Malays have their own identity and some of the most important identities of the Malays are Islam, the Malay Kings, the language and the costumes. When Malays are no longer taking pride of their own languages and costumes, Islam and their Kings, Malays have lost their own identity.
Malays are among the few races in the whole world that seems to be easily influenced by other cultures of those whom they admired in their mind and heart. In other words, Malay is a very adaptable race and they can change or follow very easily the cultures of those who have conquered their hearts and mind.
Early Muslims missionaries have conquered the heart and the mind of the early Malays and this has made the Malays to embrace Islam wholeheartedly and change their lifestyle to a certain extent to the lifestyle of the Arabs. Malay is a very special and unique race in this world. They are very obedient to their Kings and when their Kings embrace Islam, all the Malays also embrace Islam.
Malays embrace Islam without any war and bloodshed. No other races in this world ever embrace Islam as the Malays did. Malay is indeed a very intelligent and a wise race and because of that, the Malays embrace Islam without war and bloodshed.
Malays are identified by their language, costumes, religion and their Kings. All Malays should be able to speak the correct Malay language with the correct Malay pronunciation. Malay language can borrow all other terms from other languages particularly scientific and engineering terms and use it as part of the Malay language.
However, Malay languages should be used as the language of instruction including the teaching of science subjects in all Malaysia schools until the level of Malaysian Certificate of Education. University education can be conducted either in Malay or English or in both languages and students during their University years need to study one other foreign language as an elective.
Malay language is the identity of the Malays and the Malays once get irritated when Tun Dr Mahathir during his premiership instructed the use of English language in the teaching of Science and Mathematics subjects at primary and secondary schools. Fortunately, now we are reverting back to the teaching of Science and Mathematics in Malay language.
In my opinion, we can teach Science and Mathematics subjects in Malay language in our schools but we should maintain the scientific and mathematical terms in English. When Malays themselves become scientists and mathematicians, many scientific terms will also be in Malay language.
Malays are greatly annoyed when Malay language is not regarded as the national language. In order to unite the various races in this country, we must have one national language. There should not be any other language other than Malay language or Bahasa Melayu to be made as the national language in Malaysia. Everyone in Malaysia must be able to speak Malay language.
The next important identity of the Malays is their costumes. In my opinion, in Malaysia we should promote the wearing of Baju Melayu or Baju Batik for men and Baju Kurung or Kebaya for women during their working hours in both government and private sectors.
Malays men should often wear the songkok and Malays women should cover their hairs with tudung. In order to become modern and progressive, Malays and other Malaysians must continue to engage themselves in all various fields of science and arts. Malays and other Malaysians must continue to do researches in various fields if they are to become the most modern and progressive races in the whole world.
It is not the speaking of other languages nor the wearing of western costumes that will make the Malays and Malaysians modern and progressive. Malays and Malaysians will become modern, progressive and honored race if Malays and Malaysians have new knowledge to be imparted to the entire mankind.
Malays and Malaysians will not have new knowledge to be imparted to the whole mankind unless they continue doing researches in various fields of human endeavours. Currently, Malays and other Malaysians only like to follow others. This attitude must be put to a stop.
Malays and other Malaysians must not only follow others but lead others to improve the current technologies and ways of doing things and this can only be achieved when they are engrossed in the research of various fields of sciences and technology.
Why we need to learn Science and Mathematics in English in order to become an advance nation? Why we need to wear the western dress and follows the western lifestyles in order to become modern and progressive?
Other important identities of the Malays are Islam and the Kings. When the Malay Kings embraced Islam, the whole Malay race embraced Islam. This only happens to no other race other than the Malays. Malays are very obedient to their Kings and when their Kings decided to embrace Islam, the whole Malay race also embraced Islam.
It is in the Malay culture and belief that when the Kings orders to do good actions, the orders must be followed and when the Kings order to do bad actions, the orders must not be followed. Challenging the institutions of the Kings means challenging the Malay race and this can never be tolerated by the Malays.
Malay language, Islam and the Kings are three important Malay identities and cannot be removed from the constitution. As long as the Malays are in this world, the three Malays identities have to remain intact. All Malays want Malay language and Islam to be made supreme and their Malay Kings to be installed as the supreme rulers in Malaysia. Any attempts by others to remove the Institution of the Kings, Malay language and Islam will receive a very strong opposition from the Malays.
~Prof Dr Nasoha Saabin~
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