A Nation in Distress: Human Rights, Authoritarianism, and Asian Values in Malaysia

This paper discusses the relevance of the "Asian values" debate for Malaysia. It argues that "Asian values" is not a useful notion for understanding Malaysia's attempts to modernize itself. In fact, this debate acts as a distraction and justifies the government's campaign to diminish human rights as well as cultural emancipation. "Asian values" often act as an excuse for authoritarianism and other abuses of government. Instead, we should examine why Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries justify oppressive practices using the excuse of "Asian values". Unless we find better answers, both the state and civil society in Malaysia will be seriously destabilized, thus risking the genuine economic achievements of the past decade.