Malaysiakini: Not the Messiah - just a very naughty boy

January 22, 2003

The Malaysian government response to the controversy caused by the police raid on the offices of independent internet newspaper Malaysiakini has been led by Deputy Home Minister Zainal Abidin Zin and the Information Ministry - set up to "control" the distribution of the means of production in this Information Age - namely information itself.

Several years back Malaysia made a public commitment, admittedly in a very general way as is The Malaysian Way, not to censor Internet content as a means to encourage the development of the much vaunted Malaysian MultiMedia Super Corridor (MSC), established several years back

In reference to this statement, the Singapore Straits Times yesterday quoted Zainal as follows:

"...Promises to allow freedom of expression on the Internet were not a license to say anything. We promised - if they are good. If they are not good, we just cannot lay down our head... ...Where there are any parties committing acts which are unjust against society, the government must act responsibly to defend the rights of the people..."

So what is "good" in Malaysia?

After all we all want to be "good", and not a naughty boy.

Business people in Malaysia tread a fine ill-defined line on what is acceptable. Flexibility rules, and getting full commitments on paper is difficult. "Guessing" is a fine art, and continually monitoring opinions and consulting with those in power is a necessity for operating and doing business in Malaysia.

Malaysiakini editor Steven Gan has frequently referred to the commitment of the government not to censor the Internet, yet again in his latest press statement, effectively not letting people forget the government's promise and sometimes seemingly even baiting the powers that be.

It was always also a red flag to a bull however, especially an angry one.

This commentator however could never quite see how censoring the Internet would necessarily limit the success of the MSC. Corporate internet communications would hardly be affected, and international investors, unlike their governments, have a history of not caring much about the political color or human rights records of host governments as long as a buck was there and you could buy protection and influence in various creative ways. While a favourite catch-cry of foreign and libertarian media, logically the connection is spurious.

The MSC however has much bigger problems than the debate on censoring the internet in Malaysia.

The Multi Media Super Corridor project refers to a plan to create a physical Corridor of high tech industries stretching from KL central to Putrajaya, a high- tech ultra-modern industrial park that resembles a private university campus. The MSC Corridor was another great vision of Mahathir - a truly inspired one at that. Early prognostics were good. Mahathir got excellent publicity with whirlwind trips around the world, and lavish receptions in Kuala Lumpur were held for the converted. Giant corporations like Microsoft were lured in early with attractive tax and financial breaks.

The promise has not yet been realised however - especially for local business. Numerous competing IT centres throughout the region emerged overnight. Malaysia started to lose their competitive and first-mover advantage. Entry costs were high due to high rents in the modern new city and the best opportunities were afforded to the most well connected corporates and titans, often with little background in IT. The same "backyard entrepreneur" types that fueled the first international IT revolution in Silicon Valley were left hanging - or more often than not to migrate to Singapore, where ironically, entry costs were lower and opportunities were afforded to enthusiastic underpaid talent working in dingy upstairs offices in Tanjung Pagar. More often than many think, creativity is spurred by deprivation, and the cosseted environment of the MSC in some ways reduced real entrepreneurism in a young industry where talent counted for more than connections.

The MSC aside however, Zainal's comments are informative.

To this commentator, to be "good" in Malaysia, is to operate within an understanding of what is best described as the "Malaysian way" - best described as a combination of Confucianism and Malay traditional culture. To me it explains some of the issues surrounding the Malaysiakini controversy.

The "Malaysian way", as defined by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad on many occasions, is to get around a table and discuss issues together, rather than in the open and publicly. He often boasts that Malaysian workers never take to the streets to demonstrate, unlike those in South Korea and Western countries for example.

Most business people in Malaysia, foreign and local, are also acutely aware of the "Malaysian way of business", which involves numerous tete a tetes with small groups of those with influence. During these talks, confidences are extended as trust builds, and informal social credits and debts are incurred, often in obtuse and indirectly-stated terms. The result is sometimes one happy family, where each party can eventually get what they want, provided these "informal rules of engagement" are followed. Those outside the happy family however, never really know what goes on in those secretive meetings.

"The Malaysian Way" is entirely consistent with there being "bad cronies and good cronies" as Mahathir put it so well a few years back, when commenting on allegations of cronyism from foreign media in the wake of the Anwar controversy.

In the foreign affairs department, the "Malaysian way", sometimes likened to the "Asian way", is the overriding philosophy behind Mahathir's strong views on the way ASEAN should work embodied in the principle of "non-interference" - that member countries should not publicly criticize policy of other ASEAN countries openly, but instead discuss problems at an appropriate level in private.

The "Malaysian Way" can arguably be seen as having it's origins in Confucian philosophy which sees political power as being centralized within an "intellectual elite" of "learned scholars", chosen on the basis of breeding and character. Policy is discussed within this elite, and then distributed to the masses when all has been agreed. This assumes that the masses have little education and are best led by this group. It underlies the affection and justification in many Asian countries such as communist-led China for what is often seen by "interested onlookers" as "authoritarianism".

These days the original Confucian ideas have been adapted and adopted for use in modern Asian states.

While places like Singapore and Malaysia are democracies, the Confucian way is still evident - best characterized by former Malaysian and then Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew. Yew's affection for Confucian philosophy extends to theories of genetic engineering - the development of a political elite bred from a genetic pool via the inter-marriage of those with high intellect. Social programs in Singapore retain a key aim of introducing those of similar intellect to each other, rather than encouraging intermarriage between different classes and "intellects". Graduates meet graduates; the working class meet the working class.

In predominantly Malay Malaysia however, the "Malaysian Way" represents a merging of Confucian philosophy with the matriarchal aspects of Malay culture -where nurturing and the emotional side has a special place. This reflects itself in the protectionist policies of Malaysian government - both in regard to free trade and the looking after of certain groups in Malaysia to protect a delicate racial mix. Mahathir's statements and speeches draw on the symbolism and language of matriarchy frequently. Often highly emotionally tinged, speeches are spiced up with appeals to protect Malaysians against outside interference from heathen external economic and social aggressors.

Like another belief system anchored in culture - "the American Way", "the Malaysian Way" has its strong points, and also weak points as well.

Malaysiakini, as all Malaysian press right now, is operating in a political environment which is already in pre-election mode - with the first election without Mahathir as leader of the dominant UMNO party and Barisan Nasional government for 20 years approaching fast.

Malaysiakini however, in just a few areas, refuses to play "The Malaysian Way". It promotes open discussion on issues that the government would prefer to be discussed only among the elite. It promotes a political consciousness which is foreign to many Malaysians who have been happy to leave decisions to the government while their standard of living spiraled up-wards.

While Malaysiakini says they are fighting for the "free press" in Malaysia, to the Malaysian elite the press is not for the open discussion of issues, but for relaying and publicizing policies already agreed fait accomplies. There is a genuine divide on the role of the press. Some issues - such as the affirmative action policies for Bumiputeras - are deemed by the government as too sensitive for discussion. The questioning of the policies of this matriarchal/Confucian administration is often characterised as "sedition" as the old Sedition law passed primarily to counter the communist threat is necessarilly vague and flexible. - Questioning authority is not the "Malaysian Way", the same way as questioning your own mother's views, or those of the Confucian "intellectual elite", is seen as "rude" or "ungrateful".

To the Malaysian ruling government, MalaysiaKini is not the Messiah of the Press - he's just a very naughty boy.... If the prodigal son returns to the family, tells his mom who wrote that letter, and promises to be good in future, all will be forgiven and there will be goats slaughtered, Kickapoo Joy Juice laid on, and feasting for all.

So far the prodigal son is acting.. well.. "recalcitrant". Editor in Chief Gan has already spent a few hours at the cop shop for questioning and still refuses to divulge any information to assist in the identification of the letter writer. He fears for the next steps. Reportedly, four sub-editors are next in line.

Chao Phraya River Rat in Strategy and Business Management on January 22, 2003 07:49 AM

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Comments

If the prodigal son remains silent. That silent is louder that any words in his web page. Do a Ghandi. It would work wonder. My tribute to him in the highest.

Posted by: Paul on January 24, 2003 09:02 PM

Gan and Malaysiakini deserve it *Yes*.
His portal are just too one sided and full of hatred and flares.

Pill

Posted by: Pilay on January 25, 2003 06:45 AM

malaysiakini is one sided.......so are the mainstream papers..depends which side you are on...if the mainstream papers are balanced, you don't have to close Malaysiakini...it will die a natural death

Posted by: chan on January 26, 2003 04:51 PM

Freedom of speech must prevail and everyone must be given a chance to voice their opinion. Let the opinion be pro-government or anti-government.

Ravi

Posted by: on January 26, 2003 10:35 PM

malaysiakini deserves the highest praise. if you consider MS one-sided, then i consider you a hypocrite for not questioning the lack of impartiality in the malaysian government.

Posted by: tea on January 27, 2003 02:57 AM

As a journalist for a business magazine, I can relate an incident around 1 year after the establishment of Malaysiakini. After the site going down I emailed MK asking for more background on the incident, enquiring whether this was caused by any government intervention. I used by personal email and did not identify my employer or who I wrote for. To my amazement I received a reply from Steven Gan himself, where he provided a very informative reply and good naturedly "laughed off" my suggestion that there was "dirty doings" behind it.

Several times subsequently I have received the same level of professional support from Malaysiakini personnel and Gan himself, despite the site being far more popular now.

Without going into names, I have rarely got personal replies from editorial staff at the major Malaysian news sources and newspapers, despite their massive staff and funding.

This may well back up the ideas behind this article (very good by the way!) - In Malaysiakini, there is no need to be a Datuk, Dato or Seri or VIP to get attention and even personal replies. It gives everyone a "fair go".

Posted by: Mat Saleh on January 27, 2003 04:12 AM

The printed press in Malaysia is losing their integrity. I mean the chinese printed press. See how they are stopping the Oriental Daily for being distributed, and feel totally no shame about it.
I truely believe freedom of speech, providing speaking of nothing but truth.

Posted by: chinese on January 27, 2003 05:52 AM

Well done, Malaysiakini! You are much needed in Malaysia today where news and comments acceptable to those in power gets printed and dissenting news and views are unwelcome and have little chance of getting printed

Posted by: peter mooney on January 28, 2003 06:40 AM

Readers, I can’t tell you how sick I get when I hear words such as Asian values or Malaysian way or Confucian way.

Freedom of speech, movement, work etc are universal values. There is no mention in our collective religions (Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism) that we are less intelligent, that we need to be guided. Our religions state that we are not animals. We have the capacity to think for ourselves and make our own decisions.

Unfortunately, over time, such drivel (asian values etc.) has been used to justify less freedom for us. Just like the men over the other side of the globe, I too need my shelter, food and the freedom to do or say what I want. Such freedom are universal, we all need them, after all we come from the same single gene. It is only our politicians who make a point to mention such values. I have never met any person who say that he should not be allowed his opinion or his freedom. Talk of Asian values etc normally occurs when politicians need to suppress some damaging scandal that may affect them.

Please once and for all, I need my freedom just like any other person on earth. Next time if you are tempted to write such drivel please, enclose this (politician) so the world would truly know, whose values they are really.

Posted by: Stan on January 28, 2003 06:38 PM

I read malaysiakini often and find nothing offensive. A lot that were written and discussed in the on-line media are true. Alas, Malaysia will always be Malaysia. Forgive me for saying so but leaders like Lee Kuan Yew fared no better. They won't want people to rock their plans and hidden agendas, would they; so too are the ruling elites throughout Malaysia.
Nowadays, I don't even want to pick up the NST, the Star or any local tabloid. All owned by business people who are connected to the higher up if these taboid o broadsheet are not yet own by political parties. malaysiakini allows those who disagree to air their views. That's the difference. I wonder whther the Straits Times would ever dare to do that (oh..forget the NST).

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