ONE of the losers in the recently concluded general election in Singapore is a foreign political party which tried and failed miserably to influence voters to cast their ballots along religious and racial lines.
The Islamist party PAS could not win the hearts and minds of the Malay electorate with its brand of incendiary politics which is more suited to its own backyard than to the island nation.
The minority ethnic group has decisively and emphatically rejected foreign interference by overwhelmingly backing and returning to power the People’s Action Party (PAP) for another term in office.
The feelings and thoughts of the Malay voters in Singapore could best be encapsulated in a missive PAS received from its “relatives” from across the Causeway on the night the bells of victory began to toll on the island.
The clerical leaders were not too happy when they read the message composed mostly by young minds. What did it say?
‘We’re fine with Singapore’s secularism’
Listen PAS: Singapore Malays have spoken – We don’t want your presence on our soil. We are fully aware of your politics of hate and bigotry you practised in your homeland and you tried to export these seeds of division to our state.
You think you could easily mould our mind like clay to your desired shape but you are greatly mistaken.
What do you take us for? Fools? Doubtlessly, there are some of us who may buy into PAS’ narrative/rhetoric but the majority of us are a happy lot and do not need your help in our everyday life because we are the guardians of our own destiny.
You think we are being oppressed and have no power in this secular state. Wrong! All these years, we have no gripe with the structure of the government. Secularism may be bad for you but in Singapore it works fine.
The Malays in Malaysia and Singapore may share many things in common but certainly we do not belong to the same Bumiputera category but have carved out our own outlook on life. We are Singaporeans first and last.
We have read and heard so many bad things about you: how you condemned other races, how you are ever eager to curtail cultural freedom and how you are working hard to impose religious laws that would also adversely affect people of other faiths.
No, we don’t want you to cross our border and create the same type of havoc. Go away, we Singapore Malays can stand on our own. Our resilience and diligence have stood us in good stead these many decades.
Life in Singapore is not a bed of roses. It is a tough environment. You have to work hard, you have to compete with others on a level playing field, you are all on your own.
Yet we Singapore Malays have stood toe-to-toe with other races in all fields of endeavour and have emerged from the hot crucible of meritocracy stronger, wiser, braver.
So, PAS, keep your dirty fingers away. Read the election results as a vote of no confidence at all in you. We can manage our own affairs, we can chart our own journey, we can reach our destination sound and safe.
This Malay proverb says it all: rambut sama hitam, hati lain-lain – our hair may all be black but our hearts have different wants, desires and intentions.
Another age-old adage that aptly describes us is tiada tongkat tapi gagah berdiri – literally, we don’t need any walking stick (taken to mean Bumiputera privileges in the Malaysian context) yet we are able to stand tall.
Singapore Melayu Boleh!
Phlip Rodrigues is a retired journalist.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.
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