Malaysia’s leadership vacuum and religious confusion

We are living in turbulent times, our nation gripped by a multi-billion ringgit financial scandal, political infighting of epic proportions and a growing unease from religious conservatism.

But just as the media and netizens are having a field day with all the political brickbats and exposes, we are increasingly becoming a country without a clear direction, a nation in great confusion.

Making heroes out of the tainted

The perfect example of our loss of moral bearings comes in the form of our hastiness in making heroes out of people with questionable backgrounds.

We have been obsessed with the tit-for-tat between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak ever since our former leader went public with his demands for Najib to answer for the 1MDB scandal, in which RM42 billion of public money still remains unaccounted for.

Since then, many – from politicians and netizens to even his former foes – have hailed the 90-year-old Mahathir as a hero willing to stand up against a leader with too many controversies under his belt.

The media has largely painted Dr Mahathir out to be a man on a mission to right the wrongs of the current administration, but the truth is that his 22-year leadership, too, has been riddled with much criticism.

Dr Mahathir was never made to answer for several notable financial scandals of his time, and has also been unapologetic about the scores of Internal Security Act detentions and the muzzling of the press and judiciary that has become a legacy of his administration.

His motivations for his public vendetta against Najib are still unclear, but Malaysians cannot confuse his current actions for a purely selfless act.

A leadership vacuum and our desperation for voices of reason, especially among public figures, have made us vulnerable to potential opportunists.

But Malaysians must be clear in our ideal for a truly worthy leader, lest we fall into a vicious cycle of having another ineffective government, led by a self-serving leader.

What is the Islam that defines this nation?

Another reflection of this nation’s state of confusion is the rapid growth of Islamic conservatism in society and government.

Last week, a minister said the government would review sporting attire for national athletes following criticism from certain quarters about national gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi’s leotards when she bagged a gold medal in the recent SEA Games.

Islamic conservatives cried foul over her costume, saying she brought shame to Islam for not covering her “aurat”.

Never mind that Farah Ann – a true national treasure – had actually brought a much-needed sense of pride to Malaysians when she took home two gold medals, a silver and one bronze from the Games, or that she was dressed no differently from any regular gymnast.

But instead of defending a faultless young athlete, a minister announced a review of athletes clothing, implying that Farah Ann was dressed “inappropriately”.

When did it become so difficult to tell right from wrong? When did extremist religiosity take the place of good sense?

Progress and fanaticism cannot co-exist and our government needs to quickly decide which path it wants to take, because its current confusion is bleeding this country dry.

Our ringgit has fallen to a nine-year low while the Thai bhat has been recognised as one of Southeast Asia, if not Asia’s, strongest performing currencies.

Neighbouring Singapore, with just a 50-year history, continues to reign as one of the world’s strongest economies. The fact that Singapore’s real GDP per person last year was almost five times that of Malaysia speaks volumes of where we stand in relation to our closest neighbours.

International economists all agree that Malaysia has the makings to reach great economic heights, thanks to many positive factors going for it, including its location, diversity and modern infrastructure.

But how much longer must we remain as a nation of mere potential?

If we are ever to rise to actually meet this potential, the road to progress and nation-building is clear – there is no room for false leaders with vested interests, and certainly no room for narrow, religious government policies.

Because if we continue to fumble with fundamental questions of who we are, as our country is thrown into the throes of deeper confusion, the rest of the world isn’t waiting to watch.

They’re moving ahead, and we’re being left behind. – June 21, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.