Have you ever felt like you have so many things you want to say, yet somehow, not a single word comes out?
That was exactly how I felt when I read a professor’s piece discussing his theory on why Malays supposedly accept corrupt leaders.
I was genuinely speechless.
How can a professor simply generalise an entire ethnic community and claim that Malays accept corrupt leaders?
Let me make one thing clear from the outset, my views do not represent the entire Malay or Muslim community.
But I can speak for myself. I am a Malay, and I certainly do not accept corruption.
What concerns me is how such a sweeping statement could be made by an academic and then published by a news portal. Does he not realise that statements like this can potentially create unnecessary tension?
More importantly, such remarks could reinforce negative perceptions among other communities that Malays somehow tolerate or even support corruption.
If we want evidence that Malays do not necessarily accept corrupt leadership, we need only look back at 2018.
What happened?
The Barisan Nasional (BN) government, which had governed Malaysia for six decades, was voted out and replaced by Pakatan Harapan (PH).
The political shift was, among other factors, driven by public dissatisfaction over allegations of corruption and abuse of power, particularly issues surrounding the 1MDB scandal.
Did the professor forget that Malay voters were also part of the electorate that contributed to that change?
Perhaps he was specifically referring to supporters of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak or BN.
If that is the case, why generalise an entire race?
That brings me to another point that I found equally troubling.
The professor also argued that our religious education does not sufficiently address corruption, suggesting that Islam tends to focus more on issues such as alcohol, gambling and pork.
As a Muslim, I strongly disagree.
Islam has taught me to stay away from corruption.
It has repeatedly emphasised the importance of 'amanah' or trust and responsibility, particularly when it comes to those entrusted with power.
Throughout my own experience, from school and university to the present day, including attending religious talks at mosques and suraus and reading religious content on social media, I have repeatedly encountered stories about Islamic leaders such as Abu Bakar and Umar and the way they approached leadership.
One of the central lessons in these stories is the importance of integrity, justice and responsibility towards the people.
So how can anyone claim that Islam does not teach us about corruption?
Doesn't that, in itself, demonstrate that Islam firmly rejects corruption and abuse of trust?
I am certainly not an Islamic scholar, nor do I claim to have the academic credentials of a professor.
But I believe the answer is rather simple.
If we do not know enough about a particular subject, we should seek knowledge from those who do.
Ask any Islamic scholar whether corruption can be justified in Islam. Even someone with only basic knowledge of Islam like me knows it is not permissible and Haram.
Then there is another question I cannot help but ask.
Which political party was the professor actually referring to when he spoke about a “party of corrupt leaders”?
The way the argument was presented could easily lead readers to associate it with UMNO, particularly when PAS is not generally associated with the same series of corruption scandals.
But if UMNO is the party being referred to, then another question arises.
Wasn't UMNO invited to be part of the current Unity Government?
And wasn't its president appointed as Deputy Prime Minister?
So who ultimately placed UMNO back in a position of power, if not PH and its political partners?
This is where I believe the argument becomes even more complicated.
My concern is not that the professor is criticising corruption or questioning why some voters continue to support politicians facing corruption allegations.
Those are legitimate questions.
My concern is when that criticism is extended to an entire race.
There is a huge difference between asking why "some Malays support certain politicians despite corruption allegations" and claiming that "Malays, as a whole, accept corrupt leaders".
The former invites discussion. The latter risks creating resentment and division.
Let us also not forget that there were members of other communities who wanted Najib to return. But I would not go as far as generalising them either, because I believe political preferences are ultimately personal choices.
Ironically, I fear that arguments like this may achieve the exact opposite of what they intend to achieve.
Instead of encouraging Malays to reject corruption, they could instead fuel resentment towards PH and the Unity Government.
And if you think I am exaggerating, perhaps we should wait and see what happens in the Melaka state election and eventually the next general election.
Sometimes, voters have their own way of answering political arguments.
And when they do, the ballot box speaks louder than any academic theory.
Azzman Mantoya (azzman.tvpertiwi@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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