Sabtu, 13 November 2010

Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar Ibrahim

Letter From Malaysia:The Malay Dilemma

Posted: 12 Nov 2010 11:06 PM PST

From New Yoker

By Ian Bruma

LETTER FROM MALAYSIA about opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and the ethnic and religious problems facing the country. Anwar Ibrahim has come back from six years in prison on corruption and sodomy charges to become the best hope for a more democratic, less corrupt Malaysia. This is the same Anwar Ibrahim who had once been at the heart of the Malaysian establishment.

He was poised to succeed Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad until he launched an attack on "nepotism" and "cronyism" in his own party, the United Malays National Organization. The "cronies" included members of Mahathir's family and in 1998, Anwar was removed from the cabinet and from UMNO. He was charged with corruption and sodomy and was beaten while awaiting trial. Mentions accusations that Anwar is a Jewish agent. Released from prison in 2004, Anwar eventually returned to Parliament in a landslide. In the next general election, possibly as soon as 2010, Anwar Ibrahim may well become Prime Minister. Writer discusses the role of race and religion in Malaysia. The country's population is more than half Malay, defined by ethnicity and Muslim faith, but large numbers of Chinese and Indians arrived in the nineteenth century.

Discusses Mahathir's 1970 book "The Malay Dilemma," in which he argues that the Malays could not compete with the Chinese for genetic reasons and needed to be protected with affirmative action and mandatory ownership of business enterprises lest the Chinese and Indians take over. The book was banned, but activists succeeded in distributing copies to Malay students, including Anwar, who was president of the Malaysian Muslim Students Union. Tells how Mahathir and Anwar steadily gained influence until Mahanthir became Prime Minister. Anwar was brought into the government to help implement Mahanthir's ethnic theories.

He did so until the late nineteen-nineties, when the consequences had become too blatant to ignore. Writer observes Mahathir (who is no longer Prime Minister) speaking at a demonstration protesting the Israeli attack on Gaza. Tells about Anwar's daughter, Nurul Izzah, who was elected to Parliament in 2008 and who wears the Muslim headscarf. Discusses the growth of independent blogs and alternative-news Web sites in the late nineties in Malaysia, including Malaysiakini, which was inspired by Anwar's call for political change. Describes the obstacles that need to be overcome before Anwar's coalition of opposition parties is ready to rule. Briefly tells about the current Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

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