Although there is no law that restricts non-Muslims to become the Prime Minister of Malaysia, most Malaysians believed that the country’s leader should be of Muslim-Malay descent.
Recently, local digital creator Khairul Hakimin Muhammad took to his Facebook page to share his thoughts on the matter. Referring to the appointment of Rishi Sunak, an Indian man, as the Prime Minister of the UK, and said he believes that all Malaysians should have an equal chance of becoming the Prime Minister if certain conditions were fulfilled.
“I watched a video about someone saying why Indian Rishi Sunak can become PM of the UK. Why can’t Malaysians accept this? Can’t someone of a different race become PM in Malaysia?” he said.
Khairul then went on sharing some of the facts of Rishi Sunak and his opinion why Rishi Sunak made it but not Malaysians of other races.
His points are:
- Rishi Sunak is 99.9% British.
- He attended a British school. Practicing the way of life, the way of socialising, the way of thinking, the way of British education and being nurtured, educated and brought up through formal British education.
- He entered a British university.
“He is 99.9% British. Where’s the remaining 0.01%? That’s the balance to add-minus where his ancestry comes from,” Khairul said.
Looking back in Malaysia, he said that if Malaysians would like to eventually see a Prime Minister that is not of Malay descent, they should implement the following:
- Children from all races to go through 1 school stream. No Chinese schools, no Tamil schools.
- Formal education must be equal in all areas of education.
- Must be able to converse, write and read in Bahasa Melayu.
“There’s no need to go far, settle these 3 things first before busying yourselves with comparing why Rishi Sunak can be the PM of the UK and why he can’t be the PM of Malaysia,” he explained.
“Let’s not talk about others, settle these three things first before we busy compare ourselves to Rishi Sunak and why he can be the PM of the UK and why the non-Malay descent cannot become the PM of Malaysia,” he said.
Does the law prevent non-Malays from becoming Prime Minister?
According to a study conducted by local legal scholar and professor of law Emeritus Prof. Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, it is found that this practice is merely a tradition and not a law.
“The race, religion, region and gender of the Prime Minister nominee are not mandated by the law.”
“This is in contrast with the Constitutions of the ‘nine Malay States’ which are explicit that unless the Ruler makes an exception, the Menteri Besar must be a Malay/Muslim.”
“Despite the absence of an ethnic requirement in Article 43, politics will probably dictate that the PM designate must be a Malay or mixed Malay,” he said.
What do you think about Khairul’s remark? Do you think it is possible for a non-Malay to become the Prime Minister in Malaysia? Share your thoughts!
