GE2011 was described as a watershed election for Singapore as the Opposition tsunami threatened to overcome PAP’s hegemony. We witnessed a greater diversity of opinions being amplified and disseminated at unprecedented speeds, facilitated by the Internet. However, there seem to be little change to the political landscape of the Malay-Muslim community (MMC) in Singapore, with only one other MM MP, Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap from the Workers’ Party (WP), making it to Parliament. Muhamad Faisal had little impact in Parliament. For one, he did not take a stand on the hijab issue. Sounding like a PAP MM MP, he urged that the issue not be politicised and opined that a workable consensus was best achieved through public dialogue.
Some would argue that this lack of good leadership in the MMC has been to the detriment of the MMC. Others contend that PAP MM MPs and organisations such as MUIS and Mendaki are doing a good job of not only protecting, but furthering the interest of the MMC. Perhaps, the truth is somewhere in between.
With Singaporeans going to the polls in a forthnight, it is therefore timely to take stock of the political landscape of the MMC and where the MMC is headed – how it has changed, how the roles of the incumbent and the Opposition have been transformed and the impact this wil have on the MMC in this GE and the near future. Can the MMC still play a role in helping to build a better future for Singapore, one that is based on the principles of race-blind, meritocracy? Of course. How and at what cost? That remains to be seen.
Diversity of Voices
The political landscape of the MMC today is starkly different from that pre-GE2011. It could be argued that despite the greater awareness of the MM identity, the MMC has become more fragmented, with more people and organisations representing a greater array of partisan and non-partisan interests.
Among the most prolific of MM commentators are Zulfikar Shariff, the editor of the now defunct Fateha.com and PAP member, Umar A H Marican.
Zulfikar Shariff
Zulfikar is presently a PhD candidate at La Trobe University based in Melbourne. Zulfikar went off the grid after leaving Singapore but the Internet has truly been a game changer in terms of affording him the ability to keep abreast of developments here in a timely manner. This has enabled Zulfikar to make timely comments and initiate thought provoking discourse on issues affecting the local MMC. Perhaps, the distance may have given Zulfikar a sense of security in expressing his views openly. It is thus not uncommon to see Zulfikar criticising the PAP for its policies that he deems discriminatory and oppressive to the MMC.
To be clear, Zulfikar does not only have an axe to grind with the PAP government. He truly believes that the MMC cannot subordinate their faith to the Westphalian notion of the nation-state. To Zulfikar, the state is a mere political construct, hence the rules, norms and mores do not apply. He believes in the idea of establishing a separate, independent leadership for the MMC. He is also of the conviction that the MMC should have an insular, separate existence – no state, no country, no democracy, no political parties. Why bother with those when it has only led to the regression of the MMC?
In one of his latest posts, Zulfikar highlighted Goh Chok Tong’s refusal to accede to the proposal to set up a Collective Leadership system which he claimed would have improved the lives of the MMC. Zulfikar asserted that the PAP’s disagreement was self-serving, meant to protct its MM MPs.
His agitations have not won him admirers from among the supporters of the incumbent. That is not to say that he has not attracted a following at all. Zulfikar’s discourse have often initiated discussions from his small but vocal group of followers, who are disenchanted and disillusioned with their current predicament. It helps that Zulfikar is blessed with a huge dose of wit.
But the more important question is, to what extent can Zulfikar achieve his objective of establishing a separate existence for the MMC? What would it take for that to happen? Realistically, it would take a total breakdown of the current nation-state system for that to happen. How does Zulfikar intend to overcome the nation-state? The UN will be made redundant. No ASEAN community to speak of. No SEA Games even. It is radical and there does not appear to be any way of doing so without burning bridges with people of other faiths and cultural backgrounds. Even providing more compelling, up-to-date, statistics which are grounded in context, may not faciltate Zulfikar’s course because it is that radical.
For Singapore to prosper, Zulfikar’s assertions have to be addressed and rebutted . There have not been a dearth of people who have done so, including Umar A H Marican.
Umar A H Marican
Umar is a PAP apologist and has come to the fore to defend PAP’s policies, especially those from MM critics like Zulfikar. In a riposte to Zulfikar, Umar questioned Zulfikar’s motivations and cautioned that Zulfikar’s arguments were “politically inclined but disguised with religious intonation”.
For Umar, Zulfikar’s posting is toxic and has the ability to encourage disunity and suspicions among Singaporeans. The caution is not without merit. Any race-based discourse permeating through the community has the ability to shape mindsets and further alienate the MMC from the Singapore community at large.
That said, it will also be in PAP’s best interest to rebut Zulfikar with statistics instead of mere rhetoric. This will serve to convince the MMC of the fallacies in Zulfikar’s arguments and preserve racial and religious harmony in Singapore.
That is not to say that dissenting voices like Zulfikar’s should be silenced. Umar’s response betrays the PAP’s marked disdain for freedom of speech. There is nothing stopping a Singaporean based overseas to comment on developments in Singapore. There are those who support and praise the government. Why not accept those who criticise and engage? Surely that is the best way to convince Singaporeans, especially the MMC of the PAP’s plans.
PAP MM Candidates
This brings us to the question of the capability of the new PAP candidates. As we have come to expect of PAP candidates (although admittedly, PAP does not have a monopoly over good candidates in Singapore), they have come with the requisite credentials. All are professionals with years of experience in the grassroots. But therein lies the danger of them having been brought up in the system for a long time. You cannot definitively exclude the possibility of groupthink.
What will they bring to the table? What kind of insights can they provide? Will they be afraid to speak up on MM issues? Will the fear of having to toe the party line overcome them? Will they be silenced by the Party whip?
Having the heart and appreciation for the MMC is not everything. You must have the gumption and conviction, almost like Zulfikar, to really protect the interests of the community. They cannot be “yes” men and be quick to subordinate the interest of the community to the (arguably at times) selfish interest of others.
The Opposition Slate
Over the past week, Opposition parties have also been busy introducing their MM candidates for this GE. It is heartening to see more capable MM leaders standing up, wanting to contribute to the betterment of the MMC and the Singapore community at large.
The aberration seems to be SDP candidate, Sidek Mallek. An auditor by profession, he was stumped by a simple question asked in Malay, by a reporter, at a press conference meant to showcase his credentials. Most excused his lack of fluency in the Malay language but many were appalled at the lack of direction by the party, in terms of the interests of the MMC that it wants to champion.
Maybe Sidek was too preoccupied with his hobby of playing online mahjong that he could not think clearly? He is a good example of the kind of “leadership” that the MMC can do without. Surely there are better candidates out there?
Conclusion
The MMC has become more diverse and we have also witnessed a greater diversity in the views that have been espoused by people with partisan or non-partisan interests. This though does not neccessarily translate into good leadership for the MMC. In determining its future and negotiating the changing global terrain, the community has a responsibility to choose the best to lead them. What the community needs are leaders who understand Singapore’s place in the world and the realities that it contends with, to ensure its relevance and prosperity. It needs leaders who have a vision for the MMC within the multi-racial Singapore community because the future of the community is inextricably intertwined with the future of Singapore. History will judge if the Singapore MMC made the right decisions in GE2015.
Anak Melayu Singapura
[Reader Contribution]
