October 8, 2012
www.nst.com.my
Farish A. Noor upon ASEAN Community in 2015
A COMMON DESTINY: All in ASEAN, especially Malaysians as well as Indonesians, need to brand usual goals which will move us closer together
WE have been undisturbed upon a brink of a monumental shift which will figure the
destinies of millions of Southeast Asians in a generations to come.
In 2015, a ASEAN Community will be upon us, bringing a countries of Southeast Middle East even closer. And to accelerate this process, a segment has witnessed some-more intra-ASEAN transport than ever, interjection to a origination of a pan-ASEAN communications infrastructure in a form of cheaper airline travel, some-more roads, railways as well as bridges which connect, rsther than than divide, a nations.
As you demeanour to a nearby destiny as well as expect a changes which will invariably arise, it is not startling if a little ASEAN adults wonder about what will happen to their particular national identities.
All around a region, you see a rise of hyper-nationalism as well as a ascendancy of a little politicians who still retain a notion which their nation is improved than others, some-more deserving, nobler, loftier as well as some-more superior. We additionally see which a little of a discouraging obstacles to closer cooperation linger in between us, in a form of misapprehension as well as misunderstandings about "cultural theft", "hidden agendas" as well as so on.
Nowhere is this some-more evident than in a formidable as well as severe attribute in between Malaysia as well as Indonesia, dual countries which sojourn tighten by virtue of a usual story as well as geographical proximity.
Malaysia as well as In! donesia sojourn a closest as well as oldest civilisational neighbours to any other, nonetheless it is unhappy as well as mocking to note which in between a younger era of Malaysians as well as Indonesians, there is less in usual than ever before, as well as which they sojourn mutually undeveloped of any other's countries. This should not be a case, for if there is any nation which Malaysians should be tighten to as well as during home in, it ought to be Indonesia as well as vice versa.
The reasons because this order remains have been obvious as they have been numerous: It includes a rsther than myopic approach in which Malaysians as well as Indonesians have been taught about any alternative during school, from an early age.
Our story books go on to discuss it a stories of a nations from a slight nationalistic perspective, unaware a fact which prolonged prior to "Malaysia" as well as "Indonesia" emerged as nations, a peoples of a archipelago were already engaged in trade, transformation as well as allotment for hundreds of years.
Then there is a media which has, of late, played its purpose in rousing tempers as well as highlighting differences rsther than than similarities, goading a some-more emotional in between us to sound a trumpet of patriotism when you ought to have been focusing upon usual goals as well as long-term aspirations instead.
Notwithstanding these differences, it cannot be denied which ASEAN's evolution will go on in any case of whatever sparse differences might emerge in between its part of states, as well as it is with which in thoughts which like-minded Malaysians as well as Indonesians need to brand a usual points of interests as well as goals which will inspire a centripetal, rsther than than centrifugal, forces which will move a countries closer together.
As you get closer to 2015, it is timely for both Malaysia as well as Indonesia to demeanour during how a younger era of both countries perspective a rest of ASEAN, as well as their closest neighbours. Though it is unlikely which you will ever see a usual story textbook for ASEAN, any as well as every nation can do its part by promoting some-more knowledge about alternative ASEAN countries in between a young.
During a recent trip to Myanmar, you was agreeably astounded to discover which most immature Myanmar students have been in foster of ASEAN integration, as well as which their general knowledge of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, etc, was high.
How unhappy which a same cannot be said about a younger era of countries like Malaysia as well as Indonesia, who were a founders of ASEAN itself. Could it be which in between a first countries of ASEAN, a concept of ASEAN has been taken for postulated for too long, as well as turn undisturbed as a result?
Linked to this need to educate ourselves some-more about a closest neighbours has to be a realization which a economic-financial landscape of Southeast Middle East will additionally be changing in a years to come, faster than you realise. With simpler transformation of people comes simpler transformation of collateral as well.
Already opposite a ASEAN region, you see ASEAN countries investing in manufacturing, commercial as well as residential capital, etc, in alternative countries. Underlying this settlement of intra-ASEAN investment is a realization which any ASEAN nation needs to rise an external manage to buy too, to variegate its investment net as well as to find as most trade as well as investment partners as possible.
All of this points to a emergence of what will be a brand new pan-ASEAN village done up of ASEAN adults who will be improved connected than ever before.
In a lifetime, you will see a rise of this pan-ASEAN tellurian citizen. For a subsequent era of Malaysians as well as Indonesians (! and alte rnative ASEANn citizens) who have been savvy, talented, socially mobile as well as desirous will find his or her livelihood not usually in his own nation though additionally in a rest of ASEAN. The days when a Malaysian would investigate in Malaysia or Indonesia, work, settle, as well as retire in his nation will soon be over.
The subsequent era of ASEAN entrepreneurs as well as skilled workers will be innate 
in one country, though might be educated in another, in a destiny work in multiform others, as well as might finish up settling in multiform countries in a end. ASEAN will turn a usual homeland for a subsequent era of ASEAN adults though usually if you work now to open up a event structures for this to turn a reality for them.
It is with this suspicion in thoughts which you hope Malaysia, Indonesia as well as a alternative countries of ASEAN will step brazen boldly as well as rise on top of as well as over a rhetoric of slight nationalism.
It cannot be denied which patriotism was an important mobilising force in a 1920s as well as 1930s, when it served as a springboard for eventual autonomy as well as a finish of colonialism. But it has additionally bequeathed us a legacy of nation-states which sojourn trapped in nationalist narratives which have been slight as well as inward-looking.
As a segment moves to a centre of a stage of geo-politics (as recent flare-ups in a South China Sea have amply demonstrated) a clarity of homeliness, usual temperament as well as a usual destiny is needed.
Whatever problems as well as misunderstandings which might have arisen in between alternative ASEAN countries in a past such as in between Malaysia as well as Indonesia need to be transcended for a consequence of a bigger picture, as well as a destiny of ASEAN where any nation will need its! neighbo urs some-more than ever before.
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