Remember Jebat?

I often wonder what the Malays would be like today if Jebat had won instead of Tuah. A cynical friend said, it wouldn’t have made a difference even if Jebat did win because history would have been rewritten in favour of Tuah anyway as being more politically correct. Loyalty to a ruler, however irrational and despotic, have always been a trademark of Malaysians or is it just Malays?  Blind, unquestioning loyalty is essential in preserving the status quo of the ruling elite.

But I digress – what if Jebat had won and /or was reported as such? After all history is written by the victors and if Jebat was victorious, it only stands to reason that he would make sure his victory over Tuah was known to all, far and wide to prove his point that injustice is unacceptable and the Sultan is unfit to rule. (Let’s not go into the nitty gritty of Jebat’s supposed actions and killings of court maidens which always seemed fishy to me. ..)  Better still what if they both stood up against Sultan Mahmud, and garnered the support of the Bendahara and the people? Maybe when the Sultan realised he was outgunned , outnumbered and definitely out of power  – he went  into exile. What then would the Malays be like?

Perhaps, they would have been more discriminating and stringent in  choice of leaders.  Loyalty would come only after leaders show  their readiness to be held accountable for their behavior and actions and demonstrate integrity, courage and an unstinting , unwavering commitment to the preserving the interests of the rakyat, regardless of race, religion and state of pocketbook. Such Malays would voice their disagreement and protests vociferously at policies or the lack of it to safeguard Malaysia’s interests. They would haul up the corrupt, not vote them in repeatedly. These Malays would be open-minded, tolerant and generous with all who choose to make Malaysia their home. After all the first Malays to beoame Muslim chose to do so  after witnessing the characteristics and experiencing the warmth of the Muslims from Pasai. These characteristics would then be reinforced as part of the national culture and consciousness.   Narrowmindedness and an obsessive compulsion to target women and emphasise rituals over values would not be in the vocabulary of such Malays.

A high premium  would be placed on integrity, excellence, tolerance and cooperation and Malays will be fiercely loyal to Malaysia and guard our interests and resources jealously. Malay leaders who do not make this grade, do not even get a nose through a crack, much less control or influence others. We would find Malay intellectuals,  academics, journalists , industrialists,  artists ,  writers and  directors competing comfortably on the world stage. The Malaysian education system would produce thinkers and doers that help propel Malaysia into the future,  not conformists and future supporters to maintain the status quo.

Is this stuff that dreams are made of? Can this be anything other than rhetoric and empty words?

When Tuah purportedly killed Jebat for being disloyal to the Sultan, even if Jebat’s intention was to avenge Tuah’s  unjust ‘death’, the message that reverberated for Malays in generations to come was that loyalty to the one in power must be unswerving and unquestioning, under any circumstances. They must live in hope that errant leaders will come around and correct damage wrought. They must continue to have faith in a flawed system that allows  leaders to implement policies that undercut and undermine the very institutions and people they were entrusted to preserve and protect. They should close their eyes to the root causes and main perpetrators of corruption amongst them for Malays do not rock the boat for change, even when the boat is visibly heading towards the rocks. They have to close ranks and remain loyal to their leaders especially when they receive favours and boons. ‘ We are obliged to follow and remain loyal for to be disloyal would mean jeopardising the future of the Malays and risk the loss of Malay political power’. So in the interest supposedly for the greater good, Malays remain loyal to flawed leaders and flawed systems.  Tuah made the choice that fateful day to remain loyal to a man who ordered his death on a whim and a rumour and kill his best friend as proof of that loyalty and belief in  the credibility of the Sultanate. Just as the Malays do today. Any possibility for change lies in the realization among the Malays that they are the ones who hold the balance of power in this country and therefore must exercise it responsibly – not just for themselves but for future generations.  If they persist in ignoring this responsibility ostrich-like, Malays may end in in a country depleted of resources,  weakened economically and mismanaged only to share it with the non-Malays who are too impoverished to migrate. For change to happen,  we Malays must be bold and strong enough to demand integrity and accountability of our leaders. If we don’t then  we will continue to get what we deserve  by our continued silence and loyalty to those who do not deserve it.

If anyone asks you, what can one man do, remind them of Tuah and Jebat.