It seems there are many urban legends about Malays that non-Malays believe. Among them:
- Waqf land. Some think the government gives us free land to build mosques, suraus and so on. In reality, waqf land comes from the contributions of Malays themselves, who dedicate their own land and property for public use in the hope of rewards in the hereafter.
- Malays are automatically registered for ASB and get RM1000 credited into it at birth. I don’t know where this urban legend came from, but to our non-Malay friends, please know that we ourselves have to encourage our children to invest in ASB. Even then, some still don’t want to invest—so how could there be automatic investment?
- The government sends Malays to perform Hajj and Umrah for free through Tabung Haji. No. We deposit our own money into Tabung Haji and have to wait our turn until we have sufficient savings. We’re not wealthy people with tens of thousands ready at hand; we have to save gradually. Do you know that some people wait decades before they finally get their turn to go for Hajj?
- Malays can enter UiTM, SBP, and MRSM regardless of their results. No. We must score excellent exam results before we can be admitted. We compete among ourselves. Do you think it’s easy competing with other Malays? The best SPM and STPM schools are national schools, and many of the top students across Malaysia are Malays. It’s tough competing with these high-achieving students.
- MARA gives free money to Malays to start businesses. No. The funds are loans from MARA, and we have to repay them. The same goes for MARA education loans—they must be paid back. Nothing is free. The government only facilitates business and education financing, not free handouts.
- Zakat is government money given free to all Muslims. No. Zakat is our own money, which we pay to Islamic religious authorities. Not all Muslims receive it. Islam sets strict conditions for recipients, such as the poor, travelers, new converts, and others who meet specific criteria.
- So please stop shouting about this non-stop. I don’t know who created these urban legends. Even the “privileges” people think we are fighting over are not offered to all Malays—we have to compete among ourselves for them.
- That’s why we encourage you to mix and build friendships with us, instead of isolating yourselves from society and allowing such big misunderstandings to arise.
C&P:
2/3/2026: 10.37 P.M
