Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Tarikh/Date : 21/10/97
Tajuk/Title : ASIA'S PLACE AND ASIA'S ROLE IN THE
MAKING OF THE GLOBAL COMMONWEALTH
OF THE 21ST CENTURY
( Delivered by Education Minister
Dato' Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak )
"Asia's Place and Asia's Role in the Making of the
Global Commonwealth of the 21st Century"
I have been asked to speak on "Asia's place and
Asia's role in the making of the Global Commonwealth of
the 21st century".
2. Perhaps it is useful to be reminded, as we approach
the new century, that we must do so with caution -- in the
knowledge that there are many reasons for pessimism and no
grounds whatsoever for idealism built on the sands of
illusion.
3. Perhaps it is useful to let history remind us that a
hundred years ago, as the world stood a tiptoe away from
the 20th century, so many were so optimistic about the
incredible possibilities for the future of mankind. All
seemed possible. A new century was at hand. Or so it
seemed.
4. After all, since 1871, there had been no major war in
Europe, the main manufacturer of global history, the
centre of the world and of human civilisation. By the
day, remarkable medical and scientific breakthroughs were
being made. The fruits of technology, science and
medicine were spreading far and wide.
5. Electricity was lighting the globe. Telephony was
wiring it together. People, trade and commerce were
moving almost as if there was a borderless world. If they
had known of the word, the great thinkers of the period
would have spoken of "globalisation" and of a force that
would span the chasms, bridge the gaps, bringing countries
and nations closer together in a single humanity.
6. From the vantage of the centre of the world, people
were eating better. They were happier, or should be
happier. They were better educated. Certainly, by the
standards of the past, massive numbers of people were
going to schools, advancing to universities. Literacy was
spreading like wildfire. Rigid social stratification was
eroding. Social inequities were narrowing. Dickensian
capitalism was being replaced by a nicer, gentler and even
more productive capitalism. Feudalism and all its
trappings seemed to be losing ground, losing face and
losing force. Greater egalitarianism. Greater
cosmopolitanism. A new internationalism.
7. The great Age of Imperialism was settling down and
was seen to be yielding great humanitarian returns, not
only for the imperialist but also for the imperialised.
The White Man's burden was being borne in every nook and
corner of the world and the natives seemed to be
responding well. Why, quite a few of them were even going
to Oxford and Cambridge. There was fascination with
China. The "Yellow Peril", as an idea, had not yet been
born. Missionaries were everywhere spreading the word of
Christ. The real Age of Reason seemed to be truly in the
offing.
8. From today's perspective, with the benefit of 20/20
hindsight, we know that the great optimism of a hundred
years ago was most unjustified.
9. To be sure, some wondrous things have happened. It
will not be long before Macau is transferred so that no
part of mainland Asia will for the first time in many
centuries be under the yoke of any outside colonial power.
Thank God old fashioned political de-colonisation is now
almost totally complete -- although many still do not
understand to this day the enormous psychological and
cultural costs that it exacted from those who were
colonised. An astounding phenomenon has been seen in East
Asia, which has brought massive material advancement to
numbers of the human race such as the world has never seen
before -- at speeds never before seen in the history of
mankind.
10. But in the round, is it not a shame that the immense
promise of the 20th century, so palpably felt a hundred
years ago, was so frustrated and so perverted?
11. The 20th century should have been the century of
peace, dedicated to the rejoicing of life. Instead, it
has been the century of megadeath.
12. The 20th century should have been a century of
prosperity, common and cooperative prosperity. Instead,
it has been the century of megamisery.
13. The 20th century should have been the century of
civilisation and of the celebration of civilisations.
Instead, at its end, so many especially in the North
Atlantic cultural core still cannot accept a culturally
plural world.
14. Crass political imperialism may well be dead. But
crass cultural imperialism is alive and kicking. Not only
are apologies not made for cultural hegemonism, but
sometimes, with incredible myopia, cultural hegemonism is
touted as a moral cause and a holy crusade. People
everywhere are being told what is right and what is wrong
and how they should behave. They are punished for not
doing as they are told. I pray that a few decades from
now, well meaning and equally holy yellow men will not be
descending upon humanity, telling them what is right and
what is wrong and how they should behave -- and punishing
those who do not do as they are told. Today, mutual
respect has to be fought for in a politico-cultural
ambience of fear, prejudice and hatred stirred up by those
who believe that after the long war, a new long war is
necessary or unavoidable -- because of the inevitable clash
of civilisations.
15. In the 20th century, we could have done so much to
abolish absolute poverty absolutely -- to wipe it off the
face of the earth. Yet what do we find? Megamisery such
as the world has never seen.
16. I do not condemn the few thousand billionaires who
collectively have more wealth than a few thousand million
human beings, many of whom are on this very day starving
to death or who are precariously perched on the edge of
starvation. Don't get me wrong. I have the utmost
respect for those great men of wealth who have built with
their own hands the massive fortunes which they now
command. This admiration, I am advised, is very
politically correct. I am also advised that it is
definitely not at all fashionable to even mention the
starving unmentionables. They are best left forgotten or
relegated to the footnotes of the history of our times.
But I confess that I am more than a little discomforted --
I feel deeply and personally upset -- when I think of the
three billion inhabitants of this planet who have to
survive on US$2 a day, each and everyday of their lives.
Let me now turn to the megadeaths.
17. In this century, the Europeans fought two continental
civil wars. Because Europe was the crucible of history,
because Europe ruled so much of the world, Europe's civil
wars became the first and second world wars for mankind.
Eight and a half million soldiers and 13 million women,
children and older men perished in the so-called First
World War. Nineteen million soldiers and 20 million
civilians perished in the so-called Second World War.
18. To the tally of megadeath in the trenches of war must
be added the deaths on the altar of doctrines. Hitler and
Nazism saw the liquidation of 17 million men, women and
children. Stalin and the Russian Communists put to death
between 20 and 25 million human beings. One to two
million died from the doctrinal enthusiasms of Mao and Pol
Pot. As many as 80 million lives have been sacrified in
the temple of doctrinal or religious fervour in our
wonderful century.
19. Man's inhumanity to man had never before reached such
heights. So far in this century, which has not yet come
to an end, perhaps 175 to 200 million people have been
killed in mass carnage of one kind or another. So much of
the past. What of the future?
20. History tells us that the nineteenth century was the
century of Europe. Europe dominated the world. Much of
the 20th century was the American century. The United
States dominated so much of the world. There are now
many, especially from that part of the world from which I
come, who are convinced that the 21st century will be the
Asian century.
21. They believe that the 21st century will not only be
the century of Asia; Asia's turn to be lord and master.
They believe that the 21st century should be the century
of Asia. An Asian century will not only come to pass. It
is moral and right that this should be so.
22. I am sorry to burst their bubble. I belive that the
idea of "the Asian century" walks down the well-trodden
path of darkness. And it is a mirage mired in an
incredible swamp of arrogance. I believe that the Asian
century will not come. The era of Asian dominance over
this planet which we call "earth" will not dawn. What is
more, I believe that we in Asia should not aspire to
achieve it, or to allow a new hegemonism, even if it is
"ours".
23. The age of imperialism is dead. The time for
hegemony has passed. They must be buried. And their
burial should be celebrated.
24. There must be no resurrection of imperialism, no
touting of hegemonism, no glorification of dominance or
domination in the 21st century. These things are immoral.
25. Imperialism is no less evil if it is Asian
imperialism. Hegemonism is no more tolerable if it is
Asian hegemonism. Domination is no less a blight if it is
Asian domination.
26. What we in Asia must work for in the 21st century is
not the century of Asia but "the century of the world", a
single Global Commonwealth, which excludes no-one, which
includes all of humanity.
27. This must be a new world characterised by liberte,
egalite, fraternite at home and by liberte, egalite,
fraternite within the comity of nations.
28. The Global Commonwealth of the 21st century which I
speak of must be a new world populated by flourishing,
responsible, productive and sustainable democracies
distinguished by remarkable standards of human rights and
by remarkable standards of human responsibilities.
29. It must be a new world made the more remarkable by
the emergence of billions from the darkest pits of
poverty. We now have the means to absolutely eradicate
absolute poverty. According to UNDP statistics, less than
thirty years ago, more than half of all Malaysians lived
below the line of absolute poverty. Malaysians can now
look forward to entering the new century with zero
absolute poverty, practically no-one below the line of
absolute poverty. The UNDP says that my modest country,
Malaysia, has been the best poverty killer on the surface
of this planet in post-War human history. If we can do
it, the whole world can do it. Let me ask the most simple
of questions: Why not commit ourselves to poverty's end?
Why not make the 21st century the first century of mankind
freed from the enslavement of poverty?
30. I believe that what we must also work for is a single
Global Commonwealth which is more caring not only of each
human being and of his prosperity but more caring also of
the physical environment which must not suffocate him or
burn him -- which must instead enrich his existence,
nourish his life and give him the sense of wonderment on
the bounties and the beauties of nature, which will cause
him to marvel at the handiwork of God. Those who believe
that care for the environment is a luxury which we cannot
afford are wrong. In reality not caring for the
environment is a luxury which we cannot afford. If we
cannot launch the necessary global crusade to save the
global environment at the dawn of the 21st century, the
twilight of the 21st century will be dark. It will
literally be pitch black.
31. Let me also stress that the Global Commonwealth of
the 21st century must be a new world characterised by
mutual respect, mutual appreciation, much greater
consideration for the interests, feelings, values and ways
of others.
32. I do not wish here to enter the debate on Asian
values, which so many Westerners tell us so insistently
and so consistently do not exist. So insistent are they
that even the non-believers in Asia are beginning to
believe that there must be something in it.
33. I will not comment on the fervent belief of so many
south of Canada and north of Mexico that even though there
may be such a wondrous thing as American values and
American way of life, which everyone in their right mind
(even in Europe) should aspire to, there is no such thing
as Asian values and Asian ways of life.
34. I will easily concede that there is still a very
great deal we must learn from the West. I will easily
concede that many Asian values of today are under attack
and may no longer be there at some future date as we
continuously urbanise and industrialise, as the extended
family comes under pressure, as "pop" culture undermines
and subverts. I will easily concede that the present day
values in Asia are not unique or the pure invention of
Asians; it is true that many of them are very African; a
host are very "Victorian" values, which used to dominate
Western cultures and which are to be found to this day in
so many American and European sub-cultures which are
trying to hang on to what they call "family values". I
will not argue that because the big majority of mankind
are Asians and because so many non-Asians share our values
or are trying to hold on to these values that it is Asian
values which are universal.
35. I will not defend those in power in Asia who are
using the Asian values argument to justify terrible things
that they are doing to their own people. I will concede
that many Asian values are horrible and have to be killed.
Indeed, I have personally spent a large part of my life
trying to do what I can to kill many of the "Asian" values
which do us so much harm.
36. But I have no compunction in arguing that Western
cultural hegemonism is no longer acceptable. Western
cultural arrogance is no longer acceptable. Western
cultural myopia and stupidity is no longer acceptable.
The attempt to impose on others what is so clearly
inferior, so clearly immoral and so clearly unproductive,
Asia will not tolerate in the 21st century.
37. The Global Commonwealth of the 21st century which I
advocate must say that a clash of civilisations is an
obscenity which we cannot accept. A barren co-existence
of civilisations too is not tolerable. Why must
differences merely be tolerated? Why can they not be
relished?
38. Our new Global Commonwealth of the 21st century must
be one that not only works on the basis of mutual respect.
We must be a world civilisation propelled by a sincere
celebration of civilisations; and because it has taken the
best from what each has to offer, a world civilisation
enriched by the feast of civilisations.
39. True peace is the sine qua non, the most essential
prerequisite for human progress, the essential cornerstone
of the Global Commonwealth of the 21st century which we
must build. But allow me to concentrate my remarks on the
second cornerstone: common and cooperative prosperity and
on what I believe is the most important key to this
co-prosperity: the mind-shift to "prosper-thy-neighbour".
40. In one of the most influential books of all time
called "The Wealth of Nations" written by Adam Smith in
the year the United States declared its independence, he
stressed that one single force, (selfish individual self
interest) will work incredible magic to produce the common
good within an economy. Let me stress here the need to
complement this invisible hand with "the invisible
shoulder", the proposition that ensuring the prosperity of
others will work incredible magic to produce our own
prosperity and the common prosperity of the Global
Commonwealth.
41. For much too long, whether we will concede it or not,
whether we realise it or not, the doctrine of "beggar-thy-
neighbour" has been the dominant paradigm. Just ask how
we respond when we see others doing blazingly well.
Survey after survey has shown that when the choice is
given between a situation where we are doing very well and
others are doing even better and a situation where we are
not doing so well but others are not doing as well as we
are, the majority prefer the latter. They prefer not
doing so well and others doing less well than themselves
over doing very well but seeing others performing even
better.
42. Just ask how much of our time and effort is spent
pulling others down rather than rejoicing in their
accomplishments and lending them a helping hand, putting
another shoulder to their wheel.
43. And yet, helping others to prosper is the rational
thing to do, in terms of one's own interest. If you help
your neighbour to prosper, you will prosper along with
him. You should be laughing all the way to the bank if he
is laughing all the way to the bank.
44. The prosperity of our neighbours and their neighbours
and of the global commonwealth is in our immediate and
vital interest. They ensure the markets which we need for
our exports. They ensure stability and peace. Poor
neighbours, on the other hand are a source of problems for
everyone -- for themselves and for us, because their
problems will spill over. Rather than the rising of the
tide of wealth and hope that will raise all boats, the
rising waters of poverty will be a tidal wave of misery
and deprivation that will sink us all.
45. In East Asia, we used to be at each other's throats.
We held firmly to the hallowed traditions of enmity and
hostility passed from one generation to the next,
sometimes over a thousand years. We did our level best to
beggar and impoverish our neighbours, to keep them down,
perhaps very much in the way that you also did in Europe.
It took us many centuries to discover a new way, to bury
the "beggar-thy-neighbour" mind-set, and to put in its
place the mind-set of "prosper-thy-neighbour". This is
one reason why there is more than one dragon in East Asia
and more than one tiger. This is why the entire region
is populated by dragons, tigers and tiger cubs.
46. We have tried the "invisible shoulder" -- and it
works. We have fed off and grown fat on the prosperity of
our neighours. It has been a veritable feast.
47. Imagine the incredible power of the "prosper-thy-
neighbour" invisible shoulder applied globally. Imagine
how prosperous Asia will be if Europe is prosperous, if
the old Europe of the industrial revolution is back --
vibrant and dynamic, growing by leaps and bounds. Imagine
how prosperous Asia will be if all of the Americas is
vibrant and dynamic, growing by leaps and bounds.
Imagine how prosperous Asia will be if Africa is vibrant
and dynamic. I hope I am making my point.
48. The other side of the coin is also clear. Imagine
the benefits Europe can derive from a vibrant, dynamic and
prosperous Americas, Africa and Asia -- from a vibrant,
dynamic and prosperous global commonwealth.
49. I have concentrated on the idea of the Global
Commonwealth of the 21st century which we all should
aspire to build. I said at the very beginning that there
are no grounds for idealism built on illusion. I most
sincerely believe that my idealism is not built on
illusion. All that I have advocated can be accomplished.
50. But to accomplish it, we would need a new Asia,
finding its proper place in the making of global history
and playing the sort of role it once played in the making
of human civilisation.
51. Some Western scholars have estimated that in 1820, 58
percent of the world's total output was produced by Asia.
(Incidentally, in 1800, China still had the highest per
capita income although it was shortly to be overtaken by
Britain). One hundred years later, by 1920, the whole of
Asia stretching from the Mediterranean to the Bering Sea
produced not 58 percent but only 27 percent of the world's
output. This fell to an abysmal 19 percent in 1940.
Since then, Asia's gross continental product has been
rising rapidly again. By the year 2000, in nominal US
dollar terms, the NAFTA regional economy, the EU and East
Asia will reach full parity, each contributing some 28
percent to the global economy. By 2020, it seems very
possible that East Asia alone will be as big as the EU and
north American NAFTA combined. The Asian Development
Bank, along with many others, expect that by the year
2025, Asia will produce not quite 58 percent but a close
57 percent of total global output. We will thus see the
return of history, although it has taken more than two
hundred years for Asia to economically come full circle.
52. Even when Asia is producing 60 percent of the wealth
of the world, Asians will continue to be poor. But the
economic centre of gravity will have shifted. With it
must move the political centre of gravity. I hope that
the civilisational centre of gravity will also have
shifted.
53. Asia will need to face the challenge of leadership, a
most difficult challenge when it is recognised that unlike
Europe and even the Americas, our diversity is unmatched
and our ability to act cohesively and in solidarity will
be limited. We can contribute best by joining hands among
ourselves and joining hands with Europe, with North
America, with Africa, with every other part of the world.
54. I have come to Europe before to ask for the hand of
cooperation and to urge that Asia and Europe work
together. I am here in Europe once again to call for
cooperation and for working together.
55. In the days ahead, we must expect Asia to seek
greater Asian self determination. Asia cannot be denied
the right to organise, the right to work together, the
right to seek solidarity and to build unity. It cannot be
expected to accept dictation without demur and "advice",
the way advice was given in the old days, without a
murmur.
56. Asia cannot be expected to continue to be the objects
rather than the subjects of history, the victim or
beneficiary of decisions made elsewhere. Asia cannot be
expected to be a bystander, standing on the banks of the
fast-flowing rivers of change. Asia must be expected to
be in the thick of it.
57. Without the framework of civility and civilisation,
can Asia be trusted to behave well and in the most
civilised manner, without arrogance and with full wisdom?
I believe not. No more than could Europe or the United
States in days now past.
58. This is why it is essential to ensure a Global
Commonwealth that is much more democratic, that is much
more egalitarian, where leadership will come from every
point of the compass. This is why it is important to
ensure a global order better than anything we have seen in
the past.
59. We are only 26 months away from the 21st century.
There is little time to lose.
|
|