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Outrage in Malaysia: The Politics of Taking Offence

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Abstract

This article develops a general articulation of the politics of offence and outrage by drawing on examples of high profile political furores in Malaysia. In these furores, minority ethno-religious groups and individuals ostensibly caused offence to the majority Muslim Malay population. Although these offences were framed as transgressions of genuine sensitivities, I argue that politics of offence must be seen for the political utility it holds for those who claim to represent the majority group that has been putatively offended. In Malaysia, a key component of this political strategy is the positioning by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) of its constituency—the Malays—as being comparatively economically weaker than non-Malay groups. This positioning in turn warrants the continuation of the positive discrimination policies of the New Economic Policy of the 1970s, which was implemented to achieve parity between the major ethnic groups in Malaysia. An example of this was when UMNO vehemently rejected the findings of a think tank that argued that the New Economic Policy’s target of having 30% Malay ownership of equity had been achieved. This positioning of an in-group as weak, and the normalisation of privilege in the Malaysian context, is analysed in view of two other cases studies, Erving Goffman’s concept of ‘the turn’, and Ward Goodenough’s description of the human experience of outrage. I also show that ‘outrage’ as a politico-emotional strategy remains effective despite the momentous results of Malaysia’s general elections in 2018, which might otherwise herald a new era of inter-ethnic co-operation.

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Notes

  1. The respective relevant laws are Section (1)(a) of the Enactment of Controls and Sanctions (Expansion of non-Islamic Religions) of Selangor 1988, and Section 298 (A)(1) of the Penal Code.

  2. The term ‘Malay(si)a’ is used to refer to the country of Malaysia as it is known today, and to its preceding entity Malaya. Malaya, which gained independence in 1957, became Malaysia in 1963 when it was joined by Sarawak, Sabah and Singapore (although the latter was expelled in 1965).

  3. The repeal of the ISA was accompanied by the introduction of alternative legislation which still contains draconian elements according to many in Malaysian civil society and also the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to peaceful assembly and association [40].

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks Dr. Greg Acciaioli, Professor Alberto Gomes, and two anonymous reviewers of this article for their insightful comments and recommendations, which have benefited this article, as well as the editorial assistance of Catherine McLeod.

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Correspondence to Julian C. H. Lee.

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Lee, J.C.H. Outrage in Malaysia: The Politics of Taking Offence. East Asia 35, 249–265 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12140-018-9295-4

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