1/16/2015

A new and economically ascendant Southeast Asia


It is heartening to read about the uneasiness of the Malay Malaysian elite and their urgent call to restructure Malaysia for the future instead of being stuck in the past of racial and religious politics. There is a sense of frustration and despair among this Malay elite who wanted to do so much, who knew that Malaysia cannot remained stagnant in economic growth and wasting time and resources in unproductive hackling on religious and racial issues drummed up by the respective leaders. There is a time and place for religion. Leave them to the religious leaders and leave them in their place in the mosques and not to be bucking around with matters of the state. And political leaders must rise above the insidious past of race politics, to think secular and think development. Malaysia can do better given the right leadership, and UMNO and its present batch of leaders are not the one to lead Malaysia forward.

While Malaysia is still bogged down with trying to be more religious and more racist, and a shrinking economic pie, the Indonesians have embarked on a new journey of change. Ever since the Presidency of Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur, race politics have been taken out of the equation, or at least kept in the cupboard, hopefully not to reappear. Megawati continued to play down on racial politics and allowed the Indonesians with Chinese ancestry to participate more actively in the economy. Yudhoyono did the same and the Chinese Indonesians expanded their participation in the main stream of Indonesian polity, in business and in politics, culminating in the unprecedented election of Joko Widodo as the new President and Ahok as the governor of Jakarta, both with ethnic Chinese origin.

The path to accept the Chinese Indonesians into the main stream of Indonesian life without discrimination is putting Indonesia on a clean slate to take full advantage of the industries of the Chinese Indonesians to grow its economic pie. Without the legacy of the Suharto regime in its way, Indonesia can embark on any economic model, tap on all the resources of its able citizenry to grow the economic pie. Allowing the Chinese Indonesians an unrestricted role is like starting another engine of growth in a capitalist modelled economy.

Indonesia is now free from its historical baggage of racial politics and political bickering to move forward confidently, to embrace all the positive elements of a secular state, to raise the standard of living of its people, through industrialisation and scientific modernisation. Without harping on the fear of a Chinese minority playing a bigger role than its population, the country could benefit greatly without compromising on the economic well being of its population at large. Indonesia is set to be the next economic powerhouse of Southeast Asia and could leapfrog the rest to stake its rightful claim as the biggest economy and biggest regional power in the region.

Malaysia could do likewise by tapping on the industries of the minority groups to grow at a faster pace. But the shackles of racial and religious politics are not easy to remove especially with the ultras in charge in UMNO. They have no new ideas on how to grow the economic pie other than to constrain the growth of the minority groups in the economy and enterprises just to prove that they are in charge. While Indonesia is tapping on a new growth engine in its ethnic minority, Malaysia under UMNO is preventing this engine of growth from being ignited to grow the economic pie.

What is UMNO afraid of? The dynamic non bumi minorities generating more economic output that put them to same or they could not manage to do likewise? With full control of political and military power, the Malay rights and interests would never be challenged and UMNO would be in a better position to distribute the new wealth generated by the non bumi minorities. Is that bad? Why is UMNO seeking to tie chains and shackles to prevent the non bumi minorities from doing what they could do best for the economy to benefit the country and people? With the non bumi minorities being curtailed in their economic endeavours, Malaysia is as good as firing on two cylinders.

The UMNO leadership is more interested in protecting its power than in the general well being of its populace. Would the new Malay elite be able to strip the UMNO leaders from its pole position in govt and lead Malaysia into a new path of economic growth, prosperity and secularism? Or would it remain locked and restrained by its past unenlightened policies while watching Indonesia run away uncontested and unchallenged to be the richest country in Southeast Asia? Malaysia has squandered away its lead in the economic fields and unlikely to move forward. It is wasting all its potential to be a much richer and prosperous nation, but instead to become a more religious and racist country with one foot in the mud, dragging and compromising on its economic development.

The new Malay elite have a tough road ahead to replace the backward looking UMNO leadership.

16 comments:

Veritas said...

All the progress of Indonesia has to do with Sukarno, so vilified by Kuan Yew and UMNO guys. Basically Sukarno is an enemy of Islamofascist and he laid down the foundation of secular Indonesia.

Then Singapore + Malaysia + USA + Australia + UK + Suharto + Islam gangster make a strange bedfellow and they took down Sukarno.

But Sukarno legacy stay on and now Indonesia is more or less trying hard to achieve his dreams. Also Indonesia elites can claim legitimacy of fighting the dutch for independence.

But Malaysia shit elites are bunch of Jap collaborators (many Indon also) whose independence are handed to them.

If you know their background, they are just pussy. So some clever man come out with a fucking idea for state building.

Make use of Islamofascism and create Chinese Pig (Cina Babi) as an enemy.

In short, Malaysian Malay fucking cina babi enemy is entirely fabricated out of thin air for mental masturbation.

Anonymous said...

The new Malay elite have a tough road ahead to replace the backward looking UMNO leadership.
RB

Tiok.

And I think for the same reasons the Sinkie opposition, but no elites really, have a tough time to replace the grow GDP at all costs, and having casinos if need be, PAP leadership.

Goh said...

Not interested on how others run their country or business but good that you reminded those koon king or professor here that our neighbour oso has minority like Jakarta governer Basuki Ahok playing his part to help the country.
Uncle.Help to think of a solution to make Sinkies happier instead of telling how others should run their business.

Anonymous said...

If Matland had been a modern, progressive country in the past and now, I think Sinkieland, just like non bumi ruled Penang, would have become another Matland state and not as independent nation since 1965.

Hence Sinkies are what they are now is also partly (or mostly?) due to what Matland has been all along.

Anonymous said...


Singapore Boleh! Johor Boleh!

Johor is very swift!

Johor is very smart!

Look at Johor Iskandar first big and extremely successful project.

Look, as reported, Johor is carry out land reclamation very very close to Singapore for its MEGA Forest City project.

As reported, Johor is also carry out land reclamation close to Singapore for its very very huge oil and gas hub project.

Also as reported, Johor is also talking about the CIQ issue and possible direct connection to second link with Singapore.

Indeed Johor Boleh!

Hahahahaha.....cheers.



Anonymous said...

RB, a good article. I fully agree with your assessment.

Politics should avoid religion. Politicians are to ensure better living for its people, good jobs and good pay. Affordable housing and safe environment. If Malaysia is able to move away from race and religion while concentrating on progress, it can over take Singapore in no more than one decade.

Anonymous said...

"The new Malay elite have a tough road ahead to replace the backward looking UMNO leadership."
-----

methinks " The new Opposition elite have a tough road ahead to replace the backward looking PAP Leedershit."

Anonymous said...

There is a housing project in JB where the developer is offering buy one get one free.

You think Iskandar is doing well? You think the land acquisition at the second link is going to be successful? Heard of over supply and no buyers?

Anonymous said...

Both UMNO leadership in Matland and PAP leadership in Sinkieland are bad, but for different reasons and under different circumstances.

And it has got nothing to do with race or religion really, but plenty to do with money, or rather getting and controlling money and wealth.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

As long as SE Asia has its ethnic Chinese populations doing business and creating wealth and opportunities through entrepreneurship, things will be OK.

If you take away the local Chinese culture and influence in cuntries like Malaysia and Indonesia, they would collapse into a steaming pile of religiously guided political shit.

This is not my view exclusively, but is one shared by people like Marc Faber and Jim Rogers.

Anonymous said...

You think the land acquisition at the second link is going to be successful?
Anon 10:42 am

The project is by a China developer. And whether successful business wise may not even be the key objective. Have u heard of entire "ghost" cities being built in China and even in Africa (Angola) by China? Why they do that, u may ask?

Anonymous said...


anonymous 10.50am.......

Very simple...tooooooo much money!

Anonymous said...

Spore should pray that UMNO remains in power. A little irritation now and then is better than for Malaysia to get its act together and be an economic success.

Then Spore will be in deep trouble competing with Malaysia on equal footing. Let them continue with their racial and religious priorities.

Anonymous said...

"Then Spore will be in deep trouble competing with Malaysia on equal footing. Let them continue with their racial and religious priorities."
January 16, 2015 11:05 am

Under PAP's current Leedershit, I'm so glad Singaporeans are enjoying so much success cleaning toilets, driving taxis and collecting old newspaper to sell.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@1105:

>> A little irritation now and then is better than for Malaysia to get its act together and be an economic success.

Actually Malaysia, by international metrics, is successful. However if you actually go there and observe, you will notice a culture of jealousy amongst the Malays---if a non-Malay is successful, they get jealous.

Thus you get a never-ending slew of that sentiment in Utusan Malaysia, the rag of a newspaper owned by UMNO. "Apa Cina mahu lagi?" (What more do the Chinese want?)....and of course right thru the Malaysian Malay communities is idea of "Cina Babi" passed down from parents to children.

OK, it is still quite peceful, because the society and economy is stable (although down at the moment)...but UMNO is counting on and contributing to the racial divide between the ethnic Malays and the other ethnic communities.

That culture is one that feeds on itself. Cultures can change over time. However I don't sense any changes here.

I go to Malaysia often, I have a Malaysian work permit. I do a lot of observation there. You walk around and most of the thriving businesses are owned and managed by non-Malays. You cannot help it but ask some painful and non-politically correct questions....but of course discussing cultural differences especially strength, weakness and dominance rarely conducts itself rationally without degenerating into a battle of racial slurs and stereotypes.

Without her ethnic Chinese population, Malaysia long ago "tak boleh".

b said...

Racial and religion tensions are created by elite rulers to divide the people up and control them accordingly to their wishes. Just a form of smokescreen created to cover their incompetence and continuation of amassing great wealth (and wives) by exploiting the people (aka exploited class) weakness.

All along is a class war. The ruling class versus the exploited class. Who is really behind all those talibo, isi, alquedo? The answer : an elite group of rulers who will most benefit from all those tensions.

Love of monies is the root of all evils.