Budiman Malay Political Leadership and Implications for Ethnic Relations among the Malay and Chinese Communities

Abstract

Malay political leadership has played an important role in Malaysia’s nation-building, especially in the aspects of governance, nation development and national unity. However, it is currently at the unprecedented crossroads after 2018 elections and post Covid-19 era. Malay political leaders have to strive hard to position themselves with good contemporary political leadership while still preserve their own distinct cultural identity by embracing traditional Malay values. This study, therefore, aimed to identify and analyze a Malay political leader as a budiman leader, who practices ‘budi and its networks’, a concept identified by Lim (2003). On the other hand, a failed Malay political leader reflects the negative dimension of budi, which is the concept of badi. A primary survey had been conducted to analyze the contemporary perceptions and expectations of both Malay and Chinese communities towards Malay political leaders. Based on 205 respondents through questionnaires, the survey found that both Malay and Chinese respondents strongly view and expect Malay political leaders to be a budiman leader, or a man of ren (or jen, translated as ‘human-heartedness’) from Chinese’s perspective. In general, a man of ren is equivalent with budiman, as ‘perfect virtue’, who practices ‘budi and its networks’. The implications of the study indicate that if a Malay political leader is a budiman leader, he or she will be highly respected morally and supported politically by both Malay and Chinese communities.