interests. If this happens opportunists will be able toargue that democracy cannot look after the poor and theunder-privileged. They will then suggest that democracyshould be abandoned in favour of a dictatorship. It isthe rakyat’s duty to convince itself that democracy canbring about a better standard of living for the massesif the government sincerely protects the welfare of themajority rather than the well-being of a minority. Therakyat have a fth obligation. They must defend thedemocratic system from psychological feudalism. Bypsychological feudalism we mean blind loyalty to thosewho wield power especially those at the apex of thepolitical system. This remains a fairly pervasiveattitude among the rakyat, an attitude which isassiduously cultivated by the power-holders. Often, thequestion of whether the leader concerned is right orwrong is disregarded completely. Such an attitude isinimicsl to the development of democracy for democracyexpects us to sit in judgment on our leaders. This iswhy psychological feudalism has to be rooted out onceand for all. Finally, it is the rakyat’s responsibility tosee that the government, the opposition, political parties,trade unions and other social groups are honest andtruthful in their relationship with one another and thepeople. Without honesty and truthfulness, democracywill be debased. It may then become an arena for thevile and the wicked. By making sure that thedemocratic process maintains its integrity we are in facthelping to make politics itself clean and noble. It iswrong to suggest that politics by its very nature isdirty. Parliamentary Democracy, which is subject toconstant scrutiny, has the opportunity to elevate politicsto lofty levels. It is up to the rakyat to endeavour inthat direction.

3. Language

_ALIRAN supports the position of Malay as the soleoiclal and national language since it is the languagemost closely connected with the cultural development ofthis part of the_ World. In accordance with theMalaysian Constitution, the use and study of otherlanguages should also be preserved.

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4. Religion

ALIRAN supports the position of Islam as theoicial religion. Islam would be an invaluable basis forthe moral, material and intellectual reform of the Muslimcommunity. Its recognition and acceptance of theunity of all mankind should be harnessed to promoteinter-ethnic harmony among the various Malaysiancommunities. In accordance with Islamic ideals andpractices, the non-Muslim communities must enjoyfreedom of worship. Their religions, customs andcultures must be protected. It is only right that theyshould not sulfer any discrimination in the conduct oftheir social affairs.

5. Culture

ALIRAN believes in the gradual evolution of anational culture acceptable to all Malaysians. Malayculture, given its continuous relationship with the growthof Malaysian society, has a signicant role to play inits evolution. The cultures of those communities whichhave made Malaysia their home and the universal aspectsof Western civilisation will also condition its development.What is important in this evolution is to emphasisehumanitarian values and ideals common to all ourcommunities. It is these values which will be at thecore of our national culture. At the same time we musthave the courage to discard what is retrogressive inour various cultures while retaining all that is preciousin our heritage. In this whole endeavour there willalways be a need to recognise and respect culturaldiversity — and to ght fanaticism in any form. Itis such an approach which will help create a trulyMalaysian consciousness and a truly Malaysian identity.

G. Edumtiovn

ALIRAN believes that the education system mustbe based upon sound moral values which are in harmonywith the beliefs and ideals of all Malaysians. It mustinculcate in our young a commitment to social justice,

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a love for honesty and integrity, respect for freedomand equality and a keen sense of appreciation of theneed for tolerance and compassion. Our education mustproduce thinking human beings who are both creativeand critical in outlook. This can only be accomplishedif the present concept and practice of education whichregards the student as a passive recipient of knowledgeis changed to one where he is encouraged to participateactively in the development of ideas. At the sametime our education system must consciously try to cultivatean autonomous intellectual tradition - a ,tradition thatis not slavishly imitative of foreign experiences. In theprocess serious attention must be accorded to fundamentalresearch in both the natural and social sciences. It isin this way that our nation will be able to make its owncontribution to the growth of human knowledge.

While achieving all this, the education system mustalso be geared towards fullling the manpower needsof society. Students should be equipped with someagricultural, commercial or industrial skill. This isnecessary in order to break down some of the socialprejudices against certain categories of labour andemployment. Indeed, it may even be useful to requireevery student in the course of his education to acquiresome practical experience in the eld or factory.

Given the status of Malay as the national languageit follows logically that the main medium of educationwill have to be Malay. English, because of its crucialrole in the development of modern knowledge, must beaccorded a special status as a vital second language. Otherlanguages must also be accommodated within thenational education system since they are the mother-tongues of a large number of Malaysians and arewidely spoken in our society.

7. National Unity

ALIRAN believes that a truly united Malaysiannation will emerge only when loyalty to the nationtakes precedence over loyalty to one’s own ethnic group.

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A common language, common cultural values, commonnational symbols, a common appreciation for nationalpolitical and social institutions, common historicalexperiences and indeed the common endeavour to achieveharmony within diversity -- all these will contributetowards national unity. Special efforts however mustbe made to expose Malaysians to common cultural andsocial values. It is a little known fact that at the levelof social philosophy the Muslim and non-Muslimcommunities share many common ideals. They believefor instance in a collective morality as the basis ofsociety, in the importance of moral leadership, incultivating the right virtues in social relations, and inthe need to curb greed, eliminate corruption and limitmaterialism. Also they hold the family in high esteemand preach respect for parents and the aged.

While all these commonalities are emphasised theremust also be a conscious attempt to eliminate the majorobstacles towards national unity. We are convinced thatMalaysia's survival as a nation demands that we movesincerely in the direction of a situation where theBumiputra - non-Bumiputra, Malay - non-Malay,Muslim - non-Muslim dichotomies are eradicated fromthe economic and political life of our country. As anessential condition to the achievement of this goal, non-Malays must try to understand the Malay basis to thehistory of our land especially in relation to the Malaylanguage and culture while Malays must try toappreciate the legitimate interests of the non-Malaysin present-day society. Only then can we ensure thatthe ethnic origin of a Malaysian will not be used for oragainst him in his interaction with the rest of society.

ALIRAN is condent that the eventual eliminationof ethnic dichotomies in the formulation and imple-mentation of public policies will not be disadvantageousto any community. What is needed is a massive socio-economic transformation of the depressed rural sectorin which the majority of Malays subsist. At the sametime, the poor and disadvantaged must be provided withspecial assistance and opportunities in vfrious spheres

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because they are poor and disadvantaged. VTh1s willensure that every Malay who needs help w1ll_rcce1vehelp. Poor non-Malays will also be protected. Rich andwell-positioned Malays will of course be excluded. Thisis'as it should be. For to include them would be abetrayal of the spirit of the 1957 Merdeka Constitution.In those areas of our economic and social life wherethese two approaches might not help overcome thedisadvantages suffered by any community, there mustbe a general understanding that the worklforce shouldreflect the multi-ethnic composition of our sdciety bearingin mind that the needs of different occupations and ofdifferent localities would require some flexibility 'inimplementation.

.

If we are prepared to rethink our national policiesalong these lines there is every possibility that a healthieratmosphere more conducive towards national unity willprevail.

S. The Economic Order

ALIRAN believes that a just economic order isone where poverty and exploitation have been abolished-— and social greed and parasitism eliminated. Incomedisparities must be reduced in such a way that whateverdierences there are would be nothing more thanrecognition of and reward for individual talents andabilities. To make this meaningful, social opportunitiesfor progress and achievement must be equalized as faras possible. The basic amenities of life must be madeavailable to everyone. In the provision of health andeducational facilities in particular, one’s location in societyshould not be of any consequence. Similarly, justicewould demand that infants, the aged, the sick and thedisabled are cared for by the community as a wholethrough effective, comprehensive welfare policies andprogrammes.

Obviously the sort of society which ALIRANenvisages with its emphasis upon justice and equalitycan only be achieved if the community as a whole accepts

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that the path of development most suitable for Malaysiais a ‘middle-path’ — a path which avoids both a consumersociety geared towards excessive materialism and anaustere, regirnented society which controls consumptionbut neglects man’s spiritual yearnings. It is, in effect,a middle-path which rejects both capitalism andcommunism. It is a concept of development based uponthe values of moderation, cooperation and repudiationof affluence and luxury, values inherited from ourgreat religious and cultural traditions. It is a conceptof development in which both the individual and thecommunity have their respective roles to play.

If the individual is allowed a constructive form ofeconomic freedom which does not negate the interestsof society, he can become a great force for good invarious areas of the economy. At certain levels ofagriculture, commerce, industry and the professions forinstance economic freedom for the individual can resultin greater eiciency, increased output and improvedtechnology. However the role of the individual, ofprivate enterprise as a whole, should be integrated intothe well-being of the community. Indeed it is mainlyon this basis that the individual’s right to economicaction is recognised for it is obvious that to achieveprogress and justice in Third World societies thecommunity must take precedence.

It is necessary for the Malaysian community actingthrough peoples’ cooperatives and peoples’ companies toexercise dominant ownership and control over the vitalsectors of the economy. Cooperatives as we know embodythe principle of gotong-royong (mutual-help) which isan added reason for developing them into powerfulsocial institutions. Thus in the traditional agriculturalsector, cooperative farming should be encouraged. Forwhile it will help protect the individual farmer'sindependence, it will also overcome the obstacles createdby uneconomic holdings and a defective marketing andcredit system, In fact, the cooperative technique canbe used intelligently to develop a strong agrarian economywith food production at its core. Such an economy

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will enhance our self-reliance. By the same tokenwell-run cooperatives could improve considerably marketand credit conditions and storage facilities in the shingindustry, apart from enabling small-time shermen toincrease their productivity and their incomes throughlarge-scale shing operations. The same form of economicorganisation could be applied to the modern agriculturalsector so that plantation workers will be able to enjoya much bigger share of the tremendous prots whichhave hitherto accrued to local and foreign owners ofour rubber and oil-palm estates. Our -rich naturalresources like tin and timber should also be exploitedon the basis of the same principle with the help andparticipation of government agencies. Cooperativeswhich do not regard prot as their central objectivecan at least be expected to adopt a more ‘conservation-conscious’ policy. Cooperatives and state companiesin our major manufacturing industries may alsogenerate some changes in the direction ofindustrialization in addition to ensuring greater economicjustice since they will not be motivated by social greed.For example, with the community exercising greatercontrol over industrialization through these institutions,it is conceivable that we will be able to use our ownnatural resources more extensively and more creativelyfor manufacturing purposes and even establish moreindustries in the rural areas thus expanding employmentopportunities. In the commercial sector too one canenvisage an important role for state companies andcooperatives so that private monopolies can be eliminatedand attempts to manipulate the market eectivelychecked. Finally, it has been shown that where thestate and peoples’ cooperatives are involved in banking,insurance and other nancial operations, there is veryoften 9. strong tendency within the private sector itselfto reorientate its policies to the advantage of themajority.

The greater involvement of the state and people’scooperatives in the economy does not mean the emergenceof an all-pervasive bureaucracy or the centralizationof economic power. In fact this is what we have to

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avoid at all costs in the interests of promoting the rakyat’sdirect participation in economic planning and imple-mentation. This is why ALIRAN envisages adecentralized economy with local communities like mukimand town administrations taking charge of certaintypes of public utilities and social services, collectingcertain types of taxes and even establishing small andmedium-sized industries in their areas.

9. Sovereignty

ALIRAN believes that in an age of super-powerpolitics, the question of how small nations like Malaysiacan preserve their sovereignty is an important one.Sovereignty is much more than political andconstitutional independence. It also includes economiccultural and intellectual independence. Greater economicindependence is a desirable goal though we realise thatit is diicult to accomplish given an internationaleconomic order which is completely against the interestsof the Third World. Nonetheless We must take positivemeasures individually and in concert with other nationsin Southeast Asia and the rest of the Third World tostrengthen our economic position and help create a newinternational economic order which meets the just andlegitimate aspirations of the Third World. This is vitalfrom the point of view of increasing our own self-reliancesince a self-reliant economy is less susceptible to themanouvres of those economic giants who dominate theworld economy. Greater economic independence willalso help preserve our political independence given theclose relationship between the two. In this connection,the dominance of foreign interests in the modernagricultural sector, the manufacturing sector and thecommercial and service sectors has to be reduced andeventually eliminated. Similarly, the uncritical absorptionof Western cultural forms and fads and the over-dependence on Western news media are inimical to thegrowth of a genuinely national culture on the one handand the development of public attitudes and sentimentsin harmony with our international non-alignment on theother. Finally, blind adulation of Western concepts and

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models of development without rst appraising themagainst our own social background could lead to theintellectual stultification of our own society. For in sucha situation our own intellectual community will not beable to create and develop concepts and theories directlyrelevant to Malaysia and perhaps other Third Worldcountries.

However all this does not mean that we should notinteract with the West or other civilisations. A dynamicrelationship with all foreign countries which respectMalaysia's sovereignty is fundamental to our own growthand development. Indeed Western civilisation itself,because of its illustrious contribution to the culturaland intellectual advancement of Man, has a great dealto offer us. By the same token, we are aware thatforeign aid and foreign investment may have some roleat certain points in our economic development. Foreigninvestment for instance sometimes brings with it certaintechnologies and provides much needed markets for ourexports. It is possible to use and control such investmentintelligently and effectively in the interest of our owncountry. In this way, we will be able to preserve ourposition as a sovereign, independent nation in completecommand of our own destiny.

10. Leadership

ALIRAN believes that in order to achieve all thegoals which we have outlined in this document, thereis a fundamental precondition - and that is soundpolitical leadership at various levels and in variousspheres of society but particularly at the apex. Politicalleadership is the one most important single factor inensuring the success of a Third World country. Becauseother social elements which are capable of inuencingthe pattern of development like an independent Pressor an autonomous class of intellectuals tend to be weakand ineffective, the role of the political leadership insetting standards and values for the rest of societybecomes all the more signicant. Rights and freedomseven if they are protected in a written constitution will

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have no meaning unless the political leadership isprepared to allow dissent and debate, unless it is tolerantand accommodative. A national culture will not evolve,a national language will not grow, inter-religiousunderstanding will not flourish unless the politicalleadership understands the issues, reects upon themand is prepared to act to transform dreams into reality.Similarly, a just economic order which visualizes sucha crucial role for cooperatives, state companies and soon is not possible without clean, honest, incorruptiblemen at the top.

Corruption has proved to be a bane in many a ThirdWorld society. If leadership is the vital imperativefor development, then corruption is the biggestchallenge to leadership. It is corruption more thananything else that dilutes the pure and pristine strugglefor justice, that subverts development programmes, thattempts leaders to betray the trust of the rakyat, thatleads to loss of rapport between leader and led, thatdestroys the moral authority of power-holders, thatcreates disenchantment and disillusionment among thepeople — that eventually brings about the total collapseof a society.

That is why it is vitally important that leadersdeclare their assets to the rakyat in order to maintainthe condence of those who have put them into power.For the same reason, the body in charge of ghtingcorruption should always be an independent bodyreasponsible directly to Parliament. Its annual reportsmust be thorough and comprehensive detailing the natureand type of investigations carried out. Also, theremust be a constant endeavour to inculcate a strongsense of moral revulsion towards corruption among allsections of the people. Mosques, temples and churches,schools and universities, trade unions, consumerassociations and community organisations should all bemobilised for this purpose. There should be a seriousattempt to show Malaysians of whatever ethnic originthat their traditions condemn corruption. The ProphetMuhammad (s.a.w.) for instance had said, “He who is

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corrupt will emerge on the Day of Judgment saddled withall the possessions that he had acquired through corruptmeans”. The compilers of the Huai-nan Tzu a work ofthe early Han period emphasised that upright rulerscould stop the spread of corruption. As they put it,“In the same way if the ruler is sincere and upright,then honest oicials will serve in his government andscoundrels will go into hiding, but if the ruler is notupright then evil men will have their way and loyalmen will retire to seclusion. Why is it,that peopleoften scratch melons or gourds with their ngernails,but never scratch stones or jewels? Because no matterhow hard they scratch stones or jewels they can nevermake an impression. In the same way if the rulercan be made to adhere to right, maintain fairness, andfollow a measuring-line, as it were, in measuring highand low, then even though his ministers come to himwith evil designs it will be the same as dashing eggsagainst a rock or throwing re into water“. Or asKautilya of the Maurya period in Indian history noted,“Government servants shall not only be conscatedof their ill-earned hoards hut also be transferred fromone work to another, so that they can be prevented frommisappropriating government money or made to vomitwhat they have eaten".

That corruption is regarded as such a serious evilin all our religious and cultural philosophies merely goesto emphasise the importance of good leadership. It isthe sacred duty of any reform movement in Malaysiaor any other Third World country for that matter togive its utmost attention to this vital question.

Conclusion

These then are the 10 basic beliefs of ALIRAN.They embody broad principles and general _values. Whilethey cover the major aspects of our thinking on society,it would be wrong to suggest that this is a comprehensivedocument. There are many other areas which have tobe explored and analysed as part of a constant endeavourto understand the forces that shape and mould oursociety.

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Still, these 10 basic beliefs represent a starting-point,a starting-point in a long and arduous journey towardsa new dawn and a new day for our beloved Malaysia.

_._.;.i"If we seek to reform institutions, we must rst

reform men's minds. Unless all men of ability assisteach other, good laws become mere paper documents;unless those who supervise them are fair andenlightened the venal will end up occupying the placesof the worthy."

Chu Chang-Po,

19th Century Chinese Thinker.

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