Fears of creeping conservatism in Malaysia

As Malaysians prepare to celebrate 50 years of independence from Britain, there are growing concerns about the influence of Islam and a creeping conservatism in religion and politics.

While Malaysia is one of the world’s most stable and moderate Islamic nations, there is some soul-searching about what the future holds.

In the Malaysian state of Kelantan there are separate checkout aisles for men and women, and calls for sharia law to be adopted.

When independence was granted in 1957, the new leaders promised peace and harmony of ethnicity and religion for all Malaysians – Malay, Chinese, Indian.

Since then Malaysia has been hailed as a modern and moderate Islamic nation.

Despite growing concerns, that is still the case, says Abdul Hamil Otman, the religious adviser to Malaysia’s Prime Minister.

“Although there are some interpretations here and there, it’s not a big problem for the country,” he said.

It used to be that only small parts of Malaysia imposed strict Islamic practices.

But Zainah Anwar, from Sisters in Islam, sees an alarming trend emerging.

“These groups that are at the forefront of the Islamic revival movement, pronounce that the kind of Islam that we have been practising all this long is Jahiliah Islam – Islam of the ignorant,” she said.

Malaysia’s constitution determines that anyone born into the majority ethnic Malay population is automatically a Muslim.

And sharia law deems that once a Muslim, always a Muslim.

But Dr Otman says this is a constitutional problem, not a religious problem.

He says the Government is looking at that section of the constitution, but not much progress has been made.

Another issue confronting Malaysia is the affirmative action program affecting the majority ethnic Malays, or Bumiputras.

What was designed to overcome the economic marginalisaton of Malays under the British has over three decades become an instrument for cronyism and nepotism.

Critics such as Ms Anwar say it has done little to benefit ordinary people.

“It deepens the intertwining of business and politics and merit is no longer the first criteria,” she said.

The ruling United Malays National Organisation has been reluctant to alter the policy.

But as time goes on it is getting harder to shake off accusations that it is a form of protectionism.

Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has been lobbying Asian leaders to press the point at next month’s APEC meeting in Sydney.

Source: ABC News

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Cracks show in Malaysia unity

Cracks show in Malaysia unity

As festivities start building up in conjunction with Malaysia’s planned celebrations of its 50th year of independence, a growing insecurity and sense of uncertainty among its minority races seems to be looming over the outward show of revelry.

On the front, there is much to celebrate: Malaysia has flourished from a former agriculture-driven backwater to become one of the most advanced nations in Asia with an economy poised to grow about 6 per cent this year and next.

Over the past 20 years, economic development has seen tremendous growth, in particular the export sector as well as building of large-scale infrastructure projects.
But aside from the megaprojects, the world-class buildings and infrastructure and relatively steady economy, the government’s pride for years has been the ability of Malaysia’s many ethnic and religious groups to co-exist in relative peace for the past 50 years.
The nation is made up of some 60 per cent of ethnic Malays, who by definition of the constitution are all Muslims. The ethnic Chinese comprise about 25 per cent of the population, followed by Indians with 9 per cent. Other races make up the remainder of the population.

However, behind the façade of a harmonious potpourri of ethnic groups and religions, lurks an undeniable sense of discomfort at rising racial tensions in recent times.
In May, Lina Joy – a former Muslim woman who had embraced Christianity for more than 20 years – lost a long battle in court to have her personal identification card state her new religion.
Under Malaysian Islamic law, a Muslim can not marry a non-Muslim without her partner also converting to Islam, meaning Joy could not marry her Christian fiancé until she could be legally recognized as a non-Muslim.
Joy had brought her appeals to Malaysia’s highest court as a last-ditch attempt after several lower courts ruled against her, but she finally lost the right to officially change her religion when the Federal Court ruled against her. The decision sparked a nationwide debate on the freedom of religion in the country, or the lack of it.
Adding to the religious tensions, leaders from the United Malays National Organization party – the backbone of the ruling coalition – have outwardly declared the country an Islamic state.
In June, deputy prime minister Najib Razak said during a press conference that Malaysia “has never been a secular state, and has always been Islamic.”
His comments drew criticism from all levels of society, from the Bar Council to Muslim and non- Muslim organizations, as the country’s constitution clearly states that Malaysia is a secular state.
Recently, the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) produced what it called a “wish list” of eight most urgent needs in the country.
Topping the list, which was compiled as result of opinions taken from 42 non-governmental organizations representing all major races, religions and rights groups, was a call for greater unity among the people.
“Recently, the state of unity has been fraying at the edges. Ethnic, linguistic and religious divides have deepened, causing genuine pain and hurt to many in the nation,” the statement said.
“Such a fragile state of unity should not have happened after 50 years of nation building.”
The report, called the ‘Merdeka Statement,’ also listed an urgent call to redress the imbalances in society, with the group noting with concern the growing income inequalities within the same ethnic groups, especially the ethnic Malays.
In 1971, the government launched the New Economic Policy which is a series of affirmative action policies designed to benefit Malays and certain indigenous groups known collectively as “bumiputera,” or “sons of the soil.”
More than 30 years later, critics say the policy failed in its objectives of eradicating the hardcore poor among the bumiputera, but instead has caused only certain groups of Malays to grow rich while the majority remain in poverty.
Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin dismissed the 42 NGO’s as representing the general sentiment, and called the statement a “clever attempt to disunite the people in the country.
“This is not a citizens’ wish but the wish of a handful of people. This is uncalled for,” he said, adding that the government would not take into consideration the contents of the statement.
Tricia Yeoh, senior analyst at ASLI, called the government’s rejection regrettable, and appealed for a dialogue and discussion to be held instead.
“Each of the organizations represent a large group of Malaysians in their own respective right, and together they cover Malaysians of all ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds,” Yeoh said.
The worry hanging over the Merdeka celebrations is ironic in that unity – the very desire and goal which drove the country’s fight for independence – is now threatening to tear the nation apart.
“There is a growing number of Chinese and Indians who are starting to seek permanent residence in alternative countries,” said a political analyst on condition of anonymity.
“There is a sense of insecurity in our very citizenship, our right in this country which our parents and grandparents had fought to keep together. It’s sad, but that’s the situation now,” he said.
Chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, Lim Kit Siang, recently said that the nation’s early aspiration to build a society identifiable as Malaysians and not different ethnic groups, has failed.
“Many people are wondering what is the meaning of this 50th Merdeka anniversary if they are feeling more alienated, more divided and more polarized,” Lim said in an interview with the Sun newspaper recently.
Adding to the widening religious and racial divide, Malaysians will now prepare to celebrate their 50th year of independence while facing the fact that corruption remains high in the government, and there is an alarming increase in crime.
Perhaps, as Lim and many other Malaysians now feel, the way to move forward for the nation in terms of unity, is to look back.

Source: Bangkok Post

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Malaysia to Bail Out Port Authority

Malaysia will give a soft loan to rescue the country’s main port authority from a debt of $1 billion in a free port project, the government said Thursday.

The loan to the Port Klang Authority – tantamount to a bailout - is likely to raise questions about Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s pledges to boost transparency and battle financial mismanagement in mega-projects.

The scandal centers around the Port Klang Free Zone, or PKFZ, a much-hyped shipping area that opened in western Malaysia last year. It’s original cost of 1.845 billion ringgit ($527 million) ballooned to 4.2 billion ringgit ($1.2 billion) by the time the project was completed in four years.

However, the total amount committed to the project by its 30 investors is only 725 million ringgit ($207 million).

“Because the cost of PKFC is so high, the government has agreed to give a soft loan to (Port Klang Authority). The details are being worked out,” a statement by the Transport Ministry said. It did not elaborate.

The problems with the project’s finances became apparent after the Dubai-based Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone Authority, or JAFZA, said last month it was pulling out of a pact to manage the zone because of what it called strategic reasons.

In its statement, the Transport Ministry put part of the blame for the debt on JAFZA.

…

Industry observers have been alarmed by the scandal because the government apparently ignored early warning signs.

Malaysia’s National Audit Department, in a 2004 analysis on its Web site, said the Port Klang Authority had liabilities of 1.7 billion ringgit ($500 million) because of the purchase of the free zone land.

Ronnie Liu, a member of the opposition Democratic Action Party, has already filed a police complaint seeking an investigation into land deal irregularities and cost overruns that are believed to have triggered the debts.

Government bailout of prominent companies occurred regularly in the 1990s, damaging public confidence in big state projects.

Opposition leaders blamed the bailouts on corruption as well as undisciplined spending by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, whose 22 years in power were marked by expensive modernization initiatives.

Abdullah succeeded Mahathir in 2003 and said he would not follow on Mahathir’s path of costly projects.

Source: Forbes

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The Port Klang Free Zone scandal

Khir Toyo told not to indulge in petty matters and confuse Umno members

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo was asked to focus on the future of Umno and the Malays instead of disputing facts on the party’s history.

Umno Supreme Council member and Johor Baru Member of Parliament Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad advised the Menteri Besar not to indulge in petty matters but to concentrate on bigger issues involving the party’s future.

“I do not know what his agenda is, but what is important is one’s responsibility and work to ensure the future of the people and country.

Being a young leader, he should focus on matters of the future,” he said.

Shahrir, who is Johor Baru Umno division head and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman, was responding to the statement by Dr Mohd Khir that Umno was formed at the Sultan Sulaiman Club in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, and not at Istana Besar Johor as stated in the history books.

The Menteri Besar was speaking during an interview for the Selangor government’s official bulletin, “Suara Selangor Maju”, for Aug. 31.

…

Johor Umno Youth information chief Khalid Mohamad had also urged the Selangor Menteri Besar not to issue any more statements which could confuse Umno members, including on the party’s formation.

“Umno was formed 61 years ago at Istana Besar Johor. The then Sultan of Johor who spoke on May 11, 1946 at Umno’s formation said the party was not formed by the roadside but at the palace. Why did Khir want to confuse Umno members by his statement?” he said.

The statement also affected Umno’s image among observers outside because it showed that Umno members were not in agreement on the history of the party’s formation, he added.

Source: Daily Express,

New Straits Times

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Bumis must be more independent: Masidi

Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun is worried that the Bumiputeras will fall further behind if they continue to rely solely on the Government for assistance once the New Economic Policy (NEP) is discontinued.

He said though it was difficult for him to say it, however, “sadly the end will eventually come for the NEP. But, how are we going to face this when our students are reluctant to change their mindset to become more independent?

“Only through a mindset shift, to stop clinging on to the Government can we become a race of excellence. I don’t expect all of you to agree with me but I will say what is right and not just what is popular,” he said at the Kota Kinabalu Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) annual dinner, organised by its MUAFAKAT (Parent-Teacher Association), at Magellan Sutera, here, Saturday.

“It is easier to say what is popular than what is right,” he said, adding he had raised the issue several years ago but felt he had to say it again since he noticed Bumiputera students were becoming less competitive now.

…

“I am sorry but if we look at UTAR (Universiti Tunku Abdul Raman, a private higher learning institution under the MCA), there are also unemployed graduates but not that many (compared to public higher learning institution graduates). We must look at the reason for this,” he said.

Source: Daily Express

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