Photo credit: fazzzz / Foter / CC BY-NC

It’s an interesting time to be living in Malaysia. A country long praised for its harmony and stability lately seems to find both in rather short supply. Editor Chad Merchant looks at the events unfolding in Malaysia, and sees in them the ink being used to author this young nation’s history.

Well, you certainly can’t say the media in Malaysia have been at a loss for things to write about lately. Economically, politically, socially… the country is in-arguably at a crossroads, and the implications are daunting. The ruling coalition is embroiled in scandals, the opposition is fractured to say the least, a rift is emerging between religious moderates and extremists, the economy is faltering, and the heady optimism that was so pervasive in the country just a year or so ago is all but gone. It may be difficult to see, but this is Malaysian history in the making, and what will happen as a result of this history unfolding is anyone’s guess now.

Though we as expats live and work in Malaysia, many of us paying taxes and even owning businesses or raising families here, ultimately the fact remains that we are guests here. And while our unsolicited critiques are likely seldom embraced, I’ve noticed that Malaysians are nevertheless quite keen to ask my thoughts on Malaysia and whether or not I like living here.

In the past, it’s been a very easy question to answer, but these days, my opinions are more complex. But whatever my thoughts, my advice is this: Pay attention. Watch. Listen. Read. Soak it all in. What’s happening now in Malaysian political circles is quite possibly the most serious test the country has faced since the late ’60s, and now, as then, has the potential to redefine the socio-political landscape. In May 1969, a series of events came to a head and were manifested in a series of riots and other acts of sectarian and racially motivated violence. The events of that month catalysed a fundamental shift in government policy, as well as prompting the resignation of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister. Many in the country, locals and expats alike, are wondering if a similar fate may yet befall Malaysia’s current Prime Minister, though it is certainly hoped there is no repeat of the violence and dark days associated with the 1969 events.

However the current events play out, it’s fascinating to be witnessing living history in what is still a rather young country. We talk to some expats who are just here on work assignment for a short, specific timeframe, and so don’t feel a strong connection to their host country. They do their time here, so to speak, and then move on. But we also talk to many, especially long-term working expats and those here on the MM2H programme, who have specifically chosen Malaysia as their adopted home, and for these expats, the difficult time the country is going through now is particularly distressing. Several months ago, The Expat Group co-hosted a roundtable discussion for expats, anti-corruption officials, and ministers. The Malaysian government had expressed an interest in getting expats’ views on corruption in the country, and the event was attended by quite a number of expats based here in senior positions with various multinationals. Repeatedly, we heard what were at times impassioned statements from expats who professed their love for the country and its people, and lamented the cronyism and corruption that, time and time again, hold Malaysia back from achieving its full potential, though they acknowledged the efforts being made to address these problems.

For these expats, and many others, the notion that we are just disinterested outsiders couldn’t be further from the truth. Though as non-citizens, we cannot vote and are barred from taking part in political rallies and the like, many expats still feel a kinship with Malaysians, have a strong affection for the country, and truly consider Malaysia to be their home. So we, too, are affected.

Many countries struggle to find their way at times. My own country, the United States, is a prime example of this. Ostensibly founded on the ideals of equality and liberty for everyone, it took nearly 90 years and a devastating civil war for us to sort out that maybe owning other human beings as slaves wasn’t quite in line with our founding principles. Then it took us another 55 years after that to give women nationwide – half the American population – the basic right to vote. Equality and civil rights for black Americans didn’t fall into place until a shocking 188 years after the country’s establishment, a sorry testament to a nation supposedly dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. And it was only last month, almost 239 years to the day after America’s founding, that full marriage equality was made the law of the land. As Winston Churchill is credited with saying, “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing… after they’ve tried everything else.”

So maybe that’s how it will be for Malaysia. Perhaps this 1MDB crisis (and its apparent multiple spin-off scandals) is just a short-lived speed bump for a country still building its own road and charting its own path. It’s good that Malaysians are more active, informed, and engaged in the process, and it’s certainly a fervent hope of mine that any guilty parties in the current scandals will answer for their misdeeds and that perhaps some positive change will come to pass as a result of the living history we’re now witnessing in Malaysia.

Read This: A Brief Look at Corruption in Malaysia

Source: The Expat magazine August 2015