PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim has introduced the term “Masyarakat Madani” to mean “civil society”.
Many people may not be aware that “Malaysia Madani” comes from a book written by him entitled “Membangun Negara Madani” (“Build a Civil Nation”). It is a 217-page publication on his political philosophy and policy framework.
The book serves as a document detailing his vision, values, and political narrative as a leader, especially in the period after he was released from prison in 2018, returned to parliament, and acted as prime minister-in-waiting.
The book is not a manifesto, for it lacks detailed policy descriptions and is rather complicated.
Anwar tends to use uncommon words to describe what he knows from long-term observation and analysis.
Unlike previous prime ministers, Anwar was once a political prisoner and a student activist, and it is these experiences, along with his extraordinary command of language and depth of knowledge, that determine the slogan and image he chose to present to the nation.
These are the recurring themes in the book: good governance, rejecting corruption and abuse of power, building an inclusive society where people respect each other, overcoming poverty and wealth inequality, sustainable development to protect the environment, mitigation of natural disasters, and reining in rapacious capitalism.
These are likely to be Anwar’s priorities as prime minister.
The biggest problem with Malaysia Madani is that it is too difficult for the public to understand, let alone his cabinet colleagues and senior civil servants.
The six drivers are not easy to remember. This could weaken the campaign’s popularity by making it harder to resonate with people.
It is foreseeable that politicians would selectively use the Malaysia Madani drivers to refer to the policies they advocate.
It must also be recognised that the ruling component parties have quite different political values, with GPS and GRS tending towards regionalism, while Umno is still committed to a Bumiputera First policy.
Will the unity government be able to uphold the principles outlined in the Madani book?
Malaysia Madani is just a collection of Anwar’s personal narratives and beliefs; it cannot be easily translated into actions and policies, as he still must face and overcome the challenges of the old order in politics and culture.
How far Malaysia Madani can go depends on Anwar’s tenure as prime minister and how he manoeuvres the implementation of his grand vision.
140th article for Agora@TMI column, published on The Malaysian Insight, 20 Feb 2023
No comments:
Post a Comment