Response to Michael Chick's comment about Contesting Malayness

"The classification for the Malays not being a race is because the current government criteria for a malay is "... anyone who speaks malay, dresses like a malay, professes Islam and takes part in malay culture..."

That is not how you define a race...

All races are defined by heriditary, geneology or DNA. Not by what they do or which religion they profess to be part of a race."

Source: http://nursamad.blogspot.com/2007/06/malays-are-not-race.html?showComment=1181553240000#c5017738251694648176


Hikari's response:

Hello, Michael Chick.

1) First of all, that is your and some other humans' definition of race. Just because our definition of race is different, doesn't mean we're wrong. In Islam, we have already been taught what a race is:

"Sesiapa yang menyerupai sesuatu kaum maka dia adalah daripada golongan mereka. (Hadis diriwayatkan oleh Abu Daud)"

or in English..

"Whoever follows (the act) of a group of people then he is one of them (Hadith recorded by Abu Daud)"

Which is why there's nothing wrong with how our Government define the Malay race in Malaysia constitution at all. Besides, Adam and Hawa (Eve?) are our ancestors (you and me and the rest of human population) so to categorize people according to their DNA alone is not quite right either because we're all DEFINITELY related to each other.

Oh, and did you know that even before Malaysia is formed, our definition of Malay seems to be common practice? There is a case where a non-Malay (parents are both non-Malays) are accepted as Malay because that person can speak Malay, practice Malay custom and a Muslim. I don't remember where I read that though. It's Munshi something (his name). If I'm not mistaken Mamak are considered as Malays the same way too. I don't remember where I read that either.

If you still want to bring up this DNA issue anyway, I'd like to remind you that a CHINESE scientist from CHINA has done a research on CHINESE people own DNA. Do you remember what he found? Yeah, CHINESE ARE AFRICANS (or their descendants whatever). Same like the Malays, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQJzhFGuoHg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPaWdK8gt7c

The snippets you included in your comments are interesting though and they're good read. We have already known that Deutro Malays are totally mixed and hardly any of us are completely pure Malays nowadays as interracial marriage are commons in our society but I'm glad to find out that it has been scientifically proven now which proves that Malay people are truly that open.

2) Er, kinda related but not really. Anyway... Yeah, we have a lot in common with the Jews because they were once part of us (Muslims) until they screwed up. Try to read up the Al-Quran if you want to know more about the Jews through Muslims' perspective.

3) Your religion might mean nothing to you but to us (Muslims), Islam is a way of life. That's why Islamic laws, Islamic banking system, Halal industry, Islamic taxing system and so on exists. So to us, it's okay to define us by our religion. Even Malaysia's official religion is Islam if you still can't see how seriously we hold Islam in our life.

I don't know if this is the original reason as to why our Government did this but I'm very very grateful for their action. When the king/ruler is a Muslim, he has the responsibility and every right to do everything he can to uphold the teaching of Islam (which does not violate the right of others). So if you ask me, this has never been an issue of race discrimination at all from the start because as you have mentioned before, ANYBODY can become a Malay. This reflects more on the issue of how Non-Muslims would never be able to uphold Islamic values if they ever lead the country.

And this article totally prove it.
http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/malay/publications/working_papers/Problematic%20Singapore%20Malays.pdf

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.