As a Malaysian who is a Hindu and an Indian, my identity is defined by lack – I am non-Muslim, bukan Islam and a non-Malay, bukan Melayu. This is fine by me. Women have long had to deal with this kind of ontology within patriarchy and so have all manner of subalterns visa-vis the waning Western or metropolitan hegemony. Indeed, I accept the special position of the Malays and Islam as defined in our constitution and I support the majority of the redistributive policies as well as of the policies that have lead to the privileging of Islam in our ‘social contract’. Most significantly, I have great regard for Islam both as the abiding faith of my fellows, as well as, as a light in my search to find my own. This brings me to the sensitive question on my mind, that of the of the Hudud bill presently making its way through parliament. I shall develop my concerns in the following posts titled Hudud.
