Mahathir Bin Mohammad as National Equivocator

7/17/2019 Mahathir Bin Mohammad as National Equivocator

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MALAYSIAN STUDIES

(MPW 2133)

Semester May 2015

Book Review: Mahathir binMohammad as National

Equivocator

Book Name : Malay Dilemma

Author Name: Mahathir Bin Mohammad

Review By: Muhammad Jafer

Hashmani

ID: 22223

Program: Petroleum Engineering



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Kamal, our lecturer for his great effort in delivering his

knowledge to us during this semester. Also, we would like to extend our thanks to him for being

an open person to ideas, and for encouraging us to give our opinions and ideas throughout the

semester. In addition, we would like to express our deep gratitude and respect to the U!"s I#$

for providing us with books which gave us more information about our topic.

Finall%, we are ver% grateful to all of our peers and fellow students who have helped us along this

semester to finish this pro&ect.

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TABE !" #!NTENT$

'. Introduction

(. )iterature #eview

*. he significant of the book to Mala%sian +tudies

. $ounter Arguments about Mahathirism

.' -nd of mahathirism

.( earing down Mahathirism

. $onclusion

/. #eferences

MAHATHIR MOHAMAD AS A CULTURAL RELATIVIST:

%



MAHATHIRISM ON HUMAN RIGHTS

INTRODUCTION

0ou can expect all sort of sentiments when it comes to uan 1r. Mahathir. 2ust b% his name, %ou

can get all varieties of responses3 (4 1ecember '5( was the date when this ma&estic human was

born at Alor Sitar, Kedah. Mahathir Mohammad served Mala%sia as !rime minister for

lo!" #ear$ %&'(& ) **+. It can be considered as -The Golde! Era o. Mala#$ia/ because of

the huge developments that took place3 6ot onl% that, but Mahathir Mohammad was Mala%sia"s

lo!"e$t $er0i!" 1rime Mi!i$ter and holds a strong position amongst one of the lo!"e$t $er0i!"

leader$ in entire A$ia2

In m% book review, I would be discussing about what he, 1r. Mahathir Mohammad, had done to

Mala%sia and what are people"s perspective about him. his magnificent countr% became a

Modern Industrial 6ation from an under developed countr%3 his evolution was experienced

when it was 1r. Mahathir"s regime3

1r Mahathir has given a lot of his time and endless contribution to Mala%sia during his tenanc%

as !rime Minister of Mala%sia. o uphold and toughen the racial harmon% within Mala%sia was

his first most prioriti7ed ob&ective3 Improvised the position of the Mala%s in the business sector

and other matter in response to maintain the balance of opportunit% for ever%one3 Furthermore

Unit% between the M3lti4Ra5ial Mala#$ia!$ under one countr% was practiced successfull%3

8hich brought an end to dispute amongst the races and a start to ever9prospering and peaceful

Mala%sia. o make Mala%sia countr% with a national audience and one of the richest and most

successful countries throughout the world, 1r Mahathir had sort out a wa% to accomplish this.

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Mahathir had a significant impact on the econom%, culture and government of Mala%sia. :e won

five consecutive elections and served for (( %ears, longer than an% other prime minister in

Mala%sia"s histor%. Under him, Mala%sia experienced rapid economic growth. :e began

privati7ing government enterprises, including airlines, utilities and telecommunications, which

raised mone% for the government and improved working conditions for man% emplo%ees,

although man% of the beneficiaries were UM6; supporters. ;ne of his most significant

infrastructure pro&ects was the 6orth9+outh -xpresswa%, a highwa% that runs from the hai

border to +ingapore.

From '5<< to '55/, Mala%sia saw an < percent economic expansion, and Mahathir released an

economic plan=he 8a% Forward, or >ision (4(4=asserting that the countr% would be a full%

developed nation b% (4(4. :e helped shift the countr%"s economic base awa% from agriculture

and natural resources and toward manufacturing and exporting, and the countr%"s per capita

income doubled from '554 to '55/. Although Mala%sia"s growth has slowed and it"s unlikel% the

countr% will achieve this goal, the econom% remains stable.

?ut in spite of these accomplishments, Mahathir leaves a mixed legac%. Although he began his

first term conservativel%, during the '5<4s Mahathir became more authoritarian. In '5<@ he

instituted the Internal +ecurit% Act, which permitted him to close four newspapers and order the

arrests of '4/ activists, religious leaders and political opponents, including Anwar Ibrahim, his

former deput% prime minister. :e also altered the constitution to restrictive the interpretive

power of the +upreme $ourt, and he forced a number of high9ranking members to resign.

Mahathir"s record on civil liberties, as well as his criticisms of 8estern economic policies and

industriali7ed nations" policies toward developing countries, made his relationships with the

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United +tates, ?ritain and Australia difficult. :e banned The New York Times and The Wall Street

Journal for printing negative editorials about him, and supported a national law condemning

drug smugglers to death, resulting in the execution of several 8estern citi7ens.

Mahathir retired in (44*, and remains an active and visible part of Mala%sia"s political

landscape. :e is an ardent critic of !rime Minister Abdullah ?adawi, whom he chose to succeed

him.

According to #.+. Milne and 1iane K. Mau7% '555B '/<C, DMahathirism is not a guide to

Mahathir"s thoughts or actions. #ather, Mahathir"s thoughts and actions are a guide to

constructing Mahathirism. Mahathirism is an exercise in allocating thoughts into logical

categories with the aim of achieving intellectual satisfaction and understandingE.

As an advocate of DA$ia! 0al3e$E, Mahathir Mohamad, former !rime Minister who controlled

Mala%sia from '5<' till (44*, explained that Mala%9Islamic $ulture is based on -A$ia! Val3e$/

of Mala%sian"s perspectives and it should be protected and prevented against the adaption of

8estern >alues. :e believed that universalism or the 8estern liberal notion of human rights

might corrupt Mala%sian culture and religious beliefs, :e urged the three most basic components

of -Mala#!e$$/ which includes 6e3dali$m, I$lami5 1ra5ti5e$ a!d The Traditio!al C3$tom$7

In response to campaign against -We$ter! Val3e$/ and his concerns about the influence of

8estern Individualism, and the future of Asian values and Asian" traditions. :e accepted the idea

of cultural relativism and launched the -Loo8 Ea$t/ polic%. In '5<(, Mahathir ordered United

Mala%s 6ational ;rgani7ations UM6;C to look east and to imitate the diligence found there and

get rid ourselves of the 8estern values that Mala%sians have adapted.

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6atural law, )iberal9Individual and embodied in International :uman rights law, for example,

he Universal 1eclaration of :uman #ights %&'9( and the rest on the proposition that the

human attributes are uniue, and that all humans consist of certain inalienable rights, gave birth

to the idea of -U!i0er$ali$m/7

Universal is a term which has been interpreted b% others to mean that no institution or person

an%where ma% take awa% the rights of other human being. It"s a completel% different matter to

enforce such rights3 In short, these three meanings, Idea of Universalism was argued b% 1onoll%

and he consider it is D:uman rights, because the% rel% on nobod% other than being human, are

universal, eual, and inalienable. he% are held b% all human beings, universall%G:uman rights,

being held b% ever% person against the state and societ%, :e provided a framework for political

organi7ations and a standard of political legitimac%.E 1onnell%, (44'B 'C. In contrast, cultural

relativism in definition Dis the assertion that human values, far from being universal, var% a great

deal according to different cultural perspectives. +ome would appl% this relativism to the

promotion, protection, interpretation and application of human rights which could be interpreted

differentl% within different cultural, ethnic and religious traditions. In other words, according to

this view, human rights are culturall% relative rather than universalE A%ton9+henker, '55B 'C.

)



STRONG GOVERNMENT

In 8estern culture, the idea of breaking point government is a t%pical practice where the

administration mediations in individual freedoms and the econom% are constrained b% law, as a

rule in a constitution. his idea is firml% connected with libertarianism and established

progressivism in the 8est. It has roots in :ebraic )aw and Magna $arta and the U+ $onstitution

are samples of constraining of government forces in 8estern $ivilisation. Mahathir, on the other

hand, contended that individuals in Asian nations have confidence in the thought of solid

government, not constrained government or state moderation. Mahathir '555B @@9@<C said that

Mala%sians AsiansC ought to regard power on the grounds that power ensures social strengthB

without power and solidness there can be no consideration, even a 8estern culture praising

individual rights, will section and turn out to be more disarranged. In an% case, Mahathir

contended that solid power does not obviousl% mean authoritarian rulers. Indeed, Mahathir

conceded that despite ever%thing he has confidence in popular government, in light of the fact

that vote based s%stem empowers the evacuation of a pioneer without carnage. In an% case, he

contended that even inside of the most vote based framework, natives must pa% due admiration

to government and comprehend the reuirement for sound harmon% between individual rights

and commitments towards societ%.

hen again, Mahathir has made a stride further b% empowering feudalistic reliabilit% among

individuals to his administration. $ase in point, in the wake of warding off a test to his

administration of the UM6; at its general get together in '55/, Mahathir reminded his gathering

of people that Has indicated b% Mala% customG it is inconsiderate for somebod% who sits in the

same board of trustees or bureau to challenge another who likewise happens to be his supervisorH

$ase, (44(B '5C. he UM6;s lasting seat had before made the same point, exhorting that while

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administration difficulties were formall% allowed in the part%s constitution, reall% to mount one

spurned social understandingsJ HAs indicated b% Mala% convention, it is foul pla%H $ase, (44(B

'5C. his, in an% case, plainl% demonstrates how the political first class have abused Mala%

societ% and Asian values keeping in mind the end goal to legitimi7e their despotic authorit%

THE SIGNI6ICANT O6 THE OOK TO MALA;SIAN STUDIES

he fundamental book that has been utili7ed for this task was, !olitics in emporar% Asia

Mala%sia, Mahathirism, :egemon% and the 6ew ;pposition, composed b% 2ohn :ille%, let us

learn or stud% about Mala%sia as a countr%, since the investigation of a countr% is not simpl% the

investigation of its social and financial framework, it incorporates likewise its political

framework which has an extraordinar% essentialness for a countr%. +hould be accentuated that the

book clarified how the fourth president of Mala%sia 1r. Mahathir receptacle Mohamad changed

Asia9!acific e%ewitnesses perspective of Mala%sia from numerous points of viewJ the most

imperative was that rather than pioneer pictures, the arrangement of assessments from the west

changed and Mala%sia picked up the picture of a worldwide free enterprise. As the econom% of

Mala%sia progressed, the Mala%sian executive, 1r. Mahathir Mohamad could assert the

difficulties of bridling a Mala% business class and accommodating Mala% benefits which are

under Article '* of he Mala%sian $onstitution. he target of these procurements, as we learnt

in Mala%sian +tudies, is a thought to bring Mala%s and the ?umiputras of +abah and +arawak to

the same financial and instruction status as alternate races and the procurements includes the

extraordinar% reservation of portions for grants, posts in the general population administration,

business and industrial licenses as well as land reserves +omething else that makes this book

important to Mala%sian +tudies is not &ust on the grounds that it lets us know the 8estern

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profound respect that took put when Mahathir held the post of head administrators, the book

additionall% detail us some greatest difficulties that 1r. Mahathir confronted. ;ne of this

difficulties happened b% mid9'55@ when Mala%sia was not able to oppose the surge of worldwide

business strengths and felt the stun of coin and securities exchange breakdown, social

disengagement and political change, reaching a state of perfection in the emergenc% of 1eput%

!rime Minister Anwar Ibrahims release, trial and sentencing b% April '555.

As we said some time recentl%, Mahathir did not &ust has a decent time when he was

administering, he confronted inward difficulties and one of them was the intricate associations

with Anwar, however as it is connected in the book, the greatest test went ahead his '/9%ear

standard, when Mahathir was confronting the antagonistic vibe of 8estern establishments, as

well as the apparition of prominent turmoil, contradicting components inside UM6; and the

rising issue of Anwar himself.

As we said sooner or later as of late, Mahathir did not simpl% has a conventional time when he

was controlling, he defied internal challenges and one of them was the unpredictable relationship

with Anwar, however as it is &oined in the book, the best test proceeded his '/9%ear standard,

when Mahathir was going up against the opposing vibe of 8estern foundations, and in addition

the specter of unmistakable turmoil, repudiating segments inside UM6; and the rising issue of

Anwar himself.

he book presents us the genuine picture of a decent pioneer as Mahathir was the point at which

he battled to give a &olt to internal venture, mechanical headwa% and riches creation testing

8estern standards and set Mala%sias accomplishment as a particular result of the Asian wa%.

he creator highlight how Mahathir utili7ed a post9pilgrim most widel% used language to test

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8esterns, and as a characteri7ing image of that he had con&ured the phantom of the record9

softening !etronas twin towers up Kuala )umpur as a celebrator% proclamation of national

accomplishment ma%be even a two9fingered signal to the old pioneer reuestC. From the book

we take in the histor% and the motivation behind the !etronas towersJ as the writer uncovered, for

Mahathir, the towers mirror the feeling of dualit% with the westB a detachment of characters

standing together in strained nearness, a representation of the consistent meeting and clash of

thoughts.

2ohn :ille% additionall% discusses Mahathirs undertaking of >ision (4(4B a millennial image of

development, riches creation and countr% expanding on an uncommon scale. In tr%ing to

accomplish financial development and 6I$ recentl% industriali7ed nationC status b% that %ear,

Mahathir has tried to arouse the general population creative abilit% through thoughts of a

common vision of flourishing. he >isions speaks to the test of monetar% advancement, as well

as the ver% glorification of national9prominent solidarit%B an idea caught in the >ision perfect of

?angsa one countr%C Mala%sia. For the creator the message inside of the >ision concerns the

arrangement of points postured b% the >isions 6ine $hallenges confronting all Mala%sians, a

contract for the financial advancement, national &oining and social groupB

The mai! is the test of building up a united Mala%sian countr%, with a feeling of regular and

shared fate. his must be a countr% content with itself, regionall% and ethnicall% coordinated,

living in agreement and full and reasonable association, made of one ?angsa Mala%sia with

political reliabilit% and commitment to the countr%.

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The $e5o!d is the test of making a mentall% freed, secure and created Mala%sian culture with

confidence and trust in itself, legitimatel% pleased with what it is, of what it is expert.

The third test is the improvement of an experienced euitable societ%, honing a t%pe of adult

consensual, group situated Mala%sian ma&orit% rule government that can be a model for some

creating nations.

The .o3rth is the test of setting up a completel% moral and moral societ%, whose sub&ects are

solid in religious and pervaded with the most astounding of moral principles.

The .i.th is the test of setting up a full grown, liberal and tolerant societ% in which Mala%sians of

all hues and doctrines are allowed to rehearse and declare their traditions, societies and religious

convictions and feel that the% have a place with one countr%.

The <th is the test of building up an investigative and d%namic culture, a general public that is

creative and forward9looking, and one that is a customer of innovation as well as a donor to

explorator% and mechanical human advancement without bounds.

The $e0e!th is the test of building up a completel% minding societ% and a minding culture, a

social framework in which societ% will precede self, in which the welfare of the individuals will

rotate not around the state or the individual but rather around an in number and versatile famil%

framework.

The ei"hth is the test of guaranteeing and monetaril% &ust societ%. his is a general public where

there is a reasonable and fair conve%ance of the abundance of the countr%, in which there is full

organi7ation in monetar% advancement.

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he ninth is the test of setting up a prosperous societ%, with an econom% that is completel%

aggressive, powerful, vigorous and strong.

As a resume, this book is essential for the investigation of Mala%sian histor% in light of the fact

that other than of simpl% letting us know the political direction of 1r. Mahathir receptacle

Mohamad, it let us see the western perspective about Mahathir and his legislative issues, so we

can differentiate what the% &udge about him and the truth of Mala%sia as a result of his awesome

work. :ere and there westerns misconstrue others countries and mainland"s their method for

doing thing and the% need to force their state of mindJ however give us a chance to sa% that

Mahathir directed his politic a route as indicated b% the social character of Mala%sia and did

extraordinar%.

Co3!ter Ar"3me!t a=o3t Mahathiri$m :

E!d o. Mahathiri$m>

oward the starting would we sa% we are seeing the end of MahathirismL 8e can see a parallel

to this s%ntagmatic thought in the present incident in Mala%sian histor%. he late instance of ex9

agent chief Anwar Ibrahims interest for pa% of #M'44 million from the previous head, now

sub&ect Mahathir, speaks to the t%pical end of Mahathirisms predominance and the start of the

HburstH in Mala%sian governmental issues. 8e are seeing the end of an age and the start of

deconstructionism.

he letter of interest to the leader of (( %ears is an image of the solid winds of progress that keep

on being fuelled b% the appearance of Internet innovation, the enlarging of vote based spaces,

and the developing risk to the strength of !ax ?arisan 6asionalisma.

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8e can likewise see the allegor% of tearing down the divider in Mala%sian political ideological

situation and see the picture of Mahathir as illustration of the last man and the end of histor% as

we have figured out how to be molded b%. ;ne discusses HismsH as procedure arranged

ideological walk established upon the authorit% of a thought whose time was made to come. 8e

see it as a HmonadH or a crossroads ever or as Antonio ramsci would sa%, a chronicled suare

that has come to fruition as an outcome of a cr%stalli7ation and sub9cr%stalli7ation of a thought

advanced as scholarl% and good initiative.

+ince Mahathir verbali7ed well his translation of the Mala% 1ilemma and on the grounds that the

Mala%s when all is said in done see it as a report that examined the past, present, and eventual

fate of the Mala%s, the author of the banned book accordingl% picked up power as !M. 1ilema

Mela%uNhe Mala% 1ilemma, as investigated b% the anthropologist 1r +%ed :usin Ali for

instance, was defective in its examination of Mala% socio9societ% and hereditar% based

contention on the mediocrit% of the Mala%s.

It got to be prominent in light of the fact that Mala% government officials did not read enough to

scrutini7e the presentation of the issue and that the time was read% to counter an% push to set up a

multi9social political front to occup% the countr% off the capture of race9based legislative issues.

)ike #eaganism, hatcherism, and different t%pes of HismsH connected with the power of

corporate9capital nexused in a post9Fordist t%pe of corporate9modern political9scholarl%

complex, Mahathirism is a belief s%stem.

8hile numerous ma% differ with the HembodimentH of a neo9colonialist plan in that term

Mahathirism, and actuall% one that ma% further praise the individual, I see it important to keep

on having it HnamedH so that one ma% deconstruct and rename it.

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Mahathirism, is an image of the predominance of one individual whose political life9histor%

rotates around the keeping up of, getting, supporting, combining, and homogeni7ing aggregate

force through an astute creating of a progression of hegemonic arrangements. It la%s on the

theor% of we versus them and the dichotomisation of political strengths and on the acts of a

more advanced form of the colonialist separation, overcomes, and guideline techniue.

hese Machiavellian9plans rest upon a more propelled framework for industrialist development

affectionatel% called the Asian9st%le vote based s%stem. It is &ustifiable then that the present

organi7ation called the countr% to grasp the idea of 0ing 0ang in a countr% that moves the hip

&ump and the chose agents doing the bebop while the adolescents are about9facing to doing the

stone and roll.

Mahathirism is a crossroads in histor% that profit b% the pre98ar on errorism time of worldwide

financial blast, pre95N'' accurac%, and one that helped fuel the econom% through obtained monies

and acuired ideal models of monetar% improvement, and one that gave a limitless ticket to ride

till the %ear (4(4 8awasan (4(4C to the decision part%.

In the now widel% acclaimed political9anthropological investigation of the apathetic locals, the

colonialists painted the picture of inactivit% amongst the Mala%s, Indonesians and the Filipinos.

In toda%s examination, the picture of the local is the mechanical and advanced horticultural

laborer changed into sluggish scholars and glad customers through the structurations of the

h%permodern industrialist framework.

In Mahathirism, innovation shapes awareness and changes the social relations of generation,

changing scenes of nature into enormous land undertakings, for example, the Multimedia +uper

$orridor 9 changing the wa% we live, transportNteleport ourselves, and the example of utili7ation

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and recreation. he individuals who own the method for importing innovation from abroad, with

paid guidance from International Advisor% !anels, claim the method for changing awareness and

subseuentl% will characteri7e the presence of the locals, through the h%per9present da% Asiatic

method of generation.

Teari!" do?! Mahathiri$m:

+paces of dialogue are being created, a s%mbol of the tearing down the walls of Mahathirism.

he deafening call for an inuir% into the award of Approved !ermits, the setting up of the

Mala%sian Institute of Integrit%, the repeated calls to provide the academic communit% with signs

and s%mbols of academic freedom, the bo%cott of campus elections, and the growing demand of

the economicall% marginalised to be attended to 9 all these represent the possible end of

Mala%sian histor% as we know it.

As an intense observer of dictatorship and hegemonic s%stems that has been created b% human, I

am particularl% interested in anal%7ing how these brawls for a multicultural, cosmotheandric, and

Oconscientisation"9ised pattern of struggle continue. I was reminded b% the theme

O!ostmodernism, or the cultural logic of late capitalism" b% Frederic 2ameson, an American

)iterar% heorist, as I wrote about the separations, the diminishing of affect, the sense of

fragmentation, and the clichPs and alternation of the rand narratives in Mala%sian politics in

general, and in the deconstructionism of Mahathirism in particular.

I would suggest that Mala%sian social scientists are interested in deconstructionist philosophies

and to stud% these developments, so that we ma% construct newer theories of hegemon% and

totalitarianism, inspired b% and in honor of the work of +%ed :ussein Alatas. )et us explore what

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the new m%th of the la7% natives mean through our anal%sis of Othe end of Mala%sian histor% and

the last man".

CONCLUSION

According to m% point of view, it can be concluded that Mahathirism or Mahathir"s !oint of view

about human being rights is totall% aligned with the theor% itself and not to forget the philosoph%

of $ultural #elativism. Furthermore, Mala%sian unuestionabl% alleged that Mala%sians cultural

tradition and political realities should be distant from the impact of Universalism and 8estern

)iberalism. In terms of -A$ia! Val3e$/ he Mala%sian"s restrictions are defended with strongest

effects and influences of Mala%9Islamic ideals. 8hich sets them reall% further apart from

-U!i0er$ali$t We$ter! Li=eral Val3e$/, as for the roles the% pla% in societ% and social life is

how the state has answered to them3 $ultural terms includes the Mahathir"s argument of Asian

>alues is not a single scheme3 In fact it"s a collection of reactions and related arguments which

goes against universalism or the western eccentricit% and Universalism

Moreover, it can be said that its people"s comportment that has to be stimulated not b% the

apprehensions of the individual rights but b% their obligations and social responsibilities. he

approach made b% the thesis of A$ia! Val3e$ is suggested that it is the onl% through an orderl%

societ% which restrains the extremes of Individualism that ever% member of the communit% can

live happ%, fulfilled, safe and sound lives3 It"s the responsibilit% of a government that it should

must secure such environment b% limiting individual"s freedoms and enforcing a balance

between civilian"s liberties and social stabilities. 8ell it was obvious that $ritics perceptibl%

disputed the Mahathir"s purported intention in a restricting human rights3 Arguing with his real

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purpose was to achieve these issues as a &ustification for curtailing the opposition and making his

position stronger and powerful3

From a h%pothetical point of view, it must be accepted that Mahathirism had not onl% provided

much of a challenge to win over the 8estern !olitical ;utlooks. As for this, he faced number of

criticism for example that Mahathirism is &ust a cover for a philosophical contest of Universalism

and $ultural #elativism. Mahathir"s %pical Asian critics of 8estren >alues. herefore

Mahathirism is unchallengeable, a t%pe of $ultural #elativism. As nicel% said b% Mahathir DG

the norms and precepts for the observance of human rights var% from societ% to societ% and from

one period to another within the same societ%E

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Mahathir Bin Mohammad as National Equivocator

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