddhists eastern Malaysian state of Sabak, as has Most urban , whatever their and Jains persuaded him that the idea of been documented, entry permits, residency ethnic background, religious affiliation, or majority and minority is a modern form status, and identity cards have been confer- educational background, are easily fluent of political calculus. Nonetheless, he was red on thousands of recent Muslim immi- in two or three languages. In the metro- sufficiently attentive to the turns taken by grants from the , and the cate- politan areas of Los Angeles and New modern political life to understand that no gory of bumiputra is sometimes extended York, on the other hand, more than 100 group can afford to disavow the politics to all those, whether Indonesians or Fili- languages are encountered, but these lan- of recognition, and he was unequivocally pinos, who can lay claim to ancestral origins guages exist as utterly discrete pockets of clear that the litmus test of a democracy in the Malay archipelago. Yet the status of the city’s life. The US has remained re- must perforce be its treatment of minorities. some Indians who have known no country solutely monolingual, though now that It is doubtful that more than a handful of other than Malaysia remains doubtful.

3764 Economic and Political Weekly September 2, 2006 Article 3 of Malaysia’s Federal Con- an injunction to prevent his burial, so that Indians gravitated towards larger urban stitution states that the religion of the she might cremate him according to Hindu areas and acquired greater affluence, more Malaysian Federation is Islam; but the rites, Kuala Lumpur high court judge formal temples came into shape. But the same article permits practitioners of other Raus Sharif declared the civil courts to be indubitable fact remains that many of the religions to follow their faiths. In this without jurisdiction in this matter and temples trace their history to a time when respect, Malaysia is clearly quite unlike ruled the matter fit for deliberation by the registration was not required, and Indians Saudi Arabia, where the public display of shariah (sharia) high court, which on could not easily claim possession of land any faith other than Islam can subject the December 22 pronounced Moorthy a deeds. While it maybe unreasonable to religious practitioner to censure, ignominy, Muslim and authorised the Islamic Affairs expect Malaysian authorities to understand and punishment. Article 11, however, Council to give him a burial. As a non- that in Hinduism trees themselves are seen suggests clearly why Islam in Malaysia Muslim, Kaliammal was unable to file a as embodiments of the divine, or that groves might perhaps best be understood as petition or to tender any evidence with the of trees provide a spiritual habitat for embodying the principle of primus inter sharia court. Not surprisingly, the temples, it is surely just as unreasonable to pares, the first among equals: Muslims are MCCBCHS has now sought an amend- claim that Hindus should be in compliance free to proselytise to adherents of other ment to the constitution so that cases of with the development agendas of a modern faiths, but non-Muslims by law are for- religious conversion can come under the nation state or that they should be held bidden from preaching to Muslims. In purview of the (civil) high court, but in to be in violation of laws that were the words of the constitution itself, the the meantime it remains clear that non- drafted long after temples were founded “law may control or restrict the propaga- Muslims have no remedy under common not only as abodes of worship but to tion of any religious doctrine or belief law in Malaysia. cement ties of solidarity among a people among persons professing the religion torn from their roots and cast adrift from of Islam”. A Muslim cannot leave his or A Threatened Diaspora their ancestral lands. her faith: but this stipulation, while it Section 295 of the Malaysian Penal Code uniquely safeguards Islam, and renders As alarming as is Moorthy’s case, the makes it a criminal offence to violate or it pre-eminent among the religious faiths Hindu community has been more pro- defile places of worship, and the Federal in Malaysia, simultaneously prevents foundly disturbed by the seemingly relent- Constitution, as we have seen, guarantees Muslims from exercising the right, less destruction of Hindu temples over freedom of religious expression. These recognised in the Geneva conventions and large parts of the country in the last six legal sanctions aside, the Hindu temple in other international protocols, to freedom months. The chairman of the Hindu Rights the Mid-Valley Megamall in Kuala of religious expression. Federal Constitu- Action Force, a coalition of some 50 Hindu Lumpur, around which an entire shopping tion article 160 is unambiguous: “Malay”, organisations, has gone on record to say complex has been built even though there it states, “means a person who professes that “there appears to be an unofficial were threats to tear it down, has been the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the policy of Hindu temple-cleansing in mentioned as an illustration of the accom- Malay language, [and] conforms to Malay Malaysia in recent months”. Al-jazeera’s modations that can be made if Hindus, custom”. Interestingly, although the Ma- correspondent states that “the destruction state authorities, and developers can be laysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, of Hindu temples by Malaysian authorities brought into conversation with each Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism is inflaming religious tensions”, and Hindu other. Samy Vellu, president of the Ma- (MCCBCHS) speaks for the adherents of groups worldwide are endeavouring to laysian Indian Congress and works mini- these faiths, the practitioners of Islam are bring this matter to the attention of human ster in the present government, has urged not similarly represented. They have no rights groups. Malaysian authorities have that demolitions should cease until plans such representation, not because they are described the targeted temples as “illegal can be made to relocate Hindu temples. among the excluded, but because they are buildings”, lacking registration or land However, judicious might be some of the the state. Muslims in Malaysia, as Roland titles, and they are being demolished to proposed measures to prevent the wanton Barthes would have put it, are ex-nomi- make way for highways, housing projects, destruction of temples, the more funda- nated: they nominate others, but do not and shopping centres. The 60-year old mental problem should not be obscured. If themselves need to be named. Aum Sri Siva Balakrishna Muniswarar the Malaysian state and its intellectual The death last December of M Moorthy temple in Setapak, to take one example, spokespersons are unable to recognise the Mohamad Abdullah, a Hindu soldier who was found to be “in the way” of the Kuala fact that Indian hands fed the population first gained fame in Malaysia as the hero Lumpur-Damansara-Hulu Klang Express- and that Hindu temples are inescapably of Mt Everest, has brought to the fore the way. To understand the circumstances part of the social, cultural, spiritual and increased jeopardy under which Indians under which some of these temples arose, physical landscape of Malaysia, it is very live in Malaysia. He had fallen into a coma it is necessary to recall the history of Indian unlikely that the Indian population will after a bad fall in his house, and shortly indentured to Malaysia and ever receive more than a cursory treatment before his death the Federal Territory the shepherding of Indians, when they were in Malaysian history textbooks or anything Islamic Affairs Council alleged that he not building the railways, to rubber estates. remotely resembling the recognition had converted to Islam. The council Thousands of smaller temples, often origi- that the history of Malaysia belongs to insisted on giving him a burial at his death, nating in the placement of a deity under Indians, whether Hindus and Muslims, but his widow, S Kaliammal, was forth- a tree, mushroomed across rubber planta- as much as it belongs to the Malays or right in declaring that her late husband’s tions and the rural countryside. As the the Chinese. EPW supposed conversion was not a matter of Indian community grew, some were con- knowledge to the family. Though she sought verted to larger structures; elsewhere, as Email: [email protected]

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