History of S'pore Malays shows what community seeks in president

Just who should be considered a "Malay"?

Article 19B of the Singapore Constitution defines a Malay as "any person, whether of the Malay race or otherwise, who considers himself to be a member of the Malay community and who is generally accepted as a member of the Malay community by that community".

This definition also applies to Malay candidates intending to stand in a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in a general election.

The law requires that in a GRC, at least one member of the team is a Malay, an Indian or from other minority communities.

The definition of Malay here is quite an open, all-inclusive one.

How is acceptance into the Malay community measured, as worded in the Singapore Constitution?

So far, online discussions have emphasised the presidential aspirants' race, their ability to converse in the Malay language and religion.

The extent to which these aspirants have spoken for their community is somehow neglected.

Drawing inspiration from history

Singaporeans should draw inspiration from the history of the Malays.

Singapore Malays have identified some prominent names as part of their community, though they may not strictly come from the Malay race. These individuals have defended the Malays and struggled for their plight.

One such individual was Abdullah Abdul Kadir Munshi (1796-1854), a famous chronicler, Malay language teacher and interpreter who worked for Sir Stamford Raffles. His grandfather was of Yemeni Arab descent and his grandmother a Tamil. Malays accept Munshi Abdullah as an intellectual. He wrote on the plight of the Malays during the feudal era and colonial period, and was critical of the Malay ruling class for not investing enough in educating their people.

  Abdullah Abdul Kadir Munshi (1796-1854)

The other personality was Professor Syed Hussein Alatas (1928-2007), a former head of Malay Studies at the National University of Singapore. Of hadrami (Yemeni) descent, the sociologist spent most of his life in Malaysia and Singapore. His writings focused on the modernisation of the Malays and the community's development lag. He also wrote a pioneering book, The Myth Of The Lazy Native, debunking negative stereotypes about the Malays imposed by colonial scholars.

Professor Syed Hussein Alatas (1928-2007)

A name more familiar to Singaporeans is that of Mr Yusof Ishak, whose ancestors originated from Sumatra in Indonesia.

Mr Yusof Ishak and his wife, Puan Noor Aishah

Throughout his life, Mr Yusof struggled for the Malays. In 1939, he founded the newspaper Utusan Melayu because he wanted the Malays to have an equal voice in the public sphere which, he claimed, was dominated by Indian Muslims and Arabs. Having shown this empathy for his community, Mr Yusof fit smoothly into the role as Singapore's first head of state.

Today, Mr Yusof is remembered as an outstanding member of the pioneer generation, as someone who defended multiculturalism and meritocracy, the building blocks of Singapore society.

In today's context, there is a convergence of interests among all ethnic communities. It is difficult to distinguish Malay issues from Chinese or Indian ones, and problems facing Singaporeans are not unique to any community.

Thus, Malay presidential candidates should be judged by their ability to articulate the interests of Singaporeans.

Singaporeans expect their president to rise to the occasion and unite all citizens in times of crisis.