Great Conversations : Review of 2 books

Pyramid Landing Stage, Singapore. Credit : Dubochet et Cie (1857) L’Illustration (Issue 772) by unknown artist.

This is my review of 2 books, read one after the other.

Yearning to Belong: Malaysia’s Indian Muslims, Chitties, Portuguese Eurasians, Paranakan Chinese and Baweanese (ISEAS-Yusoff Ishak Institute ; ISBN 9789814519687) 

by Dr Patrick Pillai and 

Identity, Nationhood and State-Building in Malaysia 

(ISEAS-Yusoff Ishak Institute ; ISBN 9789672165651)

by Prof K.J. Ratnam

We need more conversations on what it means to be a Malaysian. I recommend Yearning to Belong(“Yearning”) and Identity, Nationhood and State-Building in Malaysia (“Identitiy”) as being two books for your reading on the topic of nation building in decolonialised, plural societies. The material is developed out of conversations with actual people forming the subject matter. This is an insightful analysis of the various political and sociological thought permeating post-colonial Malaysia until the present time.

I recommend Identity, Nationhood and State-Building in Malaysia first and Yearning to Belong second. They relate to each other and the former contains an interview by the author of the latter. But I read Yearning first.

Yearning is delivered by Dr Patrick Pillai in an emphatic, compassionate voice on the subject of Malaysian identity. The writer has highlighted 5 ethnic communities in Malaysia. Each community is given a very readable, standalone chapter each. The 5 selected are not the so-called “major” racial groupings of Malay, Chinese and Indian of West Malaysia, but the Mamak / Indian Muslim (which resonates with me as have such influence on my mother’s side), the Chitty of the writer’s home state Malacca, the poignant and wistful story of the Portuguese Eurasians, the multifaceted Peranakan Chinese of Terengganu, which I learned are observed in three distinct subgroups with distinguishable socio-historical points of reference, and the dynamic story of the Bawean Group.

Drawing on his extensive experience as a seasoned journalist and policy researcher, Dr Patrick has utilised sound research methods to distill the issues on point. Some findings were original and published for the first time anywhere. Field work was carried out personally by the writer spanning 3 years in numerous states, demonstrating a handsome effort. Yearning did explain the research method employed, but I feel it would have been illuminating if more elaboration were provided.

The first time I read this work was some 6 years ago, which I consumed in one day. I read much less hurriedly this time. I very much enjoyed the read as it reminded me of a well-researched compilation of case studies. The scholarly research combined with the investigative approach to the subject matter was done with care. The writer’s handling of the sentiments of the subject groups was done with tactfulness. I believe the author’s commitment to an authentic voice was fortified by his commitment to the source material: personal interactions between the writer and his case studies. Within each community, the writing has drawn on input from community leaders, laymen, youth, elderly retirees, well-travelled elites and all kinds of people. I appreciate that the writing has presented the subjects with dignity and humanity. The depth of insight shows that the writer took time for each of his studies.

Identity is made up of 2 parts. The first section is what I consider the analysis proper by Prof K.J. Ratnam on the topic which bears the book’s title. The writing is broad in scope, covering vast interdisciplinary areas of history, sociology and others. Well composed and balanced. My favourite part is the second section, which is basically a great conversation with the author of Yearning. 

As the two writers interact with each other, indirectly the two books Yearning and Identity also interact with one another. Yearning demonstrates, in the form of 5 case studies, the manifestation of the discourse in Identity.

“FORWARDED MANY TIMES[1]”

In this “forwarded many times” age, the common man is bombarded daily with so much noise pretending to be information. Some of the noise is couched in questions on nationhood and identity. Every week we receive some story that would not make it to the news 10 years ago, news of hate, pettiness, insinuation, condescension, plain out racism. News tempered with mischief. I realise I should be reading more good work from reasoned hands like that of these two authors. So much time has been lost to content-producers whose primary goal was to score likes, popularity, reactions, clickbait and SEO monetisability. 

The reading of Yearning and Identity demonstrates uplifting and inspirational results of government policy in shaping a National Identity out of multifarous ethnic groups, while at the same time highlighting the indelible, sometimes irreversible effect of racialized politics on policy and how it shapes the conversations. 

ANXIETY

Yearning has captured the frustrations of the people on being excluded from the national identity. There are indications that members of the community feel varying levels of anxiety and insecurity. The writing has taken care to present the interviewees’ input on what causes them such anxiety. In my view, I sensed the sentiment from the Portuguese Eurasian community is rather despairing, contrasting the colourful and winsome tenor of the Malacca Portuguese folk music. A plus point of that chapter is it made me check out some recordings of Kristang music and dance uploaded to youtube.

It would be helpful to consider, what is the voice and perspective of the forces that cause the anxiety, because from my reading, this point came out most poignantly in Yearning. It could be from a policy of the government that asserts one core identity alongside one independence story identity, with a strong narration of multiculturalism — which both books attributed to intergrationism (my words, not theirs), and toward Bangsa Malaysia.

The analysis of the response of the subjects peoples to these causes of anxiety is presented in a subtle manner. Perhaps this was intended so that the reader is treated to the more human aspects of the subject matter and less on the national political and legal aspects. Whilst the writing in both books have provided some discussion on this, I believe the thrust in both books was not to focus on the causes of anxiety and disenfranchisement, but to highlight the voices of the diverse groups and their perspectives in the milieu. 

The sources of anxiety can be said to have been further escalated over the last few decades from several sources: from the education system to general public policy. Identity explained this was part of the drive for rapid industrialisation. Does it mean that if the sources of anxiety is erased or uplifted, everyone will be happy and united? There is a reality of racial chauvinism that does not exist with everyone equally. The sources of anxiety did not appear from a vaccumm but it was a response in itself. This is not an issue for the 5 case studies. In particular the subgroups of the Chinese-descended community in Peninsular Malaysia identified in Yearning, as a whole can get on fine without speaking the national language, mixing with Malay people, subscribing to Malay customs or Islamic religion. There has never been, upon Merdeka, any compulsion to assimilate such as that in certain Southeast Asian countries where descendants of Chinese persons had to change their names[2]. It pattern was not imposed upon the overseas Chinese in the spheres of influence of the former British Empire (Malaysia, Brunei and then Singapore). 

In Identity, Prof Ratnam explained that people want a sense of security, and they will have stronger ties to their tribe, clan and other identifiers when they perceive that the government does not make them feel secure. In this connection, perhaps anxiety is best addressed through messaging from the Government. It has to be symbolic and cultural, backed by action and data — it cannot be rhetoric only. At the same time, we need to be realistic too and give due deference to certain historical facts that gave rise to the nation. Malaysia is in her 64th year, which is a blink of an eye in the big picture. There are millions of people who were born before Merdeka and many of those who are still around today. Therefore we should not go on and on as though we forgot or unwrote what the Malaysia Deal was about. Identity did make reference to forces that wish to make us depart from what I called the Malaysia Deal, but it was not given substantial discussion, perhaps to keep the reader on track. Identity is about our identity. Whether there are factors who want to change the Malaysia Deal in form or meaning, our identities are here to stay. And as aptly pointed out by the learned Professor, there is a noble intention to promote a National Identity, coexisting with our own ethnic identities.

I am still persuaded by the argument that the feeling of group security is best addressed at an individual level with real relationships, which is more in the spirit of Yearning and addressed more generally in Identity. Multiply that many times through many agents and it can achieve collectively what Government policy alone could not. 

ETHNOGENESIS AND ACCULTURATION

Covered in Yearning, the fifth group, placed last in the sequence of chapters, the Bawean group, demonstrate a beneficiary of the Malay and Malaysian identity. This fascinating relationship corroborates the view that ethnogenesis of the Malay identity itself is ongoing and broadening from a venerable core. Myself I have advised a multigenerational Bawean community based in a rural part of Selangor, where such issues of racial identity is conflated with legal identity with some sizeable members of a single generation who could not readily identify their parentage conventionally.

Questions of identity in nationhood is not unique to Malaysia, but the writing ably weaves the conversations of identity delicately within the context of this nation. 

One of the important things that stood out to me was Dr Patrick’s sharp analysis of communities that have multiple identity spheres. Some groups can more readily shift from one identity to another whenever it suits them, because they have a choice to present themselves in the most self-advantaged manner depending on the requirement of context. For example, the Bawean Community unlike the Javanese, for example, due to cultural similarities with the “mainstream” Peninsular Malays, can easily integrate, tapping into long-standing networks of support groups and networks from Riau to Malaya. I imagine that people do not really articulate their support networks in conversation. The author did an admirable job giving shape to this great migration story.

The writing has often presented the interdependence of the communities as a taken (not among each other but with the more dominant national groups), and I agree this is proved conclusively. Every group needs to adjust within a context and work with surrounding groups to survive. This is consonant to the principles of being a good neighbour and not an insular (obnoxious) one. 

Acculturation is a complex and fascinating process that is undertaken organically and naturally by the participants over a long period of time. The Malay dominated establishment, whether on its own through centuries of monarchy or through a British protectorate, did not impose a forced assimilation such as the language assimilation and hijab ban in France, and other forced assimilation measures in some of our neighbours in Southeast Asia.

Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations is not evident here. These lands resound with the cliché melting pot of culture. In Malay parlance the term lecah means when you cook something with various ingredients, and (often unintentionally) some ingredients, whilst cooked together, still retain their distinctive taste without entirely absorbing the taste of the other mixed ingredients.

CHRONIC MEDIA POISONING

The subject of Yearning, if it were in an online tabloid format would make issue out of the political assertions of Malay supremacy or Islamic supremacy; never mind that in real life, most people who call themselves Malay or Muslims do not think about these things and do not assert them unto other people with such cavalier regularity as suggested by the tabloids.

Yearning has instead represented the issues fairly and as mentioned above, the narrations as personally as possible. Back to media chronic media poisoning.

On the other hand, for a different audience, the issues highlighted would be purported cultural chauvinism, insular schooling demands, and unapologetic derision of the Islamic faith, among other things. 

For yet another audience, the issues highlighted are different as well. 

I am not saying we should be listening to the same thing. I refer to opportunistic agendas of certain players in the “tabloidic” social media landscape (which includes influencers, certain mainstream media platforms and independent fringe groups) to make us ignore our common human values and the good things that string us together, instead emphasising the differences – not to celebrate diversity but to enforce (and occasionally invent) divisions. Some opinion pieces purport to espouse diversity and all that, but read between the lines: they are just pretending and get a kick out of incendiary statements. There is every motivation to provoke because it results in more shares and reactions. That has been the name of the game in the tabloidic world, before and after social media. Never mind that the more lower end journalism can be found in places like that.

One example of how this is manifested is, when marginalised groups are presented, it is presented as an oppression issue only and dressed up as a political conflict. Of course I am not downplaying nor denying the actual oppression and marginalisation. What I mean is, the marginalised groups are objectified and no one knows them except for the oppression issue. No one knows about the human aspect of their day to day anxiety and cares, their aspirations for their children. Because no one tells their story. Because for these media players, it is perhaps far more rewarding to frame it politically. 

It is not even anymore about racial supremacy in government or economic sectors. That is so 2004. It is now predominantly, really, in the flesh and in between the lines, really about certain politicians within political parties only. This is because the solution the content producers are selling is to vote the wrong party out and vote the right party in. This is regretfully short selling the people. Because it is much easier to line up and vote out the face we hate compared to truly embracing nationhood and walking the talk. To deliver satisfactory public services within a reasonable time frame and to vanquish oppression at every level of society at every region and state of our blessed country. 

You may say it is but the stuff of dreams – but we have eradicated most of hardcore poverty and illiteracy, and the worst of the ancient caste system has been suppressed (whereas the situation has regressed in some parts of the decolonised world). We triumphed over the communist insurgents and stopped terrorist cells and other militant aspirations, dead in their tracks. We have transitioned governments, movements and coalitions, all done peacefully without dramatic upheaval. There were a bit of televised drama, tweeted drama, in the form of masses of people in various colours — one week it was the yellow shirts, another the red and another the purples. Most of us were safely at home, not bothered. It was mostly peaceful. So peaceful it must have disappointed a lot of political commentators. All these battlefronts, Governments and demagogues do not win them, people win them. I see and pray, and I believe that we will make it insya Allah, God willing.

After a political bloc came into power (we will not say which bloc or by what means, there were a few in the last few years), certain issues went silent. Consternation, what happened to all those well intending people who lost their jobs and livelihood, lost energy and time, committed to those issues before the change in regime.

We are not giving enough critique of the echo chamber constructed around our individual worlds in our country.

Even the method of research in Yearning, of straightforward talk with the humans behind the photographs, remind us of the kind of relationships we need to keep alive. Real relationships with our friends and neighbours -- and not virtual relationships over social media accounts. Accepting of course, the unavoidable, isolating effects of the pandemic.

Well that’s just the regular feed material that does little for intercultural understanding and less for nation building. Instead of seeking to understand the other, it demands the other respect them first and deal with it. I grew up believing the elder generations who had to earn independence, earn it, were made of sterner stuff. They knew the meaning of human dignity as something not demanded but something emanated out of adab and honour – basic things like keeping your promises, espousing and enforcing courtesy, being a good neighbour and respecting your teachers.

Of course we are exposed to the sociological theory that members of a dominant group do not even realise more particular issues of identity because they are not affected by it – hence notions of “whitesplaining” in the great (American-centric) debate on race and “mansplaining” in the so-called gender wars. I am refreshed that the writer has written authentically and avoided all the aforementioned, politically-infused narrations that we find in a lot of contemporary writing on nation-building and race issues, including Malaysian ones. I do not know enough about the so called critical race theory, but I heard it is a thing in the US and it is probably on its way here. We should be prepared to respond to its influence intellectually and rationally and situated for local conditions.

As a nation we should aspire to greatness together, as written out in the blueprint of our Federal Constitution; we should not look down at failed states but look up to successful cases of nation building. However, it is pertinent, lest we forget, that we also are reminded of current events in the Southeast Asia region that clearly demonstrate how much better off we are. Measuring ourselves against some of our regional neighbours, we are advantaged thanks to the resilience of the Malaysian people and the strength of our national institutions – even if it has been said that we have failed to emplace enough quality leaders into office, government and opp.

Today’s fast-food, super-fast “forwarded many times” information is designed to get attention and to create instant jaguh, weekly. There is often an angle or agenda intended to be presented. Behind the wall of text in a well-curated editorial is a person with ungermane ideas. Especially if in person he or she has such disarming PR.

SUGGESTIONS

Malaysia has witnessed a few changes since these books were first released Yearning was published in 2014 (2017 online) while Identity came out in 2019.

It would be nice to see:

Yearning: Perhaps more social groups covered, not necessarily one per chapter.

Identity: Reflections on the peaceful transitions in governments, other social dynamics, including the revelations brought about by the pandemic.

CONCLUSION

Read both books together, they are helpful contributions on the scholarship of Malaysia issues and nation-building in post-colonial, plural societies. For me their best trait is smooth readability.

[1] “Forwarded Many Times” was a feature introduced in the prolific Whatsapp messaging application in 2020, where a message that had been forwarded many times to many people and groups had an italicised label at the head of such message, “Forwarded many times”. Prior to that, recipient would not know whether a message originated from the sender or was merely forwarded from elsewhere. Today there are 2 categories : “Forwarded” and “Forwarded Many Times”.

[2] I qualify this because I am no expert on assimilation studies in the aforementioned nations and have not read specific studies on such phenomena, including the naming conventions which I concede could differ from country to country. I have read and observed that persons of China descent in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines tend to adopt the local naming conventions. But they retain their traditional naming conventions in former British protectorates and colonies. This is my unscientific assumption —state-enforced “assimilation” did not stop China-descended Thaksin Sinawatra from becoming Prime Minister of Thailand (the 1938 “Thaification” is referred), neither did it prevent racial targeting of Chinese at the Indonesia riots of 1998. Myself am not a big fan of enforced assimilation in the Malaysian context or anywhere. But the take-up rate of Bahasa Melayu among many Malaysians is disappointing.