UNIVERSAL ETHICS IN A PLURAL SOCIETY

Address by Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Sidek Hassan
Chief Secretary to the Government

At the Thought Leadership Workshops by Muslim Council of Britain
6th World Islamic Economic Forum

Friday, 21st May 2010, 8.30am – 11.00am
ISTAC, Kuala Lumpur

Bismillahir rahmanir rahim

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh

His Excellency Sir Iqbal Sacranie
Head of Delegation for Muslim Council of Britain

His Excellency Boyd McCleary,
UK High Commissioner to Malaysia

Prof Dr Ibrahim Zein,
Dean of ISTAC

Emeritus Professor Dato Dr Osman Bakar,

Deputy CEO of International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies

Honourable delegates

Ladies and Gentlemen

A very good morning. Welcome to Malaysia. Malaysia is honoured to welcome the largest British, European and American delegates ever to the World Islamic Economic Forum this year. I understand you came at your own expenses and time too. I am pleased that the Delegation has chosen to host its own first post WIEF event in Kuala Lumpur this time.

2. Thank you indeed for inviting me to Officiate this Workshops. It is humbling, and a privilege for me. For those who have never been to Malaysia, I hope you will make time to visit the rest of the country during your stay. And for those who have, I can assure you, there is always something and somewhere new to visit.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

ARE WE SEIGED?

3. I spent 17 years abroad in Sydney Australia, Tokyo and Washington with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Having met and worked with people from various walks of life and industries, as well as Governments before my appointment as the Chief Secretary to the Government in 2006, I am persuaded that the fundamental principles of ethics in Islam is shared throughout communities and societies globally. It is shared because it is aligned with the universal principles of ethics.

4. Nations and communities are grappling to find answers to the many world conundrums today. From the demise of the once reigning global markets, to rising incomprehensible illness, to impenetrable world famine, the new day slavery to natural disasters; each, and I’d say each of these adversities have, in its own capacities, knocked on our own doors directly and/or indirectly with its consequences.

5. It is an understatement to even suggest that we live in a new kind of order, lest it is sometimes referred to a new kind of decree. The irony is we don’t necessarily know how we are decreed and ruled. A volcanic eruption in Iceland affects food production and delivery in Indonesia today. Market crash in Greece could send jitters to faraway lands like of Malaysia and Indonesia most of whom may not have even visited Greece. Talent movements from the USA to China directly affect competitiveness of places like Singapore and Switzerland.

6. The once held view of to yours is yours and to mine shall be mine, no longer holds today. Our borders are only defined by our sovereignty. The relevance of our economies is dictated by factors outside our sovereignties. Even as we are intertwined in our destinies, we are polarised as societies. We cling on to the familiar the more unfamiliar our surroundings become. We rush back to our roots, as our origins are redefined. We become seiged in our minds as we are seiged in our surroundings.

CRITICAL REASONING — Ijtihad

7. It is in these times of much riddle and indecipherable confusion that we make hay, we create our own opportunities for change. Change the way we have been doing business. Change the way we have been running trade. Change the way we think and view the world. Re-think ethics and how we each manifest this in our own private and public lives. Find common shared values to solve the problems in our common intertwined destinies.

8. But to change and reform, we must know our own surroundings and remodel to suit. Our own understanding of the world must increase through increase of knowledge, engagement, participation, integration with the world that surrounds us. Whether we are British Muslims, American Muslims, Malaysian Muslims, or African Muslims, we live in plural societies. In societies that may not necessarily share our own belief system. But we live in societies that share a conviction to the common goal to goodness. Societies that want to see a better tomorrow for the next generation – – their children and grandchildren. Our children and grandchildren.

9. The importance of critical reasoning – or ijtihad—in Islam, cannot be overemphasised, underscored for these times. We cannot be blindsided by silo agendas, and biased prejudices and short term views. These are the times when we need to seek better solutions by challenging status quo, by questioning the rules that has been. Times when we need to search for answers to protect life itself for the common good of all who make humanity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

PEACE

10. Islam is founded on, predicated upon and instituted on the simple yet often misconstrued acumen of PEACE. Peace with yourself, with your communities, and nature. If we cannot be at peace with ourselves, it is unlikely that we can with the people around us. We cannot give out that which we do not have. Only when we can be at peace with ourselves, first and foremost, can we forge peace with our neighbours, our communities and other nations. By peace I mean ensuring dignity, integrity, fairness, stability, equality, equitability, accountability and truth to prevail in the fabric of our society for the common good of all. We need to also be at peace with nature. Our race for riches as humanity has been at the expense of nature. Today we see the resultant effect from global warming to deep freezing to contaminated waters and air.

11. In an impatient world that is in haste for answers, and driven by fast changing external demands, one that is often out of our direct control, the proverbial question of doing the right thing at the right time emerges. The struggle nonetheless is – what constitutes the right thing? Is the right thing for the moment, the right decision that would endure the times?

12. These are questions faced by Governments and businesses across the globe. In such an instance every small action taken each day and everyday is cast back to a purpose we each choose for our journeys. It is these small actions and decisions that culminate to making our futures as individuals, societies, businesses and alas, nations. This world, I am often reminded is not inherited from our ancestors, but borrowed from our children. Our every action now will define the history we each leave behind for our next generation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

THE MALAYSIAN STORY

13. The history of Islam was once led by innovation, creativity and success. Today we are credited with being defensive, seiged in our thinking, and our societies are seen irrelevant to the rules of contemporary times — to the days of the 21st Century. Many a theory debated, and forums convened over the years to address this issue.

14. Malaysia has been very active in addressing issues within the Muslim communities globally. Our driving role in The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), to Islamic Development Bank (IDB), WIEF and the Halal and Islamic Finance agendas are but a few to name. We have often risen to any ideas and initiatives that will address predicaments in Muslim communities, without hesitation. But for us, the remit is beyond just the Muslim agenda globally. It is to ensure the plural society within which we live in is at peace with itself and nature. Our focus as a Government has always been in ensuring the common good is achieved for all those who make Malaysia, regardless of colour, creed, religion and gender. Why? Because they are the backbone of Malaysia.

15. In a country of over 27 million people, we are made of a Malay majority. The Indians, Chinese and other ethnic groups like Kadazan, Iban, Melanau make the rest of Malaysia. Islam is the official religion of the country based on our Federal Constitution. But we have the Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Bahais, Taois, freely practising their respective religions and belief system alongside the Muslims. As a country we recognise the religious festivals of all the main religions that make Malaysia, Malaysia today. You would have seen the many Churches, Hindu, Sikh and Buddist temples line our architecture alongside our Mosques. The fundamentals upon which this country was built post our Independence in 1957 are — there must be equality and equitability for all who claim a stake to this country. Public interest, i.e. Maslahah must always prevail or we cannot be at peace as a country.

16. We cannot operate on equality alone, for those who are left behind due to progress defined by the remits of the world, could potentially be the very segment who would derail that progress. We cannot afford an idle society where the young are jobless, because they make our future.

17. The policies of the Government at all levels of administration – be it at Federal or at the States, has been equitability in the face of equality. We work hard to eradicate poverty across communities. Provide education for all regardless of race, colour, creed and gender. Women have equal opportunities to men, again irrespective of race or creed. We are probably one of the few countries in the World that pride having women in key positions in the country. From our Central Bank, to Ministerial positions to corporate leaders and in our NGOs, they command these ranks because of one reason only — their capability. Nothing more, nothing less. The Malaysian Government is working to ensuring at least 30% of women participation in our workforce at all levels of our society.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

THE AGENDA FOR THE TIMES

18. Ultimately what counts in a plural society is public interest, interest of the common good. Our great minds, and great inventions and sciences, and for that matter great organisations and institutions will not bear relevance if they do not and cannot secure peace at every level of our society. This can only be achieved through inclusiveness. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said — Wisdom is the lost property of the Believer, so take wisdom wherever you find it, even from a disbeliever.

19. Whether a wisdom for making a better tomorrow comes from a Christian, or a Hindu, a Sikh or a Bahai is immaterial. If it aligns with the Islamic principles of ethics, we must all seek to use that wisdom to better our state, for our collective maslahah.

20. So the fundamental agenda of the times I would concede is no longer, where is the next growth, or what is the sage of innovation? It is no longer which nation’s coffers would enable sustainable competitiveness, or whose resources will define global command.

21. The agenda for the times are – what are the values with which we govern this world? The ethics with which we run businesses. The principles with which we design medical breakthroughs and scientific innovations. The shared virtues with which we build the next generation.

22. From the United Kingdom to the United States through to China and India – the once ruled doctrines no longer applies today. I’d say this is especially true in Malaysia. Malaysia only saw news through print and interactive media. All that changed in 2008. With a rising vociferous society, an energetic Parliament and vocal online media, we in the Public Sector of Malaysia are now simply told – business is no longer as usual. Change or be changed. All that may have once been sacrosanct to us as public officials is today open to change. From how and who we recruit into the public sector and how we communicate has been drastically defaced.

23. Today, the highest ranking officers in the Service need to make their contact details public so that they are accessible through email and phone. Complaints need to be responded within 48 hours. We engage all media – print and online alike. We need to clarify queries raised both through media and/or complaints bureaus. In short – nothing is sacrosanct to probe and questioning. It forces us, public officials, to re-look at how we do business and simplify the complicated, and do away with redundancies. Where public sector jobs was once seen safe, is not necessarily the case anymore in Malaysia.

24. For any country to stay relevant and competitive, the public sector needs to drive private sector. We see this in the most competitive nations globally today. We need to set higher standards of service delivery for private sector to benchmark. It can no longer be the reverse. Malaysia ranks 23rd of the 185 countries in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking for 2010 and we are 24th in the Competitiveness Ranking of World Economic Forum, both rankings announced last year. We are the 10th most Competitive country according to IMD’s Ranking released 2 days ago, on 19th May 2010. I hope the rankings by the World Bank as well as World Economic Forum to be announced this year will see further improvements. Although we are ahead of countries like China, Italy, New Zealand in our competitiveness, to us this is still not good enough. We have a lot more work to do in zeroing hardcore poverty by end of this year, increasing our 88% literacy rate to 100%, eradicating corruption both in public and private sectors, pulling in new kinds of talents and raising the standards of our home talents and creating new market opportunities through innovation. We need to raise our economic standards to high income model and no longer be trapped as a middle income nation.

MODERN MUSLIM NATION?

25. The Honourable Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak, continues to urge us to reform. Not small transformation, not incremental changes. But through big and bold changes. In short we can no longer live from hand to mouth. We must bring to the fore solutions to problems which we may not know of today. Create needs which may not be here today. Develop new kind of jobs and courses to prepare our communities for the world that will be, not the world that is.

26. In short, the entire vectors of our communications, investment and initiatives must synchronise towards fulfilling new standards, breaking new precincts and rolling in a continuum of vogues. We need trend setters in our communities to bring in 27th Century to today, in the 21st . Our actions must shape our future, or the future will shape us, we are repeatedly reminded.

27. Malaysia has been often referred to as the modern face of Islam. I am persuaded by the critiques to contrary — that Malaysia is the face of Islam. Our every policy and implementation, albeit local challenges, has focused on maslahah — the common good of every constituent that makes Malaysia, regardless of race, colour, creed and gender. Labelling one as Modern Islam infers that anything else seen and practised by our peers and previous generations is archaic and traditional.

28. Islam is a progressive religion. It is meant for all times. So the notion that one is modern or progressive as oppose to not should not even be an argument. In a plural society like Malaysia, all of us make Malaysia – no one is left out.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE COUNTRY

29. This Workshop surfaces a poignant message – – – that we do not always have to depend on Governments to claim our rights. I see highly talented young Muslims from various walks of lives from the West having taken their own initiatives to build bridges beyond the channels of Government links. These informal partnership between nations and societies, can spur moving relationships – in businesses and in creating new grounds of partnerships. At individual levels, the delegation could through your own personal experiences tell far and wide about us in Malaysia across the UK, Europe and USA. At a Professional level, I hope, we will build business partnerships between our countries, and at community levels we could transfer knowledge and expertise to enhancing our global community.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

30. I would like to commend the Muslim Council of Britain and International Institute Islamic Thought Leadership and Civilisation and Leadership again for converging such an impressive group of professionals, through its own initiatives. Neither a governmental order nor a decree had to be written for this to happen. It happened because as individuals and an Institution, you knew that “ it isn’t always about what your country can do for you and of claiming your rights”. It is equally about what we each give back to our countries and our communities. I hope the workshops today will conclude thought provoking and out of the box solutions. I trust this will be the first of many more of your visits as a delegation to Malaysia. I hope through this initiative we will see a natural link between KL- London and Washington.

31. Let me end with a Malay proverb which reads “Bawa resmi padi, makin berisi makin tunduk” which means “Follow the nature of the paddy, the more it possesses the more it will bow”. Success, stature and riches are fickle. We know not what God has in plan for us. But what we can do as individuals, communities and nations, is give the best we know, do the best we can with the opportunities and blessing presented to us based on a life of purpose. With our rising riches and possessions as individuals, communities and nations, we must always have the humility to know there is always something more to learn, something that we don’t know, and someone who needs our assistance. Humility must prevail even when we have the power and knowledge. For that is ultimately the fitrah (nature) for lasting success.

On that note I am pleased to officiate the opening of the Thought Leadership Workshop.

Thank you.
Wabillahittaufiq walhidayah Wassalamualaikum
warahmatullahi wabarakatuh