January 10, 2012
Azeem Ibrahim: Malaysian ruling offers hope of change
“The comeback kid of Malaysian politics represents a rare breed in Muslim politics. He is political figure who traverses the lines of Muslim traditionalism and liberalism more effectively than almost anyone else on the global scene today. In this year of the Arab Spring, a figure like Anwar, unburdened by the daily distraction of the trial, can be a potent and credible voice for reform in Malaysia and across the Muslim world. “—Azeem Ibrahim
THOUGH his innocence was never in question, the acquittal in the Anwar Ibrahim trial came as a surprise to those of us who have been closely following events in Malaysia.
In 1998, Anwar faced a similar ordeal, which landed him solitary confinement for 15 years. His real crime was launching a popular uprising against the rule of then prime minister, Mahathir Mohamed.
Viewed as a threat to the ruling party’s status quo, Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister and finance minister, arrested and sentenced after a trial that was marred by political interference, falsification of evidence, blackmailing, coercion and torture of witnesses, harassment of defence lawyers, and refusal to admit witness testimony favourable to the accused.
Anwar’s current trial mimicked many of those irregularities and, therefore, left many of us expecting the worse in advance of today’s verdict.
In January last year I, along with my colleague Mehmet Celebi, penned a short report for the
Obama administration on the background of the trial and why the United States must protest against this charade. On examining all the evidence available to us and conducting a number of “off the record” interviews, it became very clear to us very quickly that the entire basis of the current trial was questionable.
We therefore concluded that the continuation of this trial was a clear and present danger to democracy consolidation in a country regarded as being one of the only fully developed democracies in the Muslim world. An attribute that Dr Anwar himself could take credit for.
The comeback kid of Malaysian politics represents a rare breed in Muslim politics. He is political figure who traverses the lines of Muslim traditionalism and liberalism more effectively than almost anyone else on the global scene today.
In this year of the Arab Spring, a figure like Anwar, unburdened by the daily distraction of the trial, can be a potent and credible voice for reform in Malaysia and across the Muslim world.
• Dr Azeem Ibrahim is a fellow and member of the Board of Directors at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, a former research fellow at the International Security Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and a world fellow at Yale University.
He founded ECM Holdings, has won over half a dozen prestigious entrepreneur awards over the last decade, was the youngest person on both the Sunday Times Scottish Rich list (2006) and Carter Anderson’s UK Power 100 list, and, in 2009, he was named as a Top 100 Global Thinker by the LSDPEuropean Social Think Tank. He has over 100 publications to his name.
Over the last few years he has met with world leaders and governments to discuss a diverse range of issues ranging from financial investment and geopolitics to countering extremism. Most recently, the Government of Pakistan asked him to assume a key role in authoring a new National Economic Strategy.
He founded and actively chairs a private grant-giving foundation and a number of charities around the world. Dr Azeem Ibrahim is not related to Anwar Ibrahim.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
I presume Azeem is not a Malaysian. He is more concerned about justice and democracy in our country than most Malaysians. It’s time we set aside our political differences and speak out against injustice regardless of colour, race, religion and even borders.
Anwar and his family have suffered enough. I pray UMNO and Perkasa will not keep on hounding them.
SamO1, Azeem is not a Malaysian, but he is a progressive Muslim with impressive credentials. –Din Merican
Malaysia is “one of the only fully developed democracies in the Muslim world”
A foreign observer with at best a superficial knowledge of a country tucked away in the southeast corner of Asia. Why am I not surprised?
Malaysia has all the trimmings of a parliamentary democracy but not the substance; and everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. The last three decades have seen this little known third world country with the physical infrastructure of a developed nation on the proverbial slippery slopes towards being a failed state. It is tittering on the brink of what potentially could be a major collapse — both politically and economically.
Mr Bean,
Perhaps Malaysia is the No.1 among muslim countries even with the kind of “democracy” we have. It is a sad case for muslim world.
CYC,
It’s even sadder that a lot of Muslim countries are corrupt.
we have the biggest potential to be one of the best most developed moslem nation and to practice real democracy and be a shining example to the world that doubts the moslem world right now. So what ARE we waiting for?
for the cows to come home?
______________
Indonesia too is a Muslim nation.–Din Merican
Malaysia is a “Moslem” country? Since when?
CLF, oh don’t go getting so sensitive. You know what I mean ok.
Islam is not compatible with the western liberal form of democracy, based as it is on capitalism and the free market. And we should stop pretending like it does.
Western liberal individualism is a concept that is at loggerheads with the emphasis on collectivism favored by Islamic theocracy.
MR Bean, thats where the moslem nations are wrong. They shouldnt try to be the West. They should practice the Islam as taught by our Beloved Prophet (pbuh) a long long time ago. The teachings they have forgotten and twisted and changed. if they stick to His teachings, they will do right.
Yes Dato’, Indonesia will lead the way wont they. They are doing much better now arent they.
You cannot, Kathy. Because Malaysia is only 60% Muslim.
Already, creepting Islamization of all facets of public life is being resisted by non-Muslims.
No I dont really want the non moslems to be unhappy thats not what I meant. However the true practice of Prophet respects the non moslems too. I suppose there is a danger of misinterpretation. Yeah perhaps you are right . I live in a secular country which respectsts my right to be a Sufi and practice it.
No. Secularism and liberalism though much maligned, can be made to work in any governance that has Justice and Freedom as core ideals. Religions only divide, and theocracy should never be allowed.
The Western notion of secularism from the Age of Enlightenment stems from the Christian concept of Fallen Man and the Grace of God. No Man is good, much less a ‘Religious’ man. Professors of any particular Religion are the antithesis of “Godly” men. Homo religiosus et sapiens cannot see the log before their eyes, but the speck in others. That why Religion must never be allowed to rear it’s incipient ugliness. A case to point is the violence in Egypt and Nigeria.
PAS with it’s Islamist agenda may not realize that they are the weakest link in the chain of causation ultimately, but they have so far done well to concentrate on the secularist concept of Social Concern (not Socialism, per se).
CLF, what the heck was that all about?
All I know is that you can somehow say something that is way above me and yet make it sound credible. And without seeming to tread on any religious toe. Now, that is an art.
Its stupid to look for unity under the banner of religion. As you can see clearly all religions in this world were divided among itself where different sects exists and can’t see eye to eye with each other. So, it could only creates more polarization.
Islam — Shite and Sunni….etc
Christian – Catholic, protestant…. etc
Budhhism – Mahayana, theravada, …etc.
Unless and until we are capable of accepting and embracing diversity, it will be a futile attempt to achieve unity even among people professing the same faith. Better still, leave religion aside when comes to public governance. Contrary to the opinion of the author, i think we are heading to the opposite direction based on the current scenario.
Yes Ai Tze, CLF is way above in another plane altogether ( no pun intended) . So what I do is ask him ,read then think /ponder for days. He needs to be part of the change we need.
You guys are barkingh at the wrong tree.
To save humanity from self-destruction, BAN all religions from being practised in public and private.
MORE people are killed in history in the name of their God/gods and in the name of religion.
Malaysia’s problem is not race per se. It is religion. UMNO-BN cheapens Islam by making religion associated with race. One idiotic Malay mufti even said Melayu IS Islam and ISLAM is Melayu.
The world would be better served by atheists and agnostics. They don’t have to make that crap claim that all royalties are protectors of the religion of the people or like the chinese emperors claiming to be sons of heavens and ruled with divin mandate.
Imagine ruling your life based on the edicts of an Imaginary Friend in the Sky who NOBODY since the advent of the human species ever has seen, or made physical contact.
I repeat: God and Heaven and the 72 Virgins only exist BETWEEN YOUR EARS and you can only see them when you close both your eyes. That is why people pray with their eyes CLOSED.
Hi frank. well we know thats your opinion. Its not the religions its the interpretation of man that corrupts. Although its good to know u are telling us off again . Keeping us in check. We all need that from time to time.
What would this blog be without you telling us off.
Now I know why you get to see Chinese customers digging their ears after having their hair cut. They never could get it right.
So it is between their ears and not in their ears.
Chinese dig their ears to flush all the religious crap they learnt so that they can cheat the next customer they see. Its a daily routine. The chinaman does not blink an eye to take off that 10 cents from you.
Although its good to know u are telling us off again . Keeping us in check.- Kathy
I am fighting a losing battle on this one. People like Hasan Ali and that silly mufti from Perak seem to get more coverage than me.
Thank goodness I have Mr Bean as my permanent audience.
CLF is way above in another plane altogether ( no pun intended) . So what I do is ask him ,read then think /ponder for days. He needs to be part of the change we need.- Kathy
I thought he is BEYOND CHANGE.
this discussion will lead us nowhere. frank puts it crassly (and CLF takes the finer route)) but this is the essence of it – religion and politics don’t mix. religion plays a role in the social integration of its members. it soothes the soul(?). politics concerns administration and it has to be regularly updated.
pray and practise your religion but keep it out of politics (government policies).
in this gobal world there are enough good examples of how you could keep religion out of politics and thrive.
the presence of 40% non-muslims offsets the decline to become a failed nation. by decline I mean the administrators not the religion. correct me if I’m wrong.
I am with Frank ( & CLF) on that : ” God & Heaven….you can only ” see ” them when you close your eyes….” ie: upon Death ( one cannot see with ” eyes” but with knowledge) Religion is meant to be that, something deeply ‘personal’ & hidden within onself. – The Syariah people want to IMPOSE Syariah all over the world, sorry that’s crazy, if not a hallucination.
Our world or universe is round’cicular, denoted by a ‘ Circle’. Syariah is the Outermost circle, and again sorry, its ” skin-deep ” !
But oncea man is imbued with God-consciousnes individually, you don;t have ” to wear religion on your sleeves” to quote our bloghost.
What the individual man needs to do is investigate & exploit the physical reality of matter with all their physical properties, that is to say Scientifically, THAT IS WITHIN ” Religion” , not seperate.
But i do not agree with Religionist wanting to impose Syariah on the World. People are going Insane about that.
No keep faith – iman – inside oneself. The Secular and modern concept of democratic ideals ARE withing the spirit of Islam or any other religion.
I don;t mean to bore you…
O come on…do not be ‘ angry ‘……afterall what is the ” Syariah ” if not all the outward forms, rites, rituals and all the formal requirements laid down by religious leaders & authorities.
As much as Islam has its Rites & Rituals, the other Religions from Christianity to Hinduism to Buddhism….all have their own Rites & Rituals, that is, their own “syariah” – its only an Arabic word to denote the ” Outer Forms & Symbols “…..
religion plays a role in the social integration of its members. it soothes the soul(?). – reeperbahn
All wrong!!! Religion plays the only role in human affairs by causing social disintegration of society. highly divisive. Religion even destroys families. It corrupts the soul.
Religion is BAD for humanity. Must be destroyed.
I see that as rather a radical view., Frank. if you are from a british school then you’d have read ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe, that book is meant to provoke thinking in this direction. but thats not the case always.
even though religion does’ nt play a prominent role in the lifetime of an individual nowadays as it did once upon a time, it is still necessary in certain circumstances – marriage, death and birth et etc..
I just had a talk with one of our tenants. a 41yr old german lady with two grown up children. she told me that without the help of her faith she would not have survived the separation from her husband. so there are people who need faith/ religion /belief whatever you call it.
we need as the bloghost said more moderate, progressive muslim, christians, hindus and others.
Dont worry Abnizar, people hallucinate every day , daily about riches, about power about control. Thats why the world is what it is today.
reeperbahn
When you are too dependent on religion to get on with life, then it is living a life like a drug addict. Karl Marx is right, religion is an opium of society. It numbs your sense of reality and live in an imaginary world of angels, devils, and believing clouds are spaceships transporting you to heaven.
It is cheaper to take Valium or anti depressants.
I take your advice, Frank. I am not talking about myself but about what people want. Karl Marx is also right. a cheaper variation would be VODKA.
Ok all points taken. At the same time, what is it Albert Einstein was finally saying at his death-bed, and Why ? CLF, need your Wisdom on this, although it can get very lengthy, gratefull if you can try & condense and be concise : Einstein , mind you the Greatest Scientist after Isaac Newton, said :
SCIENCE WITHOUT RELIGION IS LAME,
RELIGION WITHOUT SCIENCE IS BLIND !
Science shows you the straight line to walk even if you are drunk
Religion makes you walk a straight line like a drunk even if you are fully sober.
The first proposition is correct, b’cuz Science deasl with the world of
solid matter or flesh.
The second arises out of Ignorance,,,,,like The Infantile Jihhadist who says : ” …..saya mahu meneggak-kan Syaria’ (atas muka bumi ini ) kerana menjadi tanggung jawab so-orang ‘Muqmin’……”