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———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Vegetable… <>
Date: Jun 21, 2007 10:50 PM
Subject: [www.umic.com.my] Is Jeanne a Malay? Yes, says UMNO Kepala Batas
To:
By kuda ranggi
It is not a surprise when Datin Seri Jeanne (Danker) Abdullah was
accepted as an UMNO member in the Kepala Batas division, Penang,
headed by her “charming” husband-cum-Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad.
Some people are asking when did Jeanne, a Eurasian, “converted to be a
Malay ” thus qualified to be a card-carrying member of UMNO, the
biggest Malay political party heading the grand coalition government
known as Barisan Nasional or National Front?
As I said it is no surprise if, firstly, one looks at the definition
of “Malay” in the Federal Constitution, and secondly she is the wife
of the Prime Minister who is also UMNO President, and thirdly
thousands of Indian Muslims, Arabs, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Siamese,
among others, have been accepted as UMNO members. Not forgetting the
Bumiputeras of Sabah who are not Muslims.
Once upon a time in Penang, several UMNO branches in the Tanjong
Division conducted their meetings in Tamil, their division leader then
was a Tamil Muslim and most of the branches in the city were headed by
Tamil Muslims. UMNO recognised them as “Malays” although they did not
speak Malay at home or conform to Malay custom.
Article 161 of the Federal Constitution defines a Malay as “a person
who professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay
language and conforms to Malay custom”. On top of that, the persons or
their parents have to be born or domiciled in Malaya or Singapore
before Merdeka Day (31 August 1957).
The UMNO constitution or Perlembagaan UMNO stated that any citizen of
Malaysia belonging to the Malay race or Bumiputera aged 18 and above
can be accepted as an ordinary member of the party.
In Malay: Fasal 4.2 Ahli Biasa ialah Warganegara Malaysia yang
berbangsa Melayu atau Bumiputera yang berusia 18 tahun ke atas.
The key words are “yang berbangsa Melayu” or a Malay (by race) or
Bumiputera (sons of the soil). A Bumiputera is not necessarily a
Muslim. Not all Bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak, for example, and the
Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia are Muslims. They are free to join
UMNO.
UMNO is not, in reality, a Malay political party. It is a Bumiputera
political party and not all Bumiputeras are Muslims.
The party’s war-cary of “Hidup Melayu” should be change to “Hidup Bumiputera”.
