People, Ethnic, Nation and Race

Malay people, ethnic Malay, Malayu nation and Malay race. I had been considering the different meaning of these terms we usually use interchangeably. Malay people is a wider and general term to encompass the coastal people in Malay archipelago. It is a loose grouping of people with lack of sense of togetherness. 

With the growth and development of sense of togetherness, then we called ethnic Malays e.g. Sarawakian Malay, Kedahan Malay, Jambi Malay etc. The sense of togetherness may arise from the similar dialects of use, same locality, common cultural heritages and customs and under previously same ruling kingdom. 

Malayu nation is the spirit and the sense of patriotism over a nation or country. Malayu nation was present during the existence of Malayu kingdom. And Malayan nationalism based on the nation of Malay states in peninsula. In simplest term, nation is politically derived. Malay race is a grouping of humans based on their similar shared phenotype features. It is more of biologically and genetically derived. A nation status may lower to an ethnic once the ruling kingdom ceased or under the ruling of greater kingdom or governance. E.g. Banjar was previously a nation before being part of current Indonesia whereby the status degraded to merely an ethnic as the nationality is Indonesian. 

However, in Malaysia, our nationality is Malaysian but the nation-sense is still based on our racial (phenotype) differences i.e. Malay race, Chinese race and Indian race although there is nothing such as Chinese race and Indian race. The correct term is nationality i.e. Chinese nationality, Indian nationality. Only during British occupation, Malay nationality was shaped in peninsula. Previously, the nationality was based on the states i.e. Perakian, Johorean, Kedahan etc. And we are still inheriting that colonial classifications. 

This created misunderstanding and misconception regarding Bangsa Melayu, in addition to the ambiguity of "bangsa" term in Malay which can be interpreted as either nation or race.

Banjar Pahuluan dan Dayak Meratus

Menurut mitologi Dayak Meratus, Bambang Basiwara dan Sandayuhan, dua beradik menurunkan dua suku: Banjar Pahuluan dan Dayak Meratus (Bukit). Dayak dan Banjar merupakan pengkelasan yang wujud dan dikukuhkan secara politik untuk tujuan pentadbiran.

Suku Banjar wujud hasil kesatuan politik, agama dan budaya iaitu dengan berdirinya Kesultanan Banjarmasin dan diteruskan oleh ibu kota berikutnya, Martapura. Manakala, dayak ialah pengkelasan secara umum untuk tujuan pentadbiran saat penjajahan Belanda di Kalimantan, untuk mengelompokkan peribumi yang tidak beragama Islam dan tidak berbudaya Melayu.

Oleh itu, wujud "duality" dalam masyarakat peribumi Kalimantan; Melayu dan Dayak. Dalam kategori Melayu itu sendiri, terdiri daripada pelbagai suku, iaitu suku Banjar, Melayu Berau, Melayu Kutai, Melayu Pontianak dsb. Manakala, kategori Dayak memuatkan Dayak Maanyan, Ngaju, Lawangan, Bakumpai, Dusun, Meratus/Bukit, dsb.

Peta Taburan Etnik di Kalimantan

Walaupun Banjar Pahuluan dan Dayak Meratus merupakan "adik-beradik", namun faktor politik dan agama telah memisahkan mereka. Saat sebahagian masyarakat asli Pergunungan Meratus memeluk Islam ketika perluasan kuasa oleh Kesultanan Banjarmasin, maka mereka mengambil dan memakai gelaran Banjar. Manakala saudara mereka yang masih kaharingan, kekal dipanggil orang Bukit sehinggalah semangat kesatuan Dayak wujud hasil gerakan Tjilik Riwut.

Namun, pada zaman ini, telah wujud kesedaran tentang ketidakperluan membuang gelaran suku asal mereka walaupun telah berpindah agama.