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Foreign correspondents can easily fall into the trap of oversimplifying entire populations. Writing for international readers may lead to missing out on nuances – as the saying goes, the devil is in the details.
So when Lu Wei Hoong and Hadi Azmi headed to Kelantan to report on how the Chinese minority live there, their story offered a chance to unpick one of many complex Malaysian narratives.
Race and religious issues always simmer just below the surface in Malaysia. In Kelantan, the Chinese make up only one in 40 of under two million people. Yet they seem to gracefully accept Malay and Islamic dominance in public life.
“I conversed in Bahasa Malaysia with non-Malays such as Mr Lim Guan Seng, the external and interethnic affairs officer to the chief minister, and even the chief monk at the Siamese temple Wat Machimmaram,” said Wei Hoong.
“This hardly happens elsewhere in Malaysia, especially on the west coast where non-Malays only use the language in official business or when speaking to Malays.”
Their reporting also revealed something else. Minorities have spent nearly four decades under Parti Islam SeMalaysia’s (PAS) rule. But that does not mean current and future generations do not want change. More younger Chinese are now moving elsewhere, especially to Kuala Lumpur.
There is another factor behind their move. PAS as a national entity has shifted its outlook since former spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat died in 2015. He was also Kelantan menteri besar for 23 years.
His moderate Islamic politics under the “PAS for all” banner seems to have given way to a more “Muslim first” paradigm. Fairness to minorities is being paid as mere lip service, according to Hadi.
“The party as it exists now is comfortable with making disparaging remarks against the Chinese, questioning their loyalty to the country, and accusing them of being the source of ills, ideas that were unheard of under Mr Nik Aziz’s PAS,” he said.
Elsewhere in Malaysia, authorities detained tankers suspected of illegal oil transfer near Penang, then released them. One sailed past Singapore days later.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim initially said that there was no need to explain in Parliament the alleged ceding of over 5,000ha of land to Indonesia. However, he then later told the Dewan Rakyat that the area is among territories that are part of ongoing boundary negotiations.
Here’s a selection of the latest developments from Malaysia. If you have suggestions for what you’d like to see from our coverage, let us know here.
How the Chinese community navigates identity and politics in PAS’ Kelantan
Malaysia releases tankers suspected of transferring illegal crude oil
PM Anwar denies ceding over 5,000ha of land to Indonesia
Three North Kalimantan villages fall within Malaysia after joint border redemarcation.
Malaysian volunteer firefighters stage daring flood rescue in Thailand
S’porean mum runs baking business from JB
Malaysia students’ festive CNY rap gets ‘Nonstop’ views
