'We should fear not our shadow'

The following is an abstract of Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin's 50-minute keynote speech at the Umno Youth general assembly today.

Umno, as BN's biggest party, must embrace a vision that demonstrates our leadership credentials – a leadership that is comprehensive, inclusive and national. This calls for courage because it requires us to shift away from our comfort zones of a communal party perspective to a more holistic political consciousness, which incorporates all.

I mention courage too, because we are now at a crossroads of our cause, where we can choose to remain on the same path with the same style and methods. We can continue with the chest-thumping rhetoric, warning other races never to challenge this or that.

This option is easy, and may promise a measure of popularity within the party. But, we must ask ourselves, is this what Malaysians – Malays included – really want from Umno, especially when the president (Najib Abdul Razak) is bringing the message of unity through the concept of 1Malaysia?

For the 21st century Umno Youth, the courageous choice is to position ourselves as the pioneers of national unity through the spirit of 1Malaysia.

Some may hold that it is the president who should carry a national message, whilst Umno Youth should carry on with what is familiar. But if we choose to do so, the people will view Umno as a party in disarray, hypocrites, without a consistent ideology for the people and electorate.

And in the era of technology, which can expose any duplicity, we will be judged as a party that does not practise what it preaches. This means the entire institutions of party and government must be on the same page, carrying a consistent message.

In this new context, do we want the president to speak about a transformation – removing barriers between races and communities – whilst Umno Youth stubbornly refuses to change, and instead, continues to voice something different from the president?

A change to this new path does not mean we forego the Malay agenda. Umno and Umno Youth will always fight for the Malays – protecting the status of Islam, the Malay rulers and the Malay language. These are the core elements of Umno's struggle that will never dissipate from our agenda.

However, we must pursue these things based on two principles: justice and compassion, especially when dealing with other races. This compass will underline our national agenda that is grounded not in the narrow concept of Malay dominance, but on the concept of Malay leadership – magnanimous as well as both just and compassionate.

In truth, if we were to look back at the history of Umno and BN’s leadership, the two principles of justice and compassion are firmly entrenched in our nation’s politics. Umno and BN have demonstrated the ability to fight for the welfare of all Malaysians.

For example, the agenda of poverty alleviation is not premised on the basis of race alone, but is instead extended to all Malaysians who are less fortunate. Thus, grounded on a political foundation respected by all, the change and rejuvenation we need is for Umno and the Malays to be consistent in our national leadership for all Malaysians.

'Just and compassionate' leadership

Some may wonder if we should fight for other communities if they question our position as Malays. It is here that out leadership credentials will be tested. As the group of people given the responsibility and privilege to lead, Malays cannot simply follow the common beat – that would not be leadership.

Instead, as leaders, Malays must rise above and go the extra mile. Only then will we have the ability to lead and be acknowledged as leaders who have wider recognition. This is another example of Malay leadership that I spoke of – a leadership that is just and compassionate, and accepted by all.

The shift towards a more sound, national Malay leadership can best be achieved if Malays themselves make the leap to a political struggle based on a civilisational confidence. Civilisational confidence means as Malays, we are confident of our own ability to move forward, setting out a vision for success without being afraid of our own shadow. This is our generation’s challenge.

I speak of a generational challenge because for too long, Malays and Umno have been caught in a mindset that is negative and overly defensive. We feel as though we are constantly under siege, and all our efforts appear to be channeled towards protecting the Malay special position. I urge Malays, beginning with the youth, to get out of this siege mentality.

Undeniably, we consider Article 153, which guarantees the special position of Malays and bumiputeras as sacrosanct. However, if we scratch beneath the surface, we would find that it is almost impossible for Article 153 to be stripped from the constitution, as it would require the approval of two-thirds of Parliament.

And in the improbable situation were this to occur, it would still require consent from the Council of Rulers. This should serve as a reminder that realistically, our special position as stipulated in the constitution cannot possibly be changed.

But consider this: Article 153 in itself does not guarantee progress and development for the Malays. Constitutional provisions do not make us 'special' or extraordinary, it is the performance and achievements of Malays that will determine if we are.

Rights and privileges of the Malays are important. But more important is how the Malays are empowered in order to truly succeed. What is needed is a new dimension to our cause so that the economic share and status of Malays can be advanced, consistent with the spirit of Malay empowerment we must collectively pursue.

Embrace civilisational confidence

Umno and the Malays as a whole must move away from a defensive setting, where we assume that our rights are under threat, to a people equipped with our own civilisational confidence – carving a vision of progress for the future.

This is the new Malay dilemma – the generational question of our time which must be addressed: are we going to defend symbols for their sake, or are we bold and courageous enough to accept the reality that there needs to be a change in both vision and mechanisms to see Malays forge ahead? I believe the answer lies in the latter.

I believe this new vision is also one held by the president, who for example, recently abolished the 30 percent bumiputera equity requirement for companies going for an initial public offering (IPO) on Bursa Malaysia.

Most certainly, the president made this decision not because of a lack of commitment to the Malay agenda, but because the '30 percent' mechanism has failed to achieve its original aims.

The president himself mentioned that from the RM54 billion worth of shares given to bumiputeras through this mechanism, only RM2 billion remains – sold for a quick profit. Thus proving that there are symbols and mechanisms we have defended in the past, which have not succeeded in their objectives.

It is significant that when the president abolished the said bumiputera equity requirement, he introduced Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas) as an investment institution that can encourage the growth of high-potential bumiputera companies. This is the shift pioneered by the president – channeling adequate assistance to deserving and talented Malays.

There is no preoccupation with symbolic mechanisms that only serve to stifle competitiveness of the Malays and give us a false sense of confidence without a meaningful contribution towards genuine Malay economic development.

Fulfilling the vision for our community's advancement would require the confidence to accept competition based our own on merit and abilities. Let us not speak of meritocracy between races if we cannot first practise it within our own community.

As members of the younger generation, we must avoid the culture of destroying budding talents before they are realised. It would be a great shame if, motivated by jealousy, we work to bring down Malays with potential for our own twisted pleasure.

We must rid ourselves of envy and resentment towards other Malays. Instead, we should assist and encourage each other towards success. This is the meaning of "civilisational confidence" – we fear not our own shadow.

Malays not slow, lazy and stupid

My dream is to one day see local institutions of higher education filled with Malays not because of quotas, but because Malays are there based on merit. Whilst we protect the quotas now, let us not forget that they are only supposed to aid us, and not be a lifeline for the Malays unto perpetuity.

The Malay vision is not about defending quotas indefinitely, but to stand proud seeing Malays succeed on their own strengths.

There is no reason to be pessimistic about our own potential – the confidence to accept more open competition already exists in our cultural DNA. Are we going to stand here and claim that history has never demonstrated the Malays as hardworking and able to overcome challenges to accomplish goals?

Such a vision and shift also calls for courage from the Malays to look ahead, with the self-confidence and self-belief to achieve progress. As the youths of our time, ours is the generation that can make that change.

Ours is the generation that can insist that we have had enough! Enough of putting down our own race. Enough of being crippled by the illusion that says Malays are slow, Malays are lazy, Malays are stupid. Ours is the generation that can stand up to the challenge by saying that Malays are no longer afraid to face the outside world because Malays are not slow, Malays are not lazy, Malays are not stupid.

On the contrary, Malays are a majestic people – intelligent and multi-talented. Malay youths of this generation must lead our community out of this crippling mindset that has eroded our self-belief, towards progress and development in the future – this is our struggle.

Khairy issues bold call to Umno Youth