Republic of virtue, 8/08

A better parliament ahead? PDF Print E-mail
Posted by admin
Thursday, 28 August 2008 09:59

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The story of the mythical hero Hang Nadim tells us of the brutishness of the feudal brute who disliked intelligent suggestions. The story of Hang Jebat, the Malay anti-hero who revolted against the unintelligent, brutish, and libidinal Sultan of Melaka is another.

Azly Rahman dr.azly.rahman@gmail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com

Our culture of parliamentary debate has the great potential to evolve from a 'circus' and a Balinese cock-fighting arena to a problem-solving forum, if and when we begin to elect more intelligent, rational, and meaningfully-articulate politicians to represent our constituencies. A lot of time have been wasted on interruptions and name-calling. The rakyat did not vote their representatives only to watch them turn into clowns and crude and crooked characters in the august house -- live on TV and on youtube.

Our society is becoming more intelligent and our imitation of models of development has become more sophisticated, but some of our parliamentarians need to learn how to speak in public and how to talk sense based on a data-driven style of argumentation.

Must we continue to live with news reports concerning parliamentary debates that have representatives call each other "bodoh", "berok", "baboon", "binatang" and other less than human designation, instead of calling upon facts and scientific reasoning to back up national issues that need to be resolved?

Must we tolerate a culture of shouting and yelling and cajoling in sessions that are supposed to be used to deliberate and mediate our most urgent and serious issues involving the social, economic, and political fate of millions of citizens who voted for those into power?

Must we let the culture permeate into our universities, schools, social and cultural institutions, and homes in which this brand of feudalism and ignorance and brute force rule in a half-baked democracy?

Why have parliamentarians who present well-researched issues in the most civil manner been shouted at and interrupted perpetually by those who cannot mount anything substantial other than foul language and a chorus of gangsterish rowdiness?

Why are we still seeing this culture at the time when our parliamentarians are becoming more and more educated either locally or abroad?

What kind of parliamentarians gets voted into power and do those with brutish public speaking skills really represent their constituencies? Or are they now becoming an embarrassment to their electorate and an insult to its intelligence?

I think this name-calling sessions that waste public money and glorify brute and arrogant ways of presenting opinion need to be ended.

But how? What must we do? Where do we begin?

From Srivijaya to Putrajaya

It will probably take decades for this culture of intelligence amongst parliamentarians to evolve. It seems that to teach these people the art of listening while others are talking seem impossible.

Why are these rude parliamentarians called "Yang Berhormat' when they do not even have the necessary intelligence to carry out reasoned and data-driven arguments and when they have not earned the respect of the people?

But there is hope. Human being evolve out of necessity, given the economic and cultural conditions they are in -- and given better education.

We wrongly call brutish politicians "Yang Berhormat". They should be called "Yang Tidak Patut di Hormati".

We cannot immediately change the culture of unreasoned and brutish parliamentary debates. We paid the price for voting those species of parliamentarians into power. This is the disease that this nation has contracted since feudal times; from the brutishness of those who ruled since the times of Srivijaya and Majapahit to the modern times of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.

There have been kings who tried to do their job well, using the power of statecraft-superstition of the "divine rights of kings". And there were those who plundered less and think more and speak less brutishly. But there were only a few, who underwent major transformations like Ashoka or Pericles.

What has developed is the feudal culture that uses brute force when the human intellect began to be challenged in public debates.

The story of the mythical hero Hang Nadim tells us of the brutishness of the feudal brute who disliked intelligent suggestions. The story of Hang Jebat, the Malay anti-hero who revolted against the unintelligent, brutish, and libidinal Sultan of Melaka is another.

The author of Sejarah Melayu, Tun Seri Lanang should have been put to trial today for writing a myth that glorified Hang Tuah as the first Malay laksamana who I think possessed the poorest set of thinking skills. Obviously Hang Tuah was a clever creation to legitimise the continuation of the feudal system with a complex machinery of indoctrination of symbolic and cultural capitalism.

The feudal state has evolved into a post-modern state that hides its system of control into a sophisticated system of "disciplining and punishing".

Be a smarter voter

Rude parliamentarians with substandard intelligence need not be respected. They need to be voted out in the next election, so that the "general will" of the people can proceed with maturity, leaving these mentally decaying parliamentarians behind.

Rude supporters of rude parliamentarians need not be respected en masse either. They will merely continue the intellectual destruction we the Malaysian people are trying to create as culture and as a legacy for our children who are becoming more and more intelligent and idealistic than the generation of rotting parliamentarians who get voted through unethical means.

How might we recognise a Cicero, a Sheikh Kadir Jelani, a Gandhi, a Patrick Henry, a Sun Yat Sen, a Ho Chi Minh, a Che Guevara, a Sukarno, a Vaclav Havel, a John F Kennedy amongst us - leaders who can articulate sense with the power of reason and social imagination?

Here's a test for our would-be parliamentarians:

* Do our parliamentarians read philosophy?
* Can they reason scientifically?
* Can they think holistically?
* Can they understand the complexities of arguments?
* Can they gracefully link one idea to another and understand the deeper meaning of the
themes?
* Can they argue beyond the prison-house of "race and ethnicity" and bring arguments to a
different and more sophisticated level?
* Can they analyse past, present, and future systems of oppression?
* Can they recognise ethics in decision-making and move beyond partisan politics?
* Can they articulate what a utopia of a truly multicultural and ethical nation is, based on the
power of scientific rationality, transcultural ethical system, and social justice that evolve
out of the respect for the human intellect and the freedom to think without being punished
for speaking up?
* Do they read much at all to develop the power of their intellect that will be manifested
through their powerful oratory skills?
* Do they know how to mediate instead of merely aggravate?

A hundred years is not too long for us to have our parliament evolve into a respectable and 'world-class' institution. We must begin to look at what concepts and skills we need in order to educate the younger generation with. We also need to explore what politics mean and what species of politicians we must create.

The first step is to recognise the symptoms of a corrupt political system – how much is spent to put a leader into power.

The higher the office, the more the money is needed, seem to be the political wisdom of the day. Therefore, we now see the total enculturalisation of corruption – from the promotion system in our universities to the presenting of politically-charged 'ang pau' and 'duit hari raya' to children. Must we continue to be a receiver and a giver of these? The voice of conscience within, th e"Other Self" within must answer this, if it is not already corrupted and become soul-less itself.

The postmodern system dictates that billions of ringgit is needed to prepare for the next general election. The network of political-economic control is getting more sophisticated and the system of manipulation of human consciousness is getting more glitzy and savvy.

The wealth of our resource-rich nation is used to maintain political hegemony. The ideological state apparatus is used to shut up citizens who speak up against various forms of injustices.
Political hegemony translates into the control of the educational institutions, so that we may reproduce the brand of arrogance and ignorance desired.

Our public universities are used to shut people up more stylistically and sophisticatedly, using better language of mental domination, using more totalitarian system of educating, utilising authoritarian methods of teaching.

Is there a way we can reboot the system?

It is not how much one knows but how much one has that is becoming a precondition for political success these days. This is how much we have been rotting deep inside the psyche of our political consciousness.

How do we dismantle the system? Is there a way to pull the plug and reboot? What anti-virus programme do we need to clean it up with and to build a firewall against the emergence of newer and more corrupted and virulent leaders who get younger by each general election?

We have created Hang Tuahs and even Hang Jebats who now fly private jets, happily laughing at the nation down below.

We must bring back more Hang Nadims into our parliament who could tell the then Raja of Kota Singa why the swordfish/todaks even attacked the country in the first place; why the emergency-response system was not in place.

And hence – dare we create a more intelligent parliament?
We shall see what will transpire, as new beginnings begin to visit us. As the rakyat with a sacred voice (suara keramat rakyat) , we must remain proud by speaking softly and walking around with our eyes open -- carrying a big stick.
Comments (15)Add Comment
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written by froggy, August 28, 2008 10:01:49
Khairy Jamaludin’s CV - Desperately Seeking New Employment

http://thedandelions.wordpress...a-new-job/
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written by Rainbowseahorse, August 28, 2008 10:18:15
I think you send KJ CV to the Afghan Taliban. I think they are looking for a replacement for that 13 year old girl who, instead of blowing herself up, went to the Peace Keeper Forces for help to remove the bombs strapped around her body.
I think that job is perfectly suited for KJ as it would bring him closer to his God!
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written by teo siew chin, August 28, 2008 10:20:11
"... and walking around with our eyes open -- carrying a big stick."
-------------------

ah yes, indeed!
the rakyat has fallen in-step with YM RPK - our eyes are opened and we are now carrying big sticks! smilies/grin.gif
But YM RPK being the head-honcho, his job is not done yet.

Hopefully the powers that be are now scrambling to 'upgrade'
Let us watch true gladiators battle it out in the arena - no more clowns!
or else we have to kick the circus out of town.
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written by Rainbowseahorse, August 28, 2008 10:20:28
Come to think of it, I think you can include Syed Alba, Nuzri, Najib, Pak Lah...hmmmmmm...what the hell!...sent all of UMNO's ministers' CV to the Taliban for position of "Suicide Bomber". smilies/grin.gif
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written by Rainbowseahorse, August 28, 2008 10:22:01
Sorry Super Admin! I'll come back to comment on your post...it's rather long, you know, and takes a bit of time to digest.
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written by SocratesI, August 28, 2008 10:24:01
Though the job specs fit KJ perfectly, Froggy & Rainbowseahorse, he needs a companion to follow him, and this companion has the best hiding place for explosives !! The person I am referring to is Sai-Fool of course and his hiding place is his rear orifice, and when they detonate the C4 (supplied by NAJIS & Rosmah), they would give new meaning to the term "A PAIN IN THE A**E !!"

A better parliament will only happen when the Massively Corrupt Barisan NAJIS Govt. is toppled and replaced with PAKATAN RAKYAT
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written by smpadayachi, August 28, 2008 10:35:25
Dr. Azly good to see you back, as usual your contributions to Pete's site is always thought provoking. Needless to say Dr. Azly, if every known Malay in the Peninsular as well as in Sabah & Sarawak, tends to take English as something to be the steping stone to one's achievement as life long ambition to learn..I think half the battle is won. There're still countless Malay who are still confined and alienated from having to give English as..bahasa penjajah. I hope everyone makes concerted effort to master the universal language so that no more cheating themselves for Malay only policy. These are my two cents, worth, and no disparaging remarks on the beautiful Malay language.
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written by chiongguo, August 28, 2008 10:51:21

Here's a test for our would-be parliamentarians:



How many great leaders would meet the criteria that you had outlined ? What you had put forth is someone more suited for the academia then in parliament where real issues involving real people are discussed(or supposed to be discussed). The natural corollary of your thesis is that a leader can then be trained. We can then set up a "leadership factory" and the need of the nation in parliament would be met.

Knowledge can be bought or hired. Oratory skills do not come from reading. Great leaders make others believe in their vision not by convincing them but by making them believe that their vision belong to them. When people have such vision they started doing things in that direction without this great leader telling them what to do. Such leaders vibrate their vision and such vibrations are picked up by others around him.

To arrive at this stage doesn't require knowledge, which blocks the development of wisdom. Wisdom can never arise without a kind heart. A kind heart always lead the way. With wisdom one gets to discern that which is not known by senses and knowledge alone. With such discernment comes guidance and clarity of the path and decisions that need to be taken.

I submit that great leaders can never be trained. Training suggests a goal and the path to arrive at. While leadership is an undefinable quality. They are also not borned. There are some basic characteristics of a good leader but these are supportive rather than determinative. A good leader arise from causes and conditions. Most of the time it is from sheer necessity.
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written by chiongguo, August 28, 2008 11:03:00
marcusg wrote and compared how academically the ministers of singapore were and we seem to be impressed by their credentials. I can tell you from personal experiences that many of them have no inkling of what is going on and they will not hesitate to "steal" other people's ideas and proposals and claimed it to be their own. Google "martyn see singapore" and get to know this man's experience. In fact what happened to him had been repeated.

Many of the ministers in singapore did not come up the ranks and many are totally alienated from the people and really do not know or emphatise with the people who were marginalised. I helped out at a food distribution center there and I get to meet some of them and so I am not speaking out of school.

Government is about the people and not about using people - in whatever disguises - to further, promote or sustain oneself in power.
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written by mendela, August 29, 2008 07:35:14
http://themalaysianinsider.com...ry-big-one
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written by Surich, August 29, 2008 09:07:34
Ketuanan ***** morphed as Ketuanan Melayu starting from DR. M...
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written by cahaya, August 29, 2008 09:31:10
Dr Azly Rahman, Thanks for your excellent articles. Very few Malaysians could "pass" your test for would-be parliamentarians. Hopefully, debates in the Dewan will improve when the new government takes office.
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written by densemy, August 30, 2008 14:41:08
"Our society is becoming more intelligent"

That's a debatable statement.

More Malaysians have the opportunity to become exposed to tertiary education
The standard of Tertiary Education is often mediocre so you cant even assume that the society is becoming better educated
When you send non thinking children to a non thinking school and then graduate them from a non thinking university, what can you expect??? Technocrats

What is happening is that more Malaysians are becoming exposed to more freedoms and higher standards and are beginning to ask questions as to why they dont exist here
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written by densemy, August 30, 2008 14:57:27
Someone has got to say it, and it might as well be me

There are very very few Muslims who could fulfill even one of your criteria, let alone all of them
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written by hakuna, August 31, 2008 23:47:03
We wrongly call brutish politicians "Yang Berhormat". They should be called "Yang Tidak Patut di Hormati".

Well said Dr. and the article speaks volumes about our MPs. Some glorify themselves by sexist remarks,thus thinking that their friends on their sides love their antidotes. These idiots fail to see that the rakyat place them there for the welfare of the rakyat and the country and not to be circus clowns.
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