No Longer “Anwar Who?”
No Longer “Anwar, Who?”
M. Bakri Musa
[Reprinted from: www.malaysia-today.net, July 3, 2005]
Contrary to my assertion a few years ago that he would soon be “Anwar, who?” Anwar Ibrahim is again in the limelight following his release from prison. Far from being a forgotten figure (except to those whose only source of news is the Malaysian dailies), Anwar is being lauded at such lofty perches as Hopkins and Oxford.
God may just grant Anwar his wish, and then some. He may yet become a household name, but for all the wrong reasons. Anwar successfully scaled the political heights in his previous career, just missing the top slot. If he were to enter politics again, anything less than being prime minister would be a failure. That is a very high bar. Nor would his path be smooth; the grilling he received at his recent BBC interview is a good preview.
If Anwar were to channel his considerable leadership talent to other than politics, there would be no limit to the good he could bring to himself, Malaysia, Islam, and indeed the world. A leader actively courted by the Washington, DC, “neo-cons” as well as by fundamentalist PAS ulamas has much to contribute to bridging the deepening chasm between Islam and the West. A man who quotes Churchill and Confucius at will is uniquely positioned to bring better understanding between East and West.
If Anwar were to opt for politics, he would be just another politician. Malaysia – and the Malay community in particular – has a glut of those. If he fails to get the top job, his legacy will be that of a failed politician. That would be merely a personal disappointment for him; for Malaysia and Malays however, the consequences could be devastating.
His reentry into party politics would open old ugly sores that have just begun to heal. Malaysians, not just UMNO members, would have to take sides. The Bush doctrine of “You are with us or against us” would resurface locally with vengeance; Anwar will be very polarizing. He has become part of the problem, not part of the solution in Malaysian politics.
His supporters and assorted hangers-on at home will try to convince Anwar otherwise. He should not ignore them, but he should try to fathom their motivations. For some, it would be payback time; for others, a chance to recoup their considerable investments – material and emotional – in him. Those are not valid reasons.
Instead, Anwar should ponder what he wishes to accomplish, and then consider whether politics or some other arena is the best route. Saying that he wants to be prime minister to achieve his goals would be the wrong answer to the wrong question. The proper question should first be what he wants to accomplish, not what he wants to be.
Anwar should rightly be flattered that PAS had offered him to lead the opposition. Beware however, of those who flatter you. PAS may be trying to use Anwar, and he may be tempted to use PAS to further his political goals. Of course, Anwar may rationalize that he would merely be trying to drag PAS into the 21st century. After all when he joined UMNO in 1981, Anwar assured his Islamist friends that he was trying to make the party more Islamic! We easily forget the perennial excuse of opportunists everywhere, “I want to change the system from within!”
If anything, Anwar’s experience with UMNO should remind him that exploitative relationships, personal or political, rarely endure.
Anwar still has a large reservoir of goodwill among UMNO leaders and members. That would rapidly evaporate should he align himself with PAS. It would also mean the end of the party led by his wife. I see nothing positive with Anwar’s reentry into politics.
By staying out of electoral politics, the goodwill he commands in UMNO would only expand. Anwar could skillfully parlay that, and end up playing the role of kingmaker in UMNO and be able to influence that organization in ways and on a scale even its president would be unable to do.
If Anwar remains politically neutral, he may be the only person who could reverse the increasingly dangerous polarization of Malays. At the very least, he could damper the coarsening discourse of Malay politics. Anwar is one of the few Malays comfortable reciting tahlil at the local surau as he is at a Western cocktail party (sipping orange juice of course!). Meaning, he is at ease with the ulama as well as liberal Muslims.
Anwar is highly regarded in Bangkok and Manila. He should use his good office to help the two countries resolve their Muslim (essentially ethnic Malay) minority problems. He should convince those myopic governments that suppressions and military actions are not the solution, but economic development and better human rights practices are. He should in turn counsel those insurgents that accommodation, not rebellion, is more fruitful. Peace in Mindanao and Patani would be good for the folks there as well as for regional relationships.
Similarly, Anwar could leverage his excellent reputation in Jakarta to nudge that nation to pursue enlightened economic and social policies. He should also use his good influence on the Sultan of Brunei to prod that feudal state into the modern age. As Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar would be constrained from doing all of these. I am suggesting that Anwar’s sphere should extend beyond Malaysia.
When he was released from prison, the Saudi government had an executive jet available to whisk him to Germany for his medical treatment. That gesture was not an affront to the Malaysian government or to Dr. Mahathir, rather a reflection of Anwar’s standing in the Islamic world.
Among his early visitors in Germany were senior Bush administration figures. Anwar is one of the few Asian leaders who understand the nuances of Western, specifically American, leadership and democracy. At a time when the Bush administration could use some help in the Muslim world, there are very few capable volunteers. This is where Anwar’s talent could be of great use. It would be good for America, good for Islam, and most of all, splendid for Anwar.
Anwar’s supporters look askance at his close relationship with the “neo cons;” Anwar in turn is defensive about it. One should always welcome and continually nurture good relationships. Now that the top “neo-con” Paul Wolfowitz is at the World Bank, Anwar should use his experience as a former Finance Minister of a robust economy to steer the bank towards more enlightened lending practices and away from “mega” projects.
Before Anwar could aspire to soar to these stratospheric heights, he must free himself from the gravitational tugs of his supporters. They in turn should realize that they were right in believing in a great leader, but this greatness could never be realized if he permits himself to be tethered to confining emotional ties.
If Anwar could treat his adoring supporters not as anchors that would weigh him down rather as boosters that would propel him into his next trajectory as a leader, then Anwar is destined for greater heights.
July 7th, 2005 at 6:33 pm
Dear Bakri,
Anwar Ibrahim is a charismatic, well read, and mature national personality. While he was spending his time in Sungai Buloh, he kept himself busy with his reading and research. At the same time, he was able to re-examine and reflect upon his previous role as UMNO Deputy President, Deputy Prime Minister, and a key member of the Establishment. After all, here is a man who missed the top job by a whisker!!
He was also able to give his time to his devotional duties as a Muslim and strengthen his resolve. Adversity makes a man better, stronger and more humble. I am sure he is fully aware what loyalty means and has been able to distinguish “real” friends from foes.
But in politics there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. There will be people around him who will want him to be “back in” so that he can extract his pound of flesh and those who seek to recoup their investment in his political career. But I hope he will not be easily influenced. It would be better, in my view, for him to serve a larger national purpose than his own.
Right now, like you and me, he is very concerned about our economy, the ringgit peg, the fact that Thailand had already overtaken us, and that Indonesia could be the next nation to surpass us in the next few years. He was very worried about the social consequences of the high cost of living and high unemployment (and 80,000 graduates are without jobs).
He has a choice between being one of them, as a “politician”, but with a shot at the top spot once again, or a leader who is above Malaysian politics today. I am sure at the appropriate time he will make that critical choice.
In meantime, he is travelling and meeting people around the world to promote a free and open Malaysian civil society where Muslims can be tolerant and accommodating to other Malaysians who are very much an integral part of our multicultural, multiethnic and multireligious nation.
In an interview which can be heard on http://www.malaysia-today.net, he said that he was devoting time for his family, and promoting cross border investments between Malaysia and the oil revenue rich Middle Eastern states like Bahrain and Qatar. His connections in the Middle East are impeccable (for example, he is a close advisor to the Emir of progressive Qatar) and it is a shame that our leaders have not seen fit to use his network. I guess politics gets in the way.
I agree with you that he is not a forgetton man. In fact,he is a major feature in the Malaysian political landscape. He has a lot of support from Malaysians who still feel that UMNO was unfair and brutal towards him. His personal pain and suffering will not be easilly forgotten.
In some respects, he is Malaysia’s Nelson Mandela. The question is whether he follow in the path of Mandela, or return to the rough and tumble of Malaysian politics. Maybe he can combine both and be an enlightened leader. Only time and circumstances will tell. But for sure, he is very much a force to be reckoned with.
July 7th, 2005 at 10:58 pm
Dr. Bakri,
Here is my two pennies’ worth.
I am enjoying this exchange between you and Din Merican. You both have made an impact on public discourse via cyberspace. Your comments on Malaysian political, social and economic issues are quite widely read, including here in London among Malaysians.
I wish more Malaysians would write and communicate their views,say,via your website. At least, they should visit your website so that they can appreciate what is happening at home. I also visit http://www.malaysia-today.net, http://www.malaysiakini.com, http://www.malaysia.net, and the bloggers including Jeff Ooi who is the top honcho of a very active web community in Subang Jaya. It is from their website that I came to know that Din Merican lives in the same community as Jeff.
Yes, Anwar Ibrahim will be an important player in Malaysian politics in the years to come, but hopefully not as a run-of-the-mill politician who is driven by the quest of power for personal gain. It is true, he is not going to be the forgotten man.
Apart from his intellectualism, he is a fine orator who can move crowds. He can push forward the cause of genuine change driven by the grassroots, his mesyarakat madani (civil society). He is a good writer. I cannot wait to read his memiors one day.
His “The Asian Renaissance” is a must read for those who are interested in the mind behind the man. He seeks to integrate eastern philosophy and world views ranging from Confucius, Mencius, Lao Tze to Tagore, Iqbal and Jose Rizal with the rationalist and positivist philosophies of Descartes, Locke, Rousseau and Russell and his contemporaries. It is multiculturalism and world driven by compassion for the poor, the downtrodden and the disenfranchised.
Like Anwar, the G-B leaders are dealing with poverty, disease, global warming, trade and debt in Edinburgh, Scotland. In London, we have been attacked by Terrorists on July 7. Jubiliation over the International Olympic Committe’s Decision in favour of our city has given a way to despair over the loss of lives and destruction. “Muslim” terrorists are at it again, after New York, Washington, Nairobi, Madrid, Jakarta, and Bali.
The message to me from reading Anwar’s book is that an “Asian Renaissance Man” must be someone who is comfortable operating in different paradigms and able to combine logic with the soul. He must form the bridge between two civilizations. In that way, we can avoid “a clash of civilizations” (Samuel Huntington).
In fact, Anwar is very critical of the Huntington thesis, believing the differences between Islam and the West can be bridged through greater understanding and mutual interactions. But the London bombing is making it difficult for us here to understand why “kill the innocent”. How to interact with terrorists who want to kill us?
Promoting understanding is precisely what Anwar has been doing since he was free from Sungei Buloh. As you said in your article, Anwar has been talking to the Saudis, the neo-Cons, Islamic scholars and to the others in various centers of higher learning including Oxford, and meeting leaders of civil society.
As Din said, he should engage them more actively, and serve a higher national purpose. Anwar should stay away from national politics and should not become “them” once again. To me, politics as it played out in Malaysia is dirty, corrupt, and unbecoming of a man of his intellect. Someone has yet to convince that Malaysian politics is a noble calling.
Finally, it is sad to hear that things are not going well at home. The new PM according to many people who came to London and with whom I interacted are very disappointed with the man who started well. He seemed to have control of his party and the Government. His Ministers are making policies as they go along. The economy has stalled and he is at a loss as to what he must do. His policy advisors are not helping, preferring to be messengers of good tidings. They too afraid to offer genuine advice.
These visitors tell me that bodekism is the culture in Kuala Lumpur. No wonder, investor confidence is on the wane.
Regards, John.
July 7th, 2005 at 11:09 pm
Thank You, Dr. Bakri, Pak Din Merican and Mr. John Wang. Your views and comments are useful for a political science student like me. I am learning not to accept things at face value. You all have been a great help.
Ahmadi.