Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia marks the 50th anniversary of its independence later this week at a time when it is increasingly questioning its own identity amid rising Islamisation and racial polarisation.
Since winning independence from Britain, Malaysia has been transformed into one of the Muslim world‘s most developed countries, complete with skyscrapers such as the iconic Petronas Twin Towers and massive highways and ports.
It has also slashed poverty through stable economic growth.
Yet as the country prepares to mark a half-century of nationhood on Friday, many are struggling to agree on what it means to be Malaysian, and how much your religion and culture counts.
P. Ramasamy, a political scientist and former professor with the National University of Malaysia, is worried about a rising influence of Islam, and the racial and religious divisions it could spark.
"If this is the indicator after 50 years, I do not want to look forward to the next 50 years as the situation may become worse," he told AFP.
Islam is the official religion here and Muslim Malays make up 60 percent of Malaysia‘s 27 million people, with the rest mostly Buddhist, Christian and Hindu.
Freedom of religion is enshrined in the constitution but a number of recent events -- such as a court‘s decision not to recognise a woman‘s conversion to Christianity and a row over whether Sharia law should be incorporated into the legal system -- have highlighted long-standing divisions.
Malaysia experienced deadly race riots between Malays and Chinese in 1969 sparked by political rivalries and anger over the wealth of the Chinese, and today ethnic Malays dominate politics.
The National Front coalition -- formerly known as the Alliance Coalition -- has ruled Malaysia since independence.
It includes ethnic Chinese and Indian parties, but is dominated by the United Malays National Organaisation (UMNO), led by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Abdullah frequently preaches national unity and freedom for all religions, but Zaid Ibrahim, a lawmaker with UMNO, says that communal relationships have become worse over the past five decades.
Source: www.philstar.com (28 Agustus 2007)
