High on the walls of the lobby in the Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur, hang several boards listing the names of all the club’s past presidents, including my Malaysian father-in-law. I stood in front of them with my two young sons a few years ago.
“Can you spot Grandpa’s name?” I asked them. Then, “Is there anything else you notice?” It’s not hard. From 1890 until 1965, all the names are European, only then changing to recognisably Malay, Chinese and Indian. “Under the British, Grandpa wouldn’t even have been allowed to be a member of the club,” I told my boys. They looked astonished. “But that’s racist,” said one, with a child’s lack of inhibition about stating the obvious.
Three of their grandparents come from what were once British colonies. My sons live in Malaysia and hear about Singapore, which they’ve visited. In time they’ll learn more about Ireland, the land of their other grandfather.
A few facts: by the early 18th century, Irish Catholics made up 90 per cent of the population but had been robbed of all but 10 per cent of the land. So catastrophic was the Great Famine, which started in 1845 and is widely blamed on the failure of the British authorities to act, that the country’s population is still lower today than it was then. And the occupiers’ attempted suppression of the Irish language has been described as an act of “cultural genocide”.
I wonder if the British Conservative leadership contender Robert Jenrick had any of those countries in mind when he wrote an article on Monday that has caused some controversy. Its headline? “Many of Britain’s former colonies owe us a debt of gratitude for the inheritance we left them.”
They’re bold words, no doubt intended to appeal to Tory party members irritated by all the self-flagellating liberals who are never happier than when they’re apologising for something they didn’t personally do. But Mr Jenrick could be leader of the Conservative party by Saturday, and therefore just conceivably UK prime minister one day. He, at least, believes he should be taken seriously.
Would he be bold enough to repeat that statement to Shashi Tharoor, the Indian diplomat and politician whose book Inglorious Empire details how the subcontinent’s share of global gross domestic product shrank from 23 per cent to a mere three per cent under British rule? “The reason was simple,” wrote Mr Tharoor. “India was governed for the benefit of Britain. Britain’s rise for 200 years was financed by its depredation in India.”
Mr Jenrick would like to be prime minister. Would he have dared make his claim at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, at which the leaders’ communique noted “calls for discussions on reparatory justice” on the transatlantic slave trade? Last year, a UN judge said that the UK owed at least $24 trillion for its historical involvement in slavery in 14 countries.
What would be his reply to Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the British Labour MP and chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Afrikan Reparations, who has said: “Enslavement and colonialism were not ‘gifts’ but imposed systems that brutally exploited people, extracted wealth, and dismantled societies, all for the benefit of Britain. To suggest that former colonies should be ‘grateful’ for such unimaginable harm disregards the legacy of these injustices and the long-term impact they still have on many nations today.”
Mr Jenrick has half a point. He was correct when he wrote that academic critics “don’t judge our record against other empires of the day. They assume that modern western values were somehow universal 400 years ago”. For most of history, to win an empire was glorious. That’s why we still call Alexander of Macedon “the great”.
But it wasn’t 400, but 83 years ago, when in the face of the Japanese invasion of Malaya, the British authorities decided to evacuate only the European population of Penang, leaving the locals to their fate, and leading one historian to conclude that “the moral collapse of British rule in South-East Asia came not in Singapore, but in Penang”.
It was later than that, in the 1950s, that British torture of Kenyans held in detention was so egregious that in 2013 the then UK government agreed to pay a multimillion-pound settlement to some of the victims.
Mr Jenrick believes that former colonies should be grateful since the British Empire “came to introduce … Christian values”. I’m not sure how that fits with going to war with China in the 19th century to demand that it open its markets to the dangerous and addictive trade in opium, and the subsequent establishment in China of enclaves where no Chinese (and no dogs) were permitted.
He also thinks he has made his case by writing “long after independence, the institutions we built in these countries endure … Even amid their resentment towards us, former colonies recognised that the British system of governance was the best in the world for promoting peace and prosperity”. I disagree. James Chin, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania, has argued that in formerly colonised countries, “more often than not, local elites simply imported and modified the political systems of their European overlords”.
This leads to problems of perception today. As I put it in an essay for the Erasmus Forum: “Outsiders see the facade of liberal democracy in South and South-East Asia. They do not realise that inside many of the furnishings – including overriding attachments to liberal values and individual rights – are missing.”
Other value systems, many ancient, run deep, and thrive in and animate former colonies; but people like Mr Jenrick won’t see or understand them if they only concentrate on a Westminster-style political set-up and courts modelled on the Old Bailey.
Above all, though, the point that Mr Jenrick so spectacularly misses is simple. At its core, the British Empire could only be justified by one assumption: that the white Briton was superior to all other races. This was not an empire in which conquered peoples could rise to the top: the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus was African, and many Ottoman Grand Viziers were Albanian.
So if Mr Jenrick really thinks that any former colony “owes a debt of gratitude” for having been forcefully integrated into an association run on that basis, he is either a dangerous extremist, or dangerously misguided. For his sake, and for Britain’s sake, I hope it’s the latter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
More on animal trafficking
More coverage from the Future Forum
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
From exhibitions to the battlefield
In 2016, the Shaded Dome was awarded with the 'De Vernufteling' people's choice award, an annual prize by the Dutch Association of Consulting Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers for the most innovative project by a Dutch engineering firm.
It was assigned by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to modify the Shaded Dome to make it suitable for ballistic protection. Royal HaskoningDHV, one of the companies which designed the dome, is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy, leading the way in sustainable development and innovation.
It is driving positive change through innovation and technology, helping use resources more efficiently.
It aims to minimise the impact on the environment by leading by example in its projects in sustainable development and innovation, to become part of the solution to a more sustainable society now and into the future.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
RESULTS
5pm Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Munfared, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Sawt Assalam, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dergham Athbah, Pat Dobbs, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Rajee, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
7pm Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Kerless Del Roc, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner Pharoah King, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8pm Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner Sauternes Al Maury, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Villarreal, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Astana, Slavia Prague.
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, Young Boys, Partizan Belgrade, Skenderbeu.
Group C: Sporting Braga, Ludogorets, Hoffenheim, Istanbul Basaksehir.
Group D: AC Milan, Austria Vienna , Rijeka, AEK Athens.
Group E: Lyon, Everton, Atalanta, Apollon Limassol.
Group F: FC Copenhagen, Lokomotiv Moscow, Sheriff Tiraspol, FC Zlin.
Group G: Vitoria Plzen, Steaua Bucarest, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, FC Lugano.
Group H: Arsenal, BATE Borisov, Cologne, Red Star Belgrade.
Group I: Salzburg, Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes, Konyaspor.
Group J: Athletic Bilbao, Hertha Berlin, Zorya Luhansk, Ostersund.
Group K: Lazio, Nice, Zulte Waregem, Vitesse Arnhem.
Group L: Zenit St Petersburg, Real Sociedad, Rosenborg, Vardar
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
Main card
Bantamweight 56.4kg: Mehdi Eljamari (MAR) beat Abrorbek Madiminbekov (UZB), Split points decision
Super heavyweight 94 kg: Adnan Mohammad (IRN) beat Mohammed Ajaraam (MAR), Split points decision
Lightweight 60kg: Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Faridoon Alik Zai (AFG), RSC round 3
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Taha Marrouni (MAR) beat Mahmood Amin (EGY), Unanimous points decision
Light welterweight 64.5kg: Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE), Unanimous points decision
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Haroun Baka (ALG), KO second round
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
The years Ramadan fell in May
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
