Page 2 of
2 Malaysia takes the rock out of
music By Ioannis Gatsiounis
public's cries for greater
government accountability and democracy, "The most
disgusting speech I have heard in my life."
Rafidah just so happened to be facing
numerous accusations of graft at the time, with
the head of the prosecution in the
attorney-general's chambers saying there was prima
facie basis for her arrest and prosecution on five
counts of corruption.
But authorities are
now tightening the noose at a time that was
predicted to see greater
tolerance and integrity among political leaders.
Current Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi took over
from the long-ruling Mahathir in 2003 preaching
Islam Hadhari, or Civilizational Islam,
which stresses moderation, creativity and
technological mastery. Its 10 main principles
include a just and trustworthy government and a
free and independent people.
Instead the
nation's endemic corruption has gone largely
unchecked, while top officials tenaciously defend
the status quo and browbeat the public into
subservience. After a secretly recorded video clip
surfaced last month of V K Lingam, a prominent
lawyer, allegedly brokering judicial appointments
with Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Halim, the
minister in the prime minister's department, Nazri
Aziz, said the identity of the whistleblower must
be revealed in order to determine the authenticity
of the clip, popularly known as the "Lingam tape".
Nazri's consolation to the whistleblower
was that the government could offer him or her
plastic surgery. He later said he would he would
push for a Whistleblowers Protection Act to be
tabled in parliament. Some are perplexed as to why
a prime minister vowing to stamp out corruption
without fear or favor didn't make that among his
first priorities of business, and why the
anti-corruption agency remains under the
jurisdiction of the prime minister's office.
Others wonder how the creative revolution
the government is looking to kick-start to lead
Malaysia into the 21st century can take off with
such severe limits to artistic expression. It's
perhaps no coincidence that Malaysia's music and
arts scene lags behind those in neighboring
Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. A number
of Indonesian bands, for instance, have
significant fan bases in Malaysia, while
Indonesian media "throw our promotional CDs out",
a top Malaysian artist recently told this
correspondent.
Image at stake To
be sure, Abdullah's soft, accommodating demeanor
cuts a sharp contrast with the surly vicissitudes
of his predecessor. And he possesses a handy
political tool in Islam Hadhari, which puts
a good face on Malaysia's situation when Abdullah
convenes with dignitaries abroad. Despite this,
the Abdullah era has been riddled with
controversies, some involving Abdullah's own
family members.
Low points of the last
year include a by-election in the small town of
Ijok, in which Abdullah's government spent some
RM100 million to narrowly defeat the opposition
Justice Party; a landmark court decision in which
a woman was not allowed to renounce Islam and
declare herself with a religion of her own
choosing; a case where members of Abdullah's
United Malays National Organization (UMNO) used
the party's annual assembly to threaten Malaysia's
minority communities; UMNO officials' intimidation
of bloggers for exposing government malpractice; a
senior police official and the director general of
the anti-corruption agency faced allegations of
accepting bribes; a political analyst and security
guards with close links to Najib stood trial for
murder; and, of course, the damning revelations of
the Lingam tape.
These occurrences have
begun to curtail confidence in Abdullah and UMNO
domestically. Some 1,000 lawyers marched to the
prime minister's office in protest after Abdullah
said there was no need to set up a commission of
inquiry to handle the Lingam scandal. The last
time Malaysian lawyers marched was in the late
1990s and the only other time on record was in the
1970s.
Some of these developments are also
taking a toll on Malaysia's international
reputation. And the government's crackdown on
international artists certainly won't stem the
tide. "[Beyonce's cancellation] is an opportunity
lost for the Malaysian public and for Malaysia's
name," said Razlan. "Bringing in these artists is
the most direct way to promote Malaysia. They just
can't see this is a small issue when it comes to
dressing." He added: "They are losing out on the
bigger picture - especially Malaysia's name."
Razlan said international agents "very
familiar with the region can't be bothered to
offer Malaysia because of the potential problems
they foresee." He said Western music acts Cold
Play, Christina Aguilera, Eric Clapton and the Red
Hot Chili Peppers had all recently bypassed
Malaysia in favor of Singapore.
Like
Malaysia, Singapore has garnered a reputation for
strictness. But authorities there have lightened
up in recent years, going as far as to even allow
bar top dancing. Officials in the neighboring city
state seem to be coming around to the idea that,
at least in entertainment venues, though not the
political arena, respect for freedom of expression
is good for business.
Mohamad Daud of
PUSPAL, a subsidiary under the ministry of
culture, arts and heritage responsible for issuing
permits and enforcing compliance with the
guidelines, said that playing host to
international performers was good for Malaysia but
that the most important thing is that they comply
with government rules and regulations. "We are not
worried about the question of what it will do to
our reputation."
The Malaysian government
certainly cannot be accused of selling out; rather
it's chosen to risk negative publicity to prevent
the risk of moral decay. And somewhere that's
bound to win over some hearts.
Ioannis Gatsiounis, a New York
native, is a Kuala Lumpur-based writer.
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