Malaysian political scene unsettled in wake of Sept. 11

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.