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COVER STORY
Towering figures and forgotten heroes People like the former Auditor-General Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin should be held up as role models
by Mustafa K Anuar
In the early 1980s, Malaysians were encouraged to �Look East� to emulate the supposedly good work ethics and other virtues of the industrialised Japanese and Koreans. Not too long after that, the Mahathir administration introduced the notion of Melayu Baru, or New Malay. It was a conscious attempt to prepare a group of Malays to undergo mental and cultural transformation and abandon the feudalism of the old Malay culture in the face of a challenging industrialised, capitalistic world. Looking in the wrong places Recently, as if to suggest the failure of his predecessor in his relentless search for a Malay idol or ideal, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi cajoled the Malay community to look for towering figures within the community who could inspire others. This call appears to be prompted by Abdullah�s apparent frustration with his ethnic community, which is said to be riddled with problems such as money politics, backbiting, and rumour-mongering. If it is true that the search for such towering Malay figures has so far been futile, it is probably because the people concerned have been looking in the wrong places. Perhaps Abdullah and his party colleagues will have to look beyond UMNO and the Malay community as well - for, after all, there are towering figures among many ordinary Malaysians, irrespective of ethnic origin, if we care to look closely. Indeed, the attributes and values that Abdullah spoke of and cherished are universal: high intellect, a high value system, successful careers, good economic standing, and well-respected culture and religion. In multiethnic and multicultural Malaysia, one can and must draw valuable lessons from the experiences and important values of each of the ethnic communities. In doing so, one is nudging society in the direction of the once much-touted ideal of Bangsa Malaysia (Malaysian race). There are hardworking people, for instance, in all of the ethnic communities in Malaysia just as there are intelligent people in these communities who can be a source of human capital and an inspiring example to all Malaysians. These are important attributes especially if they involve people who strive and persevere in a situation where they eventually prevail and succeed with no (or little) state assistance such as scholarships and other facilities. These industrious people should in fact be given recognition by the powers-that-be so that, firstly, they become a shining example for other Malaysians (not just Malays) to emulate and, secondly, their hard work and intelligence is given due recognition, which would encourage them to propel themselves further in the quest for excellence. Also the subtext here is that the hardworking and the intellectually promising should deserve state assistance. More importantly, this kind of recognition can help stem the brain drain out of this country. This effort could involve industry and academia, for example, where talent needs to be nurtured, recognised and duly rewarded and where academic and professional excellence is crucial. Bodek-ing and false smiles Other equally important attributes and values are moral uprightness, critical-thinking and a principle-centred life. A towering figure - whether in industry and academia, as an example again - is someone who is not only intelligent, resourceful and creative, but also sticks to her beliefs and principles even though these may go against the mainstream or status quo. She doesn�t need to bodek or apple-polish her superior as the compliant, pretenders and freeloaders would. The country as a whole would benefit from such people who make principled decisions and take carefully considered actions. Giving views and ideas that are different from the management of a factory or a university should not be erroneously perceived as undermining its authority. If anything, they should be considered as a very useful contribution to knowledge building. In these days of predatory capitalism and money politics, altruism and personal sacrifice for larger goals are rare commodities. People nowadays often enter politics, especially in a political party that has the capacity to flaunt its largesse, with the expectation of financial gain or at least having doors opened to business contracts and opportunities. Put another way, financial clout comes with political power. It is in this context that certain individuals - and especially those working in civil society groups - should be given due recognition by the powers-that-be for their unselfish work for the community at large. A number of these foot soldiers work, for instance, in the plantations, kampongs and urban settlements mainly to help improve the lives of the marginalized, dispossessed and powerless. Indeed, altruism makes a very rare appearance these days. For example, the post-tsunami period witnessed a number of corporate figures appearing with forced smiles on their faces while parading their oversized donation cheques in front of the newspaper and TV cameras. In this instance, one wonders about the hidden motive of some of these corporate figures - were they advertising themselves under the guise of corporate social responsibility? Surely those who work hard solely to pursue selfish interests and self-aggrandisement cannot be considered as towering figures that Malaysia ought to be proud of. Forgotten heroes Abdullah must also get back to his unfinished business. Soon after his anointment as prime minister and prior to the last general election, he had indicated to the public that he was against corruption and was ready to undertake serious cleansing. For starters, corporate figure Eric Chia and junior cabinet minister Kasitah Gaddam were implicated and charged in court for corruption. At that point, one of Abdullah�s ministers, Rais Yatim, declared that there were 18 other prominent individuals whose cases they were looking into. Yet more than a year later, the heat seems to have dissipated � and money politics looms larger. Was all that simply posturing for the March 2004 general election? It is crucial for Abdullah to jump-start this anti-corruption drive for it has direct relevance to his search for towering figures. Fighting corruption goes a long way: it promotes professionalism, staff and cost efficiency, and credibility especially within the government service. It also promotes universal values found in all the major revealed traditions such as moral uprightness and trustworthiness. If we want to come up with an exemplary figure for Malaysians to emulate in the fight against corruption,the name that comes to mind immediately is that of the former Auditor-General, Tan Sri Ahmad Noordin � the epitome of integrity. He exposed many financial abuses and was actively involved in the investigation of the malpractices in the BMF scandal. He campaigned for the Freedom of Information Act. Yet others would be playwright-poet Usman Awang who championed, among other things, the cause of the poor of all ethnic groups while opposition leader Dr Tan Chee Khoon fought for justice and democracy. There was also D R Seenivasagam, the founder-leader of the Peoples Progressive Party which dominated politics in the Kinta Valley. He captured the hearts of the poor by championing their causes, providing free legal aid and freely mixing with them. Nor should our towering individuals be limited to individuals. In the past Aliran honoured the people of Tambunan and the people of Papan for their struggle in the 1980s with the �Malaysian of the Year� Award in 1985. The people of Tambunan in Sabah had stood up against the authoritarian regime of then Sabah chief minister Harris Salleh, who had arbitrarily and suddenly cancelled the status of Tambunan as a district after they had voted for Joseph Pairin Kitingan and rejected the BN Sabah candidate in a by-election. In Papan, just outside Ipoh, the villagers had actively protested against a move to locate a radioactive waste dump just outside their village. Free the media, too! Again, before the general election, Abdullah reminded government leaders and politicians to listen to the people, especially their criticism, in his purported desire to be transparent in governance. If he is serious about this idea, he must free the media so that they can really become the watchdogs of the people and provide the necessary checks and balances in the country�s democratic system. This would also enable the people to have their say in the running of their beloved country. Free and responsible media would make ruling politicians more accountable to the people to the point that they would be reminded of the virtues of humility and the need to perform good deeds for the people. Freedom of expression and of the media is crucial not only to democracy, but also in the endeavour to build a society on a foundation of truth and justice. In such a society, individuals would be nurtured to stand for what they believe in, to make criticisms in the larger interest, and to promote a tradition of intellectual exchange. What�s more, ordinary Malaysians would be empowered to articulate their concerns and aspirations. Said Zahari, the former editor who led the Utusan Melayu strike in 1961 against UMNO�s interference in the newspaper�s editorial independence, deserves a special mention here as far as media freedom is concerned. If the search for towering Malaysians were to be �liberalised�, then we would be able to appreciate the good in many of us Malaysians. Despite the ravages of modern capitalistic living and rapacious politics, there is still a pool of Malaysians who are altruistic, disciplined, principled and loving and whose actions and beliefs can easily leave us humbled and inspired. Please support our work by buying a copy of our print publication, Aliran Monthly, from your nearest news-stand. Better still take out a subscription now. If you prefer to read our web-based edition, please support our work and make a donation. Now e-mail us and tell us what you think. Your comments might be published in the Letters section of our print magazine, Aliran Monthly. | |||||||||||||||
If it is true that the search for such towering Malay figures has so far been futile, it is probably because the people concerned have been looking in the wrong places.
