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الاستماع والقراءة

Perdana Leadership Foundation

Malaysia is a nation in which multi-ethnicity thrive in spite of differences of religion and culture. The tensions underlying this unity, however, are real and present ongoing challenges to the country's leadership in maintaining peace and harmony in this country. How has Malaysia remained unscathed by racial violence that plague other multi-ethnic nations, even while achieving exemplary growth rates since its Independence in 1957? 

In this monograph, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, speaks on the policies that the country's leaders have pursued in balancing the needs of the different communities as well as the risks and challenges that remain, particularly on the part of the majority ethnic community, the Malays.

His speech is followed by a panel session in which Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dr. Khoo Kay Kim, of Universiti Malaya, Dr. KJ John, former Vice President (Strategic Interventions) of MIMOS Berhad, Col (R) Professor Dato' Dr. Kamarudin Kachar, Chairman and Chief Consultant of Prished Consultants International, Kuala Lumpur, Ms Siti Salwa, student representative of Northern Malaysia University College of Engineering, and Mr. Saiful Azhar, Universiti Teknologi MARA Student Council Head, comment on the points he raised as well as on the topic itself.

This monograph contains the transcribers' notes of the keynote address and panel session, and is useful reference for researchers of Malaysian history and politics. The Perdana Discourse Series was jointly organised by Perdana Leadership Foundation, an independent research and archive institution dedicated to Malaysia's Prime Ministers, and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), the biggest public university in Malaysia.

Perdana Discourse Series

National Unity

Universiti Teknologi MARA

This slim volume features the keynote address of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, on the topic of education and how it is necessary for national progress. Tun briefly explains how education evolved into the formal system we know today, and how a focus on academic achievements has produced bright graduates lacking in moral compass. 

The speech was delivered at the third Perdana Discourse Series in 2005.

The Role of Education in National Development: Keynote Address by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia

Before Malaya's independence in 1957, the British segregated the Malays from the non-Malays for the British administration's own political and economic benefits, the outcome of which was a lack of inter-ethnic interaction and harmony. The communities were driven further apart by ethnic-specific economic activities (in broad terms, the Chinese in business, the Malays in agriculture, and the Indians in the rubber estates), religion, culture, political affiliation (in the pre-independence and early post-independence years, the Chinese and Indians had closer political affinities to their homelands than to Malaya), and income levels. 

All these were ingredients for ethnic violence and unrest. Yet, Malaya, then Malaysia, has remained stable and peaceful, and has managed to prosper over the years. What were the policies that have enabled Malaysia to achieve political stability? 

This was the focus of the fourth Perdana Discourse Series held in 2006. In this monograph are transcripts of the keynote address of the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who explains thow multi-ethnic Malaysia achieved political stability through affirmative action. His speech is followed by presentations by former Transport Minister, Tun Dr. Ling Liiong Sik, academician Professor Dr. Faridah Hassan, youth political representative Ms Ismalina Ismail, and youth representative Mr. Logandran Balavijendran. Summaries of the findings of the student breakout sessions are also included. 

The Perdana Discourse Series was jointly organised by Perdana Leadership Foundation, an independent research and archive institution dedicated to Malaysia's Prime Ministers, and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), the biggest public university in Malaysia. This monograph is a useful reference and introduction to Malaysia's race-based affirmative action policies.

Political Stability and Sustainability as Key Success Factors in Developing Malaysia

From the time of independence, Malaysia has sought to strengthen its international presence, and has positioned itself by focusing on areas such as international trade, globalisation’s impact on developing economies, and development policies. Currently, Malaysia is one of the world's most globalised economies, with its trade 1.3 times greater than its gross domestic product. Her export-led economic growth is made possible through attractive foreign investment policies accelerated by the open markets that sprung from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

As a developing country, Malaysia attaches high priority to the security and stability of South East Asia, expressed through Malaysia’s active membership in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean). Malaysia is also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The challenge for Malaysia is to continue on its growth path while balancing national needs against growing globalisation and regionalism.

In this monograph, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, speaks on the evolution of Malaysia’s foreign policies, from its pro-Western post-independence stance to its present decisively non-aligned position. He talks also of Malaysia’s initiatives in fostering friendships among poorer, developing nations, and how that has returned dividends to Malaysia. 

His speech is followed by a panel session in which discussants Dato' Harun Siraj, Dr Azman Awang, Dr Zulaiha Ismail, and Mr Mohd Rafa'ei Mohd Tahir commented on the keynote speech, and offered their own perspectives on the topic. The session was moderated by Universiti Teknologi MARA’s Assistant Vice Chancellor, Associate Professor Dr Mustaffa Mohamed Zain. 

A useful reference for readers keen to know more about Malaysia’s foreign policies, from 1957 to 2003, this publication contains transcripts of the keynote address, panel session as well as summaries of the group discussions. 

The Perdana Discourse Series was jointly organised by Perdana Leadership Foundation, an independent research and archive institution dedicated to Malaysia's Prime Ministers, and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), the biggest public university in Malaysia.

Positioning Malaysia in the International Arena

The relationship between the media and government, and its influence on democracy and national development are non-separable. In the 21st century, with the emergence of modern nation states, media is also essential aid to development, becoming an important channel for good governance and transparency. 

In Malaysia, the mainstream press faces stringent political, legal, and economic controls, and is constantly balancing between national and commercial interests. Nevertheless, the mainstream press in Malaysia has gone through a major evolution, beginning in the early 1980s, coinciding with the period in which Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad became the Prime Minister. This trend extended into the 1990s. 

This publication is a transcript of the sixth Perdana Discourse Series which took place on 18th April 2007, in which the role of the media - including that of bloggers - in national development was discussed at length. Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad delivered the keynote address in which he explained the government view of the press, and why controls were regarded as necessary. He addressed concerns on media freedom, responsibility, transparency, and objectivity. 

His keynote address was followed by a moderated discussion chaired by Professor Dr Faridah Hassan of UiTM. The discussants were Dato’ A. Kadir Jasin (Editor -In-Chief of Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd), Mr Steven Gan(founder and editor of Malaysiakini), Mr Jeff Ooi (blogger cum columnist and Protem Vice President of National Alliance of Bloggers) and Dr Kamalan Jevaratnam (student representative from International Medical University).

This publicaiton is a useful reference for readers who are keen to know more about the press in Malaysia, the developmental role it plays, and the rise of new media such as blogs. 

The Perdana Discourse Series was jointly organised by Perdana Leadership Foundation, an independent research and archive institution dedicated to Malaysia's Prime Ministers, and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), the biggest public university in Malaysia.

Media and National Development

Sovereignty is a notion which has come to dominate our understanding of national and international affairs. Its history parallels the evolution of the modem state. However, today, when nations are very much dependent on each other, the idea of national sovereignty has acquired a different meaning. 

In recent years, questions have been raised as to the continuing significance of the state, the concept of which appears to be challenged and threatened by the impact of globalisation, technological changes, societal restructuring, neo-colonialism and ecological crises, among others. Questions raised include the relevance of national sovereignty in modern society, and its expression in terms of present-day politics. 

This publication contains the proceedings of the seventh Perdana Discourse Series organised in 2008 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. At the Discourse, the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia, His Excellency Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, dissects the meaning of national sovereignty in relation to Malaysia and how it weighs on policy decisions. He combines history and geo-politics with current issues to impart a leader's view of national sovereignty. His keynote address is commented on by Law Professor, Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi, former Cabinet Minister Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, and student representative Ms Nurul Ikhlas. This publication is essential reading to students and researchers of Malaysian history, leadership, and politics.

National Sovereignty

The notion of Bangsa Malaysia was introduced in 1991 by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the country's fourth Prime Minister, as part of his Vision 2020, to bring about greater integration among the various ethnic groups within the country. The idea was to create an inclusive national identity for all inhabitants of Malaysia, thus abandoning the National Culture Policy that asserted a Malay ethnic national identity.

However, Bangsa Malaysia has generated a multitude of reactions. Some felt that the concept is similar to the concept 'Malaysian Malaysia' that was proposed by Lee Kuan Yew when Singapore was still part of Malaysia. Some worry that Bangsa Malaysia will dilute the position held by the Malays. Others however, are more positive to the idea, as it means acknowledgement of the ethnicities as partners of equal class in building a nation. Even so, questions with regard to language, culture, and religion persist.

In this discourse, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself explains the motive and meaning of Bangsa Malaysia, especially in the context of the country's overall development. His keynote address is followed by a panel discussion in which Professor Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri, Dr Chandra Muzaffar, Dr KJ John, and Mr Alvin Goh, lend their views on the topic and attempt to answer the big question: is Bangsa Malaysia the much-needed solution to the problem of national unity in Malaysia?

This volume includes also research papers on national unity by Dr Ariffin Omar, Dr DS Ranjit Singh, and Dr K Nadaraja.