Malaysia - Mahathir politics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Malaysia - Mahathir politics - Research Paper ExampleThese policies give birth created heated debates in the country and recently Prime Minister Najib Razak did appear to be taking a U-turn by introducing New Economic Model to ensure development across all regions, races, and sectors of the economy (Hooker & Othman, pp. 47-48, 2003). onward coming in power as the Prime Minister of the country, Mahathir Mohammad took a bold stance by writing the book titled The Malay plight. He believed that the Malay Dilemma is the fact that some different ethnic groups and communities have ruled the country, learned the language of the native people, took over the resources and business of their ancestors, and use them for their own good throughout the Malaysian History. He believed that the Malays had become strangers and salves in their own land. They have the biggest brand in the country and the growing discontent amongst these people was the main cause of the racial riots in the country. T he plight is that the Malays are forced to accept the systematic steps taken by the government to give them painting in the economy and according to Mahathir they should accept it to move forward in order to create an integ localized, peaceful, and ethnically diverse Malaysian society (Cheah, pp. 301-302, 2002). During his era, Mahathir placed immense importance on Islam and Islamic principles during his regime in the country. Mahathir believed that Islam strongly stresses on equality and social justice in all lifestyles and the inability of the people to stick those and principles and the inability of the government to implement the same has remained the major cause behind the amplification of Malay Dilemma (Hunter, pp. 264-268). Mahathir gets the credit for the economic progress and development that he brought to the country, which started in the year 1990 when the previous economic insurance policy expired. Mahathirs National Development Policy was aimed at increasing the sh are of Malays in the national income to 30 percent, reducing poverty in the country, attracting foreign investment through liberalization and free market economy, alter the infrastructure in the country and others. Until 1997, the Malaysian economy grew at an annual average growth rate of 9 percent. However, the 1998 Asian financial crisis did happen to put the brakes on countrys economic growth (Khoo, 74-75, 2003). In his early years of power, Mahathir has realized that the Dakwah movement is a strong force and in order to ensure his power, he will have to focus on the same as well. Therefore, low Mahathirs administration, the government placed great importance on Islam and with the help of Anwar Ibrahim, the finance minister of Malaysia then, a process of Islamization started in the country with government adopting a look east rather than look west policy. In addition, this resulted in increased media coverage for Islam and Islamic issues, increasing funds for Islamic religious organizations, institution Islamic banks and Islamic insurance companies, including Islamic teachings and principles in the school curriculum and others (Mohamad, pp. 20-21, 2010 Peletz, pp. 55, 2002). As a Muslim, Mahathir held this tone that Islam is different from other religions and it is a complete code of life. Therefore, Islam should have its due interference in the matters of raise as well. When Mahathir came into power, there was increasing wave of Islamism amongst the Malays who were becoming more religious and more conservative. Since they represented the biggest clump of Mahathir