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SEP 26 1998
As a Malay I felt uncomfortable reading it
Mr Jumari Naiyan, 34, deputy director of the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs in the Association of Muslim Professionals.
"AS A Malay born just a year before Singapore had independence thrust upon it, I came to accept the notion of being a Singaporean first, and a Malay second. As a Singaporean, I raise my hat to Mr Lee's daring and provocative memoirs. If he set out to produce the two-volume memoirs to serve as his legacy for younger Singaporeans to remember the fateful events that led to nationhood, He has achieved some measure of success in that area.
But as a Malay, I felt uncomfortable reading parts of it. Remembering the events of the late 1980s, when I was growing up and when the Malays had had their loyalty to the nation questioned, I could not help but wonder if a negative reaction -- such as that which has surfaced across the Causeway -- would result in the Malays becoming once again, called on to state where they stand, and being made to feel like a marginalised community. There's a feeling that Malays are being singled out for blame as the cause behind the 1964 race riots. Should the blame be placed squarely on their shoulders? I was distressed that there are some among the younger Malay Singaporeans who feel 'ashamed as a Malay that the riots, all the racial tensions, took place', as seen in The Straits Times Forum page. Such a sense of shame of one's identity is not a healthy sign for the Malay community in Singapore.
I think we should look further into history and understand the riots. We have the SM's account, no doubt backed by records. But there are other accounts. We may never know who actually cast the first stone. A coin has two sides, and presentation of history is not so simple.
Yes, some say that the 1964 riots have nothing to do with us, today's young Malays in Singapore. But there is a psychological effect. Although the Malays of Singapore and Malaysia are separated by geographical boundaries and, for the most part, are as different as chalk and cheese, they are still bound by a similar culture. Some people feel uncomfortable about how Malays may be viewed in future, and wonder if perceptions will be coloured by recollections of such events.
All said and done, Mr Lee's memoirs would certainly provide us and future Singaporeans with much to think about and learn from. Like it or not, the racial riots are a part of our history. We must understand what this period was all about, look at both sides of the coin, and learn from these differences.
Will this strengthen or weaken our multiracial foundation? It all depends on how we as a Singapore society responds to these points.
The Malays of today are not the same as those of the past. We're a new generation. There're lessons we can learn, but let's not be bogged down by this historical baggage and allow it to determine how we relate to each other in future."
[The views expressed above are his own and do not reflect those of his organisation.]
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