By Prof P Ramasamy
THERE is much talk about whether Malaysia is failed state. Let us put things into proper perspective.
In my view, it is the simultaneous failure of both the Government and State that is most worrisome. It does not mean when the Government fails, the State fails too.
The Government and State are two entities, related but different. It is about their interrelationship.
Governments may come and go, but State and its manifold institutions are considered permanent features of a nation.
Government can be changed by an electoral process periodically, or can be replaced if a Government cannot perform its duties or loses its majority.
However, in authoritarian nations, the interrelationship is much more fudged. So, the failure of a Government is not necessarily the failure of the state.
However, it is serious and tragic if both entities fail simultaneously. Such failure is possible under extreme circumstances.
A Government’s failure is not as serious as State failure, but when both fail or show signs of failing, then the situation warrants immediate attention.
Having said that, so is Malaysia a failed state?
Answering this question means, among other things, clarifying what is our understanding of the State.
The State refers to institutions, agencies and departments that have come into existence to administer the country and its population, implementing Government policies.
Unless something catastrophic happens, the institutions of the state are considered as permanent features of a country.
A Government consists of various functionaries, either elected or appointed, to organise the administration of the country through the promulgation of laws and policies.
So, there is confusion when it comes to addressing the question of State failure. In many instances, Government failure is described as State failure or vice-versa.
There is little or no distinction is made to analytically separate the two entities. Government and State are considered to be one. Not necessarily true!
When both Gov’t and State collapse
The problem in Malaysia is not that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Government is not failing, but there is fear it might pull along the State as well.
One Government can replace the Government that has failed. But when the State collapses, then the system itself is called into question.
However, the conditions of the pandemic had somewhat blurred the distinction between the two entities in Malaysia, at least from an empirical perspective.
The pandemic response has been a complete disaster. It has exposed and laid bare the mediocrity of the Government in power.
The sheer inability to translate policies into action through the State agencies has revealed the hopelessness of the situation.
The State institutions – ministries, departments, institutions and others – charged with policy implementation are struggling with the containment of COVID-19.
The Government has failed to provide the much-needed direction for the functioning of the State.
Cases of COVID-19 are surging daily causing the breakdown of the health system. The Government failed to anticipate the ferocity of the pandemic.
Initial lacklustre attitude on the part of the Government in controlling the spread of the pandemic affected the role of the State.
Government leaders, particularly the ministers, were unable to give clear directions to the proper functioning of the State.
The economy is in a difficult situation. Large sections of workers are without employment, leading to loss of income.
Investments had declined considerably compared with other Asean countries. In short, investors are not confident with the Governmental leadership.
The toxicity of race and religion even under the conditions of the pandemic has not enthralled Malaysia to potential investors.
Hundreds and thousands of workers especially in the B40 category have been affected by plant closures under the movement control order.
For the first time in the history of the country, ordinary people are so desperate for basic assistance that they were driven to raise white flags.
The white flag episode is a serious blight on the country. From a broader symbolic sense, it represents both the failure of the Government and State.
If both are not capable of taking care of the basic needs of the people, then what are we to say about the Government in power?
Is it failing or failed?
Malaysia might have punched above its weight before, but today under duress of the pandemic, it cannot even punch below its weight.
The pandemic is a global phenomenon. However, some countries have passed the critical stage by ramping up the vaccination process. Unfortunately, Malaysia has been left behind.
Educational institutions – universities, colleges and schools – have stopped functioning in the conventional sense.
It is through the online applications that students are being engaged, although its effectivity needs to be examined.
Pandemic cannot be contained by making empty and contradictory promises. To avoid failure, there is one critical thing that needs to be done.
The vaccination process needed to be ramped up. To date, we have only vaccinated about 9% of the population.
It would be a long shot to attain herd immunity with 80% of the population vaccinated by October this year.
Given this, it is better to brace for an endemic situation, rather than the attainment of herd immunity.
Anyway, herd immunity does not mean the absence of an endemic. Containing the pandemic is not an option through the vaccination process. It is a must, though PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang claims COVID-19 is God’s test on mankind.
But failure might be on the card if the Government continues to mismanage the administration of the country. Without good governance, the situation might be dangerous to the very survival of the State.
Under normal circumstances, there is some degree of relative autonomy between the Government and the State, healthy for both actually.
However, the unprecedented pandemic had removed the relative autonomy to the point where there is real possibility of both collapsing together.
Thus, it would be more appropriate to speak of the possible failure of both the Government and the State. It is the simultaneous failure that is most worrisome.
Race and religion, the twin pillars of our Malay only Government, have paled in significance to provide an intellectual way out of the present imbroglio.
This could not be a better time to seriously examine and analyse the deleterious effects of these twin organising principles of Malaysian politics – race and religion. – July 11, 2021.
Prof P Ramasamy is the DAP Penang deputy chief minister.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Photo credit: Malay Mail
