Political Lifestyle of Muslim Malay in Hatyai, South Thailand

Yogyakarta, MelayuOnline.com- On Wednesday (20/2/2008), MelayuOnline.com invited the Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Social Studies (PSSAT), Dr. Aris Arif Mundayat, as the speaker on a fortnightly discussion “Political Lifestyle of Muslim Malay in Hatyai, South Thailand.”

The discussion was begun by the explanation about the social setting of Muslim Malay in Hatyai, South Thailand. According to Aris, Hatyai Muslim Malay people are just the minority among the Thai and Chinese people embracing Buddhism. Hatyai Muslim Malay people suffer both cultural and political discrimination. “In Thailand, there is a public policy ruling that all Thai people must be able to speak Thai and should have Thai name,” Aris said. Indeed, the slogan “being Thai is being Buddhist” is absolutely true.

Consequently, Hatyai Muslim Malay people fight against such discrimination through Islamic life style. “Such condition then demands Muslim Malay people to save their identity as Muslim,” Aris added.

Muslim Malay people show their resistance through some symbols of material cultures and Islamic life style. Muslim Malay people build Islamic schools, mosques, and use their own mother tongue. They embed halal label on their foods and do not want to hump their back for showing respect to statues and Thailand‘s King. Those resistances, according to Muslim Malay people there, aim to save their identity as Muslim and part of Muslim Malay.

The discussion ended at 4 p.m. Aris conveyed that political life of Hatyai Muslim Malay is a counter towards the present social condition that causes them belong to minority. Hatyai Muslim Malay people suffer “triple minorities” that are politic, economy, and religion. In politic, Muslim Malay people are marginalized by Thailand Government‘s public policy and they cannot also access directly economic industry. Likewise, they cannot freely practice religious activities and expressions. “Because of such discrimination, Muslim Malay people intentionally fight against those discriminations by showing their Islamic identity such as wearing jilbab – for women – at daily life,” Aris closed the discussion.  (HK/brt/01/02-08) (NI/ter/02/07-08)

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