United
towards the new millennium
By Toman Mamora
TWENTY five years in retrospect is basically a short period to expect the kind of success that Malaysia has achieved today. It was not a passage in time without some of the social, economic and political problems that characterised the country in the early post-independence years. Yet, the ruling coalition was able to weather the difficult times. And all along it was a story of a Barisan Nasional government committed to the cause of strengthening national solidarity and political stability which remain to this day essential prerequisites for the rapid economic development and progress of the country.
Close co-operation among party leaders representative of the various communities and the commitment to a common national destiny has been the hallmark of the BN in the last 25 years. The concept of co-operation in Malaysian politics can be traced back to the days of the Alliance in the 50s when the Coalition party under the leadership of the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al Haj secured its first election victory in what was then Malaya. That victory convinced the British that the elected leadership commanded the confidence of the people despite the emergency situation. But more importantly, it was the first test and first victory for the concept of unity in Malaysian politics and it lay the foundation for what was to be the underlining philosophy of Barisan Nasional , the successor to Alliance.
Co-operation, unity and political stability continue to be the thrust of the BN as the ruling coalition strives forward to achieve greater economic development and progress for all Malaysians, irrespective of race, creed and ideological belonging. As early as 1969, following the infamous May 13 incident, the government recognised the urgent need to delete the identification of economic functions with race and to correct the social and economic imbalance between bumiputera and non-bumiputera and between the urban and rural areas. “ Most people agreed with the formula except some groups of opposition politicians who were not serious about developing a good development policy that could bring changes to the people”, says Chief Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud who is also State BN chairman as he reflects on the early years of the BN. “ Even Dr Lim Chong Eu, leader of Gerakan which was then outside the Alliance, decided to support the BN concept as he was aware that polarisation would not augur well for Malaysia especially in resolving the race-relation problem”, adds Datuk Patinggi Taib.
Today, feelings of racial discrimination no longer prevail following the implementation of the new economic policy which has broken down many social, psychological and economic barriers The BN formula, combining economic restructuring and efforts at maintaining political unity, has proven to be a success in the ensuing years and Malaysians today can look to the future with greater confidence and optimism. By 1997, when the economic crisis broke out, Malaysia had already developed strong enough resilience to avoid a repeat of the 1969 May 13 incident even though the climb down in economic activities was stiffer and more sudden than in previous recessions.
It would be unfortunate if these past eventful moments and the struggle of BN leaders are to be taken for granted and possibly left unnoticed on the shelves of history.
“I think it’s time that we talk openly of the success of all the parties in BN and the doctrine of BN in order to get the people from all walks of life and racial background to understand the mission of the ruling coalition”, says the Chief Minister.
He says the younger generation must be appreciative of the benefits that the country has enjoyed under the Barisan Nasional government in the last 25 years and value the contributions that past and present BN leaders had made in forging a united and stable Malaysian society.
The young people, who were born after independence, he says “should not take for granted that stability will last forever or undervalue the importance of stability and unity that the people have worked hard to establish through the support of the BN.”
He adds: “ Success has the habit of making people take things for granted and this explains why there has been such little understanding of the BN concept among the young people.”
Datuk Patinggi Taib is aware that an increasing number of young people, especially those who were educated abroad, are easily given to outside culture and ideological pursuits which are not conducive to the Malaysian society. He urges them to understand and appreciate the workings of the government and its policies.
Efforts to bridge the perceived credibility gap must come from both the leaders and the young people, and the government is aware that it is bound to face increasing pressure from the rising expectations of the young and educated in society.
“ The government is doing all it can in the light of the rising expectations by accommodating the wishes and needs of the society for better environment, better human rights treatment and a host of other social opportunities”, says Datuk Patinggi Taib and urges the young people to learn to be more receptive to the changes undertaken by the government, instead of adopting an adversarial approach.
Twenty five years down the road, Sarawak under the BN rule has succeeded in realising the restructuring of its economy. Today, the state the capacity to exploit new development frontiers. Datuk Patinggi Taib speaks of pursuing integrated development for the state based on two principal strategies. First, the potential of the agricultural and bio-diversity resources must be properly and this would entail the development of manpower and biotechnology. The second strategy involves the participation of the state in the development of high-tech industries, recognising that Asia has secured almost 50 per cent share of the world’s high-tech production business. Based on the current education development in Sarawak, the Chief Minister is optimistic that the state should be able to produce large numbers of knowledge-based and skilled workforce to man the industries.
In anticipation of the changing backdrop at the turn of the century, the State BN, says Datuk Patinggi Taib, has redefined the aligment of its powers and responsibilities. This will enable the ruling coalition to spearhead more complex development activities and manage the transformation process.