The ‘No’ camp in the Scottish referendum on independence is heading for a convincing victory, and there may be another decade at least before the nationalists would toy with the idea of complete sovereignty for Scotland.

After all, it is an important issue for the Scots to decide. The fact that the London government had agreed to resolve the dispute by putting it to a vote and letting those residing in Scotland determine their own future with the United Kingdom is highly significant.

Yes, only the Scottish residents had the right to vote in the referendum and those of Scottish descent residing elsewhere - be it in England, Wales or Ireland - were excluded, signifying that the country is heading towards a civic rather than ethnic nationalism. As long as you are there in Scotland as a taxpayer and a resident, you are entitled to your democratic right. Your ethnic origin and religion simply do not matter.

That is a good thing.

Then again, the more appropriate question to ask is - what has led Scotland down the path of separatism?

The remote cause is, of course, the excesses of Thatcherism that destroyed much of Scotland’s industrial-based economy, once vibrant trade unionism and loss of talent to south of the border.

One may argue England has been generous, too generous in fact, to allow the Scots a dominant position in the politico-economic sphere. I concur fully. Still, these Scottish elites have served faithfully not the interests of their compatriots in the north but of the City and the London-based ruling class.

Just like those elected or appointed to represent the interests of Sarawakians and Sabahans in the federal government have time and again betrayed the trust of their very constituents.

At the height of Thatcherism, Old Labour played an effective role of the vanguard against the formidably encroaching neo-liberalists, only to be betrayed by the New Labour of Tony Blair the quasi-Scot. It was left to Alex Salmond’s (left) Scottish National Party (SNP) to inherit the socialist mantra and tradition.

The SNP overhauled itself to become a party that represents ostensibly the disgruntled working class, embodies civic nationalism and values egalitarianism, thereby reestablishing itself as the hope for Scotland's future.

Noth-South divide

Be it yes or no, the existing London-centric structure can no longer respond to the increasing demand for regionalism. Indeed, the challenges of income disparity and the lack of industrial innovation are UK-wide rather than Scotland-specific, for the North-South divide has long been an issue dodged by London.

Although the ‘Yes’ camp may have lost, the momentum for more devolution remains nonetheless. It would seem that David Cameron’s last-minute promise of greater autonomy for Scotland has swung enough minds to his favour, much to the chagrin of the English nationalists who are already furious at the higher subsidy per capita enjoyed by the Scots.

The next option for London to ponder would be a new constitutional arrangement along the lines of federalism. After centuries of dominance (and many would say ‘oppression’) by London elites, the Scots, the Welsh and people in northern England have been finding a way to counter the hegemony. Mobility and policy choices in the context of a federation would be ideal, as seen in the case of the United States and Germany, where the diversity of preferences is simply amazing.

Germans with an ultra liberal mind would find Berlin a natural home, while the conservative ones would feel at ease in states such as Baden-Württemberg. Many Germans move from one state to another based on their considerations over taxation and health care, which in turn compels the various federal states to attract talent through tax incentives and minimising costs of living.

And it is already happening in Scotland, where students do not have to pay to go to university, whereas in England, they are straddled with loans the moment they graduate. With 1.5 million voters behind him, Salmond is in a strong position to push for a federal system that could end more than three centuries of Westminster-dominated rule.

Encouraged by what has been happening in Scotland, the Catalans in Spain and the Flemish in Belgium are likely to pursue a similar path.

Of course, not all federations would work. The Soviet Union was constitutionally a federation made up of 15 states, but it did not stop it from disintegration in 1991 after power became heavily concentrated in Moscow which mismanaged the whole country.

A federation in name

Sadly, Malaysia, increasingly a federation in name, is heading in the same and wrong direction. The centralisation of power that was begun during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s long rule is continued till today, with the threat of Islamisation and the revival of royal influence lurking in the background.

In addition, the Umno-led government does not seem to have the will to address the widening gap between the rich and poor, preferring to entrench further an economic model that is premised on rent-seeking, property development and cronyism. Industrial innovation has stalled to such an extent that we should feel embarrassed to still be considered a middle-income nation.

Perhaps no other states feel the heat more than Sabah and Sarawak that have experienced much neglect, marginalisation and exploitation by the KL-based ruling elites. It is just so unfortunate that the East Malaysians are denied the generosity of the English gentlemen/women. Even more miserable is the reality that they have among them political leaders who are themselves corrupt to the core and easily bought over by their counterparts in the peninsula.

Like it or not, the SNP has been brave enough to force the Scots to make a choice. Such valour is, alas, utterly missing in both Sabah and Sarawak.


JOSH HONG studied politics at London Metropolitan University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. A keen watcher of domestic and international politics, he longs for a day when Malaysians will learn and master the art of self-mockery, and enjoy life to the full in spite of politicians.