The Lessons From Ireland
The Lessons From Ireland
In the movie “Titanic,” the refined English heroine was regally ensconced in her luxurious suite on the upper deck, while the hero, an uncouth Irish lad, was confined to the cramped below deck quarters, and presumably also downwind.
It is a reflection of how far the Irish have come that such stereotypical portrayals did not elicit any protest. When you have had two personalities with Irish heritage (Kennedy and Reagan) leading the most powerful nation in the world, and with Ireland fast surpassing Britain in economic performance, such caricatures elicit mirth rather than anger.
During the era of the Titanic, Ireland was synonymous with poverty and destitution. Ireland then was a never-ending source of poor desperate immigrants to America and elsewhere. There were more Irish who left than who stayed behind. In America, signs like “No Irish Need Apply!” were everywhere, and the stereotypical drunk, irresponsible, crime-prone and perpetually out-of-work father referred to the Irish, not to Blacks.
Today, in addition to the outstanding achievements of individual Irish and those of Irish descent, Ireland is now the envy of Western Europe and the world.
There is a lesson here for Malaysia, Malays specifically.
Malaysia of Today, Ireland of Yore
In my book, Malaysia in the Era of Globalization, I remarked how eerily the Malaysia of today resembles the Ireland of the 1950s. Malays today, like the Irish then, are in the tight clutches of religion (Islam for Malays, Catholicism for the Irish). Young Malays flock to the madrasahs to study Arabic, hadith and revealed knowledge, instead of English, science and mathematics. The Irish then fled to the convents and monasteries to recite their rosaries and memorize the catechism. Malays today are in the psychological grips of their ulamas and ustazes, just as were the Irish with their bishops and priests.
The Irish then were consumed with trying to resurrect their dead language, Gaelic. Malays today are obsessed with making sure that their young do not study any other language but Malay. Learning another language, in particular English, is seen as an expression of hatred for one’s own.
In business, the major enterprises in Malaysia today are in the hands of the Chinese minority, and politics with the Malays. In Ireland then, the major businesses were in English hands while the Irish were consumed with republican politics and reunification. With Irish education tightly under Church control and consumed with religious instructions, the leading intellectual centers were naturally the Protestant-affiliated universities like Trinity College.
In Malaysia, the schools favored by Malays are the religious and national schools with their heavy emphasis on religion, while non-Malays choose vernacular schools and private English language colleges with their emphasis on science, technology, and other secular subjects.
The Quiet Revolution
It took one man, Sean Lemass, Prime Minister from 1959-66, to initiate and lead the quiet revolution in Ireland. He began by clipping the powers and influences of the Catholic Church by stripping its control over education and social policies. Freed from the suffocating control of the Church, the Irish could abandon their inferior Catholic schools and colleges to attend the much superior English institutions without fear that they would be (or seen as) committing a sin. Likewise, they could use contraceptives without fear of eternal damnation, or more practically, of being condemned by their priests and bishops.
His strategy was remarkably simple and effective. Knowing the formidable power of the Church and its establishment however, that was an extremely bold and courageous move. Lemass made education free and its curriculum relevant and not tied to religion. Despite the Irish traditional antipathy towards things English, he made English, not Gaelic, the language of Ireland.
At first glance Abdullah Badawi would be the ideal leader to take on the Islamic establishment, just as it took a staunchly conservative President like Nixon to make overtures to and visit China. With his religious credentials and personal piety, Abdullah would be unassailable to the Islamists. Unfortunately, he chose not to capitalize on those considerable personal assets. Instead he pursued a futile battle with the Islamists in trying to prove who represents “pure” Islam. The Islamists are openly ridiculing his Islam Hadhari. They accuse him of starting a new sect, a particularly damaging charge.
Instead of the silly Islam Hadhari, Abdullah would be better off learning from the Irish on how best to prepare Malaysians to meet the challenges of and benefit from the opportunities afforded by globalization.
Learning From the Irish
The lesson from Ireland is straightforward. Foremost, curtail if not remove the influence of the religious establishment on education and social policies. Before my Muslim readers hurl epithets at me or accuse me of blasphemy, read again what I wrote. Get rid of the influence of the religious establishment, not of religion.
Islam is a great faith; its ideals are also the ideals of mankind. Islam survived the Chinese and Soviet communism; it will survive without the Malaysian government. Islam survives indeed thrives in America despite its highly secular environment.
Islam should be in our heart, not in the government bureaucracy.
Away from the clutches of the religious establishment we can then make our schools emphasize English, the sciences, and mathematics. Without the authoritarian teaching and rote memorization and indoctrination that passes for education in religious schools, we can teach our students to think for themselves – the most critical skills needed in this information age.
Like the Irish, we should embrace globalization and free enterprise. Attract foreign investments by lowering corporate taxes, and make laws pertaining to corporations simple and transparent. These global companies bring much needed investments as well as management and technological expertise that would diffuse locally. Open up the economy and have a sensible fiscal policy that would invest in airports, roads and schools, not on showy mega projects like headquarters for civil servants and ostentatious palaces. Invest in our people, not in company shares.
The lessons from Ireland are simple; the challenge is with their execution. There is no need for a “mental revolution” or for Malays to be kurang ajar (uncouth). If we need to have a revolution, let it be like the Irish Quiet Revolution, or better yet, our very own that is elegantly silent.
It took nearly fifty years for Ireland to achieve its present prosperity following the reforms Lemass initiated in the 1950s. If a Malaysian Lemass were to appear today, we could look forward to the 2050s before Malaysia – in particular Malays – could be considered developed.
August 20th, 2006 at 6:28 pm
You might be interested in the NYT article published a long while ago:
How Ireland learned a smart way to get rich
Thomas L. Friedman learns that Europe’s former `sick man’ now healthy, wealthy, wise
DUBLIN
Here’s something you probably didn’t know: Ireland today is the richest country in the European Union after Luxembourg.
Yes, the country that for hundreds of years was best known for emigration, tragic poets, famines, civil wars and leprechauns has a per capita GDP higher than that of Germany, France and Britain.
How Ireland went from the “sick man of Europe” to the rich man in less than a generation is an amazing story. It tells you a lot about Europe today: all the innovation is happening on the periphery in countries embracing globalization in their own ways — Ireland, Britain, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe — while those following the French-German social model are suffering high unemployment and low growth.
Ireland’s turnaround began in the late 1960s, when the government made secondary education free, enabling a lot more working-class kids to get a high school or technical degree. As a result, when Ireland joined the European Union in 1973, it was able to draw on a much more educated workforce.
By the mid-1980s, Ireland had reaped the initial benefits of EU membership — subsidies to build better infrastructure and a big market to sell into. But it still did not have enough competitive products to sell, because of years of protectionism and fiscal mismanagement. The country was going broke, and most college grads were emigrating.
“We went on a borrowing, spending and taxing spree, and that nearly drove us under,” said Deputy Prime Minister Mary Harney. “It was because we nearly went under that we got the courage to change.”
And change Ireland did.
In a quite unusual development, the government, the main trade unions, farmers and industrialists came together and agreed on a program of fiscal austerity, slashing corporate taxes to 12.5 per cent (far below those in the rest of Europe), moderating wages and prices, and aggressively courting foreign investment.
In 1996, Ireland made college education basically free, creating an even better educated workforce.
The results have been phenomenal. Today, nine out of 10 of the world’s top pharmaceutical companies have operations here, as do 16 of the top 20 medical device companies and seven of the top 10 software designers.
“We set up in Ireland in 1990,” Michael Dell, founder of Dell Computer, explained via email.
“What attracted us? Well-educated workforce — and good universities close by. Ireland has an industrial and tax policy which is consistently very supportive of businesses, independent of which political party is in power.”
Intel opened its first chip factory in Ireland in 1993, attracted by the large pool of young educated men and women, low corporate taxes and other incentives. National health care didn’t hurt, either.
In 1990, Ireland’s total workforce was 1.1 million. This year, it will hit 2 million, with no unemployment and 200,000 foreign workers.
Others are taking notes. Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said: “I’ve met the premier of China five times in the last two years.”
Ireland’s advice is very simple: Make high school and college education free; keep corporate taxes low, simple and transparent; actively seek out global companies; open your economy to competition; speak English; keep your fiscal house in order; and build a consensus around the whole package with labour and management — then hang in there, because there will be bumps in the road — and you, too, can become one of the richest countries in Europe.
“It wasn’t a miracle, we didn’t find gold,” said Harney. “It was the right domestic policies and embracing globalization.”
Thomas L. Friedman is a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist.
August 20th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
The Irish success story is very interesting but we can’t compare the Malays to the Irish. The Malays are not under any pressure and few have emigrated to seek better fortune. Malays are complacent and always fall back on “tak ada rezeki” or “sudah takdir” or ” the government will take care of us as this is our country”. The Malays don’t have the fighting spirit of the Irish and not having suffered any calamity or economic setback and have always been “subsidized” by the government, very few see opportunities even if it is staring at them in the face.
The Irish have been considered outcast and being poor have often been the butt of jokes but their spirit has afforded them to seek opportunities elsewhere. Perhaps if Malays are oppressed then they may begin to see opportunities not only in Malaysia but anywhere and everywhere.
August 21st, 2006 at 3:11 am
DrY
Why would Bakri “do you a favor”? He don’t owe you anything. Why is it that everybody says that you must return to the country to contribute. You don’t have to be physically present in Malaysia to contribute to Malaysia. Sometimes I wonder what is your own contribution DrY, since you are in Malaysia? YouMalaysians can certainly contribute from afar.
Contribution can come in many forms and Bakri is doing it through his writings. He is not assuming anything, lots of Malaysians who are overseas share the same feelings and sentiment as him. And again the same cop out tarnished by “Western thinking” Please explain to me this western thinking?
August 21st, 2006 at 3:49 am
DrY,
Isn’t it true what Bakri says? Do you think the BN government will lay a red carpet for him even if he volunteers to return? He has said enough and it’s for us to do the need be.
Can we change the system? It’s difficult when indivdual interest overides that of the rakyat. Once you are in power it’s not easy to let go.
In Bolehland power means money, money means influence and influence means having a hold over people. Who would want to forego this?
August 21st, 2006 at 4:54 am
Many Malays, unfortunately have abdicated their intellect, and those few that dare to speak out (albeit anonymously) are constantly labelled as liberal (which is not meant in a positive way), infidel, and what not.
So much effort, it seems, is being put in to drive Malaysia to be more ‘Islamic’, in a way which I personally don’t think will be good for anyone, much less the Malays in the long run. And the ulamas are riding this wave, even egging it on, all the while pounding into the Malay/Muslim psyche, “Islam is under threat, Islam is under threat”. And the hold that these ulama have on the Malay mind is incredible. I suppose a mind already under siege is easy to convince.
This is what’s happening today. And as the good Dr. Bakri has pointed out, AAB has squandered a golden opportunity to reverse that - and I don’t expect any bold moves in the right direction anytime soon, truth be told.
Learning from any people and/or culture that has proven to be successful is something that can only be done if learning is truly the objective. Unfortunately, IMHO, it is not. It’s about consolidation of influence - what that influence once consolidated will lead to is not even given any thought, so it would seem.
August 21st, 2006 at 10:13 pm
I accidentally deleted this posting by Oster. Fortunately I could retrieve it and I am repatching it. Sorry! Bakri Musa
Oster writes:
DrY,
Tarnished is a subjective word. You’ve assumed everybody shares your absolutes.
Anyway minor point, if you look close enough, Nixon was the most liberal of
presidents, relative to his successors.
cheers
August 22nd, 2006 at 12:02 am
It’s the subsidies, the NEP, their Special Malay Rights and expectation of a big brother who will come to their rescue anytime should they fail, that is messing up the Malays. They have no pressure, not encouraged to work hard to fend for themselves.
After half a century they are still so dependent on the goverment esp the young generation today who have been brought up to feel it’s their right to demand and it’s their entitlement. They are so arrogant and spoilt, don’t even know the meaning of hardship, perseverance and merits.
Having said that, I am sure any race at all, given those benefits - best insurance ever, tend to behave the same way.
So will the Malays be like the Irish ? No, they will not! Not for another hundred years as long as they are allow the state to come between them and their religion, continue to be dependent on the NEP, their Special Rights and expected of a Big Brother to lean on if they should fall(fail)!
August 22nd, 2006 at 6:18 am
herro???
ohayo gosaimasu..
there’s this used brain exhibition held in glasgow, scotland recently. there was this range of used brains - american, middle eastern, french, jewish , german etc - laid out nicely and they were all for sale to the highest bidder. after making my rounds i noticed the irish brain is the most expensive.
I asked, “Why this brain so expensive???”
i failed to notice an explanation written below it - and it says
“irish brain is always expensive because it is hardly used”.
August 22nd, 2006 at 9:14 am
This country is not going to be like the Irish anytime soon. Wait till the oil runs out, most rich people leave the country and the economy in tatters only then perhaps the majority race might wake up. Who would want to slog when the going is so good now.
August 22nd, 2006 at 11:50 pm
Overrall, this writing has nothing new to offer, despite the apparent attempt to associated Malaysia to Ireland (which highly problematic), M Bakri has merely given a standard policy recomendation. Open up the markets (which some are already very open in Malaysia), use English and have poliocies that are “friendly” to foreign investors.
Also I notice the emphasis on religion reflects M Bakri’s thinking; which is nothing new.
Nevertheless, in this regard I may offer some comments. I suppose, Ireland is succesful in curtailing the religious influence as Christianity at that time was already on the wane elsewhere. Of course, nowadays one talks about the rise of Christian fundamentalism in US but that is a different story, especially in the very much secular Europe.
But for Malaysia (like the rest of the Islamic world) is experiencing the rise / resurgence of Islam since the late 70s. Some people may call it fundemantalism or radicalism or whatever… but that is a social fact. So you can’t have a Sean Lemass in Malaysia anytime soon!
But perhaps you may have some one who esposes Muslim governance and at the same time promotes Capitalism and free market, as long as they don’t infringe on Islam…of course…..
August 23rd, 2006 at 11:56 am
super-amit
No doubt this article does not present new ideas, it serves to remind Malaysians on what’s holding them back and how another country/nation with similar situation has managed to turn the corners from being a backward country surrounded by developed countries to a darling for investors and now a success story. Lots of time we need to be reminded lest we forget, you know Melayu mudah lupa and that sort of things.
Secondly the articles addresses what actions were taken by the Irish leaders leading to the turnaround. This example can be applied to Malaysia.
You yourself admit “But perhaps you may have someone who espouses Islamic (Muslim) governance and at the same time promotes Capitalism and free market, as long as they don’t infringe on Islam. Trade and Commerce has always been promoted in Islam and the Prophet (pbuh) The Prophet used to lead caravans on behalf of his beloved wife and ensuring profit. Islam also laid out terms for doing business fairly, no usury, fair measure and relationship between borrower and lender. All this is being practised through Bank Islam and other Islamic counters and the Stock Exchange. There are organizations such as LARIBA and Al Manzil promoting Islamic financing not only in Islamic countries but the old USA.
Islam shoudn’t be a hinderance to progress as Islam is a progressive religion. It’s only the Muslim leaders that make Islam repressive. No need for me to elaborate I’m sure you are knowledgeable about all this. 10-4
August 25th, 2006 at 7:16 am
some of ur comment truebut to say religous school and religousd establishment as a hurdle to progress is unfair, they contribute much to us the muslim of malaysia - by reminding us and make us aware what right and what wrong in religion U say religous school contribute nothing to country professional and executives. of course it is not their purposes, the contribute to us by providing ustaz and ulama that keep teaching us Islam and upholding religion of Allah SWT, teaching our kid about Islam and make sure they become good person, not just just become excelent profesionals but at the same time cheating peole, drink liqour involving in pre-marital sex oor corruption, msay be u forgot that religous school and seminaries in malaysia is frontline of muslim in fight against communinst and colonisation. may be for u this worldly money, wealthy and western acknowledgement are everything but remember we are going to die and aat that time nothing of ur certificates, degrees, money will help u in front of angel ofAllah SWT - Mungkar and Nakir
August 26th, 2006 at 2:39 am
Actually, M Bakri’s recommendation can be made by any economist who assumes all humans are in the mould of homo-econoimcus. So what is applicable in Ireland is applicable in Malaysia, nevermindobvious cultural and social differences.
But one may beware that such recommendations has “failed” or not produced desired results within the expected time frame when East Europe liberalised their economy and when Francis Fukuyama boldly proclaimed “The End of History” during the crash of the Berlin Wall.
As for me the “Melayu mudah lupa” is just a stereo-type used by politicians. If we want to be better then them, we must not let them be our teachers (explicitly or implicityly).
Another example of a streotype is the Malay problem of Singapore. Malays have been regarded as always been under poverty (materially and socially) and that idea was re-inforced by the Sing govt. But I remembered some Singapore researcher convincingly argued that the lagging of Malays in the economic field was a relatively recent phenomenon. That argued that Malays were in average better off if not on par with the Chinese up until when the British military left the island in early 70s.
So beware of such easy stereo types. Of course that is Singapore. Malaysian case is of different even though we share the same border with Singapore.
August 26th, 2006 at 2:45 am
Typo: The researcher argued that the average Malays were in average better off if not on par with the Chinese up until the 1970s; that was when the British military left the island and the island embarked on industrialisation state led capitalism (the result which appears in the glorified govt link companies in Singapore).
August 26th, 2006 at 7:38 am
Melayu Mudah Lupa is not just apolitical stereotyping. It is reality. Otherwise why would the Melayus vote in the same people come election time even though the person has been proven to be unscruplous and not working for the rakyat. How many UMNO politicians have tarnished image and then remain below the radar for a while. Yet come election time the Melayus throng in flocks to vote for these same people. Example, has UMNO no better candidates for MT? You have people like Rahim Tamby Chik and Muhamad Taib elected to the MT. These are people with excess baggage. Then we have the likes of Megat Junid, Adnan Yaakob, Khir Toyo, Rafidah Aziz and Tengku Adnan. UMNO is Melayu and the Melayus are voting these people into office.
August 26th, 2006 at 8:59 am
Thank you for all your comments.
Ikhwan posed a very basic and valid question that has yet been asked by the policymakers let alone answer it. That is: What is the purpose or role of our religious schools? Is it to produce ulama, ustazes and other functionaries of the religious estalishment?
If it is, do we need so many of them? Even if that were the purpose, would not be better that our future ulama be exposed to the other disciplines and a liberal education? A knowledge of the humanities, social and natural sciences would enhance one’s understandig of the Quran. Besides, if you were knowledgeable in the other disicplines, you would be better able to serve your congregation instead of merely quoting some holy texts as your answer to every problem.
As for super-amit’s contention that we have nothing to learn from the Irish or anyone else, remember, we are all humans and can learn from others. No need to repeat the mistakes of others, or reinvent the wheel. Our cultures and social environments merely change the content but the concept remains the same. The problems faced by the Irish are the same as ours (also French-Canadians, Tamils in Sri Lanka, Catholic in Northern Ireland) ) except that they are manifested in their infinite variations. There is nothing unique to the problems facing Malays; as such we have a lot to learn from othes.
Homo economicus remains rational, carefully planning his activities for “maximal utility.” Malays like all humans, response to incentives, the rest is commentary. The problem and challenge is with the variations in the content of that concept. An incentive to one culture is a disincentive to another. And what we offer as incentive influences not only the responders but also the responses. Offer honey, we get bees, rotten meat, maggots.
Malaysia has been offering rotten meat as incentives, no surprise that we get maggots. The Malay bees have gone elsewhere where they offer honey.
Bakri Musa
August 28th, 2006 at 6:01 pm
if Irish is not a good model. look to South Korea. A nation practically ruined by their colonial master who can rise up to what it is today is surely meteoric. their GDP per capita is much lower than Malaya after WW2.
August 29th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
BTW, I recall hearing from someone in the corridoors of power that Tun Dr M, in the last few years/months of his PM-ship actually asked for EPU/NEAC to look into the successful small European countries/economies like Ireland, Sweden, Denmark etc and how, what and where can Malaysia emulate them. Guess Tun realised after that East Asian Financial Crisis, eastern economies like Japan and South Korea no longer good enough a model… and dunno what happened to the study - whether it took off in the first place. don’t see Pak Lah picking it up…being busy with agri and 9MP projects…
September 14th, 2006 at 7:18 am
It the first time I read your blog. I must say that if Malaysia can have more of “Bakri Musa”, (liberal, open minded, modern, and rational) then Malays will not be the same anymore. Unfortunately, the majority of the Malays hide the incompetencies under the banner of Islam
September 22nd, 2006 at 4:57 pm
I am a Malaysian of Chinese descent. My apologies, if apologies are indeed needed, of having to declare my Malaysian category. Today in Malaysia, despite 50 years of independence, the word Malaysian is still insufficient to describe the citizenship - there is seemingly an overwhelming need(consciously or unconsciously) to declare/qualify one’s Malaysian citizenship.
This is the first time I read Dr Bakri’s blog and the ‘Irish Story’ is the first article that I have read. And what is my impression? From a Malaysian Chinese perspective?
I am for some inexplicable reason drawn to his writings, his rational analysis, his excellent command of the English language, the diffusive way he answered provocative comments. The pull is enough for me to pen a comment - something which I have hitherto not embarked and which I have always thought futile - and penning from a ‘inspired and encouraged’ perspective. It goes to show that positive traits/values are universal and people of all creed responds positively when such traits are displayed genuinely.
I have not been aware of the phenomenal achievements of the Irish and their remarkable remake in one generation due to the bold leadership of Sean Lemass. All I know about the Irish are the unflattering common Irish jokes which surprisingly I am not aware of any great prostestations from the Irish! Thanks Bakri for sharing the example which has triggered me to read further on the topic - the success story, I mean, not the jokes!
We live in a relative world where communication is built upon mental models, parables, legends, history, triumphs and tragedies. The Irish story shared by Bakri should I think be taken in that light. For me it is a ‘benchmark’ of a successful model, it delineate the boundaries of possibilities - that transformation within a generation is possible, that from adversities one can rise and what great leadership can achieve. To me that is the essence of Bakri’s intent and that is sufficient and useful for me.
I used the word ‘benchmark’ because it is a common term used in the business world. Business is a highly competitive world where speed is a competitive advantage and benchmarking has been used by many if not all as a technique to fast track the adoption of ‘best-in-class’ practices without having to ‘reinvent the wheel’ And businesses are painfully aware of the NIH syndrome - Not Invented Here - and have invested time tand energy to inculcate ‘open-minded’ values inits employees. The Irish story is a potential benchmark. If if fits wear it, if it does not, modify or discard it. But, “A Mind Once Stretched by A New Idea, Never Returns Back to Its Original Dimensions”!
Bakri, people like you, through your writings, are part of the quiet revolution operating within what Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Successful People advocates, the Circle of Influence as opposed to the noisy Circle of Concern.
Syabas, fellow Malaysian!