No ‘Arabisation’ of Malays, Jais says

Arabic influence which came in the 14th century now enhanced by influence of mass media and increasing number of Middle-Eastern tourists.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) has denied suggestions that there has recently been an “Arabisation” of Malay culture, reports the Malay Mail.

Instead, Jais director Haris Kamis claims that the Arabic influence on local culture can be traced back to the fourteenth century when Arab traders first introduced Islam to locals.

“[T]he religion of Islam was brought to Tanah Melayu by Arab traders (in) the 14th century,” he was reported to have written in an e-mail, adding that inevitably this brought about the introduction of Arabic phrases and culture into local usage.

However, a widely circulating opinion by journalist Amin Iskandar published recently by the Malaysian Insider had lamented what he perceived as the “Neo Talibanisation” and “Arabisation” of the Malay language and culture.

In his writing, Amin pointed out that there appeared to be an increase in the popularity of the Arabic gown known as the “jubah” and a corresponding decrease in the use of the traditional Malay baju kurung.

He also argued that there appeared to be an infiltration of Arabic words into the Malay language, with long-standing Malay words such as “buka puasa”, “doa” and “sembahyang” being replaced with words such as “iftar”, “dua” and “solat”, respectively.

Amin also pointed out that the Malay Archipelago had its own version of Islam, described by Indonesian President Joko Widodo as Islam Nusantara, which in Malaysia was rapidly being replaced by a more hard-line interpretation of the religion which was prevalent in the Middle East.

Jais’ Haris, however, sees it differently.

“Indirectly, this Arab culture was assimilated to suit the local culture and can be seen until this day,” he points out.

He said the immersion and increased popularity of Arabic language, lifestyle, food and cultural elements can be attributed in part to the popularity of Malaysia as a tourist destination among Middle-Easterners and other Muslim nations such as Kazakhstan and Turkey.

Haris also said that the increase in use of more Arabic words and phrases can be due to the influence of the mass media.

“The use of this Arabic term has actually been used for a long time,” he was quoted as saying. “These words were used by a number of Muslims and it became more widely known when there were a few advertisements that started using it widely.”

Social activist Marina Mahathir claims that a cultural form of “Arab colonialism” appears to be taking root and may result in the Malay community losing much of its local tradition and culture.

DAP’s Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, however, took the view that Malays must learn to embrace a diversity within the community.