A Doctor in The House: A Memoir of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (129 page)

Merdeka
 
Independence

MIC
 
The Malayan (later Malaysian) Indian Congress was founded in 1946 and was one of the founding members of the Alliance Party.

Orang puteh
 
Literally “white people” or “white man”. Another term frequently used for Europeans is “Mat Salleh”, though the origins of this expression are obscure.

Pakatan Rakyat
 
The “People’s Alliance” of federal Opposition parties that came into existence after the General Election of 8 March 2008. The Pakatan comprises PAS, the DAP, PKR, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia.

PAS
 
Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party). PAS was originally a faction within
UMNO
that eventually broke away to contest the 1955 General Election under its own banner.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat
 
The “People’s Justice Party”. Originally known as
 
KeADILAN,
 
PKR came into being after its merger with Parti Rakyat Malaysia in 2003. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has always been identified as the head of this party, although his wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail headed it during his term in prison. (She was also Malaysia’s first woman Parliamentary Opposition leader.)

PBS
 
Parti Bersatu Sabah (or the United Sabah Party) was founded in 1985 by Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan. PBS formed the state government in the same year and joined the
 
Barisan Nasional
 
in 1986, but pulled out in 1990. It rejoined the coalition in 2002.

Rakyat
 
The citizenry or, more commonly, the People. There are other words that mean similar things, such as
warganegara
(citizen) or
orang ramai
(the Public), but
rakyat
always carries with it the connotation of a duty owed to it by its leaders. It is hence a very popular term in political speeches.

Sandiwara
 
The old word for a play, comedy, concert, or other form of live entertainment. The term is also popularly used to apply to shadow-puppetry (
wayang kulit
) and this, by extension, has turned it into a euphemism for the various kinds of machinations that go on in politics. When people speak of a
sandiwar
a in Malaysia today, they are usually talking about a political drama with complex plots, hidden hands and the like.

Sen
 
A basic unit of Malaysian currency worth one hundredth of the ringgit (formerly the Malaysian dollar). It is equivalent to the cent in other currencies.

Songket
 
A luxurious, handwoven fabric intricately patterned with gold or silver threads.

Songkok
 
A black oval cap made of cloth or velvet, worn by men (mostly Malay men, but also non-Malays in formal settings).

Straits Settlements
 
Originally territories ruled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and Singapore (and Labuan in 1906) were British Crown Colonies until 1946. See also
Federated Malay States
and
Unfederated Malay States.

Syces
 
A word of Indian origin to mean a servant who looks after horses and drives carriages, etc. In Malaysia it was used to refer to a driver or chauffeur.

Tanah Melayu
 
Literally and officially, “Malay States”, in the forms of the
Federated
or
Unfederated Malay States.
More broadly, however, the term bears the connotation of “Malay homeland”.

Tan Sri
 
See
 
Malay Honours

Towkay
 
Sir, master—a form of address of Chinese origin once intended as polite address to any Chinese employer or other Chinese above the working class. (Also spelt “
taukeh
”
).

Tuan
 
Sir, master, lord—a title of respect for gentlemen once common Malaysia and Indonesia. However, due to its colonial implications (British colonial officers were invariably addressed as “
tuan
”), the term has fallen out of common use. It is still, however, the standard address for non-Malay men in official correspondence and is a courtesy title for
hajis
(i.e. those who have completed the Haj or pilgrimage to Mecca) and male descendants of the Prophet Muhammad who bear the title Syed.
, exercised full political and administrative control.

Tun
 
See
 
Malay Honours

Tunku, Tengku
 
Prince. The two variations are the titles of those descended from the royal lines of Malaysia’s ruling houses and apply both to men and women.

Ulama
 
Islamic religious scholars.

Ummah
 
The worldwide community of Muslims.

Unfederated Malay States
 
These were the states of Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis which would not accept British “protection” but instead tried to remain nominally independent. They were obliged, however, to have British “Advisors” who, like the Residents in the
Federated Malay States
, exercised full political and administrative control.

UMNO
 
The United Malays National Organisation, founded in 1946 and the major partner of the Alliance Party and later the Barisan Nasional.