Representation is but silent regress.
– Abhijit Naskar, author and neuroscientist
“The party controls the government and the government controls the society, and there is little room for philosophical or political diversity,” observed Mark R. Levin in his American Marxism. This calls for unmanipulated education designed, structured, fortified and empowered by the underlying necessity of vigorous debate and discussion.
Education since the early 20th century was engineered to indoctrinating young minds. Social engineering policies and programs fell into hands of the likes of John Dewey (1859-1952), an American educational reformer who sculpted and cast education in a permanent death-grip.
Unwanted and unwelcomed Deweyism reached our shores too with social engineering through education and religion being confused with social justice. Party, government and society, as law-abiding promissory notes, must turn to the supreme law of the land for direction, instruction, correction and resurrection. Illustration: the usage of Malay as the National Language of Malaysia.
Article 152(1)(a) and (b) of the Federal Constitution (FC) clearly states that “no person” shall be prohibited or prevented from using, or from teaching or learning any other language other than the Malay language which is the National Language. No discrimination entertained.
Article 161 FC underscores the use of English and native languages in Sabah and Sarawak. Section 17(1) of the Education Act 1996 empowers the minister to exempt educational institutions from using Malay as the main medium of instruction. Section 4 of the National Language Act empowers the Agong to permit the use of English for official purposes as His Majesty may deem fit. Translation: freedom of language.
There should be no angst, uncertainty, doubt or confusion about Malay and other languages as authorised and empowered by the FC and other relevant legislation. As far as the National Language is concerned, party, government and society are to be solely governed by constitutional ramifications, and not political propaganda.
Political parties must face the severe wrath of the law with appropriate punishments when they are adjudged guilty of stoking and fomenting the dying embers of race, language and religion with the constant planting of doubt, hatred and contempt among the semi-educated and semi-conscious.
Education is the key to understand party, government and society. It must not be slanted towards advancing extremist agendas. Education must be based on philosophical and political diversity without fear, fever, fib, fakery, fault or favour.
Educational institutions in Malaysia must be free to create curricula that will aid and assist nation-building. The Federal Constitution offers excellent support for this proposition in Part II, Fundamental Liberties, from Article 5 to Article 13. It lays the only foundation for the synergy and symbiosis necessary for party, government and society.
Sensitive issues exploding and escalating to into inevitable litigation offers the perfect opportunity for the supreme law of the land to be applied bringing the mandates of the Agong and the Minister of Education to qualify, verify, clarify and rectify legislative oversights offered by the Education Act 1996 and/or the National Language Act 1967.
There are any reluctant Malaysian politicians with impeccable educational backgrounds and related experience. An honest politician is not a freak of nature. One with multiple political party affiliations and alliances while maintaining membership allegiance to one only has the makings of a genius sustaining unity, clarity and stability in party, government and society.
Our Agong delivered a masterstroke with his Brother Rulers to offer guidance in the selection of the 10th prime minister. They rose to the occasion to define party, government and society by gutting polarisation. They performed their constitutional duties with no holds barred and no punches pulled.
“The greatest praise government can win is that its citizens know their rights and dare to maintain them,” said the American lawyer Wendell Phillips, deftly defining the nature of party, government and society. The right form and substance, intent, content and extent of education will impel citizens to claim, entrench and maintain their God-given rights. This is the key.
A constant reminder by citizens demanding honest services from their party and government will inevitably produce liberty. Ubi libertas, ibi patria – where is there’s liberty, there is my country.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has earned the trailblazing experience to guide, guard and goad the nation to victory in governance. Bringing party and government to serve society is the highest and only calling in the language of politics.
Malaysian leaders, shakers, and movers can and must come together regardless of party affiliations, subjective sentiments, and petty differences to make Malaysia a haven for socioeconomic and geopolitical stability.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
