Malaysia as a Model Islamic Nation
by Kalimullah Hassan
03 October 2004 | Sunday Column, NST
THE people of Oxfordshire are very proud of their university town. They like to believe that it is the centre of the world or, at least, of Western civilisation.
There is a palpable sense of inoffensive snobbery among those who have walked the hallowed halls of Oxford and left with that all-important piece of paper certifying that they have earned their wings.
Much as many other universities in the world have made their mark as centres of excellence, the University of Oxford is notably in a league of its own.
One would be hard- pressed to find fault with that innocuous feeling of superiority of those who have had their grounding here.
Sultans and kings, prime ministers and presidents, peasants and patricians have passed this way, and in the halls of Oxford , no one has been too big or too small to impress or flabbergast.
On Oct 1, the Malaysian grandson of an alim (religious man), the son of a teacher of religion, as he described himself, spoke to a capacity, standing-room-only crowd of students, academics and ambassadors. The subject was Malaysia , Islam and the Wider World.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did not pretend to be anything more than that alim's grandson from Kepala Batas, Penang .
He spoke with a passion because it is a subject close to his heart; he spoke with knowledge because the cream of the crop of Oxford 's Centre for Islamic Studies listened in rapt attention; and he spoke with authority because he is the leader of the most progressive Islamic country in the world.
Malaysia has earned, in the space of 47 years of independence, a position as a model Islamic nation, a model multi-racial nation, and a model developing nation.
It was not a reputation earned overnight, as Abdullah told his audience, nor by chance.
From the beginning, the country's founding fathers — the majority Malay Muslims, the mainly Christian and Buddhist Chinese, and the Hindu Tamils — worked together and formed the Alliance to fight for Independence .
They then perpetuated this coalition, winning the people's support election after election.
Their sole objective then was to provide education and development for the people, until that dark period of May 13, 1969 , when suddenly, it dawned that they also had to ensure equitable economic opportunities and, above and beyond sharing power, they also had to ensure a sharing of the economic cake.
That formula has worked very well for Malaysia . It has progressed, its people benefited, and today, countries that have had more wealth and natural resources than Malaysia , and which are mired in misery and poverty, now look at Malaysia as their own model.
The answer for the Islamic world is there to see, in Malaysia 's success.
Abdullah told those at the Magdalen College Auditorium in Oxford something that Malaysians are already aware of.
He said: "As far as Malaysia is concerned, I believe we have tried to walk the middle path of moderation."
"We have committed ourselves to the Quranic exhortation in Verse 143, Surah Al-Baqara, which is a divine reminder for Muslims to observe and practise moderation and to avoid the extremes."
In Malaysia , as in the Muslim world, Islam has become an increasingly powerful imperative for Muslims to act. Unfortunately, in some countries, this imperative, Abdullah said, has resulted in actions that Islam prohibits and condemns, misguidedly committed in the name of Allah.
But in Malaysia , this compulsion to act because of religion is directed towards good, towards progress, towards development.
"We call this approach ‘Islam Hadhari', literally ‘civilisational Islam', or an approach towards a progressive Islamic civilisation. It is an approach that is compatible with modernity and yet firmly rooted in the noble values and injunctions of Islam," he said.
The Prime Minister said neither he nor his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, after the loss of a large number of seats to the Opposition Parti Islam in the 1999 general election, allowed themselves to be persuaded by some to adopt a more "Islamist" approach to win votes.
"I believe that Malaysian political choices were influenced to some extent by the issue of religiosity, but what was more important to the voters were good governance and broad-based economic growth," he said.
The approach paid off in the 2004 general election, where Abdullah's ruling coalition won 90.4 per cent of all seats contested, an unprecedented record, and Umno won back all the ground it had lost in 1999, largely because of the Islam Hadhari approach.
Islam Hadhari has been outlined. It puts forward 10 fundamental principles :
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faith and piety in the Almighty; |
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a just and trustworthy Government; |
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a free and independent people; |
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the vigorous pursuit and mastery of knowledge; |
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balanced and comprehensive economic development; |
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a good quality of life for the people; |
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protection of the rights of minority groups and women; |
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cultural and moral integrity; |
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safeguarding natural resources and the environment; and, |
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strong defence capabilities. |
Surely, there is nothing in these principles to which any Malaysian of whatever ethnic or religious upbringing could object.
Oxford snobbery aside, Abdullah found a very appreciative audience which gave him resounding applause and ambassadors from Muslim countries, academics, including the Western Christian, had nothing but praise for these principles and for Malaysia's outstanding record in managing race and religious relations.
From the beginning, each successive Malaysian leader has shared that same belief, and Malaysia has to count its blessings that it has not been ruled by bigots or zealots but by sensible, rational leaders who have always wanted the best for their country and their people.
Since he became Prime Minister, Abdullah has shown his commitment, to the point of religiosity, to his belief that no minority race or religion should ever be victimised, and that tolerance and sharing are the cornerstones of the country's continued survival and progress.
It is easy for Opposition politicians such as Lim Kit Siang or Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, who have never held national power, to say the same thing, and maybe even promise more than that.
But the reality is they have not managed to convince Malaysians in 11 general elections since Independence .
The test is what you will do when you have the power. Umno and its allies have shown 11 times over 47 years that they do as they say, as far as their commitment to race and religious relations is concerned.
Whether speaking to the Chinese Chambers of Commerce, or to the World Council of Churches, or to Umno, Abdullah's message has been the same.
Abdullah told his Oxford audience: "I speak as the Prime Minister of a multi-religious nation where the majority of the people are Muslim.
"By the blessings of Allah, today my country is peaceful, stable, democratic and rapidly developing.
"People of all faiths — Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and others — live in peace and harmony, with mutual respect and tolerance for each other."
Which is why many Malaysians find it so offensive that those who scream for freedom of speech abuse it time and again by questioning matters that should not be questioned. It is offensive that bigots and racists still exist in our society.
In recent months, insensitive remarks, to put it mildly, made on that most free of free media, the Internet, have hurt the feelings of Malaysian Muslims.
First, the Bar Council, in allowing an offensive article implying that noise pollution was akin to the Muslim call to prayer to be posted on its Infoline bulletin.
Then, a somewhat unknown blogger called Jeff Ooi allowed a posting equating Islam Hadhari and money politics to "shit and urine".
This was not the first time that this Jeff Ooi has allowed postings that hurt the feelings of others. His own writings smack of certain prejudices against certain ethnic groups.
He has also maliciously slandered many people; hurt many innocents, all in the name of a "free media".
He is not the only one. There are others who repeatedly post lies and untruths and expectantly wait for their minute of fame, hoping that they will be singled out and named in public and then, perversely, become the toast of their peers in the small world they live in and the limited followings they have.
I feel the anger because I, too, like dozens of others, am a victim of the likes of Ooi. But more than anger, as a Malaysian, I feel that it is a violation that bigots and racists can be allowed to vulgarly discredit noble efforts aimed at making our country a better place for our future generations.
We don't house bunkers within our chest ; we have feelings, we have family, we have emotions.
If anger mounts, if good sense does not prevail, if retaliatory remarks are made, if tensions rise, if there is unease among Malaysians of different faiths and ethnic groups, who will pay the price?
There must come a time when one must say "enough" to those who disgorge hate and bigotry.
No one, in the name of a free media or not, should be allowed to destroy our country's principles of peaceful co-existence. No one. |
