How Malaysia’s democratic disruption stands apart in a year of populist nationalism
- Anwar Ibrahim says the stunning end to Barisan Nasional’s decades-long grip on power came about through collaboration across various groups and signals a move towards genuine meritocracy and inclusive growth
Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country where democratic values and collaboration between all groups made change possible. The electoral disruption was hardly what the world expected or what the pundits predicted, so we would do well to take careful note of what Malaysia’s voters cast their ballots to achieve.
Under the previous system, the government had become an omnipresent factor in business and all aspects of social development. In return for what it gave through transfers, it expected unflinching electoral support, regardless of the circumstances or the competence of its candidates. Electoral feudalism was essentially the Malaysian way for the long decades of Umno rule: voters were tied to their political masters.
The arrogance and openness of corruption trickled down more effectively and extensively than the effects of any development programme. When the rich lavishly reward themselves, it is little wonder that those further down the pecking order – whose living standards are steadily declining – are tempted to follow suit. The sense that the whole of Malaysian society was being corroded convinced voters that only radical change would do.
The roots of change, however, extend much deeper than one electoral cycle. The groundwork for Malaysia’s democratic disruption was laid during 20 years of campaigning for reform. It has been part of every election since 1998, when I was summarily dismissed from government and arrested on trumped-up charges.
The reform agenda, developed by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), gradually changed the political landscape. In the 2013 election, our opposition coalition actually won the popular vote but could not overturn the gerrymandered allocation of seats in Malaysia’s first-past-the-post system.
The new coalition government has committed itself to a reform agenda that envisions Malaysia as a fully mature, just, equitable and effective democracy. Ending corruption is but one item on our agenda. Establishing an independent judiciary, election commission and free press, and nurturing active civil-society organisations, are also necessary to ensure free, fair, and open elections, deliver justice and see that there is an equitable provision of public goods and services.
Another aspect of democratic maturity has been the move away from communalism towards genuine meritocracy, inclusive and just to all of Malaysia’s citizens. Affirmative action was introduced to help the Malay and the Bumiputra communities overcome the deficiencies they inherited as a result of intentional colonial neglect.
But, over time, and under Umno, positive discrimination became an entrenched system of handouts treated as entitlements, which stultified enterprise and ambition. Affirmative action became a prop for complacency and corruption, rather than a helping hand.
Malaysia will now help the poor by offering assistance to those in need, regardless of their communal origins. The needs of poor rural Malays will in no way be favoured – or disfavoured. Need qualifies the needy. Making distinctions based on race, ethnicity and communal origins has nothing to do with fighting poverty.
Malaysia’s strength is its plurality, yet we have much work to do to restore the openness and genuine engagement of our multicultural society. There is much to be gained from sharing the richness and creative potential of our varied traditions, languages, cultures and ideas. Through reform and cooperation, Malaysia will become a more vibrant, productive society and a model of peaceful, democratic coexistence that the world so desperately needs.
My perspective on the change that has unfolded so far is quite particular. At the start of 2018, I was still in prison, confined by the government’s determination to prevent my participation in the elections. So, for me, 2018 has been momentous.
If this is disruption, I look forward to more of it in 2019 and beyond.