The Sept 11 terrorist attacks on the United States and the war against Afghanistan clearly stand out as the top news events of the year. The impact of the attacks on global, as well as local, politics is far-reaching.
Meanwhile, in Malaysia, we have our share of events which are expected to impact the future in the coming years. Here are the key local events that have punctuated 2001.
1) MCA takes over Nanyang Press ...
The issue: In late May, alarm bells rang when MCA announced its intention to take over
Nanyang Press Holdings, which publishes two of the country's four major Chinese dailies.Fearing the curbing of a vibrant Chinese press that has been relatively independent of political influence, at least 90 of Nanyang's established columnists resigned from both the newspapers in protest and thousands of Chinese organisations openly opposed the deal. A community boycott campaign launched since then has slashed the sales of the dailies by at least 10 percent.
What's next: To retain Nanyang Press Holdings' public-listed company status, MCA's Huaren Holdings has to reduce its stake in Nanyang from 92.14 percent to 75 percent by next March. The likely buyer will be Tiong Hiew King, owner of Nanyang's long-time rival media group. Should this happen, a fresh round of public outcry can be expected.
2) ... and is split cleanly down the middle
The issue: Though they tried to play it down at first, the second largest component of the ruling party, MCA, which has 900,000 members, is facing a serious internal power struggle. Following the controversial Nanyang Press takeover, leaders are openly divided into two camps
, Team A and B, with the former led by party chief Dr Ling Liong Sik and the latter by his deputy Lim Ah Lek.Even the party's Youth and Wanita wings are split. The Youth annual meet
on Aug 3 came to an unruly end after a bomb hoax, fist-fights, chair-throwing, and the sacking of leaders aligned to Ling.What's next: Party elections may be held in next June. Already leaders of both factions are meeting delegates and grassroots to garner support. Some believe the speculation that vice-president Chua Jui Meng has cast his eyes on party presidency is merely a 'smokescreen' - the real candidate challenging Ling for the top post may take everyone by surprise. Will Lim make a comeback?
3) Religious militancy rears ugly head
The issue: Terrorists in the country are for real, according to the government. Local Islamic militants, namely the Malaysian Mujahidin Group, allegedly sought to overthrow the government and had bombed places of worship, robbed banks, murdered a state assembly representative, and were part of an international link to topple the government.
From July to August, the government arrested
16 members of the group, most of whom are also PAS members including the son of Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, under the Internal Security Act. Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi explained in August that the ISA arrests were necessary to allay the worries of foreign investors.Somewhat eerily, on the other side of the world a month later, terrorists, suspected to be led by Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, attacked the United States and devastated the New York World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, 19 members of an Islamic cult, Al-Ma'unah, were found guilty
of 'waging war' against the King and seeking to topple the government by force. Three were sentenced to death while the rest were given life imprisonment. The martial arts cult sparked one of the country's biggest security alert in July 2000 when they disguised themselves as soldiers and stole more than 100 weapons from two military camps.What's next: Civil groups and the opposition say the government is using the terrorism and militancy bogeys as an excuse to come down hard on dissidents before the next general elections scheduled for 2004. The government has insisted that the threat is real and 'preventive' measures must be taken.
A warmer US-Malaysia relationship after the Sept 11 attacks - coupled with remarks by national leaders that even the West is copying 'draconian security laws' from Malaysia - should prepare the public for more crackdowns and arrests in the name of 'national security'.
4) Racial clashes mar Kampung Medan
The issue: On March 9, Kampung Medan in Petaling Jaya Selatan was rocked by four days of racial clashes
, followed by weeks of uncertainty, which saw six people killed and more than 50 injured. Police subsequently arrested 190 people for various offences including attempted murder, rioting and for possession of weapons.The clashes have exposed simmering discontent in urban squatter settlements populated by Malays, Indians and immigrants, fueled by poverty amidst rapid development. Several quarters have called for an official government investigation into the cause of the incident but these have been dismissed with even Suhakam refusing to initiate an open inquiry.
Allegations of police bias in not protecting Indian Malaysian residents at the settlement and their failure to respond quickly to early reports of fighting have also been raised.
What's next: With the ghost of the 1969 racial riots still hovering over the collective Malaysian psyche, the Kampung Medan clashes served as a reality check for all on the combustibility of race relations brought about by years of race-based politics.
It is still left to be seen if the knee-jerk reaction from the government in providing amenities and housing to the residents after the clashes would be able to stem future unrest in the area without larger issues of alienation and economic displacement being addressed.
5) ISA alive and kicking
The issue: In April, police launched an operation to arrest
10 leaders of Keadilan and the reformasi movement under the Internal Security Act, claiming the group were part of a "militant attempt" to overthrow the government. Five have since been released while the others remain at the Kamunting camp under two-year detention orders.In August, police used the ISA to arrest two student
leaders following an upsurge in student activism in the country's campuses. The same month the antiquated legislation was used to arrest 16 members of a militant Islamic group, KMM (see 'Religious militancy rears ugly head').What next: The detention-without-trial ISA will remain over the heads of Malaysians like a Sword of Damocles, silencing dissent swiftly and deftly as the government shows no sign of repealing the act. Rights groups have warned that following the Sept 11 attacks in the US, the Malaysian government may use terrorism as a front to throttle legitimate political dissent.
6) DAP-PAS split
The issue: PAS' insistence that it will set up an Islamic state if it comes to power generated much heated debate, especially with its Barisan Alternatif ally DAP at the opposing end. Though it had been speculated that the thorn-in-the-flesh issue may force the secularist DAP to quit
the opposition front, the party's sudden departure in September still shocked many.Among the reasons cited by DAP for its decision included the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, which the party believed could affect the support for the party from its non-Muslim voters.
What's next: DAP's departure has weakened the opposition BA coalition. Expect the various opposition parties to focus more gaining grounds for themselves instead of offering themselves as the alternative government in the next general elections, which is most likely be called in 2003. PAS will continue to aim for the northern Malay states. Meanwhile, Keadilan-PRM may post a threat to DAP as the parties fight for the crucial Chinese votes.
7) PM declares Malaysia an Islamic state
The Islamic state debate escalated further with Barisan Nasional picking up the gauntlet thrown by PAS and declaring that Malaysia was already an Islamic state. This unleashed a torrent of protest
from the opposition who pointed out that the country's secular status was guaranteed by the constitution. The MCA, Gerakan and MIC, however, agreed that Malaysia had become an Islamic state.What's next: PAS is unlikely to abandon its Islamic state ambition and this will hasten the pace of its out-Islamising race with Umno. Pro-secular advocates will continue to press for the constitution to be a benchmark.
In the run-up to the next general elections, Umno will be striving to regain ground lost to PAS in the rural Malay-Muslim community. In urban areas, Umno will seek the help of its BN partners to convince voters that the Islamic state debate is only limited to the Malay-Muslim community.
8) Anwar Ibrahim's prosecutor promoted to AG
The issue: The announcement by de facto Law Minister Dr Rais Yatim in November that the government will appoint senior deputy public prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail as the new attorney-general to replace Ainum Mohd Saaid, who resigned for "health reasons", was met with a storm of controversy.
Both the opposition and many non-governmental organisations lambasted
the decision and claimed that the appointment was also 'unconstitutional'. The Bar Council, too, questioned the Abdul Gani's appointment, saying three Federal Court judges in a related judgment had called into question the conduct of Abdul Gani.Abdul Gani gained notoriety as the chief public prosecutor in ex-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy and corruption trials in 1998. He was alleged to have coerced a witness to fabricate evidence against Anwar in exchange for a lighter sentence. He was also alleged to have protected International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz from prosecution on five charges of corruption.
However, the government has vehemently defended Abdul Gani's appointment with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad saying the public should consider his true capability and that the former senior prosecutor "deserves a chance to prove himself".
What's next: The relationship between the Malaysian Bar and the AG's Chambers could worsen to the point of a cold war. All protests of Gani's alleged past misconducts are likely to be futile, though that will not stop watchdogs from closely watching his moves and getting ready to pounce on any dubious decisions.
9) Suhakam 'bites' hand that feeds it
The issue: The opposition and NGOs cheered when the 12-member Human Rights Commission or Suhakam, formed in April 2000, released a damning report
on Aug 20 accusing the police of human rights abuses during a large opposition gathering in Shah Alam on Nov 5, 2000.Earlier, on April 19, the commission released its maiden annual report
which among others called on the government to allow opposition political gatherings. Accusing the commission of being "western-influenced", the findings of the body have caused Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's administration a fair bit of embarrassment.What's next: The government has ignored all recommendations forwarded by Suhakam. With the contracts of the 12 commissioners ending in April next year after a two-year stint, many rights advocates predict that a more 'amenable' batch of commissioners would be chosen for the next term.
10) Gov't bailouts raise public ire
The issue: Public discontent was palpable when national funds were used to bail out several ailing companies closely linked to the ruling Umno party. Among the companies the government rescued included Konsortium Perkapalan Berhad, Malaysia Airlines
and conglomerate Renong , the nation's biggest debtor with about RM10 billion in debt.More dissatisfaction arose following the disclosure
that money from the Employees Provident Fund and the Pensions Trust Fund was used to fund the RM1.8 billion initial public offering of TimeDotCom Bhd, another company closely linked to the government.What's next: The government says these bailouts are necessary to prevent a social backlash from the Malay community and allowing these enterprises to fail would mean a regression to the pre-NEP days.
However, the negative public sentiment against the bailouts may prompt the government to be a bit more circumspect in granting bailouts and more stringent criteria may be in order. The government may also approach cash-rich corporations for funds to bail out their counterparts which are drowning in red ink.
The Malaysiakini Yearender was produced by our writers: Tong Yee Siong (co-ordinator), Susan Loone, Yap Mun Ching, Leong Kar Yen, and Kevin Tan.
