We have always assumed that it is part of the law that our Malaysian Prime Minister MUST be of Muslim-Malay descent. Believe it or not, this isn’t actually true.
According to local legal scholar and professor of law Emeritus Prof. Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, 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/mixed Malay,”
“However, this is a mere tradition and not a law.”
But, are Malaysians prepared to break this tradition?
Digital creator Khairul Hakimin Muhammad, referring to the appointment of Rishi Sunak, an Indian man; as the Prime Minister of the UK, shared certain conditions he believes Malaysians must adhere to before a non-Muslim, non-Malay Prime Minister can be appointed.
He wrote, “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? Here, I shall share some information, if I write too much it is not like you guys will read it.”
He went on to share Rishi Sunak’s educational background, and here are his points:
- 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.
“Inside him, he is 99.9% British. Where’s the remaining 0.01%? That’s the balance to add-minus where his ancestry comes from,” Khairul Hakimi added.
He then went on to share his conditions, if Malaysians would like to eventually see a Prime Minister that is not of Malay descent:
- Everyone has to go through 1 school stream. No Chinese schools, no Tamil schools.
- Formal education must be equal in all areas of education.
- (The Prime Minister) must be able to speak, converse, write and read in Malay.
“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, while signing off with “Remain the Malaysian PM of Muslim Malay rights”.
Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section, though let’s all remember to remain respectful when we leave our opinions.
Also read: Malaysia Estimated To Pay Off 1MDB Debt By 2037, Amount Can Fund Perak & Kelantan For Years
