There are certain things that are rather odd about our Federal Constitution, which hopefully would one day be corrected. For example the fact that the special priviledges
MALAY
Article 160(2) of the Federal Constitution states that "Malay" means a person who professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, conforms to Malay custom and -
(a) was before Merdeka Day born in the Federation or in Singapore or born of parents one of whom was born in the Federation or in Singapore, or is on that day domiciled in the Federation or in Singapore; or
(b) is the issue of such a person;
Therefore, there is no such thing as a non-Muslim Malay. A Muslim Malay who converts is no longer a Malay - and hence if Malay is an ethnicity, then conversion means a loss of ethnicity. Hence Malay may not be an ethnicity at all.
You are a Malay if:-
a) Muslim
b) habitually speaks the Malay language;
c) conforms to Malay custom
d) was before Merdeka Day born in the Federation or in Singapore or born of parents one of whom was born in the Federation or in Singapore, or is on that day domiciled in the Federation or in Singapore; or (b) is the issue of such a person
Therefore I am a Malay, if say that my father a British officer (and my mother a British) in Malaya gave birth to me in 1956, and I today am a Muslim and speak Malay and live a Malay lifestyle.
Therefore I am not a Malay, if parents and grandparents were all Malay - but I have chosen to be a free-thinker.
Therefore I am not a Malay, because although born of Malays, I now do not speak the Malay language.
Therefore I am not a Malay, because now I live a modern Western life-style and no longer conform to the Malay custom ( But then, what is Malay custom???)
A Malay not a Muslim is NOT a MALAY
A Malay who does not speak the Malay Language is not a Malay
A foreign national born of foreign national parents who happened to be in Singapore in 1961, who is now a Muslim, speaks Malay and conforms to Malay custom is a MALAY and according to some State Constitution would qualify to be Menteri Besar.
Interesting......
Before the Malays, in Peninsular Malaysia there were the Orang Asli - and they are called the Aborigine in the Federal Constitution, and is defined as the "aborigine of the Malay Peninsula" - and sadly this is the one group that interestingly is not accordered the special position and privileges (see Art 153) which only covers the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak.
So an Orang Asli or aborigine of the Malay Peninsula or a particular State cannot also be the Menteri Besar of Perak, Selangor and how many more States....
Even a native of Sabah and Sarawak who has been resident in the State of Perak or Selangor cannot be the Menteri Besar of Perak and/or Selangor...
INTERESTING...
So, what will happen if there were NO MALAYs elected in the party(or coalition of party) that has managed to wrest the majority of the seats in the State Legislative Assembly - would it mean that there will be NO MENTERI BESAR ...or will the Barisan Alternative just have to get someone from the Barisan Nasional UMNO party to be Menteri Besar....
INTERESTING....
In the Federal Constitution, there is no ETHNIC or RELIGIOUS or "MALAY REQUIREMENT" for a person to be chosen and appointed as the Prime Minister of a country --- and as such all State Constitutions must also be amended to be in line with the Federal Constitution...
WE HAVE TO MOVE AND BECOME MALAYSIAN - WE HAVE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE POLITICS OF THE ETHNIC-BASED PARTIES LIKE UMNO, MCA AND MIC -- into MALAYSIANS-BASED POLITICAL PARTIES...
EVEN PAS - the only Religious-based party in the OPPOSITION (or rather the Barisan Alternative) is opening its doors , now through PAS Supporters Clubs --- who in fact even fielded a non-Muslim candidate..
We have to make a stand NOW about this "Malay Muslim" condition for being a Menteri Besar in some States -- IF WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD...We cannot push it under the carpet and ignore it...
It was sad to see that there were 3 names forwarded to the Perak Sultan to choose and appoint as the Menteri Besar of Perak - when there was already a clear agreement that the person who shall be the Menteri Besar shall be from that Opposition partner party that won the biggest number of seats - and in the case of Perak, it was clearly DAP. There should have been just ONE name forwarded, the one name of the person who enjoyed the support of the majority in that State Assembly...However, if the DAP felt that it did not have a suitable candidate, then it could put forward a name of another from one of the other parties...and that is it...Submitting 3 names should never have been done - There whould have been ONE name submitted - the name of the one that enjoyed the support of the majority...
Now, we come to SELANGOR - the Menteri Besar has been chosen and now the question remain as to who will be the Deputy ...or Deputies...and let us see whether we have a "PKR and Barisan Alternative" Menteri Besar or really just another "UMNO or BN" Menteri Besar - there has, after all , always been doubts about Khalid, Anwar and the PKR --- and now is the test of fire... (After all , Khalid was the one who said that Mano swearing in can come later - possibly after he is released from the ISA - maybe in 2 years time or more.......that would have been the stand of a Barisan Nasional Menteri Besar -- and we all expected more from the Barisan Alternative...
Maybe, we must all go and read Orwell's Animal Farm -- about how people change and become like their predecessors when they get into power...
OH YES - WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE OUR LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS.... GIVE US A DEFINITE DATE --- SIX MONTHS TIME?...
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