Misconceptions of The Orientalists about The Characters of The Malays in Malaya

Abstract

Majority of the orientalists adhere to the philosophy of logical empirical positivism, which is an understanding that emphasizes on the full use of the intellect as the main approach to obtain an accurate scientific fact based on systematic and thorough research methods. This philosophy rejects the source of revelation as proof to facts because it is considered as irrelevant in providing historical facts. However, the philosophy can be considered bias and dubious in viewing the life of the Malay community. This article focuses on the analysis of the orientalists’ misconceptions about the characters of the Malays and their approach in assessing the Malays in Malaya. The authors have used methods of historiography, comparisons and content analysis to analyse the views. Regarding to the overall view of the orientalist on the negative characters of the Malays, the study found that the orientalists had invented up a number of claims based on the needs and interests of the Western colonials. It was aimed to distort the truth and enabled the group to associate the behaviour of the Malays with negative characters. The orientalists had failed to understand the Malay society due to the thinking centralised on Euro-centrism, which propagated the Europeans as a great and civilised people compared to other people in Asia and so on.