Historian: We are trapped in an intellectual coffin

A Malaysian historian has bemoaned the disappearance of cultural and political freedom as reasons for the stagnation of the nation's intellectual development.

Lecturer Ariffin Omar (left) said a nation needs a healthy dose of culture, politics and knowledge if it wants a steady growth of intellectual discourse from issues ranging from mainstream to ones considered ‘sensitive'.

"But what happens here is that when you speak your mind, you are persecuted a traitor of the nation. Why is there no maturity in politics?" he queried.

He was referring to PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, who was recently charged with criminal defamation for challenging the official account of the 1950 Bukit Kepong incident at a ceramah in Tasek Gelugor on Aug 21.

Ariffin said Penang used to be an intellectual hub, and there were good quality schools in the English and Chinese languages, while the state was also a centre for the spread of several major religions like Islam, Christianity and Buddhism in Southeast Asia.

In Penang, the Malays are exposed and speak several different languages as they interact with different communities, he added.

However, some politicians are afraid that if the Malays are exposed too much, their political position will "collapse", he claimed.

"This is a problem. We need to think outside the box. Right now we are (trapped) in an intellectual coffin," he quipped.

"It is not the government but the people who has the power to determine the future of the country," he added at an event attended by about 100 participants in Seberang Perai.

Intelletual hub

Ariffin, who is a lecturer with the Malaysian Defence University, was speaking at a forum organised recently by state-linked think-tank Penang Institute, titled ‘Challenges for Penang to become the Intellectual Hub of the Region'.

At the event, other panelists, including outspoken academic and former Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainal Abidin and the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) president Amidi Abdul Manan (left), reviewed the Penang Malay dilemma critically in an open and honest manner.

The event was a kick-off to more discourses on history, culture, literature and socio-economic policies that can benefit all communities. They will be organised more frequently to cater to the Malay crowd, said Penang Institute senior executive Steven Sim.

Ariffin, who recently joined the DAP, also lamented the lack of ability of local students to compete with others when they go overseas to study.

This is in part due to the education system in local universities which are restricted and controlled by outdated rules and regulations like the Universities and University Colleges Act, he noted.

"It seems that those who plan our education do not wish to develop the local universities.

"These kinds of (restrictive) rules do not exist overseas. Instead there is freedom of thought and education. Is this (the government's) way to control the rakyat?" 

Arrifin said although the Malays are now more"sophisticated", they are not at par with others intellectually and economically.

He added that the intellectual development of the Malay community cannot be improved unless there is also progress in the economic sphere as education alone was not enough.

"If this area sees no progress, do not hope for intellectualism to flourish as this is not automatic," he said.

"When will people start to think critically and debate on important issues and find solutions to address the problems of the community?" he asked.

Protests against Lim

Since Pakatan Rakyat took over the state in 2008, several Malay NGOs have been protesting against Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, blaming him for marginalising the interests of the community.

Lim (right) however had denied the allegations, saying that the state government had instead increased the allocation for the Penang Muslim Religious Affairs department to improve the lives of the Malays.

Ariffin said the economic situation of the Malays has deteriorated since Independence in 1957, and BN had not brought much development to the Malays.

"Look at examples where the Malay Muslim land (tanah wakaf) has been misused. Did the Umno leaders help the Malays? All remain words only. If the economic situation of the Malays is not improved, their political power will also suffer," he added.

"They must take the initiative to improve their lives, and not only depend on politics for businesses and contracts," he stressed.