MALAY SURVIVAL HINGES ON PRESERVATION OF CULTURE, TRADITION

BANGI (Malaysia), March 10 (Bernama) -- The Crown Prince of northern state
of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah has called on the Malays to safeguard their
culture and tradition as these are crucial to their survival as a race.

He said that the Malays already had a unique identity, one "which is tied by
customs, knotted by language and coated by religion."

He also called on them not to take for granted the Malay privileges as
provided for in the Federal Constitution, namely in clauses pertaining to Islam,
Rulers' Institution, Malay customs, Malay language and special privileges.

Raja Nazrin said the survival of the Malays as a race hinged on the very
factors which had given them identity, namely religion, language, culture and
traditions, and the Rulers' Institution.

It would be unfortunate, therefore, when attempts were made to undermine the
traditions and institution, he said.

"It would be to the great detriment of the survival of the Malay race if
traditions and institutions are no longer respected and seen instead as
antithesis to rational thinking, modernity and science.

"How unfortunate would it be for a generation to view traditions as 'an
ignorant practice, inconsequential and dogmatic'," he said at the launching of
a book, The Malays, at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) here, near
capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

The book is written by Prof Anthony Milner, an Asian history professor at
the Australian National University.

Raja Nazrin said that in wading the tide of globalisation and in facing
political dynamics currently taking place in the country, the Malays could be
caught in crossroads and faced with two possibilities.

The first, he said, was that they would continue to survive and thrive, and
emerge as a supreme race in a globalised world.

"The second possibility, God forbids, is that they would be swept away by
the tide of globalisation and become weak, devoid of any cultural root.

"In the end, the Malays would remain only as a name in folktales," he said.

It was therefore important that the Malays avoid committing the folly of Pak
Kadok, a character in the old Malay fable who lost his village because of his
foolishness.

He also cautioned the Malays to be wary of what he said as "radical
attempts" to undermine their strength.

Raja Nazrin also expressed appreciation to Prof Milner's recognition of the
Rulers' Institution as an important heritage of the Malay race.

He said that the interest shown by non-Malays in carrying out studies on the
Malays showed that the race continued to attract interest among intellectuals
abroad.

He called on the Malays to appreciate Prof Milner's efforts.

The least they could do, he said, was to make the book a compulsory
reference for students taking Malay studies.
-- BERNAMA