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June 16, 2000 VOL. 29 NO. 23 | SEARCH ASIAWEEK
Why kids won't sing the traditional tune By ARJUNA RANAWANA Kuala Lumpur New Malay or Melayu baru is a loaded term that's taken off the shelf and given a dusting every now and then. Once, it referred to those bright sparks shrugging off the old ways to plug themselves into the modern world. Many educated Malays now insist that's not so. As a New Malay, you can uphold cultural and religious traditions and still be progressive, they say - a nod perhaps to the rise of Islamism in Malaysia. All the same, plenty of young people prefer to dance to a very different beat. That's evident from the new icons and social mores, and especially from the broad spectrum that is the Malay music scene - and the more rebellious sub-cultures they represent. Homegrown heavy-metal groups such as XPDC and FTG are big draws at concerts around the country, especially among young men. Punk bands have their own followings, too, though the chains, nose rings and spiked hair tend to surface only if there's a gig. Any regime that advocates a narrow brand of Islam holds little allure for such crowds, headbangers or not. Take musician Joe Kidd (his stage name). A Muslim Malay, he has been with a band called Carburetor Dung for the past nine years, performing what he variously describes as urban folk rock and light punk. "If [the Islamic opposition party] Pas or any group were to impose a strict regime in this country," he says, "me and my friends would just have to leave and live somewhere else." Others may share the sentiment, even in more conservative rural districts. Joe had "run away from the village" years ago to seek freedom of expression in Kuala Lumpur. But to his surprise, his band gets a rousing reception even in country towns these days. "Hey, we get good crowds. These guys, they sing along," he says, recalling how an enthusiastic fan jumped on stage to grab a turn at the mike. Puritanical rules and restrictions -should they come about as a result of political pandering to Islamic sentiment - would upset lots of people, says a Malay musician in his early 30s. "Over the past 10 to 15 years, a strong following has been built for rock music [at performances] where audiences are mixed and there is so-called Western imagery," he says. "Any effort to ban it means the bands here go underground." At least, that's been the experience in the Pas-controlled states of Kelantan and Trengganu. There are rock bands there, too, Joe says. "But the kids have a bad time, and the entire scene is underground in those places." More "mainstream" entertainers are likely to be uneasy too. Siti Nurhaliza is currently the brightest star in the Malay pop firmament. The hugely popular 21-year-old is careful to look modest: at more formal concerts, the code is for traditional, flowing baju kurung. But she appears in a Pepsi commercial in a Western-style shift and often performs in jeans and T-shirt. Siti Nurhaliza represents a dream come true to many young women, says Joe. "She's a village girl who has come to the city and made a lot of money. She commands a lot of respect. Her image is clean-cut yet sexy." What will the pop princess's image be in a headscarf that some conservative Muslims are urging be made compulsory? Says veteran advertising executive Lillian Tan: "Somehow we Malaysians - particularly the younger generation - have to manage these gray areas. Living with them is quite a strain." The New Malays who have emerged under the government of Mahathir Mohammad are sometimes derided as grasping, rude, even ungrateful - an almost inexcusable flaw in Malay culture. But the prime minister has a different definition: New Malays are pragmatic Muslims. "They believe that God will help those who help themselves, and seek knowledge that can make them successful. New Malays will lock their cars before leaving them to God," Mahathir told members of his dominant UMNOparty last month. That's not quite how people like Joe Kidd see themselves, but they can live with the rhythm. Write to Asiaweek at mail@web.asiaweek.com
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