Malaysian political scene unsettled in wake of Sept. 11

P. Ramasamy, Professor, political science, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, The Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur

What will Malaysian politics likely be in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States? Will the government be able to stem the tide of racial and religious extremism in the country?

What will be the role of the opposition parties and other members of the civil society? Is there a recipe for good governance in multi-racial Malaysia?

These questions are foremost in the minds of many concerned Malaysians but, really, there are no clear, straightforward answers.

However, an indirect response to the questions lies in the nature of political developments in the country in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 incident.

As with many other countries, the episode had a major impact on political developments in Malaysia. It provided the much needed political legitimacy for the government to crack down on some extremist Islamic groups.

Even before the terror attacks, the government had acted against the Al-Ma'unah organisation by taking it to court for murder and robbery, and for planning to overthrow a legitimate government by force.

Recently, three of its members were sentenced to death and a number given life-imprisonment terms.

About a week ago, the police arrested and detained about 13 members of the Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM), an extremist Islamic group, for having ties with international terrorist groups and for planning to establish a Daulah Islamiah, an Islamic state comprising Muslims in three Southeast Asian countries -- Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The government's strong action against Muslim terrorist groups in the country is not merely due to the war against terror initiated by the U.S. and supported by many countries, including Malaysia. It is obvious that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad's government views the phenomenon of Muslim radicalism very seriously because it poses a fundamental threat to the country's stability.

Muslim radicalism is also seen as a threat to UMNO, the dominant partner of the coalition in power.

There is a feeling that although the government might be able to contain the less radical forms of Islam as practised by Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and other political parties, the extreme versions might be difficult to check in the long run if it does not adopt a firm approach.

It can be said that the larger war against terrorism and the part played by the government in tackling the local Muslim terrorist groups have strengthened the hand of Dr Mahathir, at least for the time being.

However, whether he will be able to contain the threat of Muslim radicalism in the long run remains unclear.

The presence of Islamic political bodies, the politicisation of the religion, the constant battles between those who support and those who oppose the government on Islamic matters, the allegations that the government is not Islamic enough and other related issues will continue to push the Islamic question to the forefront of Malaysian politics.

Whether extremism results from the interplay of these factors and others will depend largely on how well the political framework is able to accommodate the dissident political forces.

The opposition parties that had made a significant comeback following the 1999 general election are in trouble.

The opposition coalition was weakened considerably when the Democratic Action Party (DAP) quit the fold after its quarrel with PAS over the issue of the Islamic state. The events of Sept. 11 served as the catalyst for the party to withdraw from the opposition coalition.

PAS' constant emphasis on the need for an Islamic state in Malaysia, its support for the Taleban in Afghanistan, and its insensitivity towards the cultural requirements of non-Malays were factors that made it difficult for the DAP to cooperate with PAS and other opposition parties.

The war against terror might have weakened the rise of religious extremism and the opposition parties, but it is not clear whether the government can deal effectively with racial polarisation in the country.

There are grounds to believe that ethnic issues have gained ascendancy as a result of Sept. 11.

As it is, ethnic groups are divided on a number of issues. Government policies are very much geared in favour of supporting the employment of Malays in the public sector, and for their economic participation through the generous provision of contracts and licences.

Over the years, non-Malays have complained about a number of unhealthy developments -- lack of employment prospects in the public sector, racial segregation in favour of Malays in schools and universities, difficulties in practising their culture, religion and languages, among other things.

While the government talks about the need for national integration, no concrete steps have been taken to ensure that non-Malays would not feel alienated in the country.

It is to the credit of opposition parties that they have always tried to stay away from engaging in extreme racial politics. For that matter, even PAS has, in the past, taken a non-ethnic view of Malaysian politics.

In the final analysis, what is needed in Malaysia is the emergence of interactive politics, politics that will be shaped and conditioned not just by the government but also by the opposition parties and other forces of civil society.

Interactive politics, with checks and balances built in, is the best guarantee to ensure that Malaysia would be on a trajectory of moderate politics.

Only moderate politics built around universal values, without negating the rich cultural heritage of the various ethnic groups, can contribute to the development of a more balanced society.

Good governance implies, among other things, that the government incorporates universal values in the running of the country, and drops issues and matters that are divisive in nature.

There should be recognition and tolerance of dissent -- not for its own sake, but to lay the preconditions for the emergence of a more balanced and mature society.

And, last but not least, there must be recognition of the various cultural attributes of the Malaysian people.