It is no exaggeration to state that when Dr Zainal Aznam spoke the country did sit up and listen especially regarding his thought provoking suggestion to set up an Equal Opportunity Commission in Malaysia. This was an unpopular suggestion among certain quarters but Dr Zainal had come to this conclusion as a result of his deep involvement in the process of economic policy making over the last few decades. In one of his last conversations with me he reflected on his struggles in life and how his career path was decided by him and by actions he took to further his career. He was a self made man.
Dr Zainal Aznam had an illustrious career in the public service having worked in the Economic Planning Unit, Bank Negara, the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) and the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS). In both MIER and ISIS, it was observed by many that he was nearly at the top but not quite at the top. He explained it as being “not Malay enough.” He explained to me that in his later days his progressive liberal views were at odds with the dominant mode of thinking among those who wielded the power in the country. He was shocked that the New Economic Model (NEM) that he helped to craft had to be presented to the politically powerful to obtain their views and approval. He felt that the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) that he was a member of did not have to be subject to a process of bargaining with political parties.
Dr Zainal Aznam was not only an influential member of the National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) that was formed in 2009 to craft the NEM but was also a key member of the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) that was formed in 1997 to get the economy out of the devastating 1997 East Asian financial crisis, when the economy contracted by more than 6.8%. He stayed up late nights working on the National Economic Recovery Action Plan and monitored the economy towards recovery and sustainable economic growth. However, despite his stellar performance, decorative and honorary titles and high positions eluded him as there were many that were not willing to venture beyond narrow sectarian interests or see the advantage of aligning nationalism with globalization.
Dr. Zainal Aznam was merit oriented. When I first saw him he was my senior in Victoria Institution (VI), which admitted students based on their examination results. Dr. Zainal always had time to discuss intellectual topics and did help without being asked. He looked out for opportunities for others without seeking any gain or what we call “rent” in return. He went on to graduate with a D.Phil in Economics from Oxford University and was appointed a Fullbright Fellow at Harvard University in recognition of his scholarly activities.
In 2002 he co-edited a book on “Managing Economic Growth Amid Ethnic Diversity,” which was published by Harvard University. This book reflected more than two decades of research and writing. More recently in February 2011, Dr. Zainal Aznam presented what was perhaps his last intellectual enterprise in the form of “International Trade, Horizontal Inequalities and Political Stability: Malaysia,” to the University of Oxford. Dr. Zainal had earlier shown his concern on getting Malaysia out of the Middle Income Trap when he co-authored the Malaysian study on getting out of the Middle Income Trap for the World Commission on Growth and Development, chaired by Nobel Laureate Michael Spence.
Dr. Zainal Aznam was not only known to Nobel Laureates and professors from Oxbridge and the Ivy League but also by ordinary laymen who heard him on countless occasions chairing TV talk shows on the annual budget. Dr. Zainal Aznam was even generous with his time as he was Deputy President of the Malaysian Economic Association and a member of numerous committees dealing with higher education. We used to have long and lively discussions on the undesirability of commercializing education. It was the close personal attention that tutors probably gave him in Oxford that made him many cuts above the rest. There was no doubt that he was a towering intellectual amongst us. I would have liked to see him as a Vice Chancellor as he would have been a role model.
Malaysia has lost an intellectual and a friend. We will have to wait for a while for another Dr. Zainal to appear. On one occasion when I ran into him at 8 at night he told me that he was going to the movies with his wife. A friend then remarked, “He is still romantic at this age.” On another occasion when I caught him reading AK Sen’s seminal work, “The Idea of Justice,” at Borders he told me that he was waiting for his wife. On yet another occasion at IKEA he suddenly left because as he recalled later that he saw from the corner of his eyes that his daughter needed his attention and help. Dr. Zainal was a devoted husband and caring father. He passed away on 30 April 2011. He left behind his wife Datuk Kaziah Abdul Kadir and children Irwan Shahrizal, 33, Shazalina, 30, and Juliana, 23.
The writer, G.Sivalingam is with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) in Singapore
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