Terengganu: Behind the veil of oppression

comments     YS Tong     Published     Updated

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When opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) scored a landslide victory in Terengganu during the 1999 general elections, it landed in the limelight and even caught the attention of the international media.

It was not the resounding 28 out of the 32 state seat victory that raised eyebrows. The attention focused on how a party that staunchly advocates a theocratic state would treat non-Muslims while it pursued its Islamic agenda in the state.

So when PAS proposed that non-Muslims pay a religious-based tax kharaj , and that unisex salons, gambling and entertainment outlets be banned, its political predators pounced, accusing the Muslim-based party of trampling on the minorities rights.

To say that non-Muslims in the state were nonchalant over these measures would be a blatant lie. But it would also be fraudulent to say they felt victimised by the PAS-led government.

True, many businesses were affected in one way or another in the bid by the authorities to eradicate vice.

Betting centres and entertainment spots were forced to close and only eight out of the 39 outlets managed to renew their liquor licence.

Terengganu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCCI) vice-president Chong Fah Ming said, This created a bad image for the state. Tourists felt uneasy about coming here even though they did visit islands such as Pulau Redang.

TCCCI tried to raise the concern of its members at a dialogue with the PAS-government then but failed to thwart the ban.

But Chong noted that the new state government was more friendly and approachable. Indeed the government has held dialogues with leaders from Chinese clan associations and community groups on different occasions.

A misconception

He said it was a misconception that Islamisation of Terengganu began with the PAS government because the trend started when the United Malay National Organisation (Umno) was ruling the state. The previous government had ordered gambling outlets shut; PAS just closed the last six.

The state has a population of 880,000, of which 95 percent are Muslims. The rest are mainly non-Muslim Chinese. More than half of the Indians, who constitute less than one percent of the population, are Muslims as well.

It is not uncommon to find non-Muslims living in a Muslim-dominant neighbourhood and who can speak fluent Bahasa Melayu with a heavy local accent.

Though they remain suspicious of PAS, non-Muslims in the state are said to be less reactive to a so-called Islamic state than their counterparts in the west coast.

TCCIs Chong said, The mutual respect for each other is there but we are monitoring the situation.

Changes in the state since PAS came into power three years ago have not always been for the worse for non-Muslims. Some moves were welcomed and even won respect.

For instance, the name of a street in a predominantly Chinese area in the capital of Kuala Terengganu was reverted to its original Jalan Kampung Cina.

The street was renamed Jalan Bandar a decade ago despite strong protest from the local community who considered the renaming a denigration of their heritage.

The decorative arch at the entrance of Chinatown was also exempted from the annual advertising fee of RM600 imposed by the previous government.

All these were well received even by Chinese who voted for the Barisan Nasional in the last elections, said 74-year-old Trengganu born and bred Tan Siang Kiaw, who is the former president of the Hainan Clan Association.

Community leaders say they face less hassles when applying for permits to renovate their temples and churches compared to the past.

Goodwill money

Interestingly, just before the Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Chinese New Year celebrations recently, two action committees managed by Umno state leaders gave families living in rural areas cash ranging from RM300 to RM600 each.

The money was part of the goodwill money introduced by the federal government after it stopped payment of the five percent petroleum royalty to the state government.

Prime Minister and Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad said then that PAS leaders may misuse the revenue for party gains. PAS has taken legal action over this move and the case is pending at the High Court.

Tan said, It is funny that all these years, though there was oil money from the federal government, the people here never received a single sen. But when PAS took over, we started getting something from Umno.

More importantly, the corruption  real or perceived  among government officials had declined. Businessmen say it is now easier to get business permits while Chinese residents in a village have been promised land titles, which they have been applying for years.

A new ruling was made that women workers must be sent home after work with transportation provided by the employer. The toll fee for a bridge was also dropped.

The PAS government gloated that social problems have effectively decreased following the various measures it imposed, though it is known that some unlicensed karaoke clubs could continue their business as usual.

Suspicious moves

Not all, however, see the PAS-led government in a good light. Detractors say the party has an ulterior motive in handing out the goodies, which they claim are being dished out to lure votes as part of its larger plot to rule the country.

They say PAS liberal measures are not always what they seem, citing the strict conditions that came with the re-introduction of pig-farming in the state. However, most have forgotten that the previous government had banned pig-farming totally.

When the government gave out RM50,000 to the ten Chinese primary schools last year for information technology facilities, critics decried the move as politically-motivated. But they failed to remember that these schools never received any development funds in the past.

Some still find the present government unacceptable, admitted Ng Chai Hing who is the state governments inter-racial relations officer, a post introduced by PAS three years ago. But we are trying hard to improve it through continuous communication between the government and the people, Muslims and non-Muslims.

Last week, a Chinese New Year banquet organised by several organisations held in a state-owned five-star hotel, sobered the popular delusion that non-Muslims in Terengganu were being oppressed.

The deluxe 10-course dinner and clinking of beer glasses laid all doubts to rest.


This is the fourth of a five-part series on 'PAS in Terengganu: three years after'. Malaysiakini s full interview with Menteri Besar Abdul Hadi Awang can be found in the Opinions/Features section.

Part III: PAS madrasah - a different school of thought



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