24/12: Malaysia: One Country, Two Systems

[Exclusive] Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim comments

Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob

Malaysia's Strategic Importance

Two months into Malaysia's 50th anniversary from British colonial rule the celebrations seem subdued. At a time when Malaysians are expected to rejoice in their successes of a modern nation, especially with the nation's first entry into outer space via its Angkasawan (Astronaut) programme intended to foster national integration and unity , expectations of the majority ethnic Malays and minority Chinese and Indians seem dashed along religious and racial divides. A nation that has for so long prided itself on its multi-racial and multi-religious comity is now questioning the very essence of what it means to be a Malaysian citizen.

An examination into the Malaysian experience is crucial in understanding the confluence of Islam, modernisation and multi-racial as well as multi-religious development and advancement in a post-colonial nation with a firm resolute to achieving developed nation status by the year 2020. Islam is the official religion as stated in the Federal Constitution. The latest official figures put the number of Muslims devotees at approximately 60.4 percent of the total population while 19.2 percent practise Buddhism, 9.1 percent practise Christianity and approximately 6.3 percent are Hindus. The figures are by no means accurate as a number of conversions into and out of Islam in particular are not registered. The renunciation of faiths among the other stated religions are also speculative at best as many citizens consider their faith a matter of private concern and out of the purview of the government. Hence many chose not to effect any adoption or renunciation of their faiths with the relevant government agencies.

Malaysia's case is also of importance as it is widely described as an exemplary Islamic nation in the modern world today. Last year, on a visit to Malaysia, Australian Prime Minister John Howard told the press that Malaysia was "a great example of a moderate, constructive and competitive Islamic country" and "had a very important role to play in promoting better understanding on Islam and its values". (Bernama 03 Nov, 2006).

Therefore, the international community cannot afford to isolate Malaysia either economically or politically. Competition from China and Vietnam as well as from the already prosperous Asian Tiger economies of Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea are impeding Malaysia's economic development. In a post Mahathir-era, Malaysia is falling off from the world's radar as its foreign direct investment drops and the country loses its competitive edge. Dr. Mahathir, the former political strongman of Malaysia who ruled for 22 years had been successful in holding back Islamic extremism in all its shapes and forms while fostering stronger racial and religious integration that now seems to be unravelling with the slowing of the economy and lower rates of growth.

Despite Malaysia's economic thrust, there were practically insurmountable challenges for Dr. Mahathir when he had admitted in a recent interview that "Ethnic Malays had frittered away opportunities" and that the greatest failure of Malaysia, is the total lack of success in correcting the economic disparity. In recounting his achievements at his last address to the ruling party of the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) members just before retiring he lamented that his foremost failure was to change the mindset and attitude of the Muslim-Malay majority. Opposition leaders also charge that civil society and the Malaysian judiciary had also suffered during Dr. Mahathir's administration.

Malaysia's continued progress is so very important to the region and the rest of the world for a number of reasons.

Firstly, Malaysia's stewardship in the global war on terror will have long lasting effects and ramifications in what Washington calls as the second front on the war on terror. The rebellion by separatists in the south of Thailand which has as the basis of the struggle against the Thai Kingdom its ethnic Muslim-Malay identity that rests on historical, social and religious roots tied in with the northern states of Malaysia namely, Kelantan, Perak, Perlis and Kedah. The annexation of what are the modern day provinces of the South of Thailand as a consequence of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 has had long lasting irreversibly destructive effects heretofore.

Malaysia is the key to resolving this conflict that is mired in criminal elements and rogue elements. In this conflict zone, the separatist rebellion is obfuscated by the lucrative drug trade as well as human trafficking operations linked to organized crime that spans from Asia to the rest of the world. Furthermore, revenge killings are executed daily by disgruntled locals in the hot zones of Yala, Narathiwat, Songkhla, Satun and Pattani over issues quite unrelated to the separatist struggle. Countless allegations of atrocities and heavy-handed tactics committed by rogue elements of the Thai security forces have also factored into the psyche of the affected people and the overall scenario of the problem.

Dr. Mahathir himself had initially played a key role as an honest broker in getting the ball rolling that eventually brought together the cautious Thai authorities as well as certain older separatist groups to the negotiating table. The official stance of the Thai Kingdom is that while it maintains that this is purely a Thai problem whose solution lies with the Thai people especially of the burning south, Malaysia has been officially referred to as an important partner and an inextricable piece to the solution of the bloody conflict. The common border patrols along the demarcated border of Thailand with Malaysia are crucial in ensuring stability for both countries. Many Thai-Muslims in the south of Thailand have kin group in the northern states of Malaysia. Therefore, Malaysia is in a position to mediate on a long-term basis until an agreement in its best form and essence between the separatists and the Thai Kingdom is achieved.

Then the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist organization believed to be responsible for the 2003 JW Marriot hotel bombing in Kuningan, Jakarta as well as the 2005 Bali bombing also has its roots in Malaysia in one form or another although whether active terrorist cells are operating in Malaysia is the subject of heated debate. In any event, South East Asia's most wanted fugitive Noordin Mohd Top aka the 'Money Man' a former accountant who is still at large and Dr. Azahari Hussein aka 'The Demolition Man' who was killed in a shootout with Indonesian Elite Terrorist Police (Detachmen 88) in 2005, were both Malaysians. Together they planned and executed a string of attacks in the region.

Furthermore, the Islamic insurgency in the South of the Philippines, focussed around Mindanao and the Sulu Sea which is being waged by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front and the Abu Sayyaf against the Philippine government again has its historical, social and religious roots in Malaysia. Malaysia can well play the role of an honest broker under the right circumstances to diffuse the conflict in the South of the Philippines.

Current events are indeed encouraging despite the allegations and counter- allegations of breach of agreement by either side. The very fact that negotiations have even reached this stage is a small step forward to attempt to resolve the conflict. Two months ago in October, the Malaysian government had again brokered negotiations as a pre-cursor to full-blown peace talks between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government. The Philippine presidential adviser for the peace process and chief negotiator Jesus Dureza was reported to have stated that Malaysia "was not only a facilitator of the peace talk but also a proactive intervener".

This turn of events brought about at a two day special meeting held in Kuala Lumpur that had managed to break a deadlock over the future of the Moro homeland. Advanced talks on the finer details of the peace plan are expected to aggressively continue despite hitting another impasse at present. The influence of Malaysia in bringing both parties back to the parley table is pivotal with the hope of a signed peace agreement in the future.

Despite there being similarities among the Islamic conflicts in the region as stated above, each conflict has its own dimension, cause and effect which are unique to the specific struggle. What these conflicts do have in common is its ties to Malaysia and its Muslim-Malay citizenry. Furthermore, on June 9, 2007, the Singapore government announced the arrests of five suspected Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists. The Singapore authorities charged that one of the suspected jihadist Mohamad Yassin Mohamed Nooh received his training in Malaysia.

Thus, Events in Malaysia and the political stances of its leaders will no doubt have great impact on the fight against terrorism, Islamic radicalization, religious extremism and the fostering of racial harmony in this predominantly Muslim-Malay archipelago. Foreign governments and the international business community cannot afford to exclude Malaysia from the wider global community and should instead strive to include this nation into the international process at every level.

Race and Religion Divides --The Present Scenario

The complex racial dynamics interwoven with economic imperatives of the affirmative action policy that favours ethnic Malays in areas of economic, political and social development coupled with rising tensions over the apparent Islamisation of Malaysia seen in a host of recent issues and heated dissonances are causes of increased inharmoniousness. Former Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim told OhmyNews International in an e-mail interview that :


"The dynamics of Islamisation in Malaysia should not be confused with the more hard-line positions that have been expressed in other parts of the Muslim world. Islam in Southeast Asia has always reflected an appreciation for pluralism and diversity as a result of the heterogeneous mix of populations in the region and a commitment to mutual coexistence.

What is being described as hard-line Islamisation in Malaysia today is more accurately explained by partisan politics rather than the encroachment of ideology or dogmatism as some have suggested. The trend has been exacerbated by the natural inclination of Muslims in Malaysia and elsewhere to express solidarity with Muslims adversely affected by the perceived injustices of the foreign policies of western governments, particularly in Iraq and Palestine."


Recently, Malaysia's now retired Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz raised alarm bells when at a seminar in the satellite district of Petaling Jaya he remarked that even after fifty years of independence, Malaysia had yet to be truly free from the yoke of colonialism because the country's justice system was still based and at times referred to the English common law. Ahmad Fairuz asserted that there was no need to refer to the English common law anymore as there were many local legal experts that could provide home-grown legal solutions. This prompted Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Dr. Abdullah Zin to suggest that a switch to Syariah or Islamic law to replace common law maybe feasible if implemented in gradual stages.

The reaction to this development has further irked the non-Muslim community already jittery over recent high profile cases of apostasy (Renouncing one's faith in Islam) such as the case of Azlina Jailani or better known by her Christian name of Lina Joy. Conversion out of Islam is still very much frowned upon by the Muslim-Malay community with the stigma of an apostate carrying certain legal repercussions. Perceptions on the ground are that a creeping Islamisation is slowly taking place with religious conservatives striking at a supposed opportune time when Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is facing intense pressure and criticisms from Dr. Mahathir Mohamad over the former's alleged mismanagement of the economy and overall ineffectiveness in governing the country.

The latest polls done by the Merdeka Centre an independent research organization found that Abdullah Badawi while still commanding popular support, there had been a significant shift in confidence among the Chinese community of the Premier's leadership. The lacklustre economy, a failure to eradicate corruption and rising crime are primarily the concerns of the industrious Chinese electorate. Observers argue that Abdullah Badawi's failure to deliver on his election promises will certainly deny the Premier of repeating another election tsunami as when he first took office in 2004.

Urban voters in particular the Chinese electorate may show a significant swing for the opposition party such as the Chinese dominated, Democratic Action Party (DAP). Other opposition parties active in Malaysia are Anwar Ibrahim's party, People's Justice Party (Keadilan) or the Islamic Party, (PAS). Thus, Abdullah Badawi seems to be increasingly losing his grip on an absolute mandate from the electorate as the next general elections draws near. It is however unlikely at this stage that the ruling coalition or Barisan Nasional (BN) will be voted out completely during the impending elections that are anticipated to take place at the later part of this year or early next year. BN is still predicted to win the elections and form the next government.

It is against this backdrop of triangulate dissension of economic sluggishness, racial chauvinism and religious intolerance that Malaysia will go to the next polls. Marina Mahathir daughter of former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad told Oh My News International exclusively that "there has been a gradual politicisation of Islam which is coming out as 'Islamisation'. It began with government wanting to fight the opposition Pan-Malayan Islamic Party (PAS) on their own ground, which is the religious one. As a result, there have been many policies that have had a distinct Islamic feel. But still for much of that time, very radical Islam had been held in check. Now however Islam Hadhari (Theory of Civilisational Islam Promoted by The Abdullah Badawi Administration), which is not understood by many because of its vagueness, the more traditional elements have been asserting themselves, really for political power. Couple that with leadership that seems reluctant to rein in the more conservative elements among the establishment, and we find it has led to a moving towards the right. There is still a reluctance to take on the conservatives and challenge them on issues which are obviously unjust. As a result, they become emboldened".

This is the state of affairs in which the dominant political party UMNO (United Malay National Organisation) consisting of largely Muslim-Malays, which forms the dominant block of the ruling coalition competes with the opposition Islamic party (PAS) for the hearts and minds of the Muslim-Malay majority had inadvertently stoked further tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims when the Deputy Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, declared during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur that Malaysia is in fact an Islamic State. Najib's statement sent reverberations throughout the nation as non-governmental organizations and non-Muslim groups sought to challenge this assertion of the Deputy Premier.

Comments from interested parties opposed to the idea that Malaysia is an Islamic nation were met with stern warnings by UMNO for non-Muslims to stay clear of the issue. Anwar Ibrahim thinks that "The ruling political party, which derives its legitimacy as the guarantor of Malay-Muslim rights, is losing popularity on account of its failed economic and social policies. As public opinion of its stewardship declines, the government waves the banner of Islam to incite emotional responses in hopes of consolidating political power and distracting attention from more pressing domestic problems".

Many non-Muslims feel that the issue of whether Malaysia is an Islamic state is a non-starter. The Chairman of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, Bishop Paul Tan was reported to have vehemently rejected the use of term 'Islamic state'. In his view it is an unacceptable notion. Furthermore, Ms. Ambiga Sreenevasan, President of Malaysia's Bar Council (A Body of Malaysian Legal Practitioners) has categorically cast-off any aspersions that Malaysia is fundamentally, Islamic in nature. The constitution of Malaysia as envisioned by the nation's founding fathers intended Malaysia to be secular.

This tug of war between Malaysia's Muslims and non-Muslims which have been largely confined to vitriolic debates in the public sphere however has been relatively peaceful so far with the exception of isolated skirmishes between the riot police and the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) as well as the public rallies organized by BERSIH, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections participated by at least 30,000 discontented demonstrators in the streets of KL according to one eyewitness account.

In this context, the authorities are ever mindful of the bloody race riots sparked in 1969 as well as isolated incidences of Islamic extremism such as the militant Islamic group 'Al-Maunah' that waged a short lived insurgency in the year 2000 to overthrow the Malaysian government and institute a so-called Islamic government. The majority of Muslim-Malays did not offer any support to the militant group. The rebellion was swiftly put down by the authorities. The Malaysian government has also in many instances in the past invoked the dreaded Internal Security Act that provides for detention without trial under specific circumstances of threat to national security or the Sedition Act to rein in elements in society that are deemed to be inciting racial or religious conflict.

Slide Into Oblivion or Leap Into Modernity?

Hitherto, an uneasy calm permeates over the socio-religious consciousness of Malaysians. The complicated mix of ethnic races and religion that personifies Malaysians is being put to the extreme test. With the country already recording huge reductions in foreign direct investment in 2006 against more investor friendly countries such as Vietnam and China, the economic miracle that kept the fabric of Malaysian society together is dissipating. The fact that Malaysia has two sets of laws for Muslims and non-Muslims (Muslim-Malays are subjected to two sets of laws, Civil law and Syariah law), as well as entrenched race-based political and economic systems of quota's and differentiation in effect means that Malaysia is heading further and further away into disunity and religious polarisation.

Malaysia's religious and racial harmony must be preserved at all costs. As this saga in Malaysian history unfolds the fall of Malaysia to Islamic extremism or radicalism as a result of the present circumstances that if are allowed to continue and entrench itself, should be viewed in the context of when -- and not if -- Malaysia falls? Malaysia's phenomenal rise under the Mahathir era which has been taken for granted by Malaysians may quickly fade into oblivion. From here on, particular attention must be given to this blessed nation in ensuring that Malaysia stays the course to modernity and advancement. The United States, China and the European Union would find it no less beneficial in every sense of the word and so in their best interest to continue investing in Malaysia.

Anwar Ibrahim gives his take on the future:

"The way forward is to pursue the democratic agenda, root out corruption and cronyism, and reform the economic policies that are so clearly the cause of Malaysia's domestic and foreign economic downturn.

I am quite hopeful. As I travel around the country and meet with thousands of people from all ethnic groups and all classes of society I have witnessed firsthand a willingness to consider alternatives to the status quo. Whereas the some would argue that a revision or repeal of the NEP (Affirmative Action Policy for Ethnic Malays) is strictly taboo, on the contrary my experience indicates the Malaysian people are ready to discuss a new policy that is rooted in fairness and equality and promotes competitiveness while ensuring that the marginalized people of all ethnic groups receive the assistance that they need.

We are celebrating Malaysia's 50th year of independence this year. Fifty years after gaining freedom, our people are still denied basic rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution that was adopted at the end of the British mandate. This in my mind is unacceptable. The future of Malaysia most certainly lies in a landscape which celebrates the dignity of the individual and protects his rights to freedom of speech and of conscience and freedom from arbitrary government encroachments on his rights."