| Evolving from "bullshit to truth" |  |  |  |
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| Wednesday, 30 January 2008 09:48 | |
| A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/ Each candidate behaved well in the hope of being judged worthy of election. However, this system was disastrous when the city had become corrupt. For then it was not the most virtuous but the most powerful who stood for election, and the weak, even if virtuous, were too frightened to run for office. - Niccolo Machiavelli It's exciting; I don't know whether I'm going to win or not. I think I am. I do know I'm ready for the job. And, if not, that's just the way it goes. - George W Bush, 43rd President of the United States Elections are supposed to be an educational process - not a time when propaganda rules the airwaves and cyberspace, and indoctrination rules the minds of those playing the game of choosing a new government. It is a time when, borrowing the words of Princeton professor Harold Frankfurt, one sees the evolution of "bullshit to truth" in the continuum of "truthiness or truthism". But one wonders how much understanding of the election process the Malaysian voters have. We seem to rush through elections and have become good at being indecisive, secretive and calculative about the date of the general election. We should instead be preparing the minds of voters with a sense of predictability and basic understanding of what is involved in electing a government. We must treat an election as something more that a Geertzian 'Balinese cockfight'; a time of high stakes in a game of shame and blame. We must make our voters more intelligent so that they may in turn choose intelligent governments that respect human rights and freedom of speech, and will work for all. As voters, we have to ask ourselves many questions. Are we voting on issues or are we voting for individuals with unresolved issues? What are the election issues that we have understood and are ready to take a stand on? What is the character of the individual we are voting for? Is he/she a good person for all seasons and all races? Or a racist and a bigot who is out of sync with a cosmopolitan world? What is the platform of each political party? What are they fighting for? Which one is more credible than the others and which one will deliver the promises better? Which political party or a coalition of many will do a better job given the circumstances of changing times in changing realities and the shifting of the definition of freedom in this age of globalisation? Within each political party, what criteria are set for each candidate? What is the track record of each candidate? Have they amassed millions of Ringgit during their tenure as elected representatives? Who will finance their stay in power? How have they performed and where can the public access data on their failures and accomplishments? Who owns the media and what impact will this have on the process of indoctrination and the dissemination of propaganda as election approaches? Will the media give each candidate equal access during campaigning? How dynastic should politics be? Can anybody's sister-in-law become the prime minister? Why shouldn't a non-Malay with excellent values become the prime minister? How do we better prepare the public psychologically and educationally for the election process? What do the people want? Do they understand what the government is doing to ensure that tolerance and social justice become the guiding principles of national development? How ready are they to choose the next regime? Cure voter-apathy For the last 50 years, we have failed to educate our children on the importance of democracy and elections. Our textbooks on civics education are perhaps written from the point of view of telling the citizens what a government is, based on selected history packaged as official knowledge, to be memorised as facts and to be regurgitated when the time comes for teachers to demand for the right answers from our children. We have failed to ask them what it means to be a Malaysian, how to think like a Malaysian, and how to elect governments that will serve the interest of all Malaysians. There is no debate in schools on the merit of what our various political parties stand for. We therefore cannot blame voters for this disease called 'voter apathy'. Children's understanding of politics has become truncated and limited to the idea that politics is only about political parties, dying dictators, and deadwood wakil rakyat; politics is not to be discussed in schools let alone be used as a platform of learning about good citizenship. We therefore cannot blame university students for being more interested in passing exams, acquiring the latest electronic gadgets, idolising gangsta rappers and Death Metallists, or chanting slogans during rallies. They are not able to articulate diverse viewpoints, let alone define a just society or conjure up the essence of a Malaysian-inspired 'republic of virtue'. Ironically, the moment they are interested in politics and the fate of the nation, they get hunted down by university authorities! We have only ourselves to blame. We deserve the government we elect because we have been conditioned to believe that one race is superior to others. The false sense of superiority demands, by any means necessary, that a fresh mandate be given in this ritual called election. Education is a tedious process, a long haul, and an enterprise in which one makes one step ahead and perhaps go back three steps backwards. Education for democracy in a country such as Malaysia is going to be a tedious process not only because he have failed to prepare our citizens with the concepts and skills necessary to become informed voters, but also because we have successfully instill the fear of change in them. It is ironic that we often talk about critical thinking and creativity in schools and structure these concepts into the curriculum and the learning process across all disciplines, but we have not seen the manifestations of this idea of education for social imagination. What we have successfully done is to instill fear of each other based on the racial construct or religious constructs and economic condition we are born into. We not only have race-based political parties in fact playing their role in dividing and conquering the people, but also powerful related agencies working closely with structures of race-based ideology. These institutions are employed to turn our citizens into what American sociologist Herbert Marcuse call "one-dimensional beings". However, all is not lost. Let us at least hold the election next year. Let all the information be out in the open, so that we will have all the facts and informed opinions before each one of us votes. There is still time to educate, not aggravate. In education, there will always be hope. As for our elections, let us set it for May 13, 2009 - a symbolic date of building bridges in a new era of change. It will be a more predictable date. We can then open a new peaceful chapter of our epic story on race relations in a country of broken promises run by politicians demanding a fresh mandate. Comments (13)  ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, January 30, 2008 12:08:36 Very interesting suggestion, "Kritz". To you folks out there, please comment on these" What changes might the Opposition bring if they are voted into power? Based on the varied/different platform each "Opposition" component is coming from, what might be the scenario of change 20-25 years from now? Hypothetically, if after the Elections the Opposition is able to secure the necessary votes to balance the power into a Malaysian two party system, what might happen to the ruling party and how might this evolve in subsequent decades? How would DAP, PAS, PKR, etc. work together to form this new stronger coalition? Would these evolve into one party like the Democrats in America? What would the nature of ideological compromise be? Let us predict and create this scenario of change. report abuse disagree 1 agree 23 ... written by densemy, January 30, 2008 13:43:01 "We seem to rush through elections and have become good at being indecisive, secretive and calculative about the date of the general election." Never was a truer word written. I'm aware that Malaysians are not too good at thinking into the future, but the present situation regarding the forthcoming election is verging on being ridiculous. It really does appear that the politicans and the politicians to be have no idea of what planning for the future means. Its understandable that BN have run out of ideas... that's a characteristic of any government that has been in power for too long But the opposition appear to have absolutely no idea ... Is it because they know that prices MUST rise so they are afraid to face that fact... and the result if brain freeze If so then come up with some strategies to reduce the impact of price rises. Or do they truly have NO idea??? Not even in their present disorganised mode can they come up with a plan that gives the slightest suggestion that they have a vision for Malaysia report abuse disagree 0 agree 4 ... written by Talisman, January 30, 2008 15:30:11 The political avenues and system are already well laid out since receiving independence. The British then wanted Tengku to come up with a solution that all 3 races can work/live together before independence was granted. Who was the President of MCA then? Who was the Deputy President of MCA then? Why did the then Deputy President of MCA resign from MCA and stood as an independent in Penang and in subsequent years form the UDP? What was the main issue that led to this distinguish politician resigning from MCA, stood as an independent and later form the UD Party? It is solely on the issue of parliamentary demarcation where each vote should have equal weight. But our beloved Tengku then, for reasons now by default made known to all,was adamant on this issue. Father and son reasoned that after all we are Malayans, the most important then ws to achieved independence. The issue of gerrymendering was not in the minds of the MCA leaders. So this brilliant politician was sidelined. To educate Malaysians to have a critical mind is not that difficult. Just like teaching farmers how to cultivate padi; this is easy. What is important is that, after acquiring that knowhow on how to cultivate, the powers that be must provide arable land for them to cultivate. With the system of government that we have today, political ideologies now can never play a part and can get nowhere. It is patronage and how to remain having and keeping that patronage now becomes the political norms of the ruling party. This system of politics is now honed and have become a fine art of politics, ala Malaysia Boleh. Just like the Tamil saying : "the baby that cries the loudest gets the milk". Can critical thinking Malaysians ever have a chance to put in Political leaders who are real service oriented? Your guess is as good as mine. The best bet is to hope that UMNO experience another massive earthquake. And the day of that big one maybe due in 5-10 years time. Be prepared for the Tsunami though. report abuse disagree 0 agree 8 ... written by Taikohtai, January 30, 2008 15:31:56 In Malaysia's case, it's more a case of evolving from bullsh*t to bullcrap. Blessing the country with so much natural resources, nature's clever idea of the balancing act was to throw in BN as the gomen. The next generation is definitely worse off. Many farsighted parents have made off to yonder shores rather than letting the whims and fancies of their political leaders determine their children's future. We lament the lack of will amongst our fellow rakyat to cast their ballot paper intelligently despite evidence of the continual systemic rot in the country. Ever in denial, the embedded attitude of 'see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil' becomes the norm of everyday living. May the proactive minority's fight against injustice succeed late, rather than never. report abuse disagree 0 agree 6 ... written by InEffective, January 30, 2008 17:59:55 Dr Azly, well written - politics should be Somehow politics (or engaging in politics beyond coffeeshop grousing) is viewed negatively by many capable, and high integrity people as well. articles like this help spread the understanding that politics can be constructive, many issues can be viewed from several angles, its ok to acknowledge parties do have shared and divergent interests - as long as strong forums that exist to air debate - we have a great chance at finding effective and durable solutions to challenges. Plato (the greek? philosopher) penned something like -" if you think you are too smart or above politics, you are doomed to be governed and ruled by folks less capable or smarter than you). (and from some of the expressions of our incumbent politicians holding important portfolios - this is ever more evident and critical for malaysia's better talent to start getting engaged). If we dont get our administration right, our peoples will be rendered irrelevant by other countries building their competitive capabilities and skillsets and harnessing their collective strengths and wills. And our rakyat will garner marginal value in the food chains. report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 ... written by Dr Azly Rahman, January 31, 2008 11:08:25 Dear all, I would say that the idea of "ketuanan Melayu" is a dangerous concept that is threatening race relations. It is an arrogant interpretation of selective history; of a history that is largely benefiting those who profits from the ideology of this "ketuanan Melayu". Historians promoting this concept are not well-versed in the matters of philosophy of history. I do not think thinking Malays these days subscribe to the idea of "Malay dominance and dictatorship". If there is a "ketuanan" of one race, then the rest are "slaves", if we are to analyze it from the point of view of "Master-Slave" narrative? Agree? report abuse disagree 0 agree 12 ... written by educationist, February 01, 2008 21:20:26 We're still a far way to evovling to truth. The BN has no interest to see a thinking electorate evolve. They just want the rakyat to swallow all the propaganda -bait , hook and all. And so our education system only pays lip service towards producing critical and creative thinkers. ' Let us at least hold the election next year' -very interesting suggestion but will the PM take heed? report abuse disagree 0 agree 0 ... written by Motherchell, February 03, 2008 19:40:14 Doc Azley, I agree word for word of all that you say , great analysis! "Elections are supposed to be an educational process - not a time when propaganda rules the airwaves and cyberspace,..................." Just an addendum, The BN have only been Machiavellian since the 50 years. There has never been a real vigor in Nation Building. More then being futurists, and benevolent to society at large, they were more patriarchal. We build on primitive systems and policies. we just moved on auto mode, setting the ground for clan based groupings in the UMNO, so everything became , like father like son; a chip of the old bloke! There isn't one leader today who thinks what you said in the start of your article, as important and vital, Doc ! None of them realize that the basic structure to a successful Diverse Nation is the Education in its processes. Some times i wonder -- the way we are conned into the budgets for personal planes,over flowing and leaking advertising budgets for GLC and Institutions, Petronas etc surpluses---- are we so poor and downtrodden to keep back such growth? May be there is a hidden agenda never to make all educated to the level the elites are. I cannot understand, when permits for housing developments are done, the govt doesn't plan infrastructure for the Broad band and telephones, but have expanse budgets to go all over the world to invest to make branding to perk up their own holdings then the very real blessings to every citizens base. Not many know what has really been going on due to the control of the MSN--- so by keeping the broad band penetration down even to the hinterlands of the cities----is it a conspiracy????? From the EC to the run on the unconstitutional processes has been a sham! My fervency now is that, each and everyone open up their thoughts to make Malaysia a place to reckon with its diverse cultures. VOTE RIGHT, The opposition has to get the truth in their menifesto to the masses even if it is going to be unpopular with the BN bigwigs for their fuel for the divide and rule stances. !!!Give Malaysia a chance to see the New world. report abuse disagree 0 agree 1 Write comment This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comment. You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet. |
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Don't ask quetions, just vote the opposition, any opposition! We have endured 50 years of questioning!