BY all accounts, the seminar on lslam-Confucianism:                                                                                                   
Civilisational Dialogue held at Universiti Malaya March 13-14,                                                                                        
was a big success.                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
I had the good fortune to sit on the organising committee and                                                                                         
was able to involve myself with all aspects of the seminar.                                                                                           
Never have I seen so much enthusiasm shown by                                                                                                         
paper-presenters, participants and organisers. We were gearing                                                                                        
ourselves up for a huge turnout. As it turned out, there were                                                                                         
more than enough participants.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
Generally, I found the gathering united in the pursuit of                                                                                             
intellectual excellence and to satisfy their thirst for                                                                                               
knowledge. I could not agree more with the Deputy Prime                                                                                               
Minister who, when opening the seminar, likened the event to                                                                                          
an intellectual "Bandung . "                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
If Bandung in 1955 could be as a beacon of hope for an                                                                                                
Afro-Asian political renaissance, then this first-ever                                                                                                
Islam-Confucianism Civilisational Dialogue must be ranked as                                                                                          
the culmination point for an Asian intellectual renaissance.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
But many local commentators chose to ignore this lofty saying                                                                                         
by the Deputy Prime Minister, thereby belittling the good                                                                                             
intentions and sincere efforts put in by the organisers.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
What follows are some of my personal observations on the                                                                                              
seminar as a whole. I would like to focus on the question I                                                                                           
posed at the beginning of the paper "What comes after the                                                                                        
Dialogue?" I wish to add a rejoinder-how do we get there?                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
Let us begin with what Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in his                                                                                           
opening address, that the dialogue would greatly contribute                                                                                           
towards global peace and understanding. What is significant                                                                                           
here is that he has placed the sense of his remark in the                                                                                             
context of Malaysia as well as that of Asia.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
In the Malaysian context, he had in mind that the tolerance                                                                                           
and understanding that existed between the different races,                                                                                           
especially among the Malays and the Chinese who are                                                                                                   
"Confucianists" in some ways, had contributed to our national                                                                               
development.                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
- He had also listed the areas of collaboration that had                                                                                              
really brought the two civilisations together: competitive                                                                                            
business, democratic politics, grassroots organisations,                                                                                              
scientific research and many other areas of endeavour.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
In moving on to the wider context of Asia, he mentioned that                                                                                          
this exercise at fusing culture and economics could be the                                                                                            
basis of building a more united East Asia, to be founded on                                                                                           
"competitive industrialisation" and "democratic political                                                                              
community. "                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
Such is the strain of the argument that comes out of the                                                                                              
dialogue. The paper presenters later were to pick up on this                                                                                          
idea.                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
It is as if they were colouring their fabric by first applying                                                                                        
the fundamental colours that shaped the Malaysian fabric and                                                                                          
go from there to a consideration of the broader and more                                                                                              
multivaried colours that are present in South-East Asia. The                                                                                          
process towards a cultural integration is not impossible given                                                                                        
the fact that such a dialogue mechanism had been put in place                                                                                         
for some time.                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
There were two other presentations during the seminar that                                                                                            
evoked what Anwar had said. I am referring to the ideas                                                                                               
discussed by Associate Prof Cheng Gek Nai of the Department of                                                                                        
Chinese Studies Universiti Malaya.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
In the case of the Malaysian experience, she said the                                                                                                 
civilisational dialogue process should be pursued to attain an                                                                                        
acceptable national ethics. This bears some further discussion                                                                                        
as the idea of building an ethical nation has been inscribed                                                                                          
in the 2020 Vision.                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
Going beyond geographical constraints, she extended her vision                                                                                        
to apply the process to solve global. problems and build an                                                                                           
ethical global society. For a start, she called for the                                                                                               
setting up of a National Institute for Ethics to help in                                                                                              
strategising "mankind's development" in the 21st Century.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
In the same vein, Dr Chandra Muzaffar, Senior Research Fellow,                                                                                        
Universiti Sains Malaysia, said the Civilisational Dialogue if                                                                                        
properly developed could help bring about national unity.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
He identified two ways of doing this: first, we would need to                                                                                         
list out what are the common values in all the traditions and                                                                                         
religions-Islam Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism and                                                                                         
Taoism. Second, is to come out with a core of universal                                                                                               
spiritual and moral values. Included in this are such values                                                                                          
as kindness, courtesy, justice and unity.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
All of the suggestions and ideas stated above were later to be                                                                                        
integrated in a much bigger idea at the end of the seminar.                                                                                           
Again it was Anwar who called for the setting up of an East                                                                                           
Asian Studies Institute at Universiti Malaya to begin serious                                                                                         
work on studying the various cultures and traditions in their                                                                                         
proper context.                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
The idea was well-received by the Malaysian public. It was                                                                                            
also echoed by the Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya who                                                                                           
said that the establishment of such a centre could be done                                                                                            
almost immediately.                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
Universiti Malaya is, I believe, the ideal place. It is not                                                                                           
only the oldest and the premier university in the country but                                                                                         
also it already has existing units or centres such as the                                                                                             
Chinese Studies Department, the South-East Asian Studies                                                                                              
Department and others that can easily be incorporated into the                                                                                        
new Institute.                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
It could also consider setting up a Centre for Regional                                                                                               
Studies which could be upgraded to a faculty.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
In line with its planning to corporatise itself, the                                                                                                  
university will have the opportunity to openly recruit the                                                                                            
best and the brightest from home and abroad. It will also not                                                                                         
face constraints in terms of finance and other organisational                                                                                         
matters.                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
I wish Universiti Malaya all the success. Carry on with the                                                                                           
dialogues.  It is only Asian to try and keep the doors open                                                                                           
through dialogues and consensus.