The Influence of Budi-Islam Values on Tunku Abdul Rahman (Tunku) Leadership   

Abstract

The objective of the research is to analyse the influence of the-Islam values in shaping the culture and identity of the Malay community, especially on the aspects of politics and leadership in the Federated Malay States. Literature reveals that both the values play a prominent role in moulding the mentality, actions and conduct of the Malay community. The emergence of the elements ofwas a natural progression within the Malay society, and it was reinforced with the social norms and surroundings which were inspired by the philosophies of calmness of water and humble spirits of the paddy. The arrival of Islam to this part of the world further emphasized the status of as the Malay traditions and Islamic teachings share various similar principles. The-Islam facets engaged in shaping the Malay identity were articulated through the social values of compromise, respect, cooperation, compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and patience. The findings from textual analysis and history reveal that the elements ofIslam hugely influenced Tunku Abdul Rahman’s (Tunku) style of leadership and beliefs. His affable manner and considerate nature when communicating with the multi-racial society, was effective in maintaining harmony. The stance taken by Tunku had protected the continuation of the Malay Political Supremacy and Malay-Islamic values, by going to the discussion table with the British colonial masters instead of launching a war against them as instigated by Chin Peng. Tunku was equally instrumental in averting Lee Kuan Yew’s provocation, who proposed the concept of a Malaysian Malaysia.

Keywords: Budi-Islam Values, Tolerance, Leadership, Tunku Abdul Rahman

Introduction

Every community in the Malaysian society has their own distinctive traditions and culture. It is

important to identify the traditions practiced by people, so that important elements such as religion,

politics, language, education, economics and culture could be distinguished in the process of

developing the unique identity of a nation. The article will discuss on the position ofIslam as the

building blocks of the cultural development and identity of the Malays, especially in the arena of

politics and leadership, by focusing on the administration practices of Tunku.

An earlier research that underlines the roles ofIslam in the Malay culture was a study by Zainal

Kling (1978, 1993, 1990), ‘Adat, Sistem Nilai Tradisi Melayu, Melayu Baru: Pencerahan Adat dan

Even though the article does narrate the influence of, but the gist

is more on the elaboration of the element and does not link up with politics and Malay leadership. Next,

Wan Abdul Kadir’s (1993) write-up onhighlights the social values related to the elements of

compromise, tolerance, respect, modesty, and forgiveness, but the ties to the Malay’s culture and

characteristics are not explained. The same goes to the research by Lim Kim Hui (2003) entitled ‘

as the Malay Mind: A Philosophical Study of Malay Ways of Reasoning and Emotion in Peribahasa’,

that elaborates on the roles ofthrough proverbs, without linking it to the Malay community’s

distinct identity; Hence, so far, no study has been conducted to analyse the influence ofIslam

upon the Malay community’s political standpoint and leadership styles. Past researches show that the

values ofhave a lot of influence over the actions and conduct of the Malay community. It is

further reinforced with the findings of the analyses on Tunku’s political stance and leadership styles.

The status of Budi-Islam values as the foundation of the Malay community’s culture and

identity

Theattribute prevalent among the Malay community is spawned from the thoughts, feelings

and emotions that yearn for the good things in life (Wan Abdul Kadir, 1993). Their wisdom leads them

to make decisions based upon good morals; while the interaction between budi and social norms steers

them to weigh upon their goals and the needs of others, which is reflected in the famous Malay saying,

‘always think of others, and pay attention to their opinions’. The thoughtful manner is infused in the

souls of the Malays, and reflected in their polite mannerisms, rich traditions and gracious behaviour

(Zainal Kling, 1995). Hence, all these have contributed to the conception of an internal sentiment that is

sensitive and altruistic. This refined manner is articulated with consideration and conscience that reflect

their mentality and personality. When interacting whether with their own community or with members

of other ethnic groups, they express themselves by adhering to the three basic principles of

creativity in speech that reflects their wisdom, a gracious manner that mirrors their fine disposition, and

courteous use of language that reveals their modesty. Hence,refers to an assortment of behaviour,

use of fine speech, and polished interaction skills between individuals that reveals wisdom, by being

considerate to ensure that peace and harmony prevail in the diverse society (Zainal Kling,1995; Wan

Abdul Kadir, 1993)

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact meaning of based on scientific judgement, as it relates to an

internal abstract nature that could only be inferred based on an assemblage of actions, ideas, word

choice, gestures, artistic values in the form of songs, lyrics, theatrical performances, dances, carving

motifs, and sketches. The same goes to the Malays’ reverence reserved towards the elders, as they

would address the older folks by calling them uncle, aunt, brother or sister; and the unwritten rule

expects them to bend their bodies partly (bow) as a mark of respect when they need to walk in front of

the elders. Furthermore, the Malays’ collection of proverbs and poetry also echo the importance of

values in their lives (Tengku Lukman Sinar, 2001),

Baik pada awak, maka baiklah pada saya

(Good on you, Well then also on me)

The emergence of values could be deduced from the ties with the Customary System that

functions as the Malays’ social yardstick. The system has been in p ractice for hundreds of years, since

the pre-Islamic era, which was embraced by the Malay-Deutro tribe from Yunan (Abdullah Alwi, 2001:

Ahmad Ibrahim, 1970; Hooker, 1972). This highlights the fact that for the Malays residing in the

Malay realm, whether they are Muslims or otherwise, the Malay traditions are infused in their culture

(Zainal Kling, 1996). It includes the native peoples of Bidayuh, Kenyah, Kayan, Iban and Kelabit from

Sarawak, the indigenous tribes of Murut, Kadazan/Dusun in Sabah, Batak in Sumatera, Tarodja in

Sulawesi, and ethnic Malays in the Philippines and in the Malay Peninsula

The Malay Customary System is divided into two parts, the first being the traditions that encompass

the patterns of conduct and way of life in the long term, to a point that they have been saturated as

traditions. Secondly, there are elements viewed as styles or traditions that undergo renewals and

transformations throughout the years. These elements are not considered as the core values as they

could be adapted, and are categorised as rituals and practices. The article will delve further into the

first custom, which relates to actions and conduct embraced by the Malay community. It is categorized

as social norms that include ethics and morale codes founded upon social values (Norazit, 1997; Wan

Abdul Kadir, 2000). It is these traditions that influence the demeanor of the Malays when they interact,

whether with their own people, or with non-Malay communities. Research reveals that when the

Malays communicate with individuals from other communities, they tend to display the elements of

compromise and respect, and would strive to evade any form of conflict. It is this kind of attitude that

favours the election of Malay leaders to govern Malaya or Malaysia, in order to maintain peace and

harmony in the multi-racial and multi-religious nation (Wan Norhasniah, 2012). The manner is borne

out of the influence of the peaceful environment, as the sacred land that is sheltered from natural

disasters like extreme flood, famine, and cruelty of kings, rulers and administrators (Tunku Abdul

Rahman, 1977; Swettenham, 1907; Winstedt, 1925).

The elements of have shaped the Malays into individuals that are courteous and cultured. Even

though faced with adversities or conflicts, they are still capable of holding back their displeasure and

maintain their politeness by being civil in expressing their opinions (Lim Kim Hui, 2003). Public

arguments involving Malays were almost unheard of, and use of weapons were not favoured, as they

were regarded as discourteous, impolite, rude or ill-mannered. This is in line with the observation by

Milner, 2003) who claims that the Malays are the least confrontational ethnic group, as they are the

community least involved in wars or violent conflicts. Hence, it somehow points to the fact that

has a significant role in influencing the culture and identity of the Malay community (Lim Kim Hui,

2003), which was strengthened with the arrival of Islam to the region

Islam’s immersion into the Customary System has elevated the status of traditions to being the

elements that bind the relationships between people, to the connection of man and his Creator. The rich

traditions observed by the Malays are reflected in the saying, “It is better to let a child die than to lose

our customs”. However, the customs mentioned in the proverb does not merely refer to the observed

traditions, but reflect Islamic beliefs and teaching (Zainal Kling, 1993; Syed Alwi bin Sheikh al-Hady,

1965). The Muslims’ strong devotion towards Allah the Almighty has goaded them to sacrifice their

lives towards protecting the sanctity of Islam from being derided, ridiculed or scorned. There were a

number of Malay patriots like Tuk Janggut, Datuk Bahaman, and Abdul Rahman Limbung who lost

their lives in their quest to defend the holiness of Islam against the threats of British (Ramlah Adam,

2003).

Apart from that, the peaceful geographical surroundings also play a major role in the formation of

theelements. The Malay realm has always been associated with forces of the seas and islands.

They are hugely inspired by the philosophies of calmness of water and humble spirits of the paddy.

Naturally, water is infused with mild and modest characters, while the paddy is thought to represent

humility, as the more paddies a stalk holds, the lower it bends. It is these types of traits that have been

inculcated into the souls of the Malays. For example, respected Malay individuals are always modest,

as the wiser they are, the more noble deeds they perform, and the humbler they become (Lim Kim Hui,

2003)

With a pleasant weather and safe location, the Malays had always led a pleasant life. They were

used to toiling the lands immediate to their surroundings to eke out a living. Their harvests were

bountiful, their mild seas were plentiful with catch, and their forests could provide them with all their

needs, so they had no worry of being starved (Swettenham, 1965; Tunku Abdul Rahman, 1977;

Winstedt, 1925; Mahathir Mohamad, 1970; Wan Abdul Kadir, 1993; Barber, 1971). The agreeable

environment provided windows for pleasure-seeking activities, entertainment and relaxation, and even

lulled them into avoiding hard work. The situation fostered better ties between the community and their

surroundings which led to the birth ofa feeling of gratitude towards the gifts harvested from

nature.

For better understanding on the influence of the values ofon the political and management

styles of Malay leaders, the analysis will focus on Tunku’s leadership during his tenure as the first

Prime Minister of Malaya/Malaysia.

The influence of budi-Islam values on the Malay political system

The emergence of the Malay ethnics from one race has connected the peoples through social and

political structures, as they are inherited from kingdoms scattered throughout the vast expanse of the

Malay archipelago, such as the empires of Srivajaya, Malay-Majapahit and Malay-Islam of Melaka

(Zainal Kling, 1995; Wolters, 1990; Newbold, 1839; Wan Abdul Kadir, 1993; Khazin Mohd. Tamrin,

2001). The Malays’ social structure was divided into two echelons – the aristocrats, and the commoners

that are made up mainly of farmers dwelling in villages. One’s status in society is determined by birth.

The differences in surroundings, social background and education have sparked clashes of values

between the two factions, which became more apparent during the British colonization, followed by the

influx of immigrant arrival, and continued to be felt to the present day (Rustam A. Sani, 1983; Gullick,

1958; Roff, 1975).

The influence of the core values of is reflected through the Sultan’s concern over his

subjects. In return, the commoners show their loyalty towards the king’s commands. The action

correlates with the teachings of Islam, as revealed in the verses of al-Quran, and stated in the

principles (Chandra Muzaffar, 1992)1, which conditions that a King must be fair to his subjects, and the

citizens must obey their leaders. If the Sultan is unjust and succumbs to his fervour, Allah the

Almighty would unleash disaster and demolish his kingdom as what had transpired in the earlier

periods (Reid, 2004). The principles were the result of decree between Sri Tri Buana, the first

Malay chief from the lineage of the King Iskandar Zulkarnain with Demang Lebar Daun who was a

representative of the citizens. The principle declares the responsibilities of the statesmen to the citizens,

and vice versa. Their loyalty is guided by the core values of budi-Islam, where commoners have to

adhere to the orders of their chieftains as long as it does not go against the principles of, and as

long as they are not harmed (Zainal Kling, 1983; Hanapi Dollah, 1996). This marks the beginning of

the Malay political prowess that commands the loyalty from Malay community as the noblemen and the

commoners have roles to uphold their rights and protect the values of Malay-Islam.

Unquestioned loyalty by the people to their leaders was an action that had been prevalent in the

Malay community since the feudal days (Chandra Muzaffar, 1992). The blind faith entrusted upon the

kings’ rule had led to abuse of power by some kings who commanded that their subjects followed their

every command without any objection, even if the directive went against the teachings of Islam or

humanitarian values. For instance, Sultan Mahmud enjoyed cavorting with many women, to the point

that he pronounced the death sentence upon Bendahara Seri Maharaja who was accused of intentionally

hiding his daughter Tun Fatimah, who was engaged to Tun Ali. When there was malicious rumour that

Bendahara Seri Maharaja was planning to overthrow the king, Sultan Mahmud sentenced the death

penalty to both the Bendahara and his son-in-law, Tun Ali, and the king ended up marrying Tun

Fatimah (Shaharuddin Maaruf, 1988)

Today, the concept that ‘a just king is revered, but a cruel king is disobeyed /ousted’ (Zainal Kling,

1982) generates various values like solidarity, cooperation, and respect; while the core values of budi

have bred elements of loyalty from the people towards their leaders. However, if the leaders fail to

adhere to the principles of, they would lose the people’s allegiance towards them.

3.1.The role of budi-Islam values in the political and leadership styles of Tunku

Tunku is a towering figure in the Malaysian political arena. As the first Chief Minister of Malaya,

and the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, he was instrumental in engineering the independence of

Malaya in 1957, and later, the formation of the Malaysian federation in 1963. His massive contribution

has led to him being conferred the honorary title of The Father of Independence, or the Father of

Malaysia. The image is what leads to Tunku being a household name among the Malaysian people

(Mushahid, 2015; Mat Yazid, 2014; Ahmad, 2013;Abdullah Ahmad, 1987).

Tunku’s reputation as a capable leader was acknowledged by many scholars. It was prominent from

his credibility in changing the landscape of Malaysian politics, and the mentality and spirit of

1The Malay annals show that the Sultans would only be mean to certain individuals, not to every resident. In fact, it was common for the noblemen to have disputes, but the commoners were not affected by it.

nationality among the people of Malaya back then. During his tenure as Prime Minister, he had to face

numerous oppositions from eminent political figures like Dato’ Onn Jaafar, Dr. Burhanuddin Helmi,

Lee Kuan Yew and President Soekarno. However, with a strong level of tolerance and patience, he

managed to solve the conflicts and threats in peace. Apart from that, Tunku also faced adversities from

the British’s tactics, which forced him to compromise in the aspects of economy, education and social

issues to obtain independence by uniting the main ethnic groups, the Malays, Chinese and Indians.

With the British’s cooperation and Tunku’s willingness to compromise by pardoning members of the

Malaya Communist Party (PKM) (Lenard Lim Yangli, 2011; Chin Peng, 2003), the threat was

minimized when the guerrillas retreated to the Thailand border. It was a tall order and not an easy feat,

but Tunku successfully resolved the situation.

The influence of the-Islam elements in Tunku’s leadership was obvious in a number of

occasions during the pre-independence days. For example, the Japanese occupation had caused various

hardships to the Malays, and strained their relationship with the ethnic Chinese. A majority of the

Malay kings showed their compassion towards the welfare of the peoples, which was also akin to

Tunku’s stance over the matter. He was responsible in persuading his father, the then Kedah Sultan,

from leaving the state of Kedah to move to Penang (Ramlah, 2004; Miller, 1959; Cheah Boon Kheng,

1979)on the grounds that they should stay to fight and combine forces with the locales in Kedah to

defend their native land from Japanese attacks. He was also responsible to obtain the protection letter

from the Japanese army chief to guarantee the safety of the Malay community if they were to come

across the army (Ramlah, 2004).

The display of the-Islam values were apparent through Tunku’s give and take attitude in the

episode that was supposed to lead to independence, the Baling dialogue. It took place in 1955, between

the leaders of the United Malay Nation Organization (UMNO) with the leaders of Malaya Communist

Party (PKM). Tunku’s objective was to fulfil the conditions set by the British that in order to be

granted independence, the civil war with PKM should be over. Hence, Tunku aimed to placate Chin

Peng to surrender, and that the members would be pardoned unconditionally (Ramli, 2004). According

to Noel Barber, the noble act exemplified by Tunku highlighted his kind-heartedness and sincerity

(Barber, 1971). In fact, Chin Peng also admitted that the way Tunku conducted the discussion, and the

fact that he evaded from using disparaging remarks, likewhich was hurled by David Marshall

towards Chin Peng, opened the door towards reconciliation. In fact, he believed that if the dialogue

had taken place between PKM, Tunku and Tan Cheng Lock, a truce might have been reached (Chin

Peng, 2003)

However, the dialogue failed to reach its objective, due Chin Peng’s ego and refusal to compromise.

Tunku’s mission was to put an end to violence and guarantee peace and safety to the society, but Chin

Peng’s vision was to get the communist ideologies recognized and obtain endorsement for PKM’s

party and activities (Chin Peng, 2003). Even if the dialogue failed, but it highlighted Tunku’s success

in suppressing Chin Peng’s ego in claiming that he was the determining factor in guaranteeing

Malaya’s liberty from the British, by declaring that Malaya’s peace or disorder was his call to decide

(Ramli, 2004). As a result of the dialogue, Tunku resolved to fight PKM and put an end to their

violence in order to restore peace to the nation. By compromising and applying delicate methods of

discussion, British handed over the mandate of power to Tunku, which culminated with the declaration

of independence on 31 August 1957, even though the PKM movement was still at large. In fact, the

sovereignty was granted without any bloodshed or war taking place, which was a stark contrast with

what transpired in Indonesia and Burma (Myanmar) (Khoo Kay Kim, 2007).

The influence ofIslam values was also prominent in the road to independence and the process

of nation building. It was mirrored in Tunku’s display of conciliatory manner, which incited wrath

among Malay politicians and public. Historically, the efforts to achieve independence resulted in

collaboration between UMNO that represented the Malay community, and Malayan Chinese

Associations (MCA) which represented the Chinese community (Ramlah, 1998). The formation of the

(CLC) that stood for the British government in 1949, led to better

cooperation between the parties to iron out differences, and allowed them to stipulate demands for

pressing issues like citizenship rights, language and education, and election system that involved

Municipality Council and Federal Legislative Council. To meet the objectives, the Malay leaders were

ready to compromise by relinquishing the Malay political supremacy and granted citizenship through

theprinciple to more than two million immigrants (Shukri, 2010; Mohd, R., & Mohd, Y. 2010;

Ongkili, 1985)

The mission to achieve independence at all cost had spurred Tunku to undermine the domination of

Malay-Islam values as the foundation of nation building, as proposed by Dato’Onn Jaafar. Thus,

disparity erupted among the Malay community during the period. Tunku was critical towards a few

outspoken UMNO stalwarts, who were labelled extremists when they tried to re-enact the policy

“Malaya for Malays” (Ramlah, 2004). This was due to the fact that the landscape of Malaya had

transformed from being Malay-based to multi-ethnic. To win over support from the Chinese and Indian

communities, Tunku was prepared to sacrifice the rights of the Malays by reducing the number of

UMNO-contested seats in the 1955 Federal Election from 40 to 35 seats. From the five seats, three

were handed over to MCA who would contest in 15 instead 12, while two were given to MIC to ensure

that they would be well-represented in the PERIKATAN2 coalition (Means, 1976). Apart from that, the

core principle for the Malay language was also slackened, with the assurance that it will become the

national language within 10 years. Meanwhile, the status of the non-Malay ethnic groups’ language and

culture would also be safeguarded. In fact, Tunku also laid the condition that chosen election

candidates must be proficient in English. Even if there were conflicts among the multi-ethnic leaders

during the stages in formulating the policies, but it did not escalate into a major confrontation with the

leaders. The give and take approach practiced managed to minimize any hostility directed towards the

UMNO chieftains were appeased in order to achieve harmony in the diverse society (Ramlah, 2004).

In general, the influence of-Islam, with the values of compromise, patience, respect and stress

on dialogues, had paved the way for Tunku to demand for independence from the British through a

council chaired by Lord Lennox Boyd in 1956. Tunku’s grace and mild temperament had convinced

MCA and MIC to join forces with UMNO in the quest to secure independence. In fact, his position as

the son of a Sultan had lent him support from the Malays as they saw him as an extension of the Malay

2 PERIKATAN was the coalition formed between the three main parties that represented ethnic communities in the Malay Peninsula. It was made up of UMNO that represented the Malays, MCA that was formed by the Chinese, and MIC that struggled for the rights of the Indians.

political tradition. It accorded the respect and trust from representatives of the British government,

MCA and MIC to accept UMNO as the leaders of PERIKATAN (Neil, 2011; Ramlah, 2004).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the influence ofIslam values had laid the foundation for the identity of the

Malays as a community that place a major emphasis on the spirits of tolerance and respect, either

among their own people or with others from different backgrounds. The stance ensures that peace

would prevail within a society, by being tolerant, cooperative, and accommodating. All these values

made certain that the Malays were shielded from threats by their conquerors, the British or Japanese.

Tunku Abdul Rahman’s gentle manners mirrored the values of the peace-loving Malays, which had

steered them in weathering whatever conflicts or adversities they had to endure. They will continue to

display their respect and pleasant mannerisms as long as the Malay rights and religion are not under

any form of threat or provocation. Past confrontations that involved Malay leaders include the attack on

the Naning chieftain, Penghulu Dol Said by the British soldiers; and the murder of James Wheeler

Woodford Birch (J.W.W Birch), the British Resident of Perak.

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful for the support of the research grant from Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2015/SS10/UPNM/02/1), Research Acculturation Collaborative Effort RACE/F3/PK5/UPNM/14) under Malaysia Ministry of Education, and YaPEIM under Yayasan Pembangunan Ekonomi Islam Malaysia (YaPEIM2015).

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