Imperialism and Malaysian Politics
By batsman
It is highly unlikely that Malaysian politics can escape the influence of imperialism. Just because people refuse to talk about it or practice the famous Malaysian brand of self-censorship does not mean it is not happening. Since our PM promises a free Malaysian cyberspace, let me break the ice.
Capitalism has many faces. The most famous 2 are violently cruel and brutal exploitation on the one hand and benevolent patronage on the other. Take for example the naked exploitative cruelty during the time Oliver Twist was written and compare it to the benevolent patronage now enjoyed by Malaysians both at home and as immigrants.
Lenin used to describe the faces of capitalism by comparing them to the Black Hundreds and Narodnism.- the Black Hundreds being the Tsar’s specially recruited psychopathic assassins and Narodniks being the militant millenarian democratic trend among Russian peasants.
Imperialism too has 2 main faces. During Lenin’s time, it was characterized by naked brutal militarism and genocidal invasions in the competition to capture or suppress colonies. WW1 was one such competition that ended in the deaths of tens of millions.
In modern times imperialism has grown even stronger. It can now use both the stick and the carrot to good effect. For independent and bloody minded dictators, the weapon of choice is genocidal invasion. For subservient and loyal servants it grants investments and pours in capital. So it is that Iraq and Libya may suffer the same fate of regime change. Worse, Libya may yet suffer partition and endless civil war, while UMNO, in spite of TDM’s big mouth, remains one of the favourites of the imperialists mainly because UMNO has made sure Malaysia remains an economic open house.
UMNO is also characterized by 2 main faces. They are bureaucrat comprador capitalism on the one hand and Malay national socialism on the other. In its early years, Malay national socialism was more influential. There was even a certain idealism in UMNO. In fact many Malay socialists joined UMNO especially from API.
These days, however, money rules the roost and bureaucrat comprador capitalism is dominant, so much so that corruption and abuse of power has gone from super to hyper. Needless to say it is foolhardy for UMNO to abandon its Malay national socialist roots completely and this face of UMNO still plays a crucial role. UMNO is and remains a racist political party using Malay national socialism to garner powerful political support all the while enriching just a few privileged cronies in the civil service and private sector.
It is therefore no accident that Malaysia has been ruled by UMNO for over 50 years. In spite of racial discrimination suffered by non-Malays, foreign investments and capital poured into Malaysia by imperialism has offered a good life for the technically competent and economically competitive.
Things however are changing. Imperialism has other investment destinations. Corruption by UMNO has gone from super to hyper, and the good life of non-Malays now look threatened in addition to being discriminated against. The non-Malays now have no choice but to side with the opposition.
The opposition however is a hodgepodge of political trends. This is reflected in the suspicions that still surround it. Mostly however, they try to make as if they offer a credible and better government i.e. be more efficient and more honest servants of the imperialists without the rampant and open corruption of UMNO and especially without its national socialist element.
The opposition is supported by a large group of Malaysian émigrés – people who prefer to be directly ruled by imperialists than by the servants of imperialists in the form of UMNO. They feel they offer a better alternative – at least a more efficient and less corrupt one.
Given the more open global situation where imperialist investment and capital has more alternatives to seek even greater profits compared to the 60’s through to the 90’s, their claim may actually ring true and Malaysians needs to be more efficient and better servants without the hang up of racial impediments to economic development and profit generation.
Unfortunately demands for efficiency and abolishment of corruption have been unable to distance themselves from accompanying chauvinistic accusations that Malays are lazy and uncompetitive, accusations UMNO itself has helped foster. It might seem therefore that many in the opposition who have a tendency for chauvinism are actually shooting themselves in their own feet and helping UMNO to apply divide and rule tactics.
It is only PAS that seems to be the spanner in the works. PAS is still against total surrender to imperialist influence especially in culture and spirituality if less so in terms of economics.
Being an Islamic party, PAS is more acutely aware of the cruelty and barbarism imperialism is capable of practicing and it is suspicious of the economic practices of the imperialists. The hesitation of PAS has earned it the appellation of being mediaeval, fundamentalist and extremist.
Other political trends have to choose between support for these 2 main political groups. Socialists in particular seem to have come on board the opposition grouping since UMNO’s corruption and racism is too much to stomach. However, UMNO’s national socialism still has a socialist element if only for propaganda purposes. This has caused some hesitation among Malay socialists along with the tendency of some opposition groups to be blindly supportive of imperialism.
The people however still wait for a true Malaysian leader. In spite of everything, there is still a forlorn feeling among most Malaysians for unity without racial complications. Unfortunately, Malaysian political trends and leaders have harped on the racial element to the extent that the feelings of neighbourliness and national unity have been suppressed and given no voice whatsoever.
Malaysian nationalism is still not quite a reality, and especially so with the competition between the 2 groupings to be the better servant (and hence the better rewarded) of imperialism.
