This brings me to my final point - the challenge posed by the growth of authoritarian, populist nationalism. While it has manifested itself most potently in the West, the fact is that it is not a phenomenon exclusive to any part of the world. Discontent over the failure of globalization to also bring about equity and social engagement is being felt worldwide. The irony here is that Asia— which was once on the receiving end of lectures on the importance of globalization—may very well end up as its standard-bearer.
The East has certainly benefited from a more open and interconnected world. But then again, if we fail to ensure that it benefits everyone, the political turmoil that is stalking Europe and America could very well visit our shores. There is nothing wrong at all with wanting to put our country or citizens “first”. The problem is when such sentiments are accompanied by religious and ethnic chauvinism, or even outright hostility or xenophobia to international cooperation. The seemingly unending plight of the Rohingya people of Myanmar—while Malaysia has raised repeatedly—is a case in point.
Stable societies, a stable world for that matter, can only be built by common understanding, acceptance as well as give-and-take. This cannot come about if we see nation-building and managing the world’s affairs as a zero-sum game - if we regard every concession a sign of weakness, or if we let our personal insecurities dictate policy, allowing the weakening of multilateral institutions or processes, whether it be ASEAN, the European Union, NATO or the United Nations in the name of national interest, will be disastrous for everyone. Dealing with this multi-faceted struggle that we now find ourselves locked in, between nationalism and globalization, between populism and technocracy, between the closing of hearts and minds and pluralism, these New Challenges For Crisis Management could very well be the cause of our lifetimes.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
So how are we to deal with these challenges? 2016 has left many people with a rather bitter taste. And the new problems that I just outlined may seem overwhelming but we should not lose hope. We must never surrender to evil, we must never give up. Other countries with weaker leaderships would have given up. Many will disagree, but I believe humans by nature are essentially noble and inclined towards good. I believe this because I have lived this: in Malaysia’s darkest hour, during the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 and the shooting down of MH17. There were times when I felt like giving up, there were times I prayed that it would go away, but it was there every morning and I had to address it. As religion taught us, “God will never give you more than you can handle”. It was during this time of need that our friends from the region and beyond came to our aid without hesitation and
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