Kuala Lampur, Aug. 7 -- Few political ideas in Malaysia possess greater emotional appeal than the call for "Malay-Muslim unity".

It is invoked during elections, moments of political instability and periods of economic uncertainty.

Its advocates present it as self-evidently necessary for national stability and the protection of the Malay community.

Yet the concept deserves closer scrutiny.

The difficulty is not with Malays, nor with Islam, both of which occupy a constitutionally significant place in Malaysia's history and national identity.

The difficulty lies in transforming a diverse society into a single political category, as though millions of Malays necessarily share identical interests, priorities and political convictions.

Th...