Yesterday, Universiti Malaya hosted a book lecture and discussion of Barry Wain’s new book** Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times. The panel of discussants featured Prof. Edmund Terence Gomez, an economist, Prof. Wan Zawawi Ibrahim, an anthropologist, and Dr. Ong Kian Ming, a newly-minted political scientist (also, sadly a Dukie). A special shout-out goes to Ainis for organizing logistics for the event!
Dr. Wain, a former editor of The Asian Wall Street Journal, is a tall, spare man whose lankiness seems perfectly suited to an easy-going charm that, when speaking from a lecturn, skirts the edge of diffidence. I imagine in interviews Dr. Wain’s amiability could put almost any subject at ease. By the end of his lecture he certainly had the crowd charmed – despite their conviction that he knew more than he was letting on! (Prof. Gomez called him on this last one – to raucous effect)
In his lecture, Mr. Wain highlighted some of the new discoveries uncovered as a result of his research – including a shocking secret security arrangement between Mahathir and the United States signed in 1984 when Mahathir was busy rounding the international circuit as the Southeast Asian leader highly critical of the US. He also spoke briefly on Mahathir’s ability to compartmentalize his personal relationships and his politics, partially explaining Mahathir’s ability to politically break with past associates like former Deputy Prime Minister Musa Hitam while remaining friends.
Mr. Wain’s conclusion about Mahathir’s ultimate legacy – the intensification of a money politics that has strangled Malaysia’s near-term economic prospects through an overly intrusive bureaucracy and rampant corruption – perfectly mirrors the pessimistic outlook shared by many of the academics and activists with whom I have talked. His general sentiments seemed to be shared by all of the discussants.
I can only hope that Mr. Wain’s near-term pessimism about Malaysia’s prospects proves misplaced. In the meantime, I’m still trying to get a copy of his book! Kinokuniya claimed to have it “in stock” but not shelved. A trip to Pavilion’s Times bookstore or Borders may be necessary. If only I had acted faster I could have purchased a book at the lecture.
**Really just new to Malaysia. Mr. Wain’s book was released several months ago in Singapore and internationally, only to be held pending review in Port Klang. Mahathir, himself, called for authorities to release the book, despite vocally disagreeing with the work.
