A reply to his malay brethren in malaysia from a sporean
malay:
I refer to M Ahmad’s letter entitled Unadulterated chauvinism in
Singapore.
I am a modern Malay-Muslim Singaporean who served my National
Service in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). There are many Malays
who serve in the SAF in various capacities.
So I do not know where M Ahmad got the idea that Singaporean Malays
cannot serve in the SAF. That’s a blatant lie
which Malaysian Malays like to believe.
Secondly – yes, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and even Minister
Mentor Lee Kuan Yew have said that there are certain categories of
positions in the SAF which Singaporean Malays
ought not to be in. I – as a modern Singaporean Malay-Muslim –
support that view. Why ?
Just ask yourself this most disturbing question – are you, as a
Malay-Muslim Singaporean, prepared to hurt Malay-Muslims elsewhere
in order to uphold the political interests of the non-Muslim
majority in Singapore? Would you shoot at Malaysian Malay-Muslim
soldiers if they charged at your fellow Singaporean Chinese
comrades?
That’s the bottom line. If you are not emotionally prepared to
shoot at Indonesian or Malaysian soldiers because of racial and
religious ties, then you should not be in a sensitive position. I
understand that Malaysia has Chinese generals. But that’s
Malaysia’s business. That’s Malaysia’s choice. For us in Singapore
however, we know for certain that the Muslim concept of a global
‘ummah’ does come in the way of combat.
Indeed, this issue of loyalty has spread to America and Europe
in the post-Sept 11 political discourse. It all boils down to the
Muslim concept of a global ‘ummah’. Does the interests of the
‘ummah’ come first before national interests? For example, it is in
the American interest to secure cheap and plentiful petroleum
supplies. Would you as an American-Muslim support that even though
you know that it could be against the interests of oil-producing
Muslim countries?
I do not know where M Ahmad gets the idea that Malay-Muslim
Singaporeans are severely discriminated against by Chinese
Singaporeans. Perhaps he ought to stay in Singapore for a year or
two. Singapore operates on meritocracy. There are no quotas or
hand-outs for Malays in Singapore. But that is not discrimination,
that is just fair, open market practice.
M Ahmad should get in touch with Singapore’s Mendaki (a Malay
self-help group) and the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP)
to find out the real situation in Singapore.
Indeed, I dare say that Singaporean Malay-Muslims are better off
in Singapore than in Malaysia.
