Distinguished Guest Lectures
7/9/2004
Press Release
Office of the Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Former prime minister of Malaysia , Dr Mahathir Mohamed, who gave two lectures this week at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina said that the abilities of people to produce in developing societies are probably the same, but differences of culture and the value system affect their ability to deliver the right kind of work with the same quality of products. Speaking on 5 and 6 September at the Library of Alexandria to a large audience, including a host of present and former Egyptian officials, university professors, professionals and media representatives; Mahathir gave a powerful presentation of his views on the themes of Human resources Development and Cultural Integration, the two respective titles of the lectures delivered as part of the BA Distinguished Guest Lectures program.
Following welcoming speeches by the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education, Dr Amr Salama, the President of the University of Alexandria, Dr Mohamed Abdella and Mr. Yassir Seif, chairman of the Salah Taher Society -- co-hosts of the event -- Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria, introduced the first lecture, stating that Mahathir's "achievements were of a lasting variety; he was a nation-builder and not just an excellent, charismatic administrator." Serageldin recalled how Mahathir surprised the world and all of the people of Malaysia by stepping down and passing on the baton to his chosen colleagues. "The smooth transition speaks volumes about his enormous achievements and his abilities," Serageldin said , emphasizing that Malaysia 's former prime minister did not only transform Malaysia "but also transformed the terms of the discourse on international economic relations."
In his lecture on Human Resources Development, Mahathir explained how Malaysia turned from a poor, rice-cultivating country into one of the most competitive industrial giants in Asia . He said that in Malaysia his government struck a balance between its role as a watchdog over the private sector without choking the free market economy. He added that Malaysia did not adhere to any rigid ideology, whether communists or capitalist, but followed management and production styles appropriate to enhancing his countries capabilities. "A nation like Malaysia wishing to switch from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy," he noted "faces many social challenges to accommodate the needs of an industrialized environment." He contrasted the work ethics of a rural society with the operation of a highly industrialized urban community, adding that the switch from one to the other "required a change in the mind-set of the people as a whole."
A lively discussion followed, in which Mahathir answered dozens of questions ranging from the role of Muslim women in Malaysian society to the timing of his stepping down from office. On women, he said they represented 50 per cent of the society and that they are employed in all professions including the armed forces. If they were to be confined to their homes the society would lose half of its working force. He explained that there was no conflict between the tenets of Islam and the work of women. He also spoke of the value of education particularly in the disciplines of science, mathematics and the English language. He also spoke of the spirit of religious and cultural tolerance that multi-ethnic Malaysia had developed.
"We feel we should not be sectarian. If we have differences, let's learn to tolerate them and focus really on what is common between us." Top of Page
Mahathir's second lecture on Cultural Integration was equally well attended, with Abdella, chairing the discussion panel, and Dr Osama El-Baz, President Mubarak's Chief Political Advisor, among the panelists. Emphasizing the theme of cultural integration Mahathir explained that “Today people are more mobile and borders are crossed easily.” Hence, he explained “Single ethnic countries are more difficult to sustain… Unless there is greater understanding and tolerance of the numerous differences between people, differences in color, religion, language and culture, conflicts are bound to occur.” In pointing out the necessity and possibility of harmonious existence among different ethnic groups, Mahathir related his country's experience of coexistence between the indigenous Malays and the descendants of Chinese immigrants. “The Malays decided that they should share political power with the Chinese, Indians and other non-Malay indigenous people… Thus the official language is Malay but the other languages can be preserved and used as teaching media in schools. Islam is the official religion of the country but other religions may be professed without any hindrance. The cultures of the different races are preserved but some elements of the non-Malay cultures have become a part of the national culture,” he explained
Mahathir also spoke of cultural integration as a transnational theme, pointing out that “cultural integration is not just a national problem. It is also an international problem.” He deplored in very vehement terms what he saw as a rising moral depravity in the predominant western culture of today, with its emphasis on hedonism and materialism and the loss of respect for traditional religious values and the sanctity of marriage as the basis for founding the nuclear family. But he added that “Many countries are facing and will face the problem of peoples of differing cultures living together. There will be problems in the handling of cultural integration. Where the dominant culture is that of the vast majority, the best solution would be to adopt the dominant culture. But of late we are seeing some resistance on the part of the minorities and this must be handled with tolerance and understanding."
Commenting on the second lecture, El-Baz described Malaysia 's former prime minister as “One of the most influential characters in contemporary times,” saying that Mahathir's influence is not just economic or national, and that his experiment and achievements in his own country and throughout the world cannot be ignored.. Elbaz emphasized that Egypt believed in peace internally and externally and that tolerance and dialogue were essential qualities of civilized discourse.
Commenting on the same lecture, Serageldin said that “The evolution of cultures is not static and that cultures evolve in interaction and by opening the self up to the different 'others',” adding further that cultures change over space (such as rural and urban societies in the same country) and over time, where things once considered unthinkable can become acceptable. He cited the example of the Sistine Chapel in Rome . “Michelangelo's magnificent ceiling and the nudes there, are considered today among the most remarkable achievements of the human intellect. They are certainly among the most inspiring works of art, and yet in the sixteenth century they were considered pornographic, and there was an enormous attack against Michelangelo's work, even to the point where remedial measures were taken against it.”
Serageldin also stressed the necessity of freedom of expression within a frame of universal boundaries not to transgress on the basic rights of others. “What gives us the ability to change is the protection of the different and the new. Indeed the protection of freedom of speech is not required except for obnoxious speech, because the acceptable normally does not require protection, since it is widely accepted. It is the contrarian view that requires protection. We must remember that many of the established political rights now, were once upon a time considered radical, even seditious, justifying repression in order not to undermine society's foundations. Such notions as the abolition of slavery, the independence of the colonies, elected leaders, universal suffrage, the rule of law, women's rights; were at one time or another considered seditious, requiring suppression…" he said.
Again dozens of questions were addressed to Mahathir on themes such as the possibility of a meaningful East-West dialogue, and whether or not Eastern civilization should insulate itself from Western civilization in this phase of Western domination and hegemony. In response, Mahathir emphasized the importance of tolerating other views and cultures, while preserving one's own identity. He said that dialogue among civilizations and cultures is always possible and that “in any country there will be rational people, and they are the ones you should concentrate on.” Answering a question about the morality of Western cultures, Mahathir said that Eastern cultures have the chance to ‘pick and choose the good values and discard the rest.” When asked about his worries about the rapid development of the neighboring Chinese economy, he answered that although China is fast becoming the ‘world factory ', “we [the Malaysians] can always find things to do, for as China becomes richer, we also become rich.”
Asked about the importance of the event, Serageldin said "The Malaysian experience is important because the people of Malaysia succeeded in promoting education and the role of women and achieved remarkable technological and scientific progress in a very short time, while maintaining their distinctly Malaysian identity with its Islamic dimension.
Thus the lecture on 'The development of Human Resources' was essential for us a time when we in Egypt generally, and in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina specifically, are seeking to address the issues of reform in our education and training systems."
As for the second lecture, Serageldin said "While we are aware that some of Dr. Mahathir's views are controversial, the Alexandria Library cannot intervene in the views of its guest speakers, whether or not we agree with them; such intervention would undermine the library's credibility as a forum of free expression. We do, however, believe that Mahathir's emphasis on different communities learning to live together in harmony is relevant and important to an Arab World where ethnic and religious fissures can be seen and felt from Sudan to Somalia to Iraq . His call for the majority to be tolerant of the minority's rights to manifest their culture is also essential. What is particularly telling is that in Malaysia , there were none of the ethnic conflicts that erupted in Indonesia against the Chinese minority at the time of the economic crisis of the late 1990s," Serageldin said
First Lecture: Human Resources Development (Full Text)
Second Lecture: Cultural Integration (Full Text)
Other Lectures
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