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| Dr Mahathir and the BN's hegemony
Demolishing the myths that sustain their rule
by Francis Loh Please support our work by buying a copy of our print publication, Aliran Monthly, from your nearest news-stand. Better still take out a subscription now. We also welcome donations.
This is sometimes referred to as the ideology or propaganda of the rulers. But the concept of �hegemony� is a more useful term. It refers to a set of political beliefs, or myths, which penetrates beyond the minds into the hearts, to the extent that the ideology of the rulers becomes the views, the beliefs, the culture of the people themselves. For religious people, the concept of hegemony is not difficult to understand. We are talking of a phenomenon very close to the notion of faith. Put another way, those in power begin to rule with the consent of the people. Now, this makes for lasting domination of the rulers over the ruled without having to resort to the use of force regularly. Five Central Tenets There are several central tenets in this belief system about Malaysian politics. First, because we are a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society, and quite naturally rub against another occasionally, we have been made to believe (erroneously) that we cannot cooperate with one another spontaneously. Accordingly, we accept rather than question the prejudices, discrimination and even demonisation of the other which have become common place. Mutual trust of one another is not fostered. Often, if the other party is noticeably religious, these negative feelings become even stronger. Second, left to ourselves, we supposedly begin to fight with one another. By definition, therefore, the multi-ethnic multi-religious Malaysian society is conflict-prone. Accordingly, too much freedom and too much politics can be bad. Curbs on certain freedoms and on politics are considered necessary. For many of us, the ISA, OSA, UUCA, Printing Presses and Publications Act, Societies Act, Police Act, etc are therefore considered necessary and justified. Indeed, a strong state is justified. Third, we need a set of leaders who can represent our ethno-religious interests and yet be acceptable to the others, to negotiate with one another on our behalf. The BN, a coaliton of ethnic-based political parties becomes, therefore, the appropriate vehicle. As they have been in power since 1957, the leaders of the Barisan Nasional appear to be the natural set of leaders required. They are often considered �moderates�.
Fourth, the 46 years of BN rule has contributed to the belief that it is only when the BN is in power that political stability will prevail and economic growth be guaranteed. The political turbulence and the economic slowdown which occurred in Sabah over the past decade was often mistakenly attributed to PBS rule. In fact, the turbulence was a result of political intrigue and money politics perpetrated by the BN. And the economic slowdown in Sabah was a direct result of the denial of federal development funds by the BN federal government to the democratically elected PBS state government in Kota Kinabalu. Similarly, the PAS-led Kelantan state government was also denied federal development funds causing a lag in development in that state. Identifying the real sources of political instability and economic slowdown in these two cases is important because it exposes the myth that only the BN can promote political stability and economic growth. In fact, the Barisan Nasional, reluctant to share power and public resources with the duly elected PBS and PAS state governments, was the cause of political instability and the economic slowdown in both states. Ignorance and disinformation, as in these cases, perpetuate the belief that political and economic chaos would result if the opposition comes to power. This set of beliefs penetrated deep into the minds and hearts of many Malaysians especially during the 1990s when Malaysia experienced rapid economic growth. This growth enabled the construction of those icons of growth � the Twin Towers, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Putrajaya, the Multimedia Super Corridor and the Light Rail Transit System. No doubt, a majority of Malaysians materially benefited from that growth too. A sense of �feel good� prevailed. And since Dr Mahathir presided over all these achievements, a fifth belief - that it was not simply the Barisan Nasional which facilitated Malaysia�s success but Dr Mahathir himself - began to gain credence. In short there developed a belief that Dr Mahathir was indispensable, that under him Malaysia Boleh, and Malaysia became the envy of all. Denying our humanity This set of beliefs is absolutely demeaning to the human spirit.
Secret of Malaysia's success We need to counter this set of BN political beliefs by discussing an alternative explanation of why Malaysia has been successful for so long. For it is in spite of money politics and nepotism, the resort to communalism and the manipulation of ethno-religious sentiments by political leaders, indeed, in spite of BN rule or Dr Mahathir�s leadership, that economic development has occurred, political stability been maintained, and inter-ethnic harmony sustained. We must therefore understand the secret of Malaysia�s success lest we shortchange ourselves. Decent and tolerant Ironically, although the hegemony of this set of beliefs prevails, Malaysians have been ever ready to co-operate and help one another, to tolerate and dialogue with one another, especially in their everyday encounters with others � at work, at play, in schools or in each other�s homes. Why, we even co-celebrate our various religious festivals. Indeed, we have compassion for others and abhor conflict and violence. Such decency and fair-mindedness which is perennial and part of the human spirit, endures, regardless of who our leaders are, no matter which party is in power. It is the secret behind Malaysia�s long-standing inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony. Hardworking and responsible Likewise, the fundamental reason for Malaysia�s economic success is our most precious resource: the Malaysian people. The majority of the Malaysian work force are responsible, disciplined, hard-working and productive - a secret which the foreign investors are aware of. This is no doubt true of the workers in the manufacturing sector (be it the electronic and electrical or the footwear or apparel industries), in the financial and service sectors, as well as the agricultural. It is even more true when they are paid adequately, treated fairly and allowed to maintain their dignity. We also have a large number of professionals - lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, surveyors, computer scientists and educators � who are responsible, knowledgeable and fair-minded. Most business people, bankers, industrialists and developers are also honest, hardworking, capable and sometimes innovative. We even have artists, dancers, actors, playwrights, film-makers, musicians and entertainers who are creative and at times provocative. And of course we have lots of good cooks too. But perhaps there are too many good salespersons employed in the department stores and shopping malls selling us goods which we do not really need. All these groups have contributed to Malaysia�s economic well-being and the richness of Malaysia�s life and will continue to do so regardless of whoever is in power. The civil service Additionally, our political stability owes much to the presence of a civil service that is relatively efficient and hardworking, though perhaps bogged down too much by red-tape. Admittedly, the upper echelon of the civil service has been politicised. Top posts are often filled by individuals who have been promoted not because of proven capabilities, nor seniority, but often because of their political connections. They develop into sycophants. There have been unnecessary extravagance and wastage and too much emphasis on the form rather than the substance of things. Nonetheless, the lower and middle levels continue to be filled by hardworking people who are not paid adequately for the good work they put in. The teachers in our educational service at the primary, secondary and tertiary-levels are a case in point. The surgeons and specialists, medical officers, nurses and technical aides in our general hospitals, district hospitals and rural clinics are another group of dedicated civil servants. The uniformed units (fire and rescue, immigration, military and even the police force especially its traffic, crime and drug enforcement wings) also deserve praise. There are also many heroes at the clerical level, in the pensions department, in the welfare services, in the drainage and irrigation department, etc. They will continue to provide services to the public regardless of who is in power. Mothers and wives Finally, in spite of the hype about bohsia, lepak, youth gangs, drug addiction, etc, we continue to have a very strong familial system irrespective of our different ethnic or religious backgrounds. Mothers and wives continue to perform very important roles at home. They pass on to the young a set of good values that enable them to contribute to society. They also ensure that there�s food on the table for family members. They continue to perform these fundamental tasks which cement our society together without receiving a wage, without due recognition from society, or enough help from the men-folk. They, too, will continue to contribute to Malaysia�s success and stability irrespective of who is in power. Conclusion Malaysia has been blessed with rich resources, especially its decent and tolerant, hardworking and responsible people. Credit must also be given to Dr Mahathir and the BN for some of its policies which have brought the best out of the Malaysian people. However, Dr Mahathir and the BN government have also been responsible for the nepotism and cronyism that surrounds us; much wastage and unnecessary physical manifestations of grandeur; erosion of the rule of law and loss of freedom. There is no need to heap lavish praises as the sycophants are doing;. even less to set up whole institutes to study his wisdom and thoughts. We need to evaluate more objectively the reasons for Malaysia�s success and to expose the bankruptcy of the BN�s set of political myths. In truth, a normal country changes its leaders and even the ruling parties often. This is a healthy thing. Now e-mail us and tell us what you think. | |||||||||||||||
The 46 years of BN rule has contributed to the belief that it is only when the BN is in power that political stability will prevail and economic growth be guaranteed.
