It’s a Mad, Mad World – But Malaysia Can Still Come Out Trumps

A World in Disarray

I’ve been watching, transfixed, at what’s happening in the world. We’ve not seen this much disruption to the world’s order (however you wish to interpret that) in our lifetimes. A large part of the world is cheering on this disruption, while another part, possibly larger, is gasping in horror.

Uncertainty and Fear

The really old among us will remember similar uncertainties back in the day, such as the fear of communism overrunning one country after another as they fell like dominoes. There was the Cold War, too, when fears of a nuclear armageddon were very real and justified. I personally can’t remember another occasion with a similar sense of foreboding and uncertainty in my own lifetime. Certainly not the feelings felt by my parents, and perhaps your own parents or grandparents, when the imperial Japanese army swept down the peninsula in December 1941. That must’ve been gut-wrenching and scary.

A Different Era

But the old folk didn’t have social media or cable news channels to occupy their time. There wasn’t any electricity at home anyway, even if Facebook or TikTok were around. So, in many ways, they were lucky.

Current Concerns

Our current concerns are less existential and more economic. Will this bout of inflation we’ve faced since the pandemic abate or worsen? Will there be a global recession, causing mass unemployment, and with it, political uncertainty? Will our savings last, or will they be wiped out by collapsing currencies? Your guess is as good as mine. Nobody knows what will be the tipping point at which the economy goes down, while tensions go up, perhaps even resulting in a shooting war among nations.

Déjà Vu, But That’s OK

Back in Malaysia, a former prime minister is having a spot of bother with the authorities. Another is going up and down the steps of our courts alleging or denying something or other, and yet another is working hard, as only he can, to outlive everyone, whether friend or foe. That still leaves a couple of others to be accounted for. I can’t think of another country which has as many ex-prime ministers still around creating excitement, with the exception of the UK, where some of their prime ministers lasted only for a few weeks.

Politics in Malaysia

I’ve been so fixated with the drama going on out there in the world that I haven’t been very diligently following what’s going on in Malaysia. But honestly, it was no big loss – it’s the same old story about politicians in hot soup for saying something atrocious or keeping a stash of gold bullion for their rainy days. What else? As always, the usual suspects are being as racist as they can be, often hiding behind the cloak of religion, while some unusual suspects think that it is okay to be racist on radio or video. And some people were being surreptitiously recorded talking about money and politics.

A New Defence

I doubt anybody will ever get into trouble in Malaysia for recording somebody doing or saying something naughty. We’ve even had cases of recordings being made of politicians having sexual relations with those clearly not their spouse (or spouses) – and look at how many of them ever had to face any reckoning. Now in the age of AI, there’s a brilliant new defence – that such scandalous videos and recordings are “deep fakes” created through technology, either by some foreign spies, or more and more likely, by bored youngsters with cheap mobile phones. I can’t wait for the first such case to come up to court, and I can only hope our judges are up to speed with the latest technology.

Malaysia Boleh!

Seeing the government continually fighting to save itself, seeing many politicians revealed to be as vile and venal as they’ve always been, seeing another politically-connected mega-company having to be bailed out, gives me a sense of comfort that no matter what happens elsewhere, the spirit of Malaysia Boleh will never be extinguished. We’ve turned politics into a messy, wild theatre. We’ve been at it for decades, often with the same players and the same script. We’ve been embarrassed by their shenanigans, and some of us have decided to pack our bags and head for a saner land.

A New Sense of Optimism

I’m finding a new sense of optimism about Malaysia – certainly not a cleaner, fairer, more efficient Malaysia, but it’s not a worse Malaysia either. While we may feel the impact of the world’s economy and politics, we’re not doing anything to help make the world more unstable. We’re stumbling along, perhaps not in great way, but certainly not worse either, as the world around us reorders itself into something increasingly scary and unrecognizable.

Conclusion

My money is on Malaysia coming out of this crisis, the one being created by the big boys out there in the US and Europe, in good shape and perhaps even ahead of many others. We’ve survived messy environments for most of the country’s existence, and our Malaysian can-do spirit has seen us through, and will, in all likelihood, be an advantage in the current messy times. Go Malaysia! Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to keep expectations low, because there’s less chance of being disappointed. And as the world descends into a mad spiral, we Malaysians can stand proud and confidently say “Welcome to our world!”

FAQs

* What is the “Malaysia Boleh!” spirit?
The “Malaysia Boleh!” spirit refers to the Malaysian can-do attitude, which has seen the country overcome many challenges throughout its history.
* What is the current state of Malaysia’s politics?
Malaysia’s politics is often marked by controversy, with politicians facing allegations of corruption and scandals. However, this has not deterred the country’s people from remaining optimistic about its future.
* How will Malaysia fare in the current global crisis?
Despite the challenges facing the world, Malaysia is likely to come out of the crisis in good shape, thanks to its resilient economy and can-do spirit.