• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Muthiah Alagappa"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "asia",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "AP",
  "programs": [
    "Asia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Southeast Asia"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Democracy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

Building a United, Cohesive Nation Through NCC2

Building a cohesive nation and developing an effective state are long-term processes that may take several decades, if not centuries.

Link Copied
By Muthiah Alagappa
Published on Nov 14, 2016

Source: Edge Malaysia

Prominent banker Datuk Nazir Razak has again articulated the need for a second National Consultative Council (NCC2). This call has been supported by a number of political parties, including certain parties within the governing Barisan Nasional and senior politicians Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, who was the former minister of international trade and industry.

I strongly endorse the need for NCC2 and future NCCs as they become necessary for Malaysia to become a cohesive nation and an effective state. Building a cohesive nation and developing an effective state are long-term processes that may take several decades, if not centuries….

Read Full Text

This piece was originally published in the Edge Malaysia. It was published with a mistake; the original says ‘On nation-building, my view is that measures should be instituted to strengthen democracy in the country …’. It should say ‘On state-building, my view is that measures should be instituted to strengthen democracy in the country …’

About the Author

Muthiah Alagappa

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Asia Program

Alagappa, formerly a nonresident senior fellow in the Asia Program, was the first holder of the Tun Hussein Onn Chair in international studies at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His research focuses primarily on Asian security, the political legitimacy of governments, civil society and political change, and the political role of the military in Asia.

    Recent Work

  • Article
    Obama’s Golden Opportunity in Malaysia

      Muthiah Alagappa

  • In The Media
    Developing a Strategic Relationship with China

      Muthiah Alagappa

Muthiah Alagappa
Former Nonresident Senior Fellow, Asia Program
Muthiah Alagappa
Political ReformDemocracySoutheast Asia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Who Is Responsible for the Demise of the Russian Internet?

    The Russian state has opted for complete ideological control of the internet and is prepared to bear the associated costs.

      Maria Kolomychenko

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Is Opposition to Online Restrictions an Inflection Point for the Russian Regime?

    After four years of war, there is no one who can stand up to the security establishment, and President Vladimir Putin is increasingly passive. 

      Tatiana Stanovaya

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Is Frustration With Armenia’s Pashinyan Enough to Bring the Pro-Russia Opposition to Power?

    It’s true that many Armenians would vote for anyone just to be rid of Pashinyan, whom they blame for the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, but the pro-Russia opposition is unlikely to be able to channel that frustration into an electoral victory.

      Mikayel Zolyan

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    After Ilia II: What Will a New Patriarch Mean for Georgia?

    The front-runner to succeed Ilia II, Metropolitan Shio, is prone to harsh anti-Western rhetoric and frequent criticism of “liberal ideologies” that he claims threaten the Georgian state. This raises fears that under his leadership the Georgian Orthodox Church will lose its unifying role and become an instrument of ultraconservative ideology.

      Bashir Kitachaev

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Tokayev’s New Constitution Is a Bet on Stability—At Freedom’s Expense

    Kazakhstan’s new constitution is an embodiment of the ruling elite’s fears and a self-serving attempt to preserve the status quo while they still can.

      Serik Beysembaev

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.