• Business
    • Case Studies
    • Companies
    • Growth
    • Strategy
  • Functional
    • Finance
    • HR
    • Marketing
    • Science & Tech
  • Leadership
    • Be a Leader
    • Books
    • LDR Show
    • Leadership Nuggets
    • Movie Wisdom
    • Soundbytes
    • Women & Leadership
  • Personal
    • Character
    • Values
    • Competence
  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
Leaderonomics.com
Leaderonomics.com
  • Business
    • Case Studies
      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Malaysia: Celebrating A Nation's History

      Malaysia: Celebrating A Nation's History

      Lessons from 3M: Why Investing In R&D Is Your Ticket To Success

      Lessons from 3M: Why Investing In R&D Is Your Ticket To Success

      Developing Support Systems For Occupational Stress: A Critical Need

      Developing Support Systems For Occupational Stress: A Critical Need

    • Companies
      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Be Grateful for in 2019

      6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Be Grateful for in 2019

      Leading The 200-Year-Old Postal Service In The 21st Century

      Leading The 200-Year-Old Postal Service In The 21st Century

      Changing The Outlook of Learning

      Changing The Outlook of Learning

    • Growth
      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      The New World Of Work Workers & Workplaces

      The New World Of Work Workers & Workplaces

    • Strategy
      Embracing Change

      Embracing Change

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      How To Build Winning Teams

      How To Build Winning Teams

      The 7 Critical Trends That Make Thought Leadership An Imperative For Any Business

      The 7 Critical Trends That Make Thought Leadership An Imperative For Any Business

  • Functional
    • Finance
      Investing, A Rather Boring Thing To Do

      Investing, A Rather Boring Thing To Do

      Financial Literacy: The Essentials Of A Leader

      Financial Literacy: The Essentials Of A Leader

      A Student's Dilemma: ACCA vs An Accounting Degree

      A Student's Dilemma: ACCA vs An Accounting Degree

      Finance A Must On The Path To CEO

      Finance A Must On The Path To CEO

    • HR
      When Should You Speak Up?

      When Should You Speak Up?

      Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

      Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      Whistleblowing In Organisations

      Whistleblowing In Organisations

    • Marketing
    • Science & Tech
      How The Frog Virtual Learning Education Is Revolutionising Teaching And Learning

      How The Frog Virtual Learning Education Is Revolutionising Teaching And Learning

      The Latest Developments in the ICT Subsector in Malaysia

      The Latest Developments in the ICT Subsector in Malaysia

      Electrical And Electronics On The Next Level

      Electrical And Electronics On The Next Level

      Going Green Does Have Tangible Benefits

      Going Green Does Have Tangible Benefits

  • Leadership
    • Be a Leader
      The Importance of Getting People to Understand the ‘Why’

      The Importance of Getting People to Understand the ‘Why’

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Leadership Lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven

      Leadership Lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven

      Meaningful Communication: The Key To Solving Workplace Problems

      Meaningful Communication: The Key To Solving Workplace Problems

    • Books
      Why You Should Assess A Leader’s Capacity For Critical Thinking And Judgment

      Why You Should Assess A Leader’s Capacity For Critical Thinking And Judgment

      5 Skills You Need To Be A Great CEO

      5 Skills You Need To Be A Great CEO

      Be A Giver And A Taker

      Be A Giver And A Taker

      Are You Afraid Of Being An Original In A World Full Of Conformists?

      Are You Afraid Of Being An Original In A World Full Of Conformists?

    • LDR Show
      What Do Your Customers Need?

      What Do Your Customers Need?

      "You can be competitive without sacrificing your price", Says Datuk Sulaiman Mohd Tahir

      "You can be competitive without sacrificing your price", Says Datuk Sulaiman Mohd Tahir

      “I didn’t learn anything in the books about leadership or management", Says Tan Sri Azman Hashim

      “I didn’t learn anything in the books about leadership or management", Says Tan Sri Azman Hashim

      Attracting And Retaining Talent: Insights from Kimberlyn Lu

      Attracting And Retaining Talent: Insights from Kimberlyn Lu

    • Leadership Nuggets
      Leadership in Four Dimensions: Jonas Prising on Human Resources, Malaysia and Leadership

      Leadership in Four Dimensions: Jonas Prising on Human Resources, Malaysia and Leadership

      "Have Intentionality In Your Daily Life", says Kim Underhill

      "Have Intentionality In Your Daily Life", says Kim Underhill

      "Explorers Are Map Makers", Says Jana Stanfield

      "Explorers Are Map Makers", Says Jana Stanfield

      Leadership Nuggets: Worry Not When We Fail

      Leadership Nuggets: Worry Not When We Fail

    • Movie Wisdom
      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Lessons From A 68-Year-Old Classic That Changed The Face Of Visual Storytelling

      Lessons From A 68-Year-Old Classic That Changed The Face Of Visual Storytelling

      Life Lessons From <i>Goodbye Christopher Robin</i>

      Life Lessons From Goodbye Christopher Robin

    • Soundbytes
      Developing A Vision For An Organisation

      Developing A Vision For An Organisation

      How Does Developing Our “Self” Lead To Purpose?

      How Does Developing Our “Self” Lead To Purpose?

      Finishing Our Race Well

      Finishing Our Race Well

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

    • Women & Leadership
      5 Lessons from the Life of Chetna Sinha

      5 Lessons from the Life of Chetna Sinha

      Lessons We Can Learn From Oprah Winfrey

      Lessons We Can Learn From Oprah Winfrey

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      Leadership Lessons From Joan of Arc

      Leadership Lessons From Joan of Arc

  • Personal
    • Character
      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

    • Values
      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      Living Out The Leaderonomics Core Values

      Living Out The Leaderonomics Core Values

    • Competence
      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

      The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

      How To Create A Sense Of Agency In Your Young Ones

      How To Create A Sense Of Agency In Your Young Ones

      The Shocking Truth About Success

      The Shocking Truth About Success

  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
Home
Our Pick Of The Week

How Malaysians Fought Back As One To Opt For Hope And Change

May 22nd, 2018 Hard Talk, Leadership, Our Pick Of The Week

Share this article

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
How Malaysians Fought Back As One To Opt For Hope And ChangeHard Talk
Photo credit: Garry Knight | Flickr

A first-ever opposition victory signals voters’ disgust with corruption

By CHANDRAN NAIR

Malaysians woke up on Thursday, May 10, 2018, to a new reality.

With the unexpected victory of Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope), Malaysians have overcome their fear of change and voted out the Barisan Nasional (National Front), after more than 60 years in power.

Putrajaya

Photo credit: xiquinhosilva | Flickr

The people have seized an opportunity to reshape their country after years of underachievement and feelings of shame.

Malaysia may have elected the world’s oldest Prime Minister in Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 92. We have also elected the youngest Member of Parliament in P Prabakaran (at 22 years old), and chosen our first ever female Deputy Prime Minister in Datuk Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

For the first time since her independence in 1957, there has been a power transfer between political parties.

Only Singapore has remained under single party control for longer: its People’s Action Party has governed since 1959, before the country was independent.

 
This might interest you: Post-GE14 Reflections: On The Politics, Imagination, And Ripples Of Hope In Malaysia

 

Democracy awakens

The recent 14th general election should restore a little faith in democracy, at a time when it is now common to talk about “democracy in retreat”.

The truth is that many Malaysian reformers worked tirelessly and peacefully for years with very little reward, until now.

It is also important to note that power has changed hands without incident, a testament to the endurance of state institutions despite allegations of corruption and legal manoeuvres aimed at keeping the ruling party in power.

Malaysia is perhaps the most culturally diverse country in its region, with a diverse mix of Malays, Chinese, Indians and many other ethnicities.

Four of the world’s major religions have a vibrant presence here: Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism.

It is also wealthy, behind only Singapore in South-east Asia. Her people are relatively well-educated, with a sizeable middle-class workforce proficient in English.

The country really should be much more of a player on the world stage, but it has not capitalised on its competitive advantages.

In addition, the pride in the country has been hammered hard in recent years, and many have left the country.

 

A new dawn

Much of the credit for this change goes to Tun Dr Mahathir (and fellow Malaysians, of course!), perhaps Malaysia’s most well-respected and revered politician.

In Malaysia, the deck was heavily stacked against the (former) opposition. They were denied coverage in the mainstream press and television.

Leaders are often harassed, if not arrested, by the previous government.

Mahathir’s decision to come out of retirement to stand as the head of the opposition gave the alliance of hope the strength to go toe-to-toe with the previous government. He was not someone who could be threatened or thrown into jail.

Mahathir is not perfect, of course: he also harassed the opposition during his previous tenure as Prime Minister.

But he has apologised for his past mistakes and has promised to give up his prime ministerial position to his former nemesis and current ally Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim within two years.

The result was also brought about by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who pushed his luck and ultimately went too far.

 
Related post: Reflections Of GE-14 Malaysia: What’s Next For The Rakyat?

 

Public enemy

Corruption has always been an issue in Malaysia, but the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal is the worst the country has ever seen.

Lurid stories about bribery and money laundering have embarrassed Malaysia on the world stage. Malaysians were used to poor business practices and money politics, but this brought great shame to the nation.

Perhaps Malaysians needed to face the stark choice between someone as discredited as Najib and as revered as Mahathir before they would vote for change. At least it has now happened!

This election saw voters young and old, near and far, reject politics based on ethnic, racial and religious divisions.

Najib’s campaign tried to capitalise on the old division between the Malays – the bumiputra – and ethnic minorities.

He routinely tried to instil fear in the majority by arguing that Pakatan Harapan would be far more sympathetic to the Chinese and Indian minorities.

 

Beacon of hope

Pakatan Harapan inherits a country with many challenges, including stagnating wages, a bloated civil service, unethical business practices and declining education standards. But, several immediate steps come to mind.

First, Pakatan Harapan needs to clean up the 1MDB scandal. If Malaysia resolves this problem within the rule of law, which Mahathir has committed himself to, it would restore international confidence in the country and allay fears about the state of the public coffers.

The alliance should work to create a new system of politics that does not distinguish between races, ethnicities and religions. It needs to restore meritocracy in the civil service; it needs to start reforming the country’s national development policy so that it serves all disadvantaged Malaysians equally.

A Malaysian society and economy structured along these lines would give any economy in South-east Asia, if not the entire continent, a run for its money.

This is no time to rest on our laurels. The end is just the beginning of much hard work to turn things around.

 
Read also: United We Stand, Divided We Fall

 

The writer is chief executive of the Global Institute For Tomorrow, a think-tank based in Hong Kong. He is also the author of Consumptionomics: Asia’s Role in Reshaping Capitalism and Saving the Planet. This article was originally published in The Financial Times. For more Hard Talk articles, click here. To bring Chandran into your organisation for a learning session or talk, email info@leaderonomics.com for more details.

Reposted with permission on Leaderonomics.com.

 
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this website are those of the writers or the people they quoted and not necessarily those of Leaderonomics.

Share this :

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Tags
  • 14th general elections
  • Chandran Nair
  • Change Leadership
  • Diversity in Malaysia
  • Fighting corruption
  • Global Institute For Tomorrow
  • Hard Talk
  • Pakatan Harapan
  • Post-GE14
  • The Financial Times
  • Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
Next article What I Learnt About Leadership From Queen Elizabeth II
Previous article Leadership 4.0: Redefining Leadership for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Related Posts

Malaysia Day Wishes Community

Malaysia Day Wishes

How To Build A Culture Of Servant Leadership In Your Organisation Business

How To Build A Culture Of Servant Leadership In Your Organisation

3 Reasons Why Trump’s Leadership Won’t Work In Malaysia Hard Talk

3 Reasons Why Trump’s Leadership Won’t Work In Malaysia

Case Study: How We Initiate Change Management To Improve The Service Delivery Levels In Penang Island Town Council Business

Case Study: How We Initiate Change Management To Improve The Service Delivery Levels In Penang Island Town Council

Crafting A Model Of Leadership Leadership

Crafting A Model Of Leadership

If Asia Wants To Prosper, Don't Listen To The IMF Finance

If Asia Wants To Prosper, Don't Listen To The IMF

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Bahasa Malaysia | English

Pick of The Week

Feb 4th 7:54 PM
Business

When Should You Speak Up?

Jan 31st 9:00 AM
Business

Embracing Digital To Power Growth

Jan 29th 9:00 AM
Functional

Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

NEW – On The Leaderonomics Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXY0Z5dJVSI
  • Business
  • Functional
  • Leadership
  • Personal
  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-Mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Back to top

About Leaderonomics.com

Leaderonomics.com is a leadership portal owned by Leaderonomics, a social enterprise passionate about transforming nations through leadership development. Leaderonomics.com features leadership insights, trends, CEOs, thought leaders, HR leaders and inspiring real-life stories for your personal and professional development.

Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy      
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this website are those of the writers or the people they quoted and not necessarily those of Leaderonomics.
[Sitemap | RSS]
Copyright © 2010-2019 Leaderonomics Media Sdn Bhd. All rights reserved