The care of human life and happiness . . . is the first and only object of good government.
– Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US President
These three interactions define voters’ participation in the strange wilderness of politics. It keeps feeding the enigma despite the noises and voices in Parliament that chronically represent our misguided choices. It’s a predictable self-infliction of anguish.
Robert T. Kiyosaki’s reminder that “you and only you are responsible for your life choices and decisions” ought to clear our conscience, and send a clear message on the perils of cause and effect. Self-guidance certainly helps.
Choices are coerced into the national psyche by the ruling political hegemon via noises and voices that dampens dissent and protest. Something stinks to high heavens when you have to scream, claw and fight for fundamental rights.
The Bar and the Bench ought to take advantage of the so-called doctrine of the separation of powers to create its own choices, noises and voices that have intellectual honesty and potency to the give the Executive constant mind-healing headaches.
Choices, too, like ideas have consequences. Most of them cause unstoppable agony when government controls the levers of noises, voices and choices. The rakyat must lubricate these levers as a civic duty.
PMX’s scorecard paints a dismal picture: failure to shore up the ringgit; prosecute corruption and stop the stokers of hatred and disunity. YDPA announced the honeymoon is over. Bees better watch out.
“Leadership is a choice, not a rank,” advised Simon Sinek. It has fallen on deaf ears. We are led by subjective noises, narcissistic voices instead of objective choices. The calibre of Malaysian leaders is yet to be tested beyond the realms of predictability.
A fascist government forces choices on its people. General Colin Powell reportedly remarked that ‘you cannot make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.’ America would be great again if it followed this simple advice.
Most politicians lack leadership because, as Napoleon Hill observed, “a man of decision cannot be stopped! The man of indecision cannot be started! Take your own choice.” Practical education is a daily chore and a welcome choice.
PMX has to send his aides and advisors for primer sessions in practical leadership. Decision-making should not be controlled by noises, voices and choices of the patently semi-qualified who got elected by equally semi-qualified voters.
Those that promote religious beliefs must discipline themselves to put to practice what is commanded in their scriptures as an act of obeisance. Religious texts underscore tolerance, moderation and obedience that Malaysians must apply for a daily spiritual experience, and not merely as a religious ritual or routine.
Section 505(B) and (C) of the Penal Code are soft slaps on the wrists of certain incendiaries masquerading as upcoming political leaders. Causing fear and alarm, disturbing the public order, or inciting one community against another, frighten away foreign investors.
PMX will face the voters in GE-16. The cancel culture is upon him. He seems under a cloud of indifference with all the negative voices, noises and choices he’s unable to contain. Meanwhile, the Opposition silently guffaws.
PMX and his inner circle must get a copy of How the Mighty Fall, by Jim Collins, where he writes that “every institution is vulnerable, no matter how great, how much you achieved, how far you’ve gone, how much power you garnered . . . you are vulnerable to decline and decay. Anyone can fall and most eventually do.”
The fall is a clear and present danger. PMX has to straighten things up fast and furious. Quit talking. Start performing. You want to lead, then lead. No excuses.
The noises, voices and choices inspired by the 1998 Reformasi ideal seems muffled, mired and maimed by inaction or worse, by making misguided decisions.
Have you noticed that NGOs in Malaysia excel in asking all the right and relevant questions, probe the pertinent issues, propose solutions and recommend reforms? These entities with their voices, noises and choices do so much better than our elected and appointed officials.
The right and proper noises, voices and choices for the public is well summed up in Mark Twain’s immortal admonition: “Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.” Are our leaders listening, caring, deciding and performing?
What legacy will today’s noises, voices and choices leave the next generation? If anything should matter as a yardstick for the purposes of instruction, correction and direction, the Seven Social Sins should:
Wealth without work,
Pleasure without conscience,
Knowledge without character,
Commerce without morality,
Science without humanity,
Worship without sacrifice,
Politics without principle.
Our educational journey, for the young and old alike, must include these Seven Social Sins as a constant travel companion as we journey forward into the mystery and the mastery of life.
Our choices, noises and voices must be stable, strong ang sensible enough to awaken a non-performing government. That is our civic duty as a people unwittingly engaged and involved in nation-building.
Malaysian leaders are psychologically imprisoned in the very walls and cages they themselves created with lacklustre upbringing, training and education. They know it, yet they do nothing.
Malaysia needs a new pathos. Our lethargic literacy-lacking institutions must face prosecution under criminal law. We cannot continue like this. We must awaken from this self-induced stupor.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
