Moving Forward: Malays for the 21st Century

by Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad

The discourse on Malays in Malaysia is shifting in the 21st century. In this book, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the youngest elected representative in the 8 March, 2008 General Elections argues that Malays must move forward to survive and succeed in facing today’s challenges: the emerging new politics, forging a people’s economy, resolving the education question, the unravelling of the social fabric and the position of Islam in a multiracial society. While race will remain important as an identity, Moving Forward challenges the basis of the racial zero sum-game, as ultimately, the future of the Malays cannot be separated from that of Malaysians in general. “Malays need to wake up from the siege mentality of seeing everyone conspiring to keep them backwards. Similarly, the non-Malays need to stop seeing genuine moves to advance the national cause and national identity as insidious plots to destroy their cultural identities. It is attitudes like these that have constantly kept our people apart.”

Genres: Nonfiction

171 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Azmir Ismail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sebuah bacaan pemikiran karya oleh Nik Nazmi. Banyak idea beliau dalam cadangkan untuk memajukan orang Melayu dan Malaysia secara amnya. A good read.

[Aziz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moving Forward: Malays for the 21st Century tulisan YB Seri Setia ini sedikit sebanyak memberikan pembaca gambaran arah tuju politik pemimpin-pemimpin muda Malaysia yang cuba membebaskan diri dari wacana lama dalam mendepani cabaran masa depan Malaysia.

Buku ini ditujukan kepada orang melayu untuk berfikir dalam kerangka pemikiran baru mencakupi aspek sosio-ekonomi-politik,pendidikan, agama dan impian.

Seperti yang dikatakan pengarang, apa yang terkandung dalam tulisan beliau ialah harapan dan impian terhadap masyarakat Melayu Malaysia yang bagi beliau berada dalam keadaan 'stagnant' akibat kegagalan mengatasi dilema rekaan yang diwujudkan pemerintah sedia ada.Dalam upaya mengatasi masalah-masalah ini, beliau cuba menawarkan beberapa alternatif yang secara langsung kita lihat ialah alternatif-alternatif yang menjadi perjuangan parti yang diwakili beliau, contohnya penghapusan DEB, mewujudkan sistem meritokrasi sejati dalam bidang pendidikan, perbincangan antara agama yang lebih terbuka dan lain-lain.
Seperti yang dinyatakan, buku ini ialah tentang impian pengarang, maka tidak dapat tidak sesetengah pandangan atau idea penulis kelihatan terlalu ideal dan pada kala tertentu mengenyampingkan realiti dan persepsi semasa masyarakat Malaysia. Contohnya dalam bidang pendidikan dan agama.

Apapun, membaca buku ini merupakan pengalaman menarik menghayati impian seorang pemimpin muda Malaysia. Sama ada impian-impian beliau akan menjadi kenyataan adalah suatu perkara yang lain. Paling penting kita harus meraikan penyataan pemikiran orang-orang politik secara ilmiah begini. Harapan kita agar lebih banyak buku-buku buah tangan orang politik yang bukan sekadar bercerita tentang kelemahan orang lain tanpa menawarkan alternatif akan dapat kita baca, bukan saja dari kalangan oposisi tapi juga dari kalangan pemimpin-pemimpin muda parti pemerintah.

[ilham.mukhtar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apart from common medium to showcase his job in Setia Jaya constituency, (which is so expected by a politician); the book contains refreshing thought that sometimes at most, idealistic.

If we're to understand our generations thinking, this could as well be the top of the list. More books about this should be written by gen-y!

[Asyraf Sahar · Rating 5 out of 5]

He spoke as a Young Malay, and yet his thought is distinctively amazing. He talked about several discourses on Malay's issue for example NEP, Islam, Education. One thing that tickled me is the idea of Unified School. He was graduated from King's College, a well-known institution. Apart from tarbiyah literature, this concise book covers important ideas to counter people's issue out there.

[Ahmad Rifa'ie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't stopped nodding my head since the beginning of the book, agreeing with everything the author wrote. He touched on many issues that are crucial and sensitive, pertaining to the Malays mostly.