By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
KUALA LUMPUR: The row over the “Allah” ruling and the recent attacks on houses of worship suggest to commentators and some politicians that Malaysians appear incapable of agreeing on the issues of religion and race.

The fault lines that cut through the “Allah” debate also exposes the deep divisions among Malaysians, which have been made worse by the country’s economic problems.

For Muslims, or Malays, giving in on the “Allah” issue would open the floodgates of giving up more rights to non-Muslims. For non-Muslims, losing the debate would mean Muslims are dictating to them and encroaching on their decreasing space.

Political scientist Farish Noor argues that the issue is not so much about religion but of control because significant sections in the country still think of their rights in very “communal” terms.

“No one is thinking about national interest. What we have to understand here is that it is not an issue about compromise.

“If the Christians in East Malaysia were forced to give up using the name ‘Allah’ in their daily prayers, it would be denying them their history and identity. In learning to live in a plural society, you have to recognise people who have had a history of their own,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

Farish also blamed both Barisan National (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for fanning the racial and religious flames to fit their own narrow agendas.

“Right now, we are seeing Malaysian politics at its worst — parochial-like politics which only aim for short-term, narrow-minded interests. We still project this ‘kampung-like’ mentality... and I place equal blame on both the opposition parties as well as the government.

“Both sides are playing up the issue when neither has the guts to admit that we have to learn to live with this contradiction,” said Farish.

However, Farish defended Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak by stating that the current situation did not favour his administration in any positive way.

He described Najib as a realist who “is aware of the fact that Malaysia is a small nation” and by no means a major player on an international level.

“No one wants to invest in a country where its society is in turmoil. If this issue exacerbates any further, watch as the capital leaves the country. International capital is not going to wait for things to get better,” he said.

Social rights group Aliran feels the issue boils down to a question of fairness and justice.

“The word ‘Allah’ was not associated with any controversy until recently. It wasn’t a contentious issue for centuries. No one in the past had claimed exclusive ownership to this word.

“It was commonly used and accepted as a universal reference to the Almighty without any confusion. When the word was used, it was understood in the context that the reference was made. It was very clear what was meant and each community had no problem in comprehending the word and its meaning,” said Aliran president P. Ramakrishnan.

Pulai MP Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamad of Umno described the situation as a feeling by some Malays of a loss of empowerment.

Allowing non-Muslims to use the word “Allah” signalled the insecurity among some Malays that they were losing their “special rights,” he said.

“The whole question of Malay special rights, at the end of the day, point to the insecurity of the Malays. They have a problem in trying to be successful. Amid all the economic, educational advantages given to them, they want to see the benefits of the system. They are highly insecure of losing all this,” said Nur Jazlan.

He said the economic uncertainties had also pushed many Malays, who had grown more secure with wealth, to regress into such insecurities.

The “Allah” issue, he argues, was tied to such economic and racial insecurities.

“In the end, everything boils down to the economy. If the economy was stable, no one would be arguing about special rights. Sure, they may complain about it but if people’s lives and means of living were comfortable, no one would react in a negative manner.

“Times are difficult now... who wants to give up any of their ‘rights’?,” said Nur Jazlan.

Nur Jazlan added that the issues of race and religion are intertwined, and both equally important to the Malays.

“It is hard for them to distinguish race from religion and vice versa. One is equal to the other,” he said.