The Scottish referendum has unleashed strong emotions in UK and the final outcome of the polls that are currently on has become too close to call. Whatever be the outcome the Scots can be sure that there will be never s shortage of drinks to drown their joys or sorrows given that they export 40 bottles of whisky each second.
But the referendum will indeed be a lesson for countries like India given that this national breakup is being contemplated in a country like Great Britain whose war time Prime Minister Winston Churchill had disparaged India’s demand for independence by saying that “India is merely a geographic expression, It is no more a country than the Equator”. Churchill would indeed turn in his grave if the Scots do manage to break up UK even as India endures without getting dented too much despite occasional outbursts from across its vast regions.
However, the Scottish referendum should indeed serve as a warning for all countries including India which have attempted to learn no lessons from the long list of global powers which have unremittingly tried to concentrate economic and political power in their national capitals and tried to dumb down policies and resources on their very disparate populations across far flung regions.
Alex Salmond , the First Minister for Scotland, who is leading the Scottish efforts for independence, points out that the economic rationale for a free Scotland is that it requires full powers to build up on Scotland’s comparative advantages in an increasingly competitive world and build a more prosperous and better country. This is an argument that we in India have occasionally confronted in a more watered down form when smaller regional groups has raised claims for statehood within the Indian federation.
The Scots decry UKs one size fits all economic policy, which often runs counter to their needs. But as usual the arguments of the Scottish supporters do not always reflect the situation on the ground. For instance despite it handicap’s Scotland has a lower level of unemployment than in UK. But the Scots hit back saying that UK policies have put a leash on their potential. Their counterargument is that growth in Scotland has lagged behind that of the UK even while they have generated more tax receipts per person than UK for the last three decades.
The UK government has not sought to counter these arguments directly. In fact many national leaders have indeed accepted that it is economically viable for Scotland to be an independent nation. But they chose to differ on the outcome by pointing out that Scotland’s future would be much more prosperous by remaining in UK.
A major grouse of the Scots is the increasing concentration of economic activities in London, following it emergence as a major financial capital of the world, and in the South East of England. This has created resentment in Scotland, which has a more skilled workforce and invested in renewable energy, which meets a third of its electricity requirements, despite it easy access to North Sea oil. Scots claim that such innovations have been a national trait since historical times.
An important reassurance that Scottish leadership has given to Europe is that they will remain within the EU, which is a major source of investments into the region. The Scots stake high hopes on the fact that smaller nations have fared relatively well across the globe in recent years by exploiting specific areas of comparative advantage. This they argue is necessary for a strong external focus and for becoming active globalisers.
These are aspects that countries like India should incorporate in its national policies if it is to accommodate the growing aspirations of its people in different regions and states. Strait jacket policies will handicap both rich and poor states. India has made a good start by dismantling the Planning Commission and initiating measures to build a new institution which will accommodate the needs of the states. This has to be followed up with measures to accommodate regional aspirations within the larger national framework.
Lessons for Singapore
Although the country is halfway around the world, Scotland’s experience has relevance for Singapore.
By playing to strong emotions, hot-button issues and identity, it is possible for an astute political competitor to whittle down a significant incumbent lead over a few months. The pro-unity campaign in Scotland enjoyed a 60-40 lead barely a year ago. Analysts are now seriously considering the possibility of a loss.
In Scotland, the pro-unity platform, citing track records, policy logic and long-term thinking, has found limited traction. Successful campaigns will be those able to connect with emotion as well as reason: inspiring people to give of their best, while feeling deeply the gravity of what is at stake.
In a political campaign, the crafting of words is crucial, whatever the language. Words have cadence and rhythm. They carry the weight of context and history. Language frames a discussion for speakers, respondents and observers, for better or for worse.
Identity matters, too – how people see themselves and the lenses through which they see others. Communal and ideological forces have not gone away in the era of globalisation.
It will be more important for public- and private-sector leaders to engage individuals with diverse identities, while drawing together to find common ground and higher purpose.
Amid diversity, our Singaporean society must remain inclusive. Each of us has a unique identity: who we are, what we do, how we became ourselves. But whatever our race, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability, personal beliefs or socio-economic station in life, we must still see ourselves as Singaporeans in shared humanity.
We are too small a country for individuals to declare themselves islands and be set apart from the rest of society. We can be great enough a nation to accommodate diversity while having a shared purpose.
The academics who are responsible for writing the history of Malaysia are better suited to work in the kitchen. Being expert at cooking the books, the tripe they feed us, is not history, but just a record of UMNO’s, UMNO-Baru’s and Islam’s milestones. Nothing else matters.
As a test, how many Sarawakians, or Malaysians, are aware that Sarawak achieved its independence from the British on 22 July 1963? Every school child knows that August 31 celebrates the independence of the Federated Sates of Malaya from the British, but do they realise the significance of September 16, 1963?
Some people are convinced that the rising discontent amongst East Malaysians is because Putrajaya has ignored their needs.Others disagree. They blame the leaders of East Malaysia, for being timid and beholden to Putrajaya.
It is bewildering that the man in the street blames politicians for the state of his country, but fails to recognise the folly of his ways. The people of East Malaysia are not blameless. Over several decades, the East Malaysians have voted for BN and returned the same party, which they repeatedly accuse of mistreatment.
In Semenanjung Malaysia, race and religion are used to divide people; but Putrajaya doesn’t have much to do in East Malaysia. Politicians from East Malaysia are so disorganised, they cannot even agree among themselves. Malaysia Day, September 16 was only proclaimed as a national holiday, after five decades of neglect. Did East Malaysian politicians suddenly awake from their slumber?
Sabah and Sarawak should enjoy equal status with Malaya and yet, their roles have been diminished to mere states. Despite being major oil and gas-producing nations, they remain the poorest and third poorest “states” in Malaysia.
East Malaysians are angry at the disproportionate allocations from the oil revenue. They fear the unchecked rise of extremist Malay and Muslim groups, which threaten the social fabric of East Malaysia. The Allah issue and Bible row have heightened their fears. Where are the collective voices of the East Malaysian Christian and non-Muslim leaders?
He kept UMNO-Baru out of Sarawak
The repellent Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud, Sarawak’s Chief Minister for over three decades, may have displaced many indigenous people from their lands, may have kept the rural people ignorant, and ignored their plight, but he did keep UMNO-Baru out of Sarawak.
If East Malaysia were to secede (?), Semenanjung would lose the BN fixed deposit. West Malaysians will lose the oil revenue, but at least the electoral playing field will be evened-out.East Malaysians wanting self-rule, claim that the increased petroleum revenue, will help rebuild Sabah and Sarawak. More money does not equate to happiness.
East Malaysians boast that with secession, Sabah and Sarawak will become as developed as Singapore and Brunei. Without a change of attitude of its people, nothing will happen. East Malaysians proclaim that Sarawak and Sabah need leaders who are as “strong” as Singapore’s former PM, Lee Kuan Yew. No one should be that naïve! The irony is that Singaporeans look to Malaysians, to learn to rid themselves from their dictatorship. Singapore’s PAP government dreads the day UMNO-Baru is toppled.
Singapore is not free from corruption. Ask knowledgeable Singaporeans and Malaysians who are not blind. Malaysians are terrible at concealing their “bad” practices.One well known Sarawak lawyer, who normally represents members of a prominent Sarawak family, alleged that money from Sarawak’s ill gotten gains is stashed in Singapore, which he dubbed “the new Switzerland”. It is widely known that Dubai is the money laundering capital of the Middle East; Singapore fulfils that role for Southeast Asia. Secession won’t necessarily stop the exploitation of the rural people.
Singapore deports or jails, anyone who shows the slightest whiff of dissent. Malaysians who protested in Singapore, about Malaysian issues, had their work permits revoked. A British author who wrote about Singapore’s death penalty was jailed. The Singapore government fears that its own people might emulate foreigners, who display any freedom of expression.
Bruneians enjoy many free perks, but has anyone wondered why Bruneians flock to border towns like Miri, for “normality”? Stop waxing lyrical about a place where double-standards are practised, where the subjects are ruled by hudud, but those draconian laws do not apply to the chosen few.
Secession is not a panacea for East Malaysia’s problems. Are East Malaysians patient? The situation will get worse before it improves. Skilled and experienced East Malaysians will be needed to rebuild their countries, but will they return?
Under Taib, the environment was at the mercy of loggers and indiscriminate “developers”. Large tracts of forest and coastline were destroyed. Secession won’t save the environment, unless the corrupt politicians who offer their cronies protection, are weeded out first.
Politicians line their own pockets with the rakyat’s money. After secession, will politicians share the extra revenue with the rakyat, or will they continue to siphon most, if not all, of this extra money? Does one become less greedy, when more money becomes available?
Increased revenue from oil may result in the average East Malaysian, receiving RM800 instead of the token sum of RM500. Will he then forget the promised roads, bridges, schools and hospitals?Nothing will change unless corrupt politicians are charged and punished for their crimes. Democracy can return, once a free media, an independent police force and judiciary are installed, and incorruptible politicians are elected in a clean and fair process, in Sabah and Sarawak.
No comments:
Post a Comment