Anyone who knows Malaysia or who has visited since the tragic events surrounding flight MH370 will have been struck by the coming together of all in a society that is often, erroneously, portrayed by outsiders as divided along racial and religious lines. Weekend newspapers carried articles about the unfairness of the global media coverage. While some of this was the typical patriotism one sees in any country when tragedy strikes, mostly it showed people from across the board supporting the government despite some embarrassment about its initial mismanagement and incompetence in handling the crisis.
Malaysians resent the way their country has been depicted as a politically corrupt backwater, technically inept and lacking in business and crisis management skills.
The question for Malaysians is why, and what now? The country has never had so much sustained international media scrutiny and it did not pass the test – unfair as much of it may have been. However, it serves as a call to action for Malaysians in general and the government to reshape the country and stop squandering its luck and enormous potential. Malaysia does not suffer from huge political unrest or poverty, or from earthquakes and typhoons; indeed, it is endowed with tremendous natural resources and a small population.