The Absorption of Javanese In Malay
By Instrumental Approach In Malaysia
INTRODUCTION
Javanese
is not a Malay like typical Malaysian understand. Even though the biological
looks are the same, they actually belong to different group of ethnic. The essay
is trying to describe the way Javanese people survived according to
instrumentalist approach by Max Weber. This essay rejects the ideas of
Primordial ties to determined ethnicity of the Javanese people in Malaysia.
There are three push factors that author trying to prove that make Javanese
people comfortably to integrate with local Malay. First because of the labeling
that government does to the Javanese. Secondly because of the political
interest .Thirdly is the economic interest of the Javanese people. Because of
hardship they tend to choose to accept Malay as their ethnicity. This essay is
also are trying to proved that even though Javanese are different from the
Malay there are happy to choose to become Malay because of several factors in
term of Constitutions, Political Interest, Economic interest and Special
Privilege.
What is meant by ethnic?
According
to word web thesaurus ethnic means “Denoting or deriving from or distinctive of
the ways of living built up by a group of people”. In other words it was a
group of people that have their own way of make a living. In defining which
ethnic is which, there must be some kind of boundaries to show that they are
different from other. Therefore to show to others we are “us” and not “them” they will be a certain mechanism
that were used to maintain the images. Just like Manning Nash mention as
cultural markers and the boundaries between the group of people must be
visible. He suggested that they are three basic boundaries which is kinship,
commensality and religious cult. Kinship is something related with blood
relation which someone that is great where other ethnic does not have.
Commensality is where the value of life such as custom and traditional only
done by the particular group of people. While religious cult is the sacred
symbol or common religious believe of the group of people.(Maning Nash ,1989.p.24-25)
What is Instrumentalist Approach?
Weber
view ethnic as social stratification, that comes with certain criteria such as
classes, income, education and political influence.(Thomas Hylannd:7). According
to Glazer and Moynihan cited by Marcus Bank, ‘We must modified the bald
assertion that ethnicity becomes a means of advancing interest – which it does
–by insisting that it is not only a means of advancing interest (Bank: 42).
Ronald Cohen also argued that the ethnic can be define as the interest of the
one groups of ethnic against another.However the status of the ethnic are
determined by the states. By Explaining
the absorption of Javanese group in Malay, William agreed that the
instrumentalist that there is complex between groups, and because of the
conflict over certain resources it forces certain ethnic to follow the game of
Nation building. (Bank:44).Another scholars name Bentley mention that
instrumentalist where the certain ethnic have a habitual change or the
‘objective condition’ can be result of life change (Bank:45)
One
ethnic in one places does not necessarily in have the same culture and language
as other ethnic in another places. As mention by Michael Moerman (1965) cited
by Thomas Hyland, when he studies the ethnic relation in Thailand, the Lue, he
found out that they are not correlate completely. He mention that the language,
culture, political organization did not necessarily same one place and another
(Thomas :11).The Javanese group in Malaysia can be classified as ethnic groups
in ‘plural societies that the term itself were designed by colonial to create
the state. The might for a political body to run a state .As Richard Jenkins
(1986) cited by Thomas also saying that most contemporary states could be
plausibly be considered plural ones. (Thomas:14)
J.Milton
wrote that Change in relationship among major subdivision of society are often
reflected in the development of an active sociologist specialty designed to
analyze those change.(Milton, 1895 p.151) Which mean that society always change
to become opportunist to survive. This ideas was mention by Max weber ,
conclude by Werner J.Chahnman and cited by Michael Bantan suggest that social
group is a continuing process of rationalization. Weber change from using
concept of community (Gemeinschaft) and community action
(Gemeinschaft-shandeln) which related to the historical background (maybe can
be understood as primordial ties) to the concept of society (Gesselschaft) and
social action (Soziales Handeln) where people will adapt in transcending
different of time and places. (Michael Bantan,2007,p.21). We can see that
phenomena happen in Malaysia where some of the Javanese people forget their Gemeinschaft and Gemeinschaft-shandeln and get along with the process
of rationalization.
In
order for the process of rationalization or the integration process to occur, the are some rules that
were mention by the the Gordon cited by J.Milton Yinger. He proposed that there
a seven variables must be there to ensure the success of the assimilation ,
three of it was , the absence of prejudice, absence of discrimination, and the
absence of value and power conflict. The other four are that he mention as sub
process of the assimilation which is:
integration,
aculturization, identification and amalgamation. Amalgamation in that sense the
structural ,psychological, and biological aspects of assimilation.
(Milton,1985.p.154)
In
my opinion, the ideas of Javanese were ready to be assimilated in to Malay
relevant to all characteristic mention by Gordon. In facts , the process of
structural, psychological, and biological aspect of assimilation really does
happen in Javenese community in Malaysia .This will be proved through the
discussion on this essay.
Who is Javanese?
Java
or usually known as "Jawa" in Malay language are people that coming
from an island that were 7% of land in Indonesia. It situated between Hindi
Ocean and Java Sea. Historically the Java Island was occupied in 2 million
years ago . The ancient people in the island are known as Pithecanthropus
erectus and recently known as Homo erectus.
According to Noriah Mohamad in her book, Jawa di Sebalik Tabir (Jawa
behind the curtain) the findings of
Javanese origin was made by E.Dubois in 1896 in Trinil. People of Java are
Hidus-Budhism in ancient time but converted to Islam in Majapahit Dynasty and
because of the relation between government Of Malacca. (Noriah
Mohamed,1993.p.14)
However
there are other version of conspiracy theory mention by Prof. Dr. H. Priyatna Abdurrasyid from Institute of Space Law
(IISL), Paris-Prancis believes that java
are the land of Atlantis that was lost mention by Plato. The extreme idea of
the Java people saying that there are the followers of King Solomon and the
Prophet Ibrahim is from Java. This is due to the name of the traditional Hindu manuscript
Brahma that originally from the word Ibrahim. Some academician from The Institute
Of Ancient History Research and Islamic lead by Fahmi Basyah,the lectures of
Mathematics in Islamic Universities of Syarif Hidayatullah strongly argue that
the Borobudor temple and Kraton Ratu Boko near the Hindus Prambanan in Middle
Java are belongs to the muslim before they converted to Islam. It was build by
the army and soldier of King Solomon,or in Quran mention as Prophet Sulaiman.
Boko are the name of Princess Balqia ,the wife Of Prophet Sulaiman. (Berita Harian Online, 4 April 2010). Some of
the Interesting claim is that the Jews name are actually from the word
Jawa.Therefore they filed a petition to claim the right of the temple for Muslim.
Maybe because of these “fanaticism” there are areas in Surabaya where they
claim their ancestors was Jews and they convert themselves to Jews.
According to (Murdock, 1964 : p.22)
cited by Koentjaraningrat, “ The language of the Javanese belongs to the
Hesperonesian subfamily of the Malayo-Polynesian family”. He also added that
there are six different spoken language which is Old Javanese, The Old Javanese
Of Javanese- Balinese Literature, The Language Of East Javanese Muslim
Literature, The Literary language Of Coastal Javanese Muslim Culture, The
Literary Language of Mataram and The Modern Javanese Language.
(Koentijaraningrat,1985 :p 13-14). There are twenty alphabet in Java which is:
Ha Na Ca Ra Ka
Da Ta Sa Wa La
Pa Dha Ja Ya Nya
Ma Ga Ba
Tha Nga.
These
alphabet were related with the Legend Of Aji Saka dan quarrel with each other until
the alphabet brings some meanings (Noriah Mohamed,2001:p.16) As we can briefly
see that Javanese is different than Malay that have different history,
background and culture. In other words different in kinship, commensality and
religious cult as mention by Manning Nash.
MAIN BODY
The Instrumentalist Approach Of Javanese
in Malaysia
1)
Economic
Interest and Special privilege construct the “New Malay”
The
use of Javanese laborers in the Malay Peninsula had already being practice
since the early part of the nineteenth century especially in the Strait
Settlement. According to Khazin Mohd, he mention that there are an activity of
recruiting a Javanese to work in peninsular by the Europen,Chinese, Arab and Malay
on depots and lodging house. Javanese
are good in cutting tree and there are more intelligent. (A.B.Cook,1907,p.96) .Some
of the company that recruit the Javanese people particularly to work in
Singapore are Mansfield and Company, Messrs.A.C . Johnstone and Company,
Peterson and Simon and Company, Guthrie and Company, Puttfracken and
Company,Ben Meyer and Company.They were bring to Malaya by the system which is
called Wong Tebusan.Some of the unfortunate were kidnapped to work in
federation in 1890s until 1930s. (Kharin
1992.p.35)
Malay
has been label as a weak race and stumble with the poverty problem. One of the
main reason the 13 May tragedy happen according to Tunku the former Prime
Minister is because of the economic gap that occurs after colonization with the
Policy of “divide and rule”.(Tunku,1969). The Malay need to be help and be
given special right to ensure the tragedy would not repeat itself.
Therefore
in order to maintain the right of the Malay, government does a lot of policy
provides a Malay people advantage towards the mission to balance the economy
gap between Malay and other races. Government provide a long term plan to help
Malay such as New Economy Policy (NEP)
that encourage Malay to become entrepreneur and business man. The
controversial act which is Industrial Coordination Act (ICA) introduced to
ensure the effectiveness of industrial policy for NEP. It effect the non Malay
and they felt unjustified by the government action ( Gomez ,2001.p.175-239)
Some
of the action took by government example by establishing FELDA (Federal Land
Development Agency) -agriculture holding
to help the malay in working with the agriculture product and MARA (Majlis Amanah Rakyat) - special body to help
the Malay to get loan,scholarship,training and many more,-these bodies are
responsible provide economic opportunities for the Malay. Untill certain extent,
the non-Malay also complaint about government that to much pampering the Malay
until the non Malay affected by the policy (Edmund Terence Gomez and Jomo K.S 1997 , p. 40,42)
2)
Constitutional
Has Label Javanese as a Malay
After
the independent, the process of assimilation began since the constitution was
constructed. Because of the definition of the Malay are slightly loose, almost
everyone that have “look” like Malay can be legalized as Malay and have right
in the constitutions. In Malaysia Constitutions the definition of Malay are
define as:
“ a
person who professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay
language, conforms to Malay custom and (a) was before Merdeka Day born in the
Federation or in Singapore or born of parents one of whom was born in the
Federation or in Singapore, or is on that day domiciled in the Federation or in
Singapore”
(Malaysia Federal Constituition
Article 60a)
In
the rationalization process, the Javanese do take opportunity in collecting
their wealth and fit the notion of soziales
Handeln to grab all the advantages they could get. The materialistic
approach of defining ethnic also mention by Max Weber where theorizing that
action made by Javanese were orientation of maximization of net benefit and the
benefit is the satisfaction of immaterial or physic gain including those
associated with the comfort of custom or routine (Michael Bantan,2007,p.21) In
the constitution there are a provision that given who are define as a “Malay”
can get a special right or privilege in the just like in the article 153
stated:
“It
shall be the responsibility of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to safeguard the
special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and
Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with
the provisions of this Article.”
(Malaysia Federal Constitutions
Article 153)
3)
Political
interest attract Javanese and other ethnic to Construct themselves as a Malay.
The Prime Minister mention in the
Speech in opening ceremony of UMNO General meeting in 21st October
2010, categorizing who is actually a Malay. He has taken word from Sasterawan
Negara ,Allahyarham Usman Awang said that Java, Bugis, Banjar, Minangkabau,
Acheh, Jakun, Sakai, Orang Asli-aborigines that lives in the most jungle in
Malysia-,Arab and Pakistani, Malbar, Mamak,
Kadazan, Bajau, India Muslim, Siamese, Melanau, Bidayuh all are named as Malay.
Indirectly we can conclude that, they all are qualified to join UMNO (United
Malay Organization).(Mstar Online,10 October 2010). Therefore, the government
has a wide range of determined who is Malay. People are happily to determine
themselves as Malay because by this way they can get the privileged mention in
the Article 153 the Federation constitutions. As a payment, government would
have the majority of the people in Malaysia that malay and can maintain the
status quo of the Malay and the
Government Power in Democratic nation. In Malaysia there are 65.1 percent of
people are determined as Malay and Bumiputera,
26% were Chinese and 7.7% were India.(Utusan Malaysia Online, 07 July
2008). Government must maintain the 60% and above the ratio to ensure Malay
still in power, particularly UMNO. We
can see that, the Instrumentalist approaches are applicable in studying the
action of the Javanese people that are freely to determine themselves as Malay.
Even though the culture, language and history of Javanese are clearly different
from the Malay. From my observation, because of the effectiveness of ‘Malayanization’
process, some of the Javanese doesn’t even know there are Javanese and
assimilate in the Malay culture. To makes thing complicated, they doesn’t even
bother where their ethnic are belongs to as long they benefit from the Malay
title.
CONCLUSION
As
we can conclude that the factor of assimilation do occurs in showing the
process of assimilation mention by Gordon in Javanese in Malaysia. Because of
the absence of prejudice, absence of discrimination, and the absence of value
and power conflict made the instrumental approach applicable to describe the
construction of “New Malay” .The development of Javanese in Malay in Malaysia
suits the argument of Weber about the group formation from the drive to
monopolize power and status. Human wanted economic and social privileges’ for
themselves and their allies ( Michael Banton,2007,p.23). The factor of
materialistic become the key element of determining which certain ethnic they
belong to and can be explain by instrumentalist approach.
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