Comments on: Bernard Lewis on what went wrong in the Middle East

By: Abdul Rahman

Abdul Rahman — Wed, 20 Oct 2004 07:10:54 +0000

History tells that Malays run and rule the country for the last 1000 years. I think it is very kind of them to give in to some foreingners considering the fact that chinese and indians were forced unto them by the British colonials. Too kind are the Muslim Malays, they let the 30% chinese owns 70% or more of country’s wealth and cant do anything much about it.

By: lucklucky

lucklucky — Sat, 22 May 2004 00:27:38 +0000

Malaysia is going in a path that is fast losing Malay traditions and incorporating many of arab islamic.

That would make easier for racial/cultural diferences to light conflicts.

Right now the rise in income have prevented many problems but the perspectives are not good.

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 21 May 2004 15:11:48 +0000

Verity, Malaysia is only "tolerant" in comparison to other Islamic countries. Non-Muslims face a host of legal discriminations there. Ironically it's the non-Muslims who are most responsible for the country's wealth -- even Mahathir admitted so a while back. Yet the non-Muslims are handicapped and punished for their role in Malaysia's success. Malaysia is also cracking down hard on Malays who wish to leave Islam. Those who convert out of Islam lose all their special housing, university and job privileges. Depending on their location, they also can be incarcerated in a so-called "Faith Re-education Camp" for up to three years for trying to leave Islam. This website Murtads from Malaysia helps Malaysian ex-Muslims immigrate to the West so that they can leave Islam freely without persecution.

By: The Wobbly Guy

The Wobbly Guy — Fri, 21 May 2004 12:08:39 +0000

Nah, UMNO is okay, especially when you realize that PAS are the fundie morons, and what they say are several shades worse than Dr M. The elections are competitive, and from our viewpoint, UMNO and gang are the least worst option. Trust me when I say less than 0.1% of Asians have even heard of libertarianism.

While the issue of Malay rights is enshrined in its constitution, it is something that has arguably caused more harm than good to the malay majority. The Malays in Malaysia have became lazy and slow, thus necessitating ever greater written advantages in education and business.

Meanwhile, the chinese stick to their own chinese schools, which provide arguably better education, then send their children overseas for tertiary education. They go back to Malaysia better trained, smarter, and better prepared than their malay bumi counterparts.

In the final analysis, LKY was proved right. He argued strongly for the removal of Malay Rights, and this was why my country was kicked out.

And Verity, do you know why the traffic cops there turn a blind eye? Because they’re that lazy.

By: Lorenzo

Lorenzo — Fri, 21 May 2004 11:41:19 +0000

Verity, did you take that from a Malaysian government tourism brochure? Thoroughly, democratic but yet it manages to have one party continuously in power! It is true that for a one party state it is relatively well run but it is anything but democratic or tolerant. Bumiputra is a race/religion based preferential bias that aims to ensure Malay Muslims gain the lions share of business and real estate ownership, government appointment and university placements. This discrimination is actually written into the constitution. The Malaysian constitution defines a Malay as someone who “confesses the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, conforms to Malay custom” everybody else is second class.

As to Bernard Lewis he is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the middle east but does not have the time to do the research.

By: JM

JM — Fri, 21 May 2004 02:10:14 +0000

Really? I thought the bumiputra policy of turning ethnic Chinese and Indians into dhimmis was classically Islamist without the name applied to it. Its inception was, if I recall correctly, preceded by race riots.

It doesn’t help that the outgoing leader, Mahathir Mohammed, a supposed moderate, offered deranged hypotheses about Jews in front of dozens of heads of states.

By: Verity

Verity — Fri, 21 May 2004 00:56:02 +0000

Malaysia is an excellent example of a forward-looking Islamic republic which is thoroughly democratic and embraces progress without sacrificing its Islamic principles. It helps, I’m sure, that 40% of the population is not Muslim, so the governing party has a large constituency of non-Muslims to consider, but nevertheless, Malaysia has calmly incorporated everyone into its national ambition to become a completely first world country by 2020. Christians and other religions are respected and enjoy equal treatment. It can drive you crazy, on Fridays, to squeeze through cars triple parked in front of mosques and down side streets and see the traffic cops turning a blind eye.

But come Sunday, Christians offend equally with inconsiderate parking and, again, the traffic cops turn a blind eye.

This attitude of being an Islamic republic, yet being prepared to live and let live in the interest of moving the country forward has given Malaysia a very high standard of living and very little friction between the races.