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Aussie editor says Arab nations can learn from Malaysia, Indonesia
MELBOURNE: Arab nations in tumult could learn much from East Asia's giants Indonesia and Malaysia, says The Australian newspaper's foreign editor, Greg Sheridan.
In his highly-respected column Thursday, Sheridan who visited Kuala Lumpur recently, says the collapse of political Islamic moderation, from the Middle East to Pakistan to Turkey, "is profoundly disturbing" but there is one region which is a serious exception Southeast Asia.
"Malaysia is not a perfect democracy. The opposition doesn't get a fair shake from the media. But its elections are clean and several of its state governments are controlled by opposition parties," Sheridan says.
"Above all, both Indonesia and Malaysia are legitimate nations with legitimate governments. If the people don't like their governments, they are more likely to try to change them at the ballot box than by riots."
Sheridan says East Asian regionalism has had a very good effect on these two nations because it has emphasised economic growth, whereas Middle East regionalism has reinforced autocracy and sterile religio-political rhetoric against Israel.
Sheridan has also written about his "long discussion with Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak."
When asked how it was that Malaysia had so comprehensively avoided acts of Islamist terror, Najib, he says, replied: "I like to think it's more than divine intervention. I think it's partly historical and partly it's our policy and our very proactive actions.
"From the historical perspective, the coming of Islam to this part of the world has never been associated with violence. It was always a peaceful conversion to Islam."
"Second, the way we have interpreted Islam, and applied Islam in a very moderate and progressive way. I would even call it an enlightened way.
"Islam is seen here as a religion of peace and understanding and able to relate to other religions. We've been able to put in place policies which allow the peaceful coexistence of other religions in this country."
Saying that Malaysia has substantial oil wealth, like many nations in the Middle East, Sheridan adds Malaysia has not rested on that resource.
It has always pursued an open and diverse economy, and this has become a part of its national identity as well as its economic policy, he says.
Najib, writes Sheridan in the column, says: "I believe that Malaysia, indeed any society, to prosper should be open and should be fully engaged with the global economy."
Sheridan says Malaysia survived the global financial crisis remarkably well.
"Najib offers three reasons for this: a robust and well regulated banking system, an extremely large stimulus package, and a diverse economy such that when manufacturing fell it was compensated by commodities rising."
Sheridan says it it is "a singular good fortune" of Australia that "our Muslim neighbours are two legitimate, practical minded states, focused on economic development in a broadly successful region." - Bernama
Aussie editor says Arab nations can learn from Malaysia, Indonesia
MELBOURNE: Arab nations in tumult could learn much from East Asia's giants Indonesia and Malaysia, says The Australian newspaper's foreign editor, Greg Sheridan.
In his highly-respected column Thursday, Sheridan who visited Kuala Lumpur recently, says the collapse of political Islamic moderation, from the Middle East to Pakistan to Turkey, "is profoundly disturbing" but there is one region which is a serious exception Southeast Asia.
"Malaysia is not a perfect democracy. The opposition doesn't get a fair shake from the media. But its elections are clean and several of its state governments are controlled by opposition parties," Sheridan says.
"Above all, both Indonesia and Malaysia are legitimate nations with legitimate governments. If the people don't like their governments, they are more likely to try to change them at the ballot box than by riots."
Sheridan says East Asian regionalism has had a very good effect on these two nations because it has emphasised economic growth, whereas Middle East regionalism has reinforced autocracy and sterile religio-political rhetoric against Israel.
Sheridan has also written about his "long discussion with Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak."
When asked how it was that Malaysia had so comprehensively avoided acts of Islamist terror, Najib, he says, replied: "I like to think it's more than divine intervention. I think it's partly historical and partly it's our policy and our very proactive actions.
"From the historical perspective, the coming of Islam to this part of the world has never been associated with violence. It was always a peaceful conversion to Islam."
"Second, the way we have interpreted Islam, and applied Islam in a very moderate and progressive way. I would even call it an enlightened way.
"Islam is seen here as a religion of peace and understanding and able to relate to other religions. We've been able to put in place policies which allow the peaceful coexistence of other religions in this country."
Saying that Malaysia has substantial oil wealth, like many nations in the Middle East, Sheridan adds Malaysia has not rested on that resource.
It has always pursued an open and diverse economy, and this has become a part of its national identity as well as its economic policy, he says.
Najib, writes Sheridan in the column, says: "I believe that Malaysia, indeed any society, to prosper should be open and should be fully engaged with the global economy."
Sheridan says Malaysia survived the global financial crisis remarkably well.
"Najib offers three reasons for this: a robust and well regulated banking system, an extremely large stimulus package, and a diverse economy such that when manufacturing fell it was compensated by commodities rising."
Sheridan says it it is "a singular good fortune" of Australia that "our Muslim neighbours are two legitimate, practical minded states, focused on economic development in a broadly successful region." - Bernama
Aussie editor says Arab nations can learn from Malaysia, Indonesia
, the best model or similar for Arabs and the muslim world to choose is the Turkish model or similar to it.
