Position paper 2

Of course religion is important. But I am malay first before I become a muslim.



In my opinion, I am malay first before I become a muslim. The muslim can be defined as believer of the Islamic faith based on the Prophet Muhammad’s teaching. Besides, the malay can be defined as people from different ethnic background who speak same language or family of languages and share common cultural and traditional ties are essentially a new race compared to the Chinese, Indian, arabs with their long histories of quest and conquests. For examples, jawanese, bugis, achehnese, orang asli and the indigeneous people of sabah and Sarawak. Actually, In general we are muslim but in specific we are malay. Most of malay following the malay tradition but not all malay will following the Islamic tradition means that not all malay means muslim. They just muslim only in name.
Some people think that race as part of religion. Means that race is symbol of religion. Actually, it is not like that. In one hadith told us about children was born under the fitrah as pure so their parents is a responsible person to lead children whether to be majusi, nasrani or yahudi.
In every race, there are custom. Nowadays, malay people more concern about custom than religion. In formal, for some malay people custom is in the first stage and religion is the second stage. Custom can be defined as a usual way of behaving or acting but as we know not all custom is good. Sometimes, it is deviate from our religion. They think that custom is everything. If someone does not follow the custom means that they are want to forget the custom that was leaving by our ancestors. Actually, they do no realize that it can be lead to shirk that will spoil our akidah. In malay culture, there are many custom for example in wedding ceremony for malay it is custom to make bridal suite. However, it is the custom of Indian that not so good in islam because you are inhibiting your daughter to other people that not muhrim. Another example, when someone die, actually, that family will made banquet the first 3 days continuously, the hundredth day and so on. However, in Islam, that banquet is not compulsory because it just burden the family of dying man.
In Malaysia, being malay means that you are bumiputra. So that, as malay you will get many benefits that provided by our government. Sometimes, we should more give priority to our race which is malay. Nowadays, we should compete with the other race because if we not fight for our race, our race will be not expected by other race mean that no one will respect our race. Of course, we want to develop our malay race whether in social, politic, economic and so on.

NAME : NUR FARAHIYAH BT YAHAYA
MATRIC NO : 0737718