Seeking an Asian Tigress amidst disruption

WHEN President Lyndon B Johnson visited Malaysia in 1966, touring the National Monument, Parliament, and a Felda scheme in Negeri Sembilan, the speeches on both sides highlighted shared experiences and a commitment to democratic values. Our Prime Minister then saw no contradiction between extolling liberty and justice alongside celebrating his Malay heritage, Muslim faith, and loyalty to the monarch: a far cry from the formula of ‘race, religion and royalty’ today.

Back then, this region was caught in the Cold War, and much of our diplomacy since has reflected changing ideological and geopolitical dynamics. At the same time, across the globe, millions have been lifted from poverty, enjoying transformative improvements in health, education, and access to technology. Our challenge is to harness the positive effects of disruption that continue to occur and share them with our fellow global citizens in a sustainable manner.

One of the sessions of this conference asks whether it is time for an Asian superhero. I believe it is. But what would our superhero look like? Would she traverse One Belt, One Road, or hop the contested islands of the South China Sea?

What socioeconomic background would she have, given that 14 of 37 Asian economics have a Gini coefficient of 0.40 or greater: would she emerge from a sprawling slum or rise above the curse of being from the third generation of a family enterprise? Who would be the bad guys, where multiple forces conspire to produce humanitarian disasters and the forced movement of people? And might the good guys be an alliance of start-up champions, zero-waste no-plastic crusaders, and defenders of the rule of law? What would our Asian Tigress’ response be to Black Panther’s ‘Wakanda Forever’?

If nations could be superheroes, then of late Malaysia could lay claim: the significance of a country which never before experienced a peaceful transition of power from one political coalition to another in a world where democracy is retreating cannot be overstated. In the new Malaysia we now can voice out on many issues: but the value of the freedom of expression is protected most by its constant use. Civil society will never be afraid again, but I hope that the culture of free speech will permeate to our schools and universities, so that young people will enter the real world equipped with the ability to disagree.

A hundred days into the new administration, the government has already had to be reminded of promises made. But by the same token, where progress is being made, it is right to encourage and praise the efforts to uplift our condition: whether on making our institutions more democratic, or returning public money stolen by past leaders. Citizens will get a chance to pass judgment after five years, and the resilience of Malaysia’s democracy must build upon every such election.

This may be a tall order when democracies all around the world are being tested.

The success of populists has brought previously fringe elements into the mainstream, and the virality of social media posts is able to stoke up emotions that result in collective incensed actions that can be difficult to heal. In turn, traditional sources of legitimacy are being challenged, reinterpreted or deliberately misinterpreted in order to create new authoritarianisms. It is heartening therefore that institutions of checks and balances in many democracies are already playing their roles to protect and uphold their constitution. But those checks and balances will only be effective if they have the support of citizens.

That is why I believe citizenship education is so important: to inculcate a shared understanding of the frameworks in which we can express support or dissent civilly and respectfully. Conferences such as this one further enable us to do so across national borders. And while I’m an ardent believer in increased connectivity between citizens, businesses and civil society, traditional track one and track 1.5 diplomacy have a profound role to play as well.

The next US President to visit Malaysia after LBJ was Barack Obama, who pointedly spent a generous amount of time interacting with civil society on human rights and institutional reforms. That ought to be a normal part of diplomacy between allies, alongside seeking trade opportunities, infrastructure development contracts or defence procurement.

The movie ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ has just been released, and no doubt it will introduce or emphasise a certain perception of Asians to many audiences. Maybe there are some who would have preferred a good old, onedimensional superhero movie. But there can be no such superhero in a world of disruption: the real heroes will be those who make that disruption positive and sustainable.

Edited from the writer’s speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Harvard Project for Asian & International Relations Conference.

Tunku Zain Al-Abidin founding president of Ideas. is