Letters to the Editor
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Malaysia, The Complex
Malaysia is officially Islamic, ruled by its plurality of Muslim Malays. Chinese make up about 30%, Tamils 20%, with a tiny minority of native people. "The Rules" are set by the Malays. This is inherently undemocratic and unfair, particularly for the largely Christian and Buddhist Chinese, who make up much of the entrepreneurial middle class, and who are taxed at high rates for being, well, Chinese. Society is stratified and completely segregated. There is no freedom of speech.
And yet, the three racial groups live in relative calm, side by side, where the authorities are much more tolerant of non-Muslim practices (drinking alcohol, for example) than most other Islamic countries seem to be. Sometimes, the incongruities are stark. In a country where scooters and motorcycles outnumber cars on the road, it is not unusual to see a woman stopped at an intersection on her Harley or Honda, wearing a burqa, her face covered. (After seeing one such sight, my wife commented "There rides a rebel!")
My extended stay in Malaysia was fantastic. Laura and I were taken in and doted over by our (mostly Chinese) friends at Dell. It was so great, I would return in a minute. Whenever I imagine a return visit, perhaps to work or possibly to just hang out, only the strictures of the extremely conservative Islamic authorities give me pause. (One may easily cross the border into Thailand, but the Malaysian government is known for drug testing and imprisoning foreigners who re-enter Malaysia from that route.)
I believe it important that people stand up for their rights: Beyonce is right to cancel her performance if she believes her integrity as an artist is abridged by the rules. I don't know that the authorities will take much notice of her snub, but people will talk, free speech or no. And one never knows where talk will lead.