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Malaysia: Roof of a Democratic Society

In discussing democratic transitions in the Muslim world, many turn to episodes in the history of the Middle East, Andalusia, the Ottoman Empire and Mughal Empire for inspiration. By comparison, Southeast Asia is often neglected. Looking back at Malaysia’s rich history, however, evidence of democratic leanings situated within a specifically Muslim cultural and religious context are clearly evident. This paper briefly discusses six such leanings, namely: the fourteenth-century Terengganu Inscription Stone (Batu Bersurat Terengganu), which hints at notions of a social contract, rule of law and limits to a rulers authority; the Malay Annals (Sejarah Melayu’s) story of King Sangsapurba and its concept of a social contract; the unquestioned loyalty to authority demonstrated in the famous story of Hang Tuah; the 1656 text called the Laws of Melaka (Undang-undang Melaka), which reveals an understanding of legal, economic and philosophical concepts that were first expounded in Europe only during the Enlightenment; Johors Kangchu System, where Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim practiced the issuing of surat sungai, granting leases to planters to cultivate river banks; and, lastly, the key concepts of Negeri Sembilans ancient adat pepatih, which have been adapted to serve present-day Malaysia. The democratic developments that occurred in these explicitly Malay Muslim examples provide an alternative to the authoritarian modes of thinking often advocated by modern-day proponents of a supposedly more Islamic society. Without a renewed national consensus affirming these underlying principles of the nation, involving all parties and a cross-section of citizens, these centuries-old roots of democracy may yet be poisoned and eradicated in Malaysia.