Spirit of 'Malaysia Boleh' lives on after 40 years
Spirit of 'Malaysia Boleh' lives on after 40 years
Zakaria Haji Ahmad looks at trends in Malaysia as the country celebrates 40 years of independence.
SINGAPORE: One of the grandest ever independence day celebrations was staged by Malaysia last weekend, to commemorate 40 years of Merdeka (freedom) from British colonial rule. Forty years ago, that day meant independence for the former British Malaya (the Malay states together with Malacca and Penang), but over the last decade it has been used to mark as well the amalgamation in September 1963 of the former Federation of Malaya together with Sabah (former British North Borneo) and Sarawak.
In the run-up to this year's anniversary bash, there has been a significant outpouring of national pride with spontaneous displays of the national flag atop motor vehicles, offices and homes, indicating pride, confidence and optimism about the future. Although in recent weeks the ringgit has been under pressure - with the ominous possibility, as noted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, that speculative attacks on the currency could undo "40 years of hard work" - rapid growth averaging 7-8 percent over the last decade is seen by some experts as more likely to be sustained in the next few years.
There is cause, then, for celebration of Malaysia's 40th birthday as a nation-state that has arrived, a model of an harmonious, multi-racial state with a unique formula for political power-sharing along ethnic lines, with a stable political order and a vibrant economy. This, in turn, has earned it international recognition as a country that has been willing not only to provide trenchant comment on a still asymmetric world system but also to contribute in deeds, ranging from resource assistance, overseas business investment and participation in United Nations peacekeeping efforts. What is remarkable is that Malaysia is a "small" country (its population has just topped 20.5 million), a Third World state, albeit an emergent Newly- Industrializing one, willing to stand up and be counted.
Much of Malaysia's rise is due to the leadership of Dr. Mahathir -- "Dr. M". Now the longest-serving Malaysian premier since his accession to office in 1981, Dr. M's tenure of office has not only been resolute but indelible. Today's Malaysia is a product of Dr. M's vision, diligence and unrelenting determination to make the country a "developed" nation by 2020 (underscored by the so-called "Vision 2020" which he enunciated at the beginning of this decade). If present trends continue, this is not an unrealistic goal, although a lot may depend on his successors, especially the heir apparent and current Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Dr. M is on record as having stated he would like to be recognized with a "KSM" (Kerja Sampai Mati or "work until death"). It is not to be expected, then, that he will be challenged in the interim, indicating not only longevity and tenacity, but also adroit handling of his opponents. In any event, the process of leadership succession is unlikely to create a national crisis.
Dr. M's leadership style and imprint is related to the larger issue of the body-politic which approximates a quasi-democracy (Harold Crouch calls it a "responsive-repressive regime"), wherein a semblance of participatory democracy exists but Malay political power is assured in a multi-ethnic setting. Malaysia's political stability has been due to the maintenance of a delicate balance between competing political demands mobilized along racial lines, but this does not lend promise to the notion of a Bangsa Malaysia nation as envisaged in Vision 2020.
Moreover, a bimodal society split between Malays and non- Malays seems to be perpetuated in many societal endeavors, extended further recently by a call to the Malays to be "more Islamic", fanned by both official and unofficial elements. In effect, the societal dichotomy between "Malays" and "non-Malays" may in future be better understood as between "Malay-Moslems" and "non-Malay/non-Moslems". In the long run, a single political system in a dual society may be workable, but this will continue to require authoritarian leadership and strong curbs on extremism, especially in the domain of religious adherence and enforcement. How the Darul Arqam movement was disbanded is an example of this approach. In short, a "strong" government is the order of the day, as in the past and also in the future.
As Malaysia modernizes, there is danger of the rise of zealotry over rationality, as amply illustrated in the recent case of the arrest of three Moslem participants in a beauty contest. On the other hand, one can be optimistic that the varied demands and responses of Islamic revivalism will be cross-cutting and not therefore imperil Malaysia's future as a state with a secular basis but an official religious orientation.
It may be noted that Malaysia's continuing ethnic divisions are partly a legacy of the May 13, 1969, racial riots. Since then, the multi-racial formula of pre-1969 has been replaced by the post-1969 format of Malay political and economic power (critics may well regard this as more the preponderance of regime interests) in the many areas of public activity. As Malaysia celebrates its 40th birthday, Malay mainstream political power (largely under the aegis of the United Malays National Organization - UMNO, but together with other parties in the National Front or Barisan Nasional coalition) seems unlikely to be questioned and may well be the bedrock of the country's future for the next century. Such continuity and stability of the polity signifies not so much the ascendancy of Malay political power and the marginalization of non-Malay interests, but rather the fact that all groups in racially divided Malaysia have a place in the sun now and in the future, a result of moderation exercised in the political system.
Two factors may be essential to Malaysia's political and economic viability in the years ahead. One is the continuation of an open economy and society linked to global developments. Such interdependence is also related to competitiveness as a key element for Malaysia's survival. Steps taken in information technology policy (the latest, positive indicator being Dr. M's inauguration of the Multimedia Super Corridor, or MSC) and innovations in education (re-emphasis on English, introduction of "Smart Schools" and new "technology" universities) augur well if pursued vigorously. The other is Malaysia's continued participation in multilateral efforts, particularly Malaysia's role in ASEAN and other regional and global devices, in areas of political and economic cooperation and security dialog. Both of these underpin Malaysia's place and role in an interdependent world into the 21st century.
Recently, suggestions have been made that Malaysia's quickened pace of development may result in it becoming another Mexico or Thailand. It is true that Malaysia's economy and society is bursting at the seams, leading to infrastructure bottle-necks and breakdowns, traffic congestions in major towns, a huge presence of migrant labor, social ills afflicting youth, corruption, and so forth. There have also been some signs of an impending oversupply of properties. Yet a host of governmental interventions have sought to counteract any "overheating" of the economy. And sound political and economic fundamentals undergird Malaysia's political economy, and these will ultimately prevail.
At its 40th year, there seems to be no stopping what can be called a spirit of "Malaysia Boleh" (Malaysia can do), be it climbing Mount Everest or hosting the 1998 Commonwealth Games. In a short space of 40 years, Malaysia has been transformed into a thriving political economy and while it is not without its problems, its greatest triumph set to sustain it to the next century has been a capacity -- political, economic and administrative -- to absorb the varied and complex changes in the wake of its development efforts, and its intermeshing with the global trends.
Professor Zakaria Haji Ahmad heads the Strategic and Security Studies Unit at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.