1993 APT1 Conference : Identity, tradition and change

Part II Modern Malaysian Ar t : Malay Crisis Of Identity That the onslaught of British colonization in the early 20th. century had uprooted the traditional Malay society and subsequently, destroyed its culture and identity is an obser­ vation which is shared by many scholars (3). The colonical masters not only "looted and exploited their colonies for their flourishing European free-market", but worse, under the supercilious belief of their own civilizational superiority, exported their literature, poetry, art music and dance". To the British the need to "civilise" the Malay natives whose life and culture thev deemed as inferior and primitive, was their God-sanctioned mission. Viewed from.a socio-religious perspective, Syed Naquib ai-Atras, considers the European intrusion as inaugurating the process of De- Islamization of Maiav life. Through the intro- auction of devious policies and reforms * educational, administrative social and politi­ cal, the colonial masters had systematical]}* "attempted to separate Muslims from their religion ... and whittle away the domination of Islam in Malay society" (4). Undeniably, this secularization process had rendered the Mala\* society susceptible and vulnerable to western humanistic and materialistic world­ views and ethos which proved to be inimical to its tradition, culture and identity. C risis of Id en tity Hence, more than just the political, eco­ nomic or social subjugation, the most damag­ ing aspect of European colonization was the colonization of the Maiav mind and spirit. In discussing the impact of the coloniza­ tion of Maiav mind which culminated in the j problem of Malay identity crisis Nordin Selat explains: "Culturally, the Malay middle class is confused. It has its roots in the native way of life. But its shoots and branches are West­ ern, foreign ... the Maiav middle class suffers from an inner conflict (Nordin Selat: 1978). Nowhere is this sense of inner conflict and cultural confusion more evident than the commitments of some Malay-Muslim artists to the new form of art - known as modern Malaysian art which emerged in the early 30's. In terms of its underiving philosophy, atti­ tude, and rationale, modern art is essentially secular and materialistic in nature. The basic thrust of its thought is essentially anti-reli­ gious, and anti-spiritual. Modern art movements such as realism, impressionism, expressionism etc. which found support among many Malay-Muslim artists are not value-free but are deeply in­ fused with the secular spirit of modern man. In this respect the involvement of these artists in various forms and expressions of modern secular arts when viewed from a religious perspective is not an innocent activity. From the psycho-spiritual perspective, it is sympto­ matic of the sense of inner conflict experi­ enced bv these artists. In describing this modernization (secularization) phenomena that occurred in the works of some these artists, al-Lamava Faruqi explains: "A similar rejection of tradi­ tional Malay values is evidenced in the works of Maiav artists of the "Modernist Period." Instead of using abstract and non-representa-