A THINKER netizen with a penchant to explore the Malay Muslim mind has sparked an intellectual debate among like-minded audience when he wondered if the latter should really ask themselves why despite billions of ringgit spent to propagate Islamic teachings, Malaysia has yet to establish itself as “a nation that exports thought leadership on religion”.
“No nation is scrambling to get religious scholars from Malaysia. No one calls us when there’s confusion on holy texts,” posted eKharus™ at Hiraeth🇿🇦🍉(@eKharus) on the X (previously Twitter) platform.
“Sigh … (Bogor, Jawa-born) Prof Naquib al-Attas isn’t a product of our multi-billion ringgit investments in religion. He was a scholar decades before JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) when Malaysia was less obsessed about religion.”
Added eKharus™: “He’s not Malaysian. The average Malaysian doesn’t know him. But OK. claim la … scrape that barrel.”
Malays should really ask themselves why despite billions spent on religious teachings,we’ve yet to be known as a nation that exports thought leadership on religion.
No nation is scrambling to get religous scholars from MY. No one calls us when there’s confusion on holy texts.
— eKharus™ at Hiraeth🇿🇦🍉 (@eKharus) March 9, 2024
Interestingly, his observation is met with feedback – both concurring and of the “agree to disagree” nature.
Zuhrah | Love Rekindled 🇲🇾 (@MYloverekindled) fired the first salvo by disputing claims by eKharus™ on grounds that Malaysia has become the leading global halal hub.
“Due to our big contribution in the halal industry, many other countries are looking for Malaysia’s consultation expertise. One of the key leaders in world Islamic finance is also a Malaysian.”
However, eKharus™ reckoned that Malaysia is “little shiok sendiri (self-conceited) in this aspect for there are many aspects in Islam “other than halal/haram and finance”.
Haziq (@HomosapienMsia) justified that if eKharus™ is implying about scholarship on religious teaching, then Malaysia, too, has spent billions on secular knowledge “yet we still aren’t as famous on those fields as we intended”.
Netizen 🌺tompok 🌺(@untuk_malaysia) wondered if Malaysia has yet to establish itself as “a nation that exports thought leadership on religion” due to “lack in documented published material on Islam coming from the country”.
Netizen Faddy (@Faddy18416435) might have hit the nail on the head when he suggested that “the engine is not so much as the funding but more of a cultural matter”.
So, could language pose a barrier as suggested by netizen Adzizi (@adzizi)?
Or are there any other underlying hindrances?
Of course, it has become inevitable that some netizens ‘will politicise’ the much intellectual discourse. – March 11,2024
Main image credit: UTM Islamic Centre
