Tun Razak: Imagining Malaysia's future through his lenses

Address by Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah at the book launch titled Tun Razak: Imagining Malaysia's future through his lenses

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Like many Malaysians I am an admirer of Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Malaysia’s second prime minister. His boldness and vision as a leader were matched only by his integrity, work ethic, and modesty. I very much welcome, therefore, the approach adopted by this book, which takes Tun Razak as its source of inspiration to help us navigate our current challenging times. It is both a fitting legacy to our Bapa Pembangunan – our Father of Development – as well as being highly constructive. For in order to move forward effectively, we must first understand well the lessons of our past.

2. We live in particularly turbulent times. Our present era is marked by acute political, economic, and environmental uncertainties, with geopolitical tensions in some places erupting into outright war. This combination of complex threats that we face globally has been called a ‘poly-crisis’. One important achievement of this book is to remind us that we have faced such difficult and unstable times before as a country and as a global community. And that with the right leadership, we have been able to manage these challenges effectively.

3. Indeed, perhaps the greatest challenge that Tun Razak faced was to heal a young country badly shaken by the riots of May 1969, and to prevent further violence. He achieved this in part by taking strong and decisive steps, but also through democratic means, to which he was strongly committed.

4. Abraham Lincoln is reputed to have said: ‘nearly all men can stand adversity; but if you (really) want to test a man’s character, give him power.’ Tun Razak was given power – absolute power – when he was appointed Director of the National Operations Council (NOC) set up in the aftermath of the riots. But his worldview and values were built upon unwavering ethical principles, with democracy at their very core. He believed that if power was not quickly restored to the people through Parliament, the struggles for independence and against communism would have been in vain.

5. So, a few months after his appointment, he established a National Consultative Council, made up of representatives of all stakeholders, drawn from all of Malaysia’s communities. And just five months after he became prime minister, he reconvened Parliament, the ultimate bastion of democracy. Thus, while it was his capable leadership that steered us effectively through those difficult times, this was at all times underpinned by his commitment to the rule of law and democratic principles.

6. Again and again, he proved himself to be the best kind of leader, the kind that calls for their power to be scrutinized and checked, while at the same time using that power to the very best of ends. Whereas some leaders are reluctant to encourage the advance of promising potential rivals, Tun Razak was known for his ability to identify new, young talent, and his willingness to nurture it. He always prioritised what he felt was best for the country, and so welcomed brilliant new additions to his administration with open arms. Many, of course, went on to contribute so much to our country, including Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Musa Hitam and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

7. This same commitment can be seen in his approach to the civil service. He only ever appointed qualified and competent administrators and technocrats. And he gave them the confidence to speak truth to those in power, and to be honest to their superiors without fear of reprisal. As he put it in one speech: ‘As civil servants, I hope you will stand up to us politicians, and not allow yourselves to be dominated by us. Because in a true democracy, the civil servants have a duty to perform. The future of our country’s democratic way of life is dependent on you.’ With such words he empowered them to act steadfastly in the nation’s interest, and not bow to unethical requests or unreasonable commands. Among the many distinguished public servants who flourished in such an environment were Raja Mohar, Taib Andak, Ghazali Shafie, Ismail Ali, Abdullah Salleh, Zain Azraai, Saw Huat Lye, Chong Hong Nyan, K. Pathmanaban, Raja Muhammad Alias, Tunku Shahriman, Rama Iyer, Arshad Ayub, and many others.

8. There is thus much to be gained from reviewing in detail just how Tun Razak was able to meet the challenges of his era, drawing on both his abilities as a visionary leader, as well as his unshakeable ethical convictions. The wisdom that we gain can then be fruitfully applied to our own times, just as this book intends. Its core premise is two-fold: to ask what we can learn from Tun Razak’s approach; and to consider how we can emulate his spirit and follow his lead, as we navigate our own ‘interesting’ times. As a student of history, I am of course a strong advocate of revisiting our past to learn its lessons especially when we are guided by the choices and actions of such an outstanding historical figure as Tun Razak.

9. One crucial lesson that emerges clearly from the book is the importance of taking a long-term approach to development. Tun Razak dedicated his entire life to public service. From the moment he first took up public office in the 1950s until his untimely death in 1976, he worked tirelessly on what one might call the nuts and bolts of our development. From FELCRA and FELDA, to MARA and RISDA, he painstakingly put into place the building blocks of our subsequent development path. These efforts laid the groundwork for what he then accomplished during his short premiership, which together form his lasting and invaluable legacy.

10. The decade he spent as Minister for Rural Development meant that both he and the country were well-placed to further intensify efforts to reduce rural poverty following the crisis of 1969. As Education Minister, he produced the Razak Report which formed the basis of our education system. He later oversaw the establishment of MARA, which championed economic empowerment through education and entrepreneurship. These were major steps forward in this vital sector, and again laid solid foundations for the continued focus on education after he became prime minister.

11. Once he assumed the country’s leadership, during those turbulent and difficult times, his redoubled efforts built upon the groundwork that had already been laid. One of his most significant acts as Director of the NOC was the promulgation of the Rukun Negara Malaysia’s statement of national unity, prosperity and justice to which we all still aspire. This was followed by the New Economic Policy, the programme for which he is perhaps best remembered. It was the kind of visionary action necessary to respond to a deep-seated national crisis.

12. These policies enabled the country to move forward with renewed confidence and helped to promote the strong economic progress we enjoyed throughout the 1970s and beyond. Tun Razak view of development was all encompassing. He believed the focus should be not only on material gains, but also, and I quote from his words in 1963: ‘...on the human, cultural, and religious aspects of our lives, so that we can build up a Malaysia which is not only economically stable, but which is also a nation of people who are happy within themselves, self-reliant, and secure within their own sincerity of purpose.’ This was a belief that Tun Razak put into practice repeatedly in his earlier comprehensive approach to rural development and to education, as well as in the policies he helped to introduce as prime minister.

13. And so, almost ironically, one of the key insights from looking back at Tun Razak’s life as a dedicated public servant concerns the importance of thinking ahead - of acting not only for the present, but for the years and decades to come.

14. This book’s fourteen rich chapters illuminate some of the key policy choices and dilemmas that we face, both in the current period of flux, and as we move forward into a future full of uncertainty. I think it is fair to speculate that Tun Razak would have been happy with its approach of considering just how we can keep on making progress on the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the development process. He would have wanted his legacy to be not only a catalogue of his considerable achievements, but a commitment by us to keep pursuing the unfinished business of our country’s progress. And in every chapter, ‘Imagining Malaysia’s Future’ seeks to contribute to creating a brighter future for our nation.

15. The book offers insights across a wide range of areas, from agronomy to education. It highlights the need to leverage current technological advances including AI, and to strengthen our universities. It calls for an expansion of technical and vocational training, with appropriate skills-training to ensure our human capital is ‘future-ready’ - something that cannot be emphasised enough. It promotes ‘agropreneurship’, to find new and innovative solutions to the challenge of food security. And it argues that Malaysia can play an important role on the regional and international stage, especially given the current heightened geopolitical tensions. The book has, in short, a grand and ambitious vision for Malaysia, but it also provides guidance for the detailed, practical action needed to realize this – the mixture of hard work and innovation needed to achieve it. That, truly, is the spirit of Tun Razak.

16. One phrase that particularly stood out for me was the book’s call for a “spirit of continuous appraisal and recalibration” in our ongoing development journey. This echoes Tun Razak’s recognition that creating a united Malaysia would require “adjustments and readjustments,” reminding us that, however bold and however brilliant, a grand plan is just that – a plan. We must continually review and assess its implementation, adapting and revising as we go, and be able to make the necessary mid-term corrections in order to adapt to changing circumstances.

17. Whether in the sphere of good governance and transparency, in relation to the economy, or the environment, we must not wait for a crisis before taking bold and positive action. Instead, we must be constantly working to develop the environmental regulations, the educational innovations and the technology guardrails, that are necessary to prepare us better for the challenges of the future.

18. Tun Razak is also remembered as a peace-maker, who promoted reconciliation at the domestic, regional, and international level. He built bridges among our various communities at home, in our bilateral relations, and through regional initiatives. Indeed, this year marks the 50th anniversary of one of his most significant legacies, the opening of diplomatic relations with China, the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. As part of his vision for a peaceful and prosperous global future, he advocated for the region’s neutrality, through the establishment of a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality.

19. But good leadership is not just about vision or even vision turned into action. There are also vital moral qualities that the greatest leaders possess, and Tun Razak demonstrated these in abundance. He was utterly dedicated to integrity and honesty in public life, and shunned all manner of corruption. He would not allow even a sen of government funds to be used for his personal needs. Indeed, he is famously remembered for calling out his officers who had mistakenly charged a tube of toothpaste to the government tab while on an official trip abroad!

20. The book’s approach of learning from the various ways Tun Razak met the challenges of his era thus provides much useful insight into how to proceed today, in similarly difficult and complex circumstances. Such a wide-ranging publication, which contains a wealth of analysis on so many key issues, is indeed a very helpful contribution to current debates on how best to meet the daunting challenges of our own age. Perceptive and well-informed discussion of our policy options and dilemmas has perhaps never been as necessary as it is today. So bringing some of our nation’s best minds to bear on these issues is welcome indeed.

21. I would like to congratulate the editors, Rajah Rasiah, Kamal Salih, Hafriza Burhanudeen, and Mohamed Tawfik Tun Dr Ismail, and all the chapter authors, on their achievement in creating this volume. It is my hope that the ideals and achievements of that extraordinary man Tun Razak now commemorated in this book will serve to inspire us all. It now gives me great pleasure to officially launch Tun Razak: Imagining Malaysia’s Future Through His Lenses.