Malaysia: A Nation In Waiting?

All great nations grow from hard lessons in history.

I attended a talk on the NEP recently, organized by Youth for Change (Y4C) which hosted 2 panelists - the economic historian Dr Lim Teck Ghee and the Parti Keadilan Rakyat treasurer, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

As I observed the dynamics between the speakers, the discussants and the (generally urban, middle-class and above and educated) audience within the Bar Council Auditorium - it occured to me just how far away we are, from being a nation, despite being an independent country, for almost 50 years.

It seems like the races in Malaysia are constantly talking at each other, than to each other.

And my conclusion remains the same: no lesson will be learnt and no progress will be made via rational dialogue and persuasion here - because there is still so much social distrust between the races and many differing orientations and interpretations of what this country should be, by so many.

And everyone - be they liberal, conservative, religious fanatic or insular racial bigot - think that they have the correct perspective of what this country should be. And unfortunately, almost everyone communicates it in an insensitive way that's corrosive to the trust that they need to build with each other - in order to move forward.

Perhaps, it's too difficult to come to a singular aim, definition or perspective - whatever you may say about Vision 2020 - hardly anyone is walking the talk. And sometimes, even those who talk about national unity - hardly realize that their actions are corroding the trust between the races - a necessary ingredient in racial integration.

Perhaps, the only way that Malaysians will learn to narrow down the perimeters and at least, not to tear apart from each other, is if we to pay the consequences for our denial and apathy or maybe, some of our unreasonable demands and resistance to change.

The hard lesson that Malaysia will learn will not be catalysed by greater inter-racial understanding - it will be catalysed by an economic regression, led by the loss of Malaysia's growth and competitiveness in a globalized world.

When the majority of Malaysians will come to understand that we are being surpassed and left behind by many other advancing and maturing developing countries and that the Government is truly incapable of keeping at bay, the dogs of poverty, political corruption, rising living costs and inflation - perhaps then, the pride of our leaders will pave the way for a fundamental rethink and the necessary courage to lead all Malaysians (and Malaysia) into a new direction.

A direction that shows us that the competition is not between us here, in Malaysia - it's with the rest of the world, out there. There is no merit in fighting over the crumbs of shrinking domestic wealth between the races, in today's globalized world. The true measure of wealth, economic progress and competitiveness is out there, not in Malaysia.

Although it will be a sad day indeed, if what it takes for Malaysians to be race-blind and to begin thinking as nation - is for all of us, to be inadvertantly driven to be equally economically poor, as one another.

There is no point in being equal, at the cost of our collective detriment, in the long run. There is absolutely no virtue in being equally poor, in an economically regressive country.

But that's probably what it takes for change to happen in a country, where the leaders and its people are in constant denial and hanging on to a worldview that was shaped to correct past historical injustices - you have to pay the ultimate price, before you choose to wake up to the unforgiving reality, before us.

History rarely rewards countries with good intentions alone, but is politically immature, culturally tolerant of corruption, administratively paralysed and gradually becoming economically regressive.

When you keep your eyes firmly on the past, you are bound to trip and fall in your march to the future. Maybe if your leg starts bleeding, you will learn to keep your view strictly on the path, in front of you.

Whatever you do, my advice is - don't keep all your eggs in one basket.

Malaysia (and the majority of Malaysians) will willy-nilly take its time to learn this lesson - but most of us whom already know what's coming - should not. Prepare yourself for a soft landing and save your families.

And when the time and realization comes and the necessary lessons have been learnt the hard way - come help Malaysia rebuild again, on correct, better and stronger foundations, in forging a Malaysian nation that has the capacity to move forward - together.