1. How can we explain the dichotomy in the Malay mindset? It's a study in contradiction really.
2. On the one hand, the Malays manifest themselves as devout Muslims as though their religiosity is their true North but at the same time tolerate and excuse intrinsically wrong things like corruption.. abuse of power and even murder.
3. Stealing is not wrong unless you are caught ignores the fact the act of stealing is intrinsically wrong. As lawyers say, its wrong ab ibnitio.
4. 'Unless you are caught' is the non-religious rationale for explaining away unspeakable acts while superficial religiosity is the rationale to explain away equally unspeakable behaviour.
5. Clearly there is something dysfunctional in the non-religious person and something fundamentally wrong in the sham religiosity.
6. The Malay thinker Zaaba, alluded to this fact when he said that one of the reasons explaining the backwardness of the malays is their life practices that have diverted far from the true teachings of Islam.
He made the observation in 1927.
7. As a result sad to say the Malays are long in form but short in substance. More emphasis is placed on superficiality and symbolism.
8. This would explain why they build more mosques than schools and hospitals, spend thousands on sacrifices and pawn their socks off to go for pilgrimages.
9. But just as rigorously they accept abuse of power, pillage by bosku and pooh poohed the murder of a Mongolian woman saying she deserved to die because she is a prostitute.
10. How do you explain 2 opposites residing in the Malay at the same time? It is impossible to become 2 extremes at the same time.
11. They appear to be devout -.are meticulous on the food they eat but salivate at the prospects of sleeping with an ah moi.
How did the malays become nang bohtee nang qui bohtee Qui?
12. One may attribute the double faced morality of the Malays to the role played by the middle class liberal Malays most of whom are born again muslims.
13. Many have studied abroad for their advanced degrees, are repulsed by the immoralism of the west. They readopted Islam as a moral defence but an Islam coloured by xenophobia.
14. They then go back to this country continue to practise their brand of xenophobic Islam. They may teach at universities and those who study at these universities become enamoured with their lifestyle regarding them as better educated and therefore enlightened.
15. Their brand of xenophobic Islam holds contrarian views of Islam propounded by people like Zakir Naik, Habib Riziq and other militant Islamist as iconic. I suspect they are averse to the views of the more orthodox Islamist.
16. Their views are not pervasive. They are just members of the chattering class or at best are Hampstead liberals. Outwardly they denounced the immoralism of the west but secretly partake in the lifestyle of the liberal west. As it suits them.
And didn't the muftis tell people to stay away from these liberal Malays and not trust them?
17. This view on the role of liberal Malays may not be incorrect but I have several factors to explain the Jekyll and Hyde morality of the Malays.
That my friends will be in part 2 of my article.
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