Malaysia has been at the centre of discussion in India for the last couple of days. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed unnecessarily raised the issue of Kashmir at the United Nations. The Malaysian PM in his address to the UN General Assembly on Friday said that there may be reasons for India’s action in Jammu and Kashmir “but it is still wrong.” He said despite UN resolutions, Jammu and Kashmir has been “invaded and occupied.” He said that India should work with Pakistan to resolve this issue. It is clear as day from his statement that he is a half-cooked rice and oblivious to the whole Kashmir issue.
Interestingly, the way he raised the issue in the United Nations out of the blue and without any reason, it became evident that Malaysia also supports Pakistan and its terrorist activities, following the path of Erdogan’s Turkey. Malaysia’s concern on Kashmir is nothing but remarks of a fresh convert who wants to show that it is at par with its fellow Muslim countries from West Asia as far as being Islamic is concerned. It wants to join the hardcore Islamic nations of West Asia and is eager to make its mark amongst them.
Islam came to the land in the 14th Century through merchants by the Malacca port and is the youngest of all major religions in Malaysia. Prior to Islam’s arrival, the major religions in Malaysia were Buddhism and Hinduism (especially its Shaivism tradition). The Hindu king Muzaffar Shah I renounced Hinduism and adopted Sunni Islam starting with the first Sultanate of Kedah. Islam later entered the era of the Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century and remains a majority to this day. A “good” Muslim to many in Malaysia is a person who adheres to Arab culture and practices the literal version of Islam exported by Saudi Arabia. For this reason, Malaysia is inclined towards Wahhabi Islam right from the beginning. Though Malaysia’s first prime minister, Rahman had informed parliament that Malaysia “is not an Islamic state as it is generally understood.”
Marina Mahathir, the daughter of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, publicly accuses the Malaysian government of being influenced by Saudi Arabia. They also condemn these steps of the government. Marina heads a civil rights group in the country. “The influence of Islam in the country is increasing; Islam is being propagated at the cost of our traditional Malay culture,” she told news agency Reuters.
After its independence in the year 1957, radical Islam started propagating in Malaysia at a very quick pace. The United Malays National Organization (UNMO), with its continuous and unabated rule, pushed the country well into the clutches of ‘Radical Islam’. It is result of such fanaticism that today, hardcore Wahhabi campaigners like Zakir Naik, a hate preacher who is a fugitive wanted in India is called for giving talks and sermons in the country. According to Associated Press, authorities in Malaysia have arrested more than 160 in the past two years for suspected ties to ISIS. Militancy and terrorism has seen a steady rise in Malaysia over the years. Between 2013 and 2016, around 250 people were arrested because of their ties with the Islamic State.
Islamists have taken advantage of weak public school systems in Malaysia, building religiously oriented schools and, as a result, inciting youth with more conservative ideas. Some 900 new private Islamic schools opened in Malaysia between 2011 and 2017. Two beer festivals in Malaysia were canceled due to opposition from Islamic leaders. In Malaysia, the government has supported a parliamentary bill that broadens the scope of Sharia laws to be applied to Muslims in Malaysia on even criminal cases like theft. In June 2014, celebrating the 20th anniversary of a branch of the UMNO, the party president and the then prime minister Najib Razak called upon his party members to emulate ISIS to save the existence of UMNO.
Now that Mahathir Mohammed’s party, United Malays National Organization has aligned itself with a conservative party like the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, Malaysia is rapidly moving towards radical Islamisation, which is evident in the PM’s speeches.
In the epics like Ramayana, Jataka tales, Milindpanah, Shilpadikaram and Raghuvansha, Malaysia is mentioned. There is evidence from the province of Kedah of Malaysia that Shaivism was prevalent there. Idols of some goddesses having a trident in their hands have been unearthed. Sculptures belonging to the seventh and eighth centuries from various sites include granite, Nandi-top, Durga-idol and Ganesh idol, etc. Some Buddhist texts have been found in Kedah which is written in a script that resembles the old Pali. Sanskrit was the source language there. The Sanskrit language has loaned several words to the language there.
Consequently, it is clear that Malaysia is still a newly converted Islamic nation, which is trying to show its allegiance to Wahhabi Islam. It is not in any position to make a statement on Kashmir nor it is connected in any way to it geographically. This proves that it is trying to set the example of a radical Islamic country among the Islamic countries of his west. Mahathir is trying real hard to fit in amongst his new bunch of friends which includes Pakistan and Turkey. Take our advice, Mahathir, stick to your own ways and leave Kashmir be.
