Allow me to share some observations with Farish A Noor who wonders in his latest column why non-Muslims/Malays have not been vocal in their opposition to the controversial Jawi raid .

The concept of 'non-Muslim/Malays' is a residual one meaning (All Malaysians Muslim/Malays = All non-Muslim/Malays). As a residual concept established not by positive identity but by negative elimination, it is not necessarily a useful concept to understand the true nature of 'non-Muslim/Malays' in real life. Let me elaborate.

If you live and work on the ground and in real life in Malaysia, you would find that the distinctions between Muslim/Malays and non-Muslim/Malays are not that clear-cut. There are many overlapping characteristics, features and sentiments among us human beings.

Among the non-Muslim/Malays like the Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli, Kadazan, Ibans etc. there are atheists, theists and agnostics. There are also social liberals and social conservatives just like among the Muslim/Malays.

The division between social liberalism and social conservatism transcends race and religion. For example, many socially conservative Confucianists/Taoists Christians, Buddhists or Hindus share the socially conservative Muslims' views and sentiments on family integrity, morality and social ethics.

To some, conservatism is a dirty word to attack those who do not share their lifestyles, but for others, it is a proud acknowledgment of their familial, parental and social responsibilities and commitments. The same, I suppose, is true in the United States and Europe where there is always a split between social liberals and social conservatives.

In fact, many social conservatives among the non-Muslim/Malays have been long Westernised for three or four generations and they know well that social liberalism is but one of the many schools of thought in the West. So not being a social liberal does not mean not being Westernised or modernised.

Indeed, in Malaysia where the crime rate is rising, many Malaysians of all races and religions, especially the parents and grandparents, are becoming more socially conservative to protect themselves and their children or grandchildren.

So while not many actively support Jawi's action, they quietly share Jawi's overall concern. The sentiment is therefore not bipolar between Muslims and non-Muslims.

In short, to use the conceptually bipolar division between Muslim/Malays and non-Muslim /Malays to explain everything in the real Malaysia would be futile simply because there are simply too many overlapping concerns involving people of all races and religions living and working together.