Anwar's release shows Malaysia's ability to cope with change

Karim Raslan, The Star, Asia News Network, Selangor, Malaysia

The release of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the forthcoming presidential run-off in Indonesia between Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Megawati Soekarnoputri are important and positive milestones for Southeast Asia.

The region has finally emerged from the gloom and political uncertainty of the 1997 financial crisis. We are back in the running again!

Moreover, Southeast Asia is not the Middle East.

The region's two largest majority Muslim societies -- Malaysia and Indonesia -- have shown that the tilt towards authoritarianism and repression can be reversed, and that extremism is of limited popular appeal.

At the same time, the region is re-establishing itself as an attractive and dynamic destination for inward investment and business.

While China and India are full of potential, it's arguable that Southeast Asia, having endured seven years of turmoil, is better prepared to cope with globalization's future challenges.

In essence, we have shown our inherent resilience and moderation, as well as our ability to cope with change.

Getting here has not been easy. We have been lucky that in the aftermath of Sept. 11, U.S. policy-makers have only viewed Southeast Asia as the "Second Front" of the War on Terror.

Had we been the "First Front", our lives would have been horribly endangered by the blustering global "thug" that America under George W. Bush has become.

Indeed, had we attracted the same kind of heavy-handed, if well-intentioned, attention as the Middle East, our region might well be in shambles today.

Instead, we have been able to craft our own responses to the socio-economic challenges facing us -- drawing on the advice and experiences of those from outside the region when and where we wanted.

Malaysia and Indonesia have been fortunate in terms of their leaders. For all her faults (and there are many), President Megawati has shown a rare patience and forbearance.

Realizing the importance of reconciliation, she has resisted the impulse to go on an anti-Soeharto witch-hunt. She has provided her vast nation with a rock-solid center around which to rebuild its institutions.

Having said that, her impenetrable silences, limited intellectual ability and lack of vision have prevented Indonesia from progressing further. In essence, she has consolidated the democratic gains of the Reformasi Era while failing to address weaknesses in terms of governance and corruption. Should Susilo win in September, Indonesia will soar.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi possesses the same quiet confidence as Megawati. However, his commitment to reform, his adroit political skills and his principled vision far outshine the diffident lady president.

Abdullah understood from day one that Malaysia needed to resolve the dilemma posed by Anwar's continued detention.

In allowing the legal process to move ahead unimpeded, the Prime Minister effectively signaled two things: firstly, the importance of his reform agenda -- especially the independence of the judiciary -- and secondly, closure to a series of tragic events that nearly overwhelmed the nation six years earlier.

Still, internal reforms had to be built from the ground upwards. Unlike Anwar, whose flashy and pleasant-sounding rhetorical flourishes enthralled Malaysians in the mid-90s, Pak Lah has worked diligently both to communicate his message and implement change.

He has endeavored to ensure that the country understands the value of his campaign against corruption and crony capitalism. At the same time, he has stepped away from the divisiveness of the post Sept. 11 era.

Instead of asserting his Islamic credentials above all else in an exclusionary and superior manner, he has actively reached out to Christian congregations, Chinese associations and non-Muslim Sabahans and Sarawakians.

He has also expanded his aim to address gender rights in a bid to promote the interests of women.

Abdullah has worked on the "buy-in". He doesn't want to alienate potential supporters. He has patiently won over the more resistant and conservative sections of Malaysian society such as the police, the civil service and Umno's elite using his strong electoral victory earlier this year as an endorsement of his vision.

At the same time, Anwar must remember that his future is less important than the nation's.

While we feel for him and his lost years, he must recognize that the country wants him to play his role in public life with the same professionalism and responsibility displayed by the Prime Minister. He must respect societys deeply rooted desire for stability and moderation.

Malaysians have tired of autocrats. We no longer want to be berated and lectured at. We want leaders who are straight- dealing, honest and principled.

Street protests and demagoguery are also a thing of the past. We recoil from those who use race and religion to push their private ambition.

As Malaysians digest the startling political turn-around in Anwar's fortunes, it is important that we also prepare ourselves for the future. We will enjoy a small window of opportunity economically.

We must use the chance to drive ASEAN integration and ensure that we remain relevant to international business for the future.

After six years of politicking, it is time for the politicians to step back. For the next few years, they must play second fiddle to the businessmen and economists.

As a nation we must seize the initiative, embrace the regional agenda and forge ahead!