SINGAPORE -- The 11th Malaysian general election March 21 was a historic moment in Malaysian politics and a political watershed in the country's history. It may also have been the turning point in the universal Islamic debate over religion and development, especially as these polls constitute the first victory for a progressive Islamic regime against Islamic conservatives or fundamentalists in the Muslim world since 9/11.
With this "progressive" win, could Malaysia's model of Islam Hadhari (progressive Islam) make inroads into the Muslim psyche of Indonesia, the southern Philippines and south Thailand, where some 240 million Muslims live? Could it become a model of "developmental Islam" in the Muslim world or even an inspiration to transform the Middle East, as U.S. President George W. Bush is seeking to do? Finally could Islam Hadhari be the real way to counter the rising tide of international terror?
The landslide victory of the Barisan Nasional (BN), Malaysia's ruling 14-party coalition under Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, was astounding. It was the first time that the BN managed to sweep 90.4 percent of Malaysia's 219 national parliamentary seats and 89.5 percent of its 504 state seats. The BN also obtained 64.4 percent of the popular vote, just a little less than its 1995 record of 65 percent.