Back to issues of dunya.
1. I need to place my unconditional support towards reinforcing the “real” productive economy, rooted in engineering, sciences and technology.
2. I need to also understand that it cannot happen without the understanding of the financial and capital impact and movements to the underlying economy, and that the financial markets can only be efficient by undergoing a rigorous structural change to align with human values and reduce the impact and effects of unbridled greed. The dimunition of gambling in complexity of speculative financial products, driven by materialism which feeds “growth” outlook is an absolute necessity – and hence an unconditional support for the asset-based transactions of Islamic finance.
3. This understanding should also lead to the view that while a viable alternative, it has not met its platform on par with conventional finances which utterly dominates the landscape despite being an inferior, defective mechanism lubricating the international trade between nations and firms. The strategy forward to elevate Islamic finance to its rightful level should be formulated and cadres of proponents, respected and strong figures, cultivated and reinforced continually.
4. And, while advocating all of the above, what remains to be seen is whether we will have the right quantity of quality human capital to carry out the above. Malaysians are talented, listening to Idris Jala, Andrew Sheng and Danny Quah inter alia, people who have reached a certain level of confidence and competence to stand in front of an intenational audience and speak their minds and knowledge. But do we have the quality among the Malay-muslims?
5. What stands out is that Malay-muslims are few and far in between due to this notion of the need to have approval from their audience. Yes, there are people who have bucked this tendency – NGO leaders for instance have been fearless in voicing out the “third view”, Abu Urwah, Zaid Kamaruddin, SIS women leaders, watsisname of Just International, and by no means am I giving credence to the opinions of the latter two by equating them with the first two, but the mere fact that they state their ground in voicing their opinions make them a beacon in the dark icons for frankness and forthright opinion-sharing, if not outright opinion-making- yet the fact that their opinions get amplified if resonance is found with the ruling elite emphasizes my point of needing approval.
6. Others are more willing to stay in the background, let others take the limelight, have the opinion of who-are-we-to-say-anything.. misplaced humility every bit as damaging as misplaced arrogance.
7. To ensure a proper democratisation of voices, and to place meritocracy on the pedestal, and to make the malays more confident and more competitive instead of this internal bickering and shameful jostling for positions as evidenced in the ongoing UMNO elections, there is a need to put in place a system where crutches are removed.
8. The crutches have been a bane for the Malays. It is a right – as argued by certain quarters. Why should it be when it hinders us from progress, not as a support to aid our convalescence. It needs reform, a change in implementation – shouts others. Agree, but how can we dismantle a mechanism so intertwined with the system that unraveling it will be so vexative, so difficult and ultimately political suicide for those attempting it. The realists realize this, so those who are on firmer footing among the Malays will always find DSAI’s bold clarion call fitting.
9. Those from the opposite end will always regard this call as traitorous, and hence the increasing polarization of these two ends of implementation approaches towards the same objective – that of improving the lot of the malay-muslims.
10. The “third view” has to find its footing. The need to return to Islam’s emphasis on equality, and also on the meritocracy objectives. The need to ensure that Islam reigns supreme. The risk here is that this call is being hijacked by the Teresa Kok’s of
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