It is not widely known that, on May 14, 1991, Sarawak became Malaysia’s first state to introduce a complete set of Syariah laws, including ordinances on criminal and civil procedures, criminal offences and family law.
However, as Sarawak premier Abang Johari has continued to emphasise, Sarawak is a multi-religious and multi-racial state that would protect “the rights and interest of everyone … based on the five ‘Maqasid Syariah’ principles which include the protection of life, property, health, religion and dignity”.
In Sarawak, Syariah is also guided by inclusive principles, and there is no mention of hudud laws, which include punishments such as amputation, stoning, and whipping.
The “Sarawak Formula” for maintaining harmony and managing diversity can be attributed to a solid tripartite response between the Sarawak government, religious elites, and civil society.
Sarawak political leaders, especially the chief minister, are the pillars of Sarawak’s defence against exclusivism. The decades-long trend of the chief minister coming from a minority group underscores the salience of communal tolerance in the state’s politics.
Sarawakians are perhaps also enabled to maintain their progressive stances in the context of Muslim-dominant neighbours on the island of Borneo, such as Pontianak (West Kalimantan), Brunei, and Samarinda (East Kalimantan) – which present varying modes of inclusion and exclusion.
In a way, Sarawak’s tolerance and celebration of diversity are akin to Pontianak – which harmoniously houses Chinese and Dayak minorities – but different from Brunei, a homogeneous Malay/Muslim Sultanate. Whereas Islamisation prevails in Brunei in a similar fashion to Peninsula Malaysia, this has not penetrated Sarawak.
