Malay Issues are Not Necessarily Muslim Issues

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

When it comes to our public discourse on Islam and Muslims and policy directions in Singapore, it is time that we decouple Malay issues from Muslim issues.  This “Malay-Muslim” catchall label is not helpful.  Malay issues are not necessarily Muslim issues, and vice versa. 

Firstly, a growing number of Muslims in Singapore are not Malay.  Many are not even Singaporean.  Dialogue with the Malay community should focus on their specific needs to better address them. 

Secondly, as much as many would prefer to think otherwise, a growing number of young Malays, even graduates from religious schools, self-identify as agnostic or atheist.  There is a significant number who have formally apostatised and joined other faiths, notably Christianity.  They deserve to have their voices heard. 

Thirdly, there are anywhere between 20,000 to 30,000 converts.  It is obviously difficult to have precise statistics for various reasons.  Our issues and concerns are not Malay issues.  Most converts are not involved in the community, our needs and concerns are not actually addressed by MUIS or even PERGAS.  These are essentially bastions of Malay concerns, not Muslim convert concerns.  Darul Arqam does not advance actual policy issues that affect converts. 

In summary, we need a more expansive dialogue within the Muslim community and a recognition that we are all not the same.  At the same time, I advocate that Malays who are not Muslim have their voices heard and recognised.  Converts to Islam and converts out of Islam have a lot more in common with each other than people simply born into the religion.  It seems paradoxical, but we have to remember that both groups experienced a similar spiritual and theological journey, undergoing the same challenges in their social network, and both experience a strained relationship with the primary body of Muslims.