LETTER | Embracing a Malaysian identity a better concept
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LETTER | In December 2020, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah proposed - and was swiftly criticised for it - the possibility of revitalising the concept of a Malay citizenship” that was mooted in 1947 by the coalition of the Pusat Tenaga Rakyat (Putera) and All-Malaya Council of Joint Action (AMCJA). Back then, the idea was quickly shelved once the British declared an emergency in 1948.
A few days ago, Nazir Razak proposed for the different communities in Malaysia to return to the negotiating table to review the current state of the social contract. The reasoning behind his suggestion is similar to Razaleigh’s, which is a way to solve the problems of the nation. There seems to be an understanding by a few that the way forward is to look back at how the communities in the country are managed.
COMMENT | Malay concept deserves clarification
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COMMENT | Recently, Umno adviser Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah proposed that the “Malay” concept of an inclusive citizenship, purportedy originated by onetime PAS leader Dr Burhanuddin al-Helmy, be revived as the matrix for building a united nation.
In all probability, Razaleigh was referring to one point of the People s Constitutional Proposals that were formulated in 1947 by Putera-AMCJA.
Putera-AMCJA was a coalition of left-wing Malay parties (Pusat Tenaga Rakyat or Putera for short) headed by Burhanuddin that was allied to a cluster of largely non-Malay political groups (All Malaya Council for Joint Action, AMCJA), headed by MCA leader Tan Cheng Lock.