By Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah

An Arabic proverb cautions us that “wealth shows up like a turtle, and vanishes like a gazelle”. Growing and retaining wealth demand patient investment, which requires stable institutions and communities that are united in purpose.

Thus, Malaysia’s steady ascent to join the ranks of high-income countries with a well-diversified economy by the end of the decade cannot succeed if we don’t link arms with trusted and capable partner nations near and far. Connected to us by ancient maritime trade routes, the Middle East is home to several of Malaysia’s most dependable partners, including our friend of 50 years, the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to the Persian Gulf island nation sets the tone for the acceleration of Malaysia-Bahrain relations and, more broadly, Malaysia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) relations.

Building on the amicable ties between Malaysia and Bahrain and that of their respective monarchs, this visit was steered by two aims: multiplying economic opportunities and gains for Malaysians, and taking up the clarion call to strengthen global Muslim unity.

In his keynote address to more than 400 international scholars and thinkers in the opening session of the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference (IIDC), the PM made an impassioned plea for unity, grounded in the realities of today and proposed that Muslims concentrate on finding a commonality of purpose rather than a uniformity of policies.

In dealing with the realities of managing sectarianism within nation states, Anwar underscored the importance of flexibility and adaptability. Hence, while Malaysia chose to institutionally recognise Ahlussunnah wal Jama’ah because of the Muslim population’s almost unanimous acceptance of Sunni Islam for centuries, such an approach may not be the wisest policy direction for other Muslim nations whose communities have substantial sectarian variety built into their history.

Concurring with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Professor Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Prime Minister said that indeed there was no need to reinvent the wheel about the fundamental causes of Sunni-Shia disagreement, reiterating that the time for talk is way past. Scholars and intellectuals must transcend their pedantic positions and use their God-given resources and influence to bring about a plan of action to unite the Ummah.

Muslim unity and pan-Islamism

It bears reminding that among the most prominent modern movements that press for Muslim unity is pan-Islamism, which has been characterised by its reactionary nature and ambition to reinstate the Muslim Caliphate. The dominance of Western powers and values during their colonial peak in the 19th century led to movements that aspire to revive the political power and agency of Muslim populations.

Succeeding pan-Islamism and founded on more realistic terms is the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), whose nation state-based membership spotlights the fact that in this age, the voice afforded by national political power is requisite in securing collective rights.

And, not unlike the OIC, whose establishment was prompted by an arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969 and the realisation that systematic rallying is a key ingredient in global Muslim unity, the IIDC was organised upon a recognition of the chronic fragmentation within Muslim societies, and their weakness in mobilising justice for Palestine.

Anwar reiterated his full support for the call to unite for Palestine and asserted the need for joint efforts in providing humanitarian aid and the reconstruction of Gaza. Muslim nations vary in their relationships with Israel, so while we cannot expect everyone to censure Israel with the same degree of intensity, we can urge everyone to apply pressure in the same general direction.

Commitment to cooperation

On the bilateral meeting front, both Malaysia and Bahrain committed to developing cooperation frameworks for the industrial, energy, fintech, tourism, food security and ICT sectors with the goal of finalising several agreements in time for the Crown Prince’s visit to Malaysia in May, which will precede the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit.

As the third biggest fintech player in ASEAN, Putrajaya is keen to learn from the success of Manama, whose financial sector is its second largest industry after oil and gas. Bahrain’s FinTech Bay is the largest fintech hub in the Middle East and Africa.

The fruits of boosting fintech growth are not the exclusive preserve of corporations; they are also meant to be reaped by the rakyat and residents of Malaysia. The ubiquity of DuitNow QR code payment options, for example, points to the convenience and popular acceptance of digital banking solutions here. Given the 95 per cent smartphone penetration rate and 97 per cent internet access rate among Malaysians, the future of fintech in Malaysia is set to surpass expectations.

As both nations work towards further economic growth and fostering international intra-Muslim unity, we could perhaps recall the importance of building enduring institutions as well as equally strong social unity by observing the encouraging developments in Syria, which has historically been home to several confessional and ethnic groups.

Now, liberated from tyranny and fuelled by the collective spirit to rebuild their country, Syrians are showing us that the first condition to fostering unity is to be rid of what makes us fear the other as well as reassurance that the rights and security of each group are guaranteed. Let us become those who reassure and unify instead of those who fixate on differences and divide.

As Malaysia joins hands with Bahrain and its partners in that region, we would do well to view the summit of high-income economies as an extensive plateau with room for all of us. Nations that are closer to the peak lose nothing by lending us a hand as we climb upwards, and so shall we extend our helping hand to others who have yet to reach new heights.

-- BERNAMA

Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah is the Chairman of the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.