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Book Review
Malaysia's futurePoh Soo Kai looks at "Malaysia at the Crossroads" |
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THIS BOOK is a collection of articles and working papers presented at conferences and seminars by Dr. Jeyakumar Devaraj and Rani Rasiah. Many of these papers were prepared for discussions with Partai Socialis The most important issue Hence the denial of democratic rights to the minority Chinese and Indian Malaysians and the mobilization of the Malays behind slogans such as correcting the racial imbalance of the economy, and ketuanan Melayu. The flip side of such policies is that their junior partners lose popular support, opportunists fight within their parties for political and economic privileges and advance communal issues that they know will be put on the backburner. Fifty years of such sleight of hand have now come to an end as Hindraf campaign has shown. The Hindraf campaign has also shown the principled stand of the Party Socialist Malaysia leaders. They realized that ethnic mobilization will only lead to the emergence of a twin of MIC and will not overcome the racial discrimination that the Indians face nor the plight of the majority who are labourers and poor. |
But can racial discrimination be continued indefinitely without adverse consequences for the Malays. Discerning Malay communal intellectuals have talked of a second dilemma. Is there the courage, conviction, and will to bite the bullet ? Will those lusting to have a personal share of the economic cake advance the view that the minority must on all issues follow the majority, firm in the knowledge that the Malay population is multiplying faster than other communities ? On the other hand, Malays coming to the cities to work, become aware of the common interests they share with workers of other communities. They are aware of the gross corruption and cronyism and despotism of their own communal politicians. On their return, they influence their rural compatriots. UMNO has been much discredited. It is on the decline in popularity. Malaysia is in this sense at the crossroads. Will there be greater emphasis on communal issues, or on religious issues? Or will the ruling class resort to severe repressive actions? Malaysia is also at the economic crossroads. It is in deep and prolonged recession. Will the economy grow at an acceptable rate ? Can the subsidies and help so far given be continued with the rising influence of neo-liberalism. especially with a capitalist Malay class? The authors have explained in their working papers to their members the root cause of the present economic crisis. They have put their finger on the lack of demand and the resulting stagnation which is the norm in the monopoly phase of capitalism. Fighting privatization occupies a large section of the book. Privatisation is the offspring of neo-liberalism. With excess money and lack of opportunities to convert to capital, privatization offers an avenue for capital gain. Thus, healthcare, water, electricity and even fresh air, the essential necessities of life are targets. Like drinking bottled water, mankind may well be paying for fresh air. California privatized its electricity supply. Consumers were assured there will be no rise in the cost per unit. The years quickly went by. Profits were not reinvested to maintain and upgrade the supply as shareholders profits come first. In time there were failures and blackouts. City leaders were thus justified in allowing the cost to go up in order to retool and expand. Privatisation of health care does not bring better health. Across the causeway, American advisers are valued and welcomed. Basically it goes the way, knowing full well that one dollar spent for health in the US gives far less than one dollar's worth in Europe. With increasing unemployment and aging population, pressure is mounting so much so that Obama has to show he is doing something. Perhaps retirement to Malaysia for the elderly is their way out. Privatisation brings in its train also ethical problems for the profession.The motto: service before self, becomes self before service. Doctors to survive join conglomerates. They lose their independence to act in the best interests of their patients. Conglomerates commit incest, because they have economic interests in laboratories, pharmacies and pharmaceutical firms, and medical and surgical specialities and hospitals. The object of privatization of healthcare is not patients welfare but profit. Lastly, may I add to the very entertaining article on Socialism and Religion, that there is a view that they are the same of a coin, the pole of a dialectic unity. The ability to master a common linguistic grammar is an intrinsic faculty of the human mind, a product of evolution. This evolved faculty of the mind make us rational as well as non-rational (not irrational). Faith is the non-rational pole. Religion is based on faith, |
| so is revolution
and
socialism, however scientific. # Poh Soo Kai Book reviewed: Malaysia at the Cross-roads by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj and Rani Rasiah Parsosma Enterprise 2009 |
National Cancer Society of Malaysia Penang branch Email:ncsmpg@gmail.com Penang Hospice Society Tel: 04 228 4140 Fax 04 226 4676 Email relay.for.life.pg@gmail.com Website www.relayforlife.org.my |
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