Persepsi dan Pengaruh Arab Spring terhadap Gerakan Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Perceptions and Influences of the Arab Spring towards the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement )

Abstract

Sejak penubuhan Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) seawal 1970an, ABIM sememangnya cakna terhadap isu-isu global di Timur Tengah, bermula daripada peristiwa Perang Arab-Israel 1973, Revolusi Iran  1979 dan seterusnya kepada peristiwa kebangkitan rakyat Arab 2011. Namun demikian, timbul polemik negatif di media sosial berhubung kaitan di antara Arab Spring dengan gerakan Islam di Malaysia setelah berlaku beberapa insiden bantahan awam dan protes politik (Bersih) yang melibatkan ahli-ahli gerakan Islam termasuk ABIM sekitar 2011-2015. Kebimbangan berhubung isu di atas telah disuarakan oleh pihak kerajaan namun sejauh mana perkaitan di antara Arab Spring dengan gerakan Islam di Malaysia, khususnya ABIM masih belum terjawab. Justeru, artikel ini meninjau persepsi ahli gerakan ABIM terhadap fenomena Arab Spring di Timur Tengah dan Afrika Utara yang meletus pada awal 2011. Di samping itu, pengaruh daripada peristiwa ini terhadap isu demokrasi, kestabilan politik dan kesederhanaan (wasatiyyah) dari kaca mata aktivis ABIM turut dinilai. Kajian dilakukan menerusi pendekatan kuantitatif yang melibatkan tinjauan soal selidik terhadap 80 ahli-ahli berdaftar dan aktif ABIM. Selain itu, temu bual bersemuka turut dilaksanakan terhadap pimpinan dan aktivis terpilih ABIM di sekitar Selangor dan Perak. Dapatan kajian mendedahkan bahawa kesemua 80 aktivis terpilih ABIM peka terhadap peristiwa Arab Spring dengan tanggapan bahawa ianya merupakan suatu revolusi politik yang menyeluruh terhadap kediktatoran pemimpin kuku besi di negara-negara Arab yang terlibat. Pasca peristiwa Arab Spring turut mempengaruhi responden dari sudut penerimaan terhadap pilihan raya dan demokrasi sebagai medium terbaik untuk menentukan percaturan politik negara di samping pandangan terhadap isu kesederhanaan dan kestabilan politik serantau.

Kata kunci: Arab Spring; Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia; demokrasi; kestabilan politik; kesederhanaan

Abstract

Since the establishment of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM) in 1970s as one of the prominent Islamic movements in Malaysia, ABIM regularly pays attention on the global issues in the Middle East, stretching from the event of 1973 Arab-Israeli War and 1979 Iranian Revolution up to the 2011 Arab Uprisings. However, negative polemics emerged in social media regarding the connection between the Arab Spring and Islamist movements in Malaysia after several incidents of civil resistance and political protest (Bersih) which involved Islamist movements’ members, including ABIM occurred circa 2011-2015. The government has voiced out their concern over the issue. However, the extent to which the connection between the Arab Spring and Islamist movements in Malaysia, specifically ABIM remain unanswered. Therefore, this article explores the perceptions of ABIM members toward the Arab Spring phenomenon which occurred in early 2011. The research was conducted through a quantitative approach which involved a questionnaire-based survey on 80 registered and active ABIM members. Besides that, face-to-face interviews with selected ABIM’s leadership were also conducted in Selangor and Perak. The findings reveal that all 80 members of selected ABIM’s activists were attentive on the existence of the Arab Spring events with a view that it was a total political revolution against the dictatorship of Arab rulers. The post-Arab Spring events have also influenced the respondents’ attitude towards the acceptance of election and democracy as the best medium to determine the country’s leadership along with a view on moderation issues and regional political stability.

Keywords: Arab Spring; The Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia; democracy; political stability; moderation