BANGI, March 7 — There is a concerted effort to erode Malaysia’s "Malay-Muslim” identity, a Muslim group alleged today, citing opposition to a Bill that will allow Shariah courts to impose harsher penalties as an example.

Abdul Rahman Mat Dali, the deputy president of Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), claimed those responsible were non-Muslim Malaysians who refuse to accept that the country "belongs” to the Malays.

"There are those who cannot accept that the land belongs to the Malays, therefore anything that changes the image of Malaysia to become more Malay and Muslim, they will oppose.

"Whatever that makes our image becomes less Malay and less Muslim, they would support,” he said while launching a book on "Sinicisation” by Interdisciplinary Research and International Strategy (IRIS) Institute here.

Abdul Rahman claimed this unnamed group of non-Muslims had supported the Oktoberfest celebrations in the country, and opposed a private member’s Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, also known as Act 355.

"Although [Act 355] does not involve non-Muslims, they still opposed. Why? Because they don’t want us to remain and become more Malay than before. You may not realise this, but in Isma, we observe this.”

Earlier, he said Malaysia’s identity must remain "Malay and Muslim”, since there is no historian, geologist or anthropologist who could deny that the land belongs to the Malays.

"For the English, their country is England. Danish, Denmark. Chinese, China. Indians, India. All have their own countries, own identities. But when you talk about the Malays, where is their country?

"Nobody can deny that the Chinese came from China, that is their place of origin. Impossible that we don’t have one,” he said, referring to the Malays.

"This must be retained, this country’s identity must remain as a country of the Malays and Muslims. Although it has multiple races, but they must accept that the country is Malay and Muslims as recognised by the Constitution,” he added.