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| WIKILEAKS: ‘Anwar lacked Dr M’s clout in tackling Islam’ Posted: 26 May 2011 02:31 PM PDT
A leaked 1997 diplomatic cable shows that the US had backed Dr Mahathir's version of moderate Islam but felt that Anwar was too soft to handle the religious conservatives. Following the messy beauty contest incident, Mahathir had then announced that by early 1998, the government would unify syariah laws at the federal level, thus sharply curbing the autonomy of local religious authorities. K Kabilan, Free Malaysia Today
The US embassy here had given its tacit approval to Dr Mahathir Mohamad's hardline approach against Muslim conservatives in Malaysia as it was in line with the "US interests and values", revealed a leaked US confidential cable from 1997. However, the US diplomats were highly concerned if Mahathir's successor as prime minister could cope with the growing Muslim conservatism. They were specifically worried if Anwar Ibrahim, who was Mahathir's deputy at that time, had the "political position or the desire to take on Muslim conservatism as vigorously as Mahathir has done". "Moreover, Anwar, if he does become the next PM, will not have Mahathir's almost unquestioned authority. Thus, for political reasons he may be reluctant to take strong stands that upset the vocal religious constituency," they added. And they concluded that in the long run, the "growing proportion of Malays in Malaysia's ethnic mix will probably lead inexorably to the further Islamisation of Malaysian society". The details were revealed in a cable sent by the then US ambassador in Malaysia John R Malott to the US State Department in Washington on Dec 23, 1997. The confidential cable was leaked by whistleblower site WikiLeaks exclusively to FMT today. The year 1997 was a critical year for Malaysia as Mahathir was facing a major financial crisis. He was also facing problems with haze and the country's zealous religious officials, added the cable. Mahathir takes charge The cable said several incidents involving "zealous Islamic authorities" have angered Mahathir during this period. They include:
Following the messy beauty contest incident, Mahathir had then announced that by early 1998, the government would unify syariah laws at the federal level, thus sharply curbing the autonomy of local religious authorities. "Theoretically, the government's plan for standardisation of syariah law will require the agreement of the states' ruling sultans, but such constitutional niceties have rarely delayed the PM before. "The 'unification' of syariah law early next year is already a fait accompli and conservative clerics know it, but don't like it," added the cable from the ambassador. The cable further stated that Mahathir then in his keynote address at the Umno meeting in September 1997 had called on Malays to reject extremism and noted the results of sectarian violence in Bosnia and the Middle East. The confidential cable added that Mahathir also criticised Muslims who put more stock in outward appearances (such as traditional clothes and beards for men and headscarves for women) than in leading a moral lie. "Such a speech might sound sensible enough to Western ears, but by all accounts it was a disaster with the largely Malay audience, including Deputy PM Anwar, sporting traditional dress and goatees and most of the women, including Anwar's wife, wearing headscarves," it stated. Malott said that Mahathir's "attack" on "extremist" Islam soon saw a fiery reaction from conservative Muslims, including the Selangor mufti who had apparently labelled the prime minister as an apostate. "Reportedly, Friday sermons at many mosques have included both oblique and direct criticism of the government. The police confirmed publicly that anonymous 'poison pen' literature criticising the PM is circulating at mosques," added the US cable. The Selangor mufti, who had denied ever calling Mahathir an apostate, was replaced by the state religious authorities on the grounds that the state needed a mufti whose views "were acceptable to all" and that a replacement was needed due to the mufti's advanced age. This prompted the US embassy to point out that the age reasoning was curious as "the PM himself has repeatedly stated that he will not step down, though he is one year older than the mufti". Anwar will lack authority The US cable stated that Mahathir's moves to modernise Islam made even the moderates feel anxious over the tone and direction taken by the prime minister. However, the top US diplomat felt that Mahathir "consistently advocates a moderate Islam squarely in line with US interests and values". "The PM, for better or worse, is not afraid to take on anyone, including conservative Islamic groups that generally have negative views toward the US. "Mahathir is also important as a voice of moderation within the international Islamic community," added the secret cable. The cable then went on to describe how Anwar, labelled as Mahathir's "good conscience", "has not proven he has either the political standing or the desire to take on conservative Islam". Malott, who was a firm Anwar loyalist following his sacking as the deputy prime minister in 1998, felt that Anwar who started off as a Muslim activist seemed loath to confront his former Muslim associates. "Anwar's reaction to the beauty pageant incident, which happened while the PM was out of the country and Anwar was in charge, was much less vigorous." Malott said that "Anwar, if he replaces Mahathir, will not have his predecessor's almost unquestioned authority". "Thus, for political reasons he may be reluctant to take strong stands that upset the vocal religious constituency," Malott added in the cable.
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| Posted: 25 May 2011 07:27 PM PDT It's still not easy for BN to win in a free election. A random survey in Ipoh indicates that most voters would again vote for Pakatan Rakyat, more because of dissatisfaction with BN policies than the desire to punish it for ousting the government they voted into power. (Free Malaysia Today) - Although public anger over the 2009 power grab in Perak appears to have dissipated, Barisan Nasional still has some way to go before it can be confident of winning the state in a free election. A random survey in Ipoh indicates that most voters would again vote for Pakatan Rakyat, more because of dissatisfaction with BN policies than the desire to punish it for ousting the government they voted into power. Their main concern seems to be to choose the party that is more likely to be sensitive to their needs and concerns, and several participants in the survey said the short-lived Pakatan government showed some promise in this regard. "The BN ruled for 50 years before 2008, and we had no means of measuring its performance," said Wong Hoe Hong, who operates a camera shop. "When Pakatan took over, at least we could see the difference. "To me the important factor is that we need to have this benchmark to keep the BN in check." The subject of the power grab seldom came up during the FMT interviews, seeming to confirm what a Pakatan survey found out last January—that voters had calmed down somewhat since early 2009. According to the Pakatan findings, the opposition alliance would win 33 of the 59 seats in the state assembly if an election were held last January, fewer than the number it could have won if an election were called immediately after the power grab. A similar Pakatan survey in February and March 2009 found that it could have won 40 seats. But 33 is still better than 31, the number of seats Pakatan won in the 2008 election. BN sleeping on the job Several participants in the FMT survey said they would vote Pakatan even though they were not sure it could do a better job than BN. A 60-year-old man who sells bread for a living said one could not demand too much from Pakatan because its hands would often be tied for lack of funding and other forms of support from the federal government. He feels this was why Pakatan could not fulfil some of its promises during the short time it was in power. He said national issues, rather than local ones, would help determine which party he would support. "BN has been sleeping on the job," he said. "How serious is it about wanting to change? You see how it handles PSD scholarship matter? Fire the officers in charge if you are serious." Joanna Selvi, a pharmacist in her 20s, echoed his sentiments. She said she would give Pakatan a chance because she was frustrated with what was happening on the national front. "You don't only look at Perak. On the national front, the same issues are coming up over and over, like scholarships or Anwar's sex trial. It's the same old thing and it is very frustrating." Jeslyn Amarasekera, 25, said even voters of parents' generation would want to give Pakatan a chance to prove itself. "Most of the voters from the older generation have lived here all their lives. They have seen time and time again what the BN can—and especially cannot—offer, and they tend to romanticise what the other side can do. But what do they have to lose?"
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