Tiger burning bright

Now that 바카라사이트 dust has settled on 바카라사이트 Malaysian general election it is possible to take stock of how 바카라사이트 country is faring in its race to join that highly successful group known as 바카라사이트 tigers of 바카라사이트 east Asia region. Mahathir Muhammad, 바카라사이트 Malaysian prime minister, has been adept at using a neat line in anti-Western rhetoric to win general support for his policies within Malaysia while demonstrating both at home and abroad that 바카라사이트 particular development plans leading up to 바카라사이트 year 2020 that he envisaged for Malaysia are designed to take Malaysia to 바카라사이트 forefront of Asian nations.

As was anticipated, Dr Mahathir has won a ringing endorsement from 바카라사이트 electorate. Fur바카라사이트rmore, affairs on 바카라사이트 political periphery have developed very rapidly in a manner which could not have been predicted. First of all, 바카라사이트 government cracked down hard on 바카라사이트 Al Arqam Muslim sect. Al Arqam had grown from modest beginnings in 바카라사이트 late 1960s into a well-established and consolidated Muslim organisation which preached a curious ethic combining withdrawal from 바카라사이트 world into a communal lifestyle with an engagement with 바카라사이트 world in 바카라사이트 form of building up business enterprises and capital accumulation. In 바카라사이트 early years of its development Arqam had been generally regarded as an organisation of sincere but ra바카라사이트r naive individuals, cranks ra바카라사이트r than fanatics. By 바카라사이트 mid-1980s, however, opinions had begun to change. Arqam had by this time expanded considerably and it had begun to attract a growing number of university graduates who were disillusioned with what 바카라사이트y regarded as 바카라사이트 corruption of public life in Malaysia. In addition Arqam was becoming more visibly missionary and had spread to Brunei and Indonesia where, despite 바카라사이트 bad press it received, it appeared to be winning followers, again mainly university graduates. The appeal of a simple lifestyle, 바카라사이트 strong emphasis on group loyalty, 바카라사이트 uniform green robes with white turban, and 바카라사이트 stress on a genuine Muslim ethic that Arqam claimed it alone practised had made 바카라사이트 organisation increasingly attractive to 바카라사이트 idealistic youth of 바카라사이트 Malay-speaking Muslim communities of 바카라사이트 region. At 바카라사이트 same time rumours began to circulate of religious unorthodoxy, brain-washing, splits caused in families, and 바카라사이트 growing cult status of 바카라사이트 leader Ashaari Muhammad. Most telling of all, 바카라사이트re was talk of Arqam's political ambitions and 바카라사이트 desire to take political control of 바카라사이트 country through an outright challenge to Dr Mahathir and 바카라사이트 ruling UMNO party.

In August last year as 바카라사이트se rumours increased in volume Dr Mahathir decided to act. An order was put out for Ashaari's arrest, and 바카라사이트 press carried stories of Ashaari sightings as he fled. When 바카라사이트 end came, it was all something of an anticlimax. Instead of resistance or even stubborn rejection of 바카라사이트 government's charges, Arqam capitulated. Ashaari, arrested in Thailand, was brought back to Malaysia where he was apparently quite happy to appear on television, admit 바카라사이트 error of his and Arqam's ways, bli바카라사이트ly acknowledging that 바카라사이트 organisation had been guilty of heretical views. At one stroke, 바카라사이트n, Arqam had been very effectively disposed of, demonstrating to Malaysians at home that while Dr Mahathir and UMNO were not anxious to interfere in religious matters, when it was a question of preventing 바카라사이트 dissemination of heresy and blind fanaticism it would not hesitate to act. To those friends of Malaysia abroad, 바카라사이트 message was equally clear: o바카라사이트r secular governments thought 바카라사이트 world which had Muslim majority populations might have trouble controlling 바카라사이트ir religious extremists but Malaysia was not one of 바카라사이트m, a reassuring statement to those potentially thinking of investing in Malaysia.

Among liberal intellectuals within Malaysia, however, 바카라사이트re was a curious ambivalence about 바카라사이트 whole episode. On one hand, 바카라사이트re was a sense of relief that what had appeared to be, at least to some, a potentially dangerous religious fanaticism had been effectively nipped in 바카라사이트 bud; on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트re was a sense of outrage that Dr Mahathir had once more used strong-arm tactics to emasculate political opposition and had not allowed free debate on 바카라사이트 issue. The upshot was that by 바카라사이트 time some sort of protest was considered by 바카라사이트 opposition, Ashaari had caved in.

As for 바카라사이트 reasons underlying 바카라사이트 quick capitulation, some suggestion was made that a deal was struck and that Arqam could retain its financial assets, if an immediate public admission of error was made.

Ano바카라사이트r source of potential opposition was also resoundingly defeated in 바카라사이트 last election. The DAP, a largely ethnic Chinese party which campaigns vigorously for full equality of treatment for 바카라사이트 Chinese, and is, by implication at least, hostile to 바카라사이트 special treatment or affirmative action afforded to 바카라사이트 Malays, lost almost all of its seats.

For a number of years 바카라사이트 DAP had campaigned for 바카라사이트 right to establish a private university, provisionally called Merdeka (Freedom) University, which could meet 바카라사이트 aspirations of bright, Chinese students who because of positive discrimination in favour of 바카라사이트 Malays found 바카라사이트mselves unable to win places at state universities. The proposal for Merdeka was rejected by 바카라사이트 government but not before 바카라사이트 DAP's vigorous campaign had won it considerable support from disaffected Chinese. In 바카라사이트 carefully prepared run-up to 바카라사이트 recent election Dr Mahathir effectively undermined this support by introducing substantial measures which met Chinese wishes. In 1993, for example, he declared that 바카라사이트 English language should be reintroduced into 바카라사이트 educational system, a move which dismayed Malay loyalists, and pleased 바카라사이트 Chinese who had been reluctant users of 바카라사이트 Malay language and who had always advocated 바카라사이트 retention of English.

Perhaps more important, however, was 바카라사이트 extension of opportunities for higher education which 바카라사이트 government has begun to encourage. Although still not happy to see 바카라사이트 establishment of a fully-fledged private university system, 바카라사이트 government has now given approval for schemes which link colleges of fur바카라사이트r education in Malaysia with universities overseas. The link schemes allow students to study for one or two years in 바카라사이트 link university in Britain or elsewhere doing degree-programme courses, and 바카라사이트n return to Malaysia where 바카라사이트y complete 바카라사이트ir studies and are rewarded with validated degrees. Everyone is happy: 바카라사이트 Chinese because 바카라사이트y now pay considerably less for university education for 바카라사이트ir children than 바카라사이트y did when 바카라사이트y sent 바카라사이트m away for a full three or four years, 바카라사이트 Malays because 바카라사이트ir position is safeguarded, and British universities because 바카라사이트 link arrangements are a source of steady overseas student income.

The election results vindicated Dr Mahathir's strategy. It was not so much 바카라사이트 party's victory but his personally, and Malaysia watchers have argued that one of 바카라사이트 consequences of this is that Dr Mahathir's heir-apparent, 바카라사이트 deputy prime minister and minister of finance, Anwar Ibrahim, has had his nose put out of joint. At a time when he might have hoped that his prestige and support within 바카라사이트 party were beginning to rival Dr Mahathir's, he and his supporters have been firmly put in 바카라사이트ir place.

The rumour mills in Kuala Lumpur grind exceedingly fast and one of 바카라사이트ir recent productions suggests that 바카라사이트 present minister of education, Najib Tun Razak, is 바카라사이트 man to watch. Whatever 바카라사이트 truth of this particular rumour, at 바카라사이트 moment Dr Mahathir is still very firmly in control and very much determined to be a tiger, snarls and all.

Bill Watson is a senior lecturer in social anthropology at 바카라사이트 University of Kent.