1919 was the year when the Versailles Treaty was concluded. It marked the end of World War I. While not perfect, it temporarily forestalled the butchery of the European empires, leading to the demise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Tsarist Empire in Russia, and finally the beginning of the end of the Prussian Germany.
On the Islamic ledger, 1919 marked the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, merely four years after the blood bath in Europe. Conflicts from contiguous regions, obviously, can create chaos and confusion in a civilization that was totally unique and distinct from the West.
On December 18, much to the surprise of the whole world, President Donald Trump tweeted that he would attempt a double withdrawal from the war front in Syria and Afghanistan.
In case anyone is struggling to understand why the United States was involved in both conflicts, the original reason was the brutality of Bashar al-Assad, who remains ensconced in Damascus, based on the support of President Vladimir Putin, and the savageness of the Talibans to shelter Osama Bin Laden and Sheikh Al Zawahiri.
While Osama Bin Laden has been terminated, Al Zawahiri remains at large.
Regardless of the circumstances, a double pull out does not augur well on how the world should step into 2019. Malaysia should be careful with the repercussions of the American’s actions in Syria and Afghanistan on East Asia.
First, extremists that had endeavored go to these conflict regions may decide to remain in Southeast Asia — invariably to create their concept of a single Caliphate that extends from Southern Thailand to Southern Philippines.
Not unless the Malaysian economy is purring at top speed, the likelihood of these morbid and depressed extremists venting their spleen on their fellow Malaysians are real. Just across the neighboring country, Thailand, four bombings have occurred in recent weeks in Haadyai.
The chickens have not come to roost yet. But Malaysia should be wary of those extremist elements who have always wanted to perish in the battle field in Syria and Afghanistan but cannot complete their missions in Malaysia and within the region.
Two, the unrest in Seafield, which is still simmering, has shown the extent to which Malaysia is on a tinder box. Even though the issue was not on race and ethnicity, the groups that were diametrically opposed to one another appeared to be from two distinct racial groups.
Malaysians may have reclaim the country from the clutches of kleptomaniacs on May 9 2018, one must remember this was achieved on a Malay swing.
Malays, having grown accustomed to UMNO and Pas, may not have acquainted themselves fully with non Chinese or multi racial agenda as yet.
Thus, any suggestion to embrace the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), needs careful scrutiny.
Third, much as the world was celebrating 1919, one must remember that it took barely 30 years later for the European powers at each other's throats again, with Japan soon attacking China in 1937 in the Marco Polo incident that led to the massacre of Nanjing a year later.
Malaysia can grow. If Malaysia dredges all its coastline into a deep port of more then 30 feet at all time, Malaysia can in collaboration with Indonesia create a safe and secure Straits of Malacca for 80 per cent of the world's marine vessels that pass through these waters before leading into the South China Sea.
Malaysia has one of the best relationships with Japan. If needs be, tens of thousands of workers, skilled or semi skilled, can send them to Japan, as Tokyo faces Olympics 2020 and World Expo 2023.
There are areas where Malaysia can gain from. Not all the scenarios are gloomy, even if the Minister of Finance Lim Guan Eng has affirmed that it would take three years to return to good fiscal health.
If Malaysia plays it's cards on South China Sea right, which is to maintain it as an international sea, thus creating much stability and balance, there is no reason why Malaysia cannot benefit from China's Belt and Road Initiative or the Quads formed of the US, Australia, India and Japan. Some US$5 trillion worth of cargoes need to traverse through this maritime basin anyway.
If Malaysia can have a Look East Policy that all ASEAN countries look up too —- not unlike how the original five members of ASEAN were in awe with the reconciliation of Malaysia and Indonesia after their Konfrontasi mid the early 1960s —- such strategic maturity would go a long way towards inspiring other countries to learn from Japan with the goal to adapt to the rapid development of China and South Korea too.
All great things can come from even greater challenges. When Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin was sacked, UMNO thought it has removed a thorn in it's flesh. When Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal soon followed, UMNO rejoiced at removing two splinters at one go.
Little did they know that this was the beginning of their end, especially when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, ever the fighter, came on board, with Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and others in tow.
The gloom and doom, as occasioned by the the drop in the prices of oil, per barrel, need not be the end of all a new Malaysia. Cheap credit remains a viable source in Japan. To the degree Tun Dr Mahathir have a strong policy on Japan —- not to antagonise China —- Malaysia is not without an assemblage of financial and political solutions to overcome the gaping financial holes that were left by the previous excesses of the last kleptocratic government.
Datuk Wira Dr Rais Hussin
Thu Jan 03 2019
Little did they know that this was the beginning of their end, especially when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, ever the fighter, came on board, with Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and others in tow. - Filepic
88 badan pensijilan halal luar negara dapat pengiktirafan JAKIM
Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) telah memberikan pengiktirafan kepada 88 badan pensijilan halal luar negara setakat Mei tahun ini.
eWarga Emas bentuk sistem penyampaian perkhidmatan berkesan, bersepadu - Noraini
Portal sistem warga emas (eWarga Emas) dibangunkan bagi membentuk sistem penyampaian perkhidmatan warga emas yang berkesan dan bersepadu.
MITRA lulus lebih RM95 juta untuk 11 program masyarakat India
Kesemua program yang dalam pelaksanaan itu memberi tumpuan kepada usaha memperkasakan sosioekonomi komuniti India dalam negara.
Kestabilan sosiopolitik Sabah bolehkan agihan ekonomi saksama - Juhar
Smber daya, kekayaan alam semula jadi dan potensi ekonomi dalam masyarakat dapat dibahagi dengan cara memberi peluang sama kepada rakyat.
Kenanga jangka OPR stabil 3.0 peratus pada 2025
Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd menjangka Kadar Dasar Semalaman (OPR) kekal stabil pada 3.0 peratus sepanjang 2025.
Johor sasar jumlah ternakan cecah 200,000 ekor pada 2027
Johor menyasarkan jumlah ternakan di negeri ini mencapai hingga 200,000 ekor pada 2027 setelah berjaya mencapai jumlah pengeluaran ternakan sebanyak 152,000 ekor hingga bulan lepas.
Hargai warga emas melalui penjagaan, hormat dan penglibatan - Lee Lam Thye
Lee Lam Thye menekankan keperluan mendesak untuk menghargai warga emas melalui penjagaan, hormat, dan penglibatan yang lebih baik.
Malaysia perlu bersedia penuhi keperluan TBB yang semakin meningkat - Fadillah
Keperluan tenaga boleh baharu (TBB) di negara ini semakin meningkat seiring dengan keyakinan pelabur asing khususnya untuk mewujudkan pusat-pusat data.
Belanjawan 2025: Kesalinghubungan internet di sekolah, kampus jadi keutamaan - Fahmi
Fahmi berkata ia termasuk isu Internet di kawasan terpencil, pedalaman dan pulau-pulau dalam memastikan akses Internet berkelajuan tinggi lebih meluas.
Pelajar tahfiz perlu teroka bidang teknologi
Kira-kira 200,000 pelajar tahfiz di negara ini, perlu dipastikan untuk mempunyai kemampuan dan peluang menjadi tenaga penggerak kepada umat Islam Malaysia dalam meneroka bidang yang dahulu dilihat sebagai asing., tegas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Kyrgyzstan keluarkan Taliban daripada senarai organisasi pengganas
Kyrgyzstan mengeluarkan Taliban daripada senarai organisasi yang diharamkan, menurut Kementerian Luar Kyrgyz pada Jumaat, lapor Xinhua.
Afghanistan siap sedia sambut Aidiladha meski berdepan cabaran ekonomi
Kadar pengangguran dan kemiskinan yang tinggi mengurangkan kuasa beli rakyat Afghanistan secara drastik, menyukarkan mereka untuk melaksanakan ibadah korban.
Tehran dakwa penjajahan asing sebagai punca utama masalah Afghanistan
Punca masalah dan cabaran Afghanistan ialah pendudukan negara itu sebelum ini dan kurangnya perhatian terhadap pembangunan ekonominya oleh bekas penjajah.
Pilihan raya Pakistan: Perkhidmatan rangkaian mudah alih digantung, sempadan ditutup
Pihak berkuasa Pakistan menggantung perkhidmatan mudah alih dan menutup sempadan dengan negara jiran Afghanistan dan Iran selepas insiden pengeboman.
150,000 wanita dan sektor kesihatan, hak tidak diabaikan - Menteri Kesihatan Awam Afghanistan
Seramai 150,000 wanita berkhidmat dalam sektor kesihatan Afghanistan ketika ini dengan pelbagai cabang kepakaran.
Afghanistan ketika ini 100 peratus aman - Menteri Kesihatan Awam Afghanistan
Situasi di Afghanistan jauh lebih baik berbanding 20 tahun lalu yang menyaksikan ratusan orang maut akibat peperangan.
Afghanistan perlu raih semula penghormatan untuk membangun - Penganalisis
Afghanistan perlu memecahkan persepsi negatif terhadap negaranya dan meraih semula penghormatan komuniti antarabangsa untuk membangun.
Genosid di Gaza hancurkan 'kredibiliti' pertubuhan dunia - Afghanistan
Afghanistan mengutuk sekeras-kerasnya rejim Israel itu kerana meneruskan pengeboman yang membunuh ratusan rakyat Palestin sejak jeda kemanusiaan tamat pada Jumaat.
Gempa bumi landa barat laut Afghanistan, 100 cedera
Sekurang-kurangnya 100 orang cedera selepas satu lagi gempa bumi kuat berukuran 6.3 pada skala Richter menggegarkan barat laut Afghanistan pada Ahad.
80 cedera dalam gempa bumi kuat di Afghanistan
Menurut penduduk tempatan, kebanyakan mangsa yang cedera telah dibawa ke hospital.