COMMENT | I almost fell off my chair when I read the news that a new party for the Indian Muslims was officially registered and seeking to enter mainstream politics.
The representatives of Parti India Muslim Bersatu (PIBM) claim that there is a need for a non-affiliated party to fight for the rights and interests of the Indian Muslim community. They say that the needs of this community are often overlooked.
There are approximately 700,000 Indian Muslims in Malaysia. To look after the ‘needs’ of these 700,000 people, many Indian Muslim associations have been formed in the past – Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma), Malaysian Indian Muslim Youth Movement (Gepima) and the Federation of Malaysian Indian Muslim Associations (Permin) are among the better known.
But are these associations performing so badly, that we Indian Muslims need yet another party focusing on the betterment of our people?
Or are Indian Muslims doing so bad that they need yet another party focusing on their progress?
Indian Muslims came to this country some 500 years ago. From labourers in shipyards to traders and merchants, the community strived to progress. Today, Indian Muslims in Malaysia own over 15,000 eateries, over 70 percent of moneychangers, and about 15,000 big, medium and small grocery stores.
For a community so small, we are doing great, no? Well, not really.
The forgotten Indian Muslims
Yes, successful Indian Muslims are mushrooming everywhere – owners of nasi kandar restaurants, jewellery stores, money changing joints, textile businesses, printing and publishing companies, etc. On top of that, many Indian Muslims are successful engineers, doctors, lawyers and academicians.
But all these successful Indian Muslims do not constitute the entire population. If you look deep into the layers of our 700,000-strong community, there are still many who are left behind.
There are Indian Muslim graduates working in petrol stations because they cannot find suitable jobs; professionals selling nasi kandar by the roadside because they have been laid off from work; youths who are school dropouts, drug addicts and thugs; uncles and aunties working on the street despite being over the age of 70; and some so poor that they can’t even afford to pay their monthly RM100 rental and RM20 maintenance fee under the low-cost flat rent-to-own scheme.
Mind you, these are not stories I plucked from the sky. These are real issues faced by the Indian Muslim community. Sadly, those who claim to represent the community have not done much to improve the living standards of these group of Indian Muslims.
Why? Perhaps championing the agenda of successful Indian Muslims gives better return.
Which brings me to another important question – do we need another party to champion the Indian Muslims who are left behind?
The voice of Indian Muslims
To answer this question, we first have to understand that the Indian Muslim community isn’t like the Malay, Chinese and Indian community who are somewhat united under the pretence of one race. The Indian Muslim community consists of subcommunities with different needs and wants.
In general, there are three categories of Indian Muslims in our country – the first group of Indian Muslims have pretty much assimilated with the Malays and consider themselves to be Malays; the second group hold on to their Indian roots and continue to nurture generations to come in staying true to their identity; and the third group are those who want the best of both worlds – they value their culture and tradition, yet at the same time want to enjoy the special privileges of Malay bumiputera.
With PIBM aiming to be the voice of the Indian Muslims, I wonder which of the three groups they will be representing.
Now, despite the differences between these Indian Muslim subcommunities, if we look deep into the real issues affecting the progress of the Indian Muslims who are not doing so well, we will see how their struggle is not so different from the struggle of other Malaysians.
Issues such as poverty, low income, lack of job opportunities, lack of access to education, lack of health awareness, drug addictions and social illnesses don’t only exist in Indian Muslim communities, instead, it is apparent in every community that makes up our Malaysian society.
So why do we need one special race-based party to represent Indian Muslims when we can work on solving these issues together as one nation?
For many years we have been fed with the notion that only a dedicated race-based party will know how to fight for the benefit of that particular race. I say it is time we stop all that nonsense and work together as Malaysians to champion everyone who makes up Malaysia.
We are one nation. Our society may consist of many communities and subcommunities, some may be majorities and some minorities, but our vision and struggle remain the same.
I say it is about time we have more parties and associations formed to look after our needs as a whole, instead of this race-based party drivel.
FA ABDUL is a passionate storyteller, a growing media trainer, an aspiring playwright, a regular director, a struggling producer, a self-acclaimed photographer, an expert Facebooker, a lazy blogger, a part-time queen and a full-time vainpot.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
