Some Malaysian Malay Muslim youth believe that non-Malay Muslims can only hold important government positions if they accept Malay supremacy and that non-Malays control the economy despite Malay dominance in politics and government institutions. These views were expressed by young Malay Muslim voters aged 18 to 20 in focus group discussions with Dr. Abdul Muqit Muhammad, a senior lecturer at Universiti Malaya’s Malay Studies Academy. Abdul Muqit believes that these attitudes have influenced the results of the recent general elections and state polls, where parties that played up racial and religious sentiments gained support in Malay heartland seats. He emphasizes the need for Malaysians to shift the focus of political discourse towards policies and laws instead of racial and religious fears.
During these discussions, which were conducted before and after the elections, Abdul Muqit and his colleagues interviewed young voters in several states in Malaysia. Although the full findings will be released later, their preliminary findings indicate that the younger generation’s attitudes and voting patterns align with their parents’ perceptions of politics and nation-building. These perceptions, such as fear of non-Malays and the preference for Malay-centric political parties, have been passed down to the youth. One contributing factor to the persistence of these attitudes is the lack of dedicated civics education in public schools, which leaves young voters with limited knowledge of Malaysian society. Instead, they seek information on social media platforms like TikTok, where narratives from dominant parties like PAS create an influence. Additionally, Abdul Muqit notes the presence of pseudo-historians on social media who further shape the perspectives of Malay Muslim youths.
Abdul Muqit argues that the failure to settle the question of what constitutes Bangsa Malaysia is a fundamental reason behind the persistence of these attitudes. Without a clear definition of Bangsa Malaysia, challenges related to issues such as meritocracy and affirmative action remain unresolved. Furthermore, the prevalence of identity politics exacerbates these problems. Malaysians need to address this historic question and move towards a more inclusive and policy-oriented approach to politics.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
