Rallying Round
Divisive Politics:
Part 3
Resetting the
Shared Society
By William Leong
Jee Keen MP Selayang
23 May 2019
The Three Parts
of this Article
In Part 1 of this Article, I draw attention to the
convergence of five factors creating a condition primed for the “perfect storm”
of ethnic conflict.
In Part 2, I caution that the PPBM-UMNO/PAS
contention for Malay supremacy in the prevailing politically charged atmosphere
may push ethnic-religious tensions beyond the tipping point, triggering ethnic
strife, hostilities or worse conflict.
In Part 3, I suggest that in order to pull the
masses away from political entrepreneurs using the “race and religious cards”
to mobilize support, the PH government must deliver tangible economic results
and counter the UMNO/PAS narrative on racial politics. This is by exposing the
myth of race and to rebuild Malaysia as a shared society. There is no other
alternative.
Rekindling the
sense of shared identity
We must break the vicious cycle of resentment, intolerance,
bigotry and hate. This only lead to our society’s disintegration. We must
promote the virtuous circle of inclusive growth, build trust amongst the
different races and rekindle the sense of shared identity. When Malaysia was
born, she was held out before the world as an example of a multi-racial society
living in peace, harmony and tolerance.
Tunku Abdul Rahman in the Proclamation of
Independence of the Federation of Malaya called on all citizens: “to
work to strive with hand and brain to create a new nation, inspired by
the ideals of justice and liberty-a beacon of light in a disturbed and
distracted world.”
Six years later in his Malaysia Day speech, Tunku
said 10 million people of many races in all the States of Malaya, Singapore,
Sarawak and Sabah joined hands in freedom and unity to realise the ideal of a
shared society. He said:
“The
Federation of Malaya now passes into history. Let us always remember that the
Malayan Nation was formed after many difficulties during a long period of national
Emergency, yet its multi-racial society
emerged, endured and survived as a successful and progressive nation, a true
democracy and an example to the world of harmony and tolerance.
As it was with
Malaya, so it can be with Malaysia. With trust in Almighty God, unity of
purpose and faith in ourselves, we can make Malaysia a land of prosperity and peace.
In doing so let
every Malaysian in all the States of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah
ensure that our Malaysia is truly worthy
of the aims and hopes we have shared, the trials and stress, we have endured,
in working together to achieve our
common destiny.”
A shared society is one which is socially
cohesive, stable, safe and just. A shared society is one in which all peoples
of different races are equally capable for participation in and reaping the
benefits of economic, political and social opportunities. One in which citizens
have a sense of belonging and are empowered to participate without necessarily
conforming to a dominant culture.[1]
A shared society is one which is at ease with
itself and the diversity of its members’ cultural, religious and ethnic
identities. A society that recognises and values these identities and their interdependence
as strengths, working creatively with each other to promote respect for human
dignity and release human potential.[2]
Fifty years after Tunku’s pronouncement of
Malaysia as a shared society, 75 current and former heads of states and governments
of 54 countries pledged their commitment to promote the concept of a shared
society as a key priority for the world today. The leaders declared that there
is no other option if we are to avoid a world continually wracked by
identity-based tensions, inter-community divisions, inequality and injustice.
If we are not able to accept differences and to learn to understand the
unfamiliar in others, and are not helped to engage with others, barriers are
created between people and communities which fester and lead to disintegration
with devastating consequences.[3]
While the rest of the world learned to appreciate
the concept of a shared society, we in Malaysia discarded it. Somewhere along
the road the ideals upon which Malaysia was established were ejected and lost.
They were replaced by harsh and intolerant racists ideas. The fabric of our
society is now threatened by social fractionalization and social exclusion.
New Malaysia under PH must return to its founding
vision. The PH government, our leaders, civil society and the people must work
to reset our nation to the ideals of the shared society upon which Malaysia was
established.
The Ebbing
Economic Tide
Firstly, the PH government must deliver early
tangible economic results. There is a saying that “a rising tide lifts all
boats.” The opposite is equally true - “an ebbing tide sinks all boats.” The
ebbing economic tide has already sunk the BN boat in GE14. Unless immediate
action is taken, it can also sink the PH boat.
Prime Minister Tun Mahathir has unveiled a new
economic model which advocates shared prosperity. Before we can have shared
prosperity, we must first have a shared society. More importantly, it is only
by putting money back in people’s pockets that will reduce the tension and
return the voters’ confidence back in PH.
Despite the cash-strap legacy left by the previous
regime, the PH government must resist implementing austerity measures. When the
market is lacklustre, the government needs to introduce stimulus and incentives
to make it vibrant again. Economists, Paul Krugman said, what fiscal policy
should do: it should support demand when the economy is weak, and it should
pull that support when the economy is strong. As John Maynard Keynes said: “the
boom, not the slump, is the right time for austerity.”
A stimulus package is required to act as a
catalyst for economic activities. Higher public investments-in infrastructure
projects, technology and education-will both revive demand and alleviate
inequality. This will boost growth in the long-run and in the short-run.[4]
With the ECRL back on track, the HSR should also be reviewed together with
other infrastructure projects that were suspended or pending re-negotiations.
This will act as a catalyst for the construction sector.
Bank Negara Malaysia should review the responsible
lending guidelines. Since its introduction the property market has been
affected by banks rejecting purchasers’ loan applications. This review is
necessary to revive the property, building and construction industry which is
an important sector of the economy.
Capturing the
Narrative
Secondly, the PH government must counter the
UMNO/PAS rhetoric. A proactive communication is required to build public
understanding and support. The PH government must capture the narrative – by
articulating a compelling vision of hope, develop a sense of shared identity,
generate broad popular buy-in and mobilize citizens.
The PH government needs to redefine citizens’
expectation, to move them beyond negative frames of reference and to transform
public policies and institutions to address immediate and long-term sources of
discord.
Citizens who lack credible information about
progress made and challenges ahead will likely attribute the lack of visible
improvements to a lack of political will and they will lose confidence in those
they believed and elected. They may even turn against PH which may have
probably happened in the three recent by-elections.
There is no race
only racism
Thirdly, the narrative must deal with hard truths.
PH must stop living a BN lie by playing up racial politics. The government must
debunk the myth that intelligence, indolence, racial superiority or inferiority
are inherited traits due to genetic or biological causes. There is no
scientific basis for race. There is only racism which is a social-construct.
“Social construct” means an idea that has been created and accepted by the
people in a society. Since racism is learned it can also be unlearned.
The American Association of Physical
Anthropologists (AAPA) on 25 March 2019 released an update of their 1996
statement on race and racism. The AAPA Updated Statement confirms that humans
are not divided biologically into distinct continental types or racial genetic
clusters. Instead the Western concept of race must be understood as a
classification system that emerged from and in support of European colonialism,
empire and slavery. It does not have its roots in biological reality. Racial
classification has long served Europeans to justify economic exploitation,
oppression, discrimination, institutional racism, dispossession, displacement
and genocide. The AAPA updated statement says that:
“The concept
of race has developed hand-in-hand with racist ideologies over the last five
centuries, and biological and anthropology has played an important role in the
creation and perpetuation of both race concept and racist ideologies. Racist
political doctrines should not receive support from scientific endeavours, but in
practice racism has been co-constructed with inaccurate depictions of human
variation provided by scientists. Over our history, the AAPA, and many of its
members, have been complicit in producing and reifying racist ideologies via
misuse, falsification, or biased production of scientific information. We
acknowledge this history and stress that we should not paper over it even as we
seek to end these practices and prevent re-emergence of misconception about
race in the future.”[5]
The AAPA updated statement referred to the results
of DNA and human genome research. Humans share the vast majority (99.9%) of our
DNA. Individuals nevertheless exhibit substantial genetic and phenotypic
variability, including individuals in the same community. No group of people is,
or ever has been, biologically homogeneous or “pure.” Both the genomic and
phenotypic variation that exists reflects the fact that all humans living today
belong to a single species, Homo sapiens
and share common descent.
The PH Government ought like AAPA, acknowledge
that race is a myth and that race and racism are social-constructs that must be
addressed.
Expelling
Internalized Colonial Stereotypes
Fourthly, the PH government must expel from the
psyche of Malaysians the internalized colonial stereotypes. In many former
colonies, the anti-colonial nationalists were engaged not only in a struggle
for political and economic freedom but also a cultural resistance movement of
colonised people against white racism and European imperialism. The
anti-colonials were well aware the colonial powers had violently transgressed
the colonizeds’ own cultures and identities.[6]
The colonizers imposed through the force of arms and military might,
“ethnocentrism”, the belief in the superiority of their own people and culture[7].
The colonizers sought to justify their imperialism by the use of
pseudo-scientific arguments such as Social Darwinism, racists ideologies of
“White Supremacy” and the “White Man’s Burden” of divine manifestation to rule
the lesser mortals who are too stupid and lazy to govern themselves. Over time
the colonizers’ stereotypes were accepted and internalized by the colonized.
Thus, the anti-colonial nationalists’ fight for
independence was also a struggle of the peoples to reclaim their authentic self
and their own individual dignity and self-worth. These independent movements
were more or less successful in overcoming colonial construction of ethnic
identity and religious differences among the colonised peoples. This was not
done by the Alliance and BN.
UMNO and its component parties due partly to
historical causes and more particularly for political expediency chose to
construct “nationalism” based on racial differences. The Alliance and its
successor BN, perpetuated the colonial stereotypes of “the lazy Malay,” “the venal
Chinese” and the “the cringing and cheating Indian.”
Following independence, although the country was
freed from external colonisers, the people were still shackled by the internal
colonisers’ perception of their own people. UMNO and its Alliance partners, saw
their own people in the same way their colonial masters did. They assumed as
natural the colonial constructed ethnic differences and negative stereotypes.
They propagated an ethno-nationalist political strategy designed to secure
ethnic privilege based on the colonial stereotypes of themselves and of the
other ethnic groups. This has continued to this day.
Syed Hussein Alatas have called on these colonial stereotypes
to be corrected in his book, “The Myth
of the Lazy Native.” He said from the point of view of modern scientific
standards the negative portrayals of the Malay character in the 1971 UMNO book
entitled “Revolusi Mental” are
unsound and naïve. These stereotypes are dangerous since they influenced
practical politics in Malaysia.
Alatas described “Revolusi Mental” as a distorted ideology of a Malay ruling party
sharing the false consciousness of colonial capitalism. The false consciousness
distorts reality. The Malay ruling party inherited the rule from the British
without a struggle for independence such as that which took place in Indonesia,
India and the Philippines. As such there was no ideological struggle. There was
no intellectual break with British ideological thinking at the deeper layer of
thought. The type of distortion in the “Revolusi
Mental” on the Malay character is the result of fallacious reasoning. The
thirty or more negative traits of the Malay character are conclusions derived
from false premises.
Syed Hussein Alatas also took issue with Tun Mahathir’s
“The Malay Dilemma.” Alatas was of
the opinion that although “The Malay Dilemma” is critical of the colonial
rule’s fostering divisions among groups, Mahathir did not deal with the
socially constructed nature of the racial or ethnic identities, attributing it
instead to a biological given. Mahathir’s main argument rests on the assumption
of fact or self-evident truth regarding the “natural” ethnic difference and
conflict between Malay and non-Malay (Chinese). These understandings were not
only Tun Mahathir’s but were also subscribed to by many of the nationalists of
his generation.[8]
It appears from Tun Mahathir’s speeches in the
Future of the Bumiputera and Nation Congress 2018 and PPBM 2nd
Annual General Meeting that he still holds the same views as he did when he
wrote “The Malay Dilemma.” In his PPBM 2nd AGM speech, he said
Malays cannot continue depending on the government for economic and financial
aid in perpetuity:
“For the
weak, a crutch might help, but this sort of help should not be sustained. When
our strength returns, the crutch must be let go”
He said that although the NEP had some success, it
had yet to fulfil its aim to close the income disparity between the Bumiputera
and the other races.
Tun Mahatir still sees the income and wealth
inequality gap between the Malays and non-Malays as due to inherent weaknesses
of the Malay character and not due to crony capitalism, state capture and
corruption by the political elite.
Unfortunately, it appears ministers such as Dr
Mazlee are also labouring under the same colonial stereotypes. This is revealed
by his recent comment that the matriculation quota must be maintained because
the non-Bumiputeras are rich and are able to send their children to private
universities. The remark was most insensitive to the plight and sacrifices of
the non-Bumiputera middle and lower classes. They are already stretched and
stressed by the rising costs of living and reducing purchasing power of their
income. They have to save, scrimp and borrow to send their children to the
local private institutions because of the quota system for public university
admissions. The remark also revealed Ministers like Dr Mazlee may in continuing
BN policies and programmes have not fully considered the actual facts and figures
to separate fact from fiction.
A 2015 parliament reply from the EPU disclosed that:
·
Bumiputeras
is the largest group of the country’s top 20 percent income earners (T20) at
53.81%, Chinese 37.05%, Indians 8.80% and others 0.34%.
·
The
Bumiputeras also form the largest group in the middle 40% income earners (M40)
at 64.17%, Chinese 26.43%, Indians 9.10% and others 0.30%.
·
The
Bumiputeras also form the largest group in the bottom 40% income earners (B40)
at 73.61%, Chinese 17.50%, Indians 8.52% and others 0.36%.
The British has left Malaya 62 years ago but the
colonial stereotypes of different racial identities have persisted. In the era
of new Malaysia, it is time to exorcise the ghosts of our colonial past and
build a future based on a truly inclusive Malaysian identity.
Political
Patronage and Elite Capture
Fifthly, the narrative must provide clear
evidence-based reasoning with complete data that a change in the affirmative
action policies are required to correct flaws and deficiencies. The NEP and
Bumiputera Agenda have been abused by the political elites. They have in the
course of securing personal gains through political patronage, rent-seeking
activities, corruption and state capture deprived the intended deserving Malays
of the benefits of the affirmative action policies. They caused policies of social
fragmentation and social exclusion to be implemented to maintain their hold on
power.
The PH government should let the truth be known by
providing the evidence of these abuses. For example, the number of graduates
who defaulted in repayment of his PTPTN loan, blacklisted and banned from
travelling out of the country. This should be compared with the evidence of the
political-economic elite who defaulted in the billions they borrowed and were
bailed out.
The PH government should also reveal the data of
the Bumiputera Implementing Agencies (BIAs) such as Majlis Amanah Rakyat
(MARA), Tekun National Foundation (TEKUN), Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), the
SME Bank and others of the Bumiputera “entrepreneurs” with ties to the
political elite who have received both financing and rents. They have acted as
a restraint on genuine Bumiputera entrepreneurs’ development.[9]
The BIAs have been propping up weak Bumiputera
entrepreneurs or business cronies who were the beneficiaries of contracts and
rents provided by political leaders. “[Such
crony Bumiputera entrepreneurs] believed that once given, the assistance need
not be repaid, and they were not required to abide by the terms and conditions
of the loan agreements.”[10]
The truth has to be told so that the masses are
informed they are being used for the political entrepreneurs’ personal
interests.
Social Cohesion:
Within the four seas all men are brothers
Sixthly, the PH government must take concrete
steps to build an inclusive society and should not follow BN in only giving lip
service to slogans such as “unity in diversity” but on the ground used Biro
Tata Negara to conduct courses to promote racism and encourage hate towards the
opposition. The PH government should begin with the concept that “all human beings are born free and equal in
dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act
towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”[11]
There must be equity in the distribution of wealth
and resources. How resources are allocated will affect the orientation of the
society, either towards a more integrated, inclusive society or an exclusive,
polarized and disintegrated one. Socio-economic policies should be geared
towards managing equitable distribution and equal opportunities. Inclusive
policies, instructions and programs that are sensitive to and cater to the less
advantaged and vulnerable need to be put in place.
Effective
Leadership
Seventhly, the PH government must show effective
leadership to drive social inclusion and building a shared society. The Prime
Minister and cabinet must take ownership and be committed to reset Malaysia as
a shared society. In the past one year, only a few leaders have spoken out
against the misconceptions of race and racial differences. Tun Daim in his
speech said that Malays should not labour under a siege mentality. Anwar
Ibrahim has repeatedly assured the Malays that they have nothing to fear while
maintaining that social justice demands the poor and needy of the other races to
also be provided for.
The NEP and Bumiputera Agenda is based on social
justice and equity. Effective leaders know it is better to appeal to the
peoples’ better angels than to secure compliance by the use of the state’s
coercive powers. As human beings, we are endowed with a moral sense, an
intuitive feeling for what is right and wrong. Morality has, in a sense, a
voice within.
We know it is injustice when an Indian or Chinese
student with 9 As from a B40 family is not given a matriculation seat. It is injustice
when those in need are denied while the government’s resources are poured to
make a billionaire richer by several billion Ringgit more.
Just as equity demands Bumiputera economic
deprivation ought to be relieved so does equity demands the Malaysian Indians’ plight
be resolved. The conversion of plantations into industrial estates and new
townships have led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Malaysian
Indian estate workers- “they not only lost their jobs but also housing, basic
amenities, socio-cultural facilities and community support structures.” These
have led to a host of social problems such as broken families, poor housing,
unemployment, violence, gangsterism, destitution, vagrancy and drug abuse.[12]
Just as equity
demands assistance and aid ought to be given to the Bumiputera rural and urban
poor so does equity demands the plight of the Orang Asli and Bumiputera
Minorities in Sabah and Sarawak be addressed. While the national poverty rate
in 2012 is 1.7% it is 76.9% for the Orang Asli, Muruts at 56.1% in Sabah and Penans
at 65% in Sarawak.[13]
Conclusion
Urgent action is required to address the five
factors creating the conditions for ethnic conflict and to pre-empt the political
entrepreneurs’ design in order to avert racial-religious strife and conflict.
We must all pull back and move away from the brink of disaster.
To maintain peace and prosperity our leaders from
both the PH government and the opposition, civil society and our citizens must
recognise the value of diversity. Malaysians need to find a way to build a
society based on shared goals and common values. The only effective,
sustainable and morally acceptable way to manage the social tensions is to
create a shared society in which all members of our society feel at home and
are valued for who they are.
Economic growth and the well-being of every one
and our nation can only flourish when we learn to manage our diversity for the
betterment of all Malaysians, not just a selected few. The wisdom of Mahatma
Gandhi would be an appropriate reminder to all of us:
“The world has enough for
everyone’s need,
But not enough for everyone’s
greed.”
-
Mahatma
Gandhi
[1]
Michael A. Valenti and Olivier G. Giovannoni, “The Economics of Inclusion:
Building an Argument for a Shared Society”
[2]
Club De Madrid, “A Call to Action for Leadership to Build Shared Societies”
[3]
Club De Madrid, The Shared Societies Project
[4] Joseph Stiglitz, “Inequality and
Economic Growth”
[5]
American Association of Physical Anthropologists Statement on Race and Racism
27 March 2019
[6]
Sheila Nair, “Colonialism, Nationalism, Ethnicity: Constructing Identity and
Difference”
[7] Charles Hirschman, “The Making of
Race in Colonial Malaya: Political Economy and Racial Ideology”
[8]
Sheila Nair, “Colonial ‘Others’ and National Politics in Malaysia”
[9]
Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk, “State and Entrepreneurship: The Failure to Create a
Bumiputera Commercial and Industrial Community (BCIC) in Penang Malaysia
[10]
J. Saravanamuttu, 2008 “Party capitalism in Southeast Asia: Democracy’s bane”
Ishak Shari Memorial Lecture Series,
Bangi IKMAS Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
[11]
Fact Sheet No. 2(Rev 1) The International Bill of Human Rights
[12]
The Malaysian Indian Blueprint.
[13]
The 2013 Malaysian Human Development Report
