ONLY in Malaysia does a person’s ethnicity receive such close scrutiny.
It is not enough to proclaim loyalty and patriotism to one’s motherland; it must also be accompanied by declarations identifying with a certain race.
The most recent example of this had to do with model and influencer Ameera Khan who had the temerity to insist that she isn’t Malay.
She was merely clarifying that her mother is of Arab ancestry while her father is of Pakistani descent with the family settling in Kelantan.
Ameera went on t9 disclose that – as a matter of convenience – she usually replies that she is Malay when queried about her ethnicity during casual encounters.
However, she took the opportunity to clarify the matter in a live Instagram session recently by pointing out that both her parents are NOT Malay.
She is proud of her roots and can even speak Kelantanese dialect but some had taken great umbrage at her denial of Malay ancestry.
#kualalumpur #rap “Saya bukan tak nak mengaku berbangsa Melayu, memang ibu dan ayah saya tidak mempunyai darah Melayu. Jadi nak mengaku Melayu buat apa?” – Ameera Khanhttps://t.co/u22BCilEPj
— Harian Metro (@hmetromy) June 9, 2025
As reported by Harian Metro, the 25-year-old celebrity asked why must she claim to be Malay when her ancestry clearly is not.
There has been mixed reaction online as netizens proffer their two sen’s on the young model’s declaration of identity.
There were netizens who just plainly did not like her rejection of being labelled ‘Malay’. One even went as far as equating Ameera to PATI (illegal foreigner) just because she did not identify herself as a Malay.
Quite a few pointed out that there should be clear guidelines by the National Registration Department (NRD) to ensure that people like Ameera do NOT qualify for Bumiputera status/privileges.
One extended the question to Ameera’s elder sibling – Neelofa – who is in currently enrolled in MRSM (MARA Junior Science College) which is supposedly reserved for Bumiputera.
It must be noted that Under Article 160 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, a person is considered Malay if they profess the religion of Islam, habitually speak the Malay language and conform to Malay customs.
Additionally, they must either be born, born of parents (one of whom was born or domiciled in Malaysia) or be the child of those parents.
However, more than few queried why a person need to lie about their heritage or ancestry? Why claim to be something they are clearly not?
One netizen sided Ameera by asserting that the forceful claiming of a person’s ancestry and heritage as Malay when it isn’t is shameful.
As one commenter observed, this is what it has boiled down to – citizens who feel they are “ori” and “pure” Malays have become disgruntled simply because there are Malaysian Muslims who identify as non-Malays.
Few things to note about this storm-in-a-teacup.
Firstly, this is not a ‘rejection’ or ‘denial’ of Malay ancestry. It is a mere statement of fact that Ameera Khan does not have Malay blood and her surname is a major clue on this issue.
Secondly, though Ameera may claim she does not, in fact, have Malay blood running through her veins, she is actually entitled to call herself that as defined by Article 160 of the Federal Constitution.
Thirdly, isn’t there more important news to occupy Harian Metro’s column inches, wondered on commenter” – June 11, 2025
Main image credit: mStar/Instagram
