THE CICAK.com

Why I can’t be like Mahathir

By ANDREW LOH

Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad is a great man.

When Mahathir identified a problem, he had no qualms speaking up about it. He would courageously pursue the subject no matter how unpleasant or controversial it was. Proud and defiant, he didn’t give a damn what other people thought of him. All he knew was that he had a dilemma in his hands and that only he had the passion to resolve it. His motto might have very well been: “If someone has to do it, why not I?”

Problem is, why can’t I be like Mahathir?

Before I continue, let me tell you more about the remarkable leader.

Mahathir single-handedly removed the royal veto and immunity from the system of persecution, paving the way for more efficient government and enforcement. He was the mastermind behind the “Buy British Last” campaign and the “Look East Policy,” as reactions to supposed Western neo-colonialism and economic domination.

He spearheaded the phenomenal growth of Malaysia’s economy. During the 1997 Asian economic recession, he defied international pressure by refusing aid from the International Monetary Fund and restructured Malaysia’s economy his own way, leading Malaysia toward recovery sooner than economies that accepted aid. Economists worldwide were left baffled and the world started wondering if Mahathir was right all along after all.

Mahathir was the scourge of the West. A spokesperson for the developing world, he stood up for the repressed and the poor. He was intensely outspoken in his criticism of the West’s own civil rights violations, double standards and hypocrisy. His no-nonsense attitude has earned him a following amongst the developing world and reverence from his fellow Malaysians alike. Mahathir was the voice for the voiceless.

Mahathir was a rebel, a maverick, a non-conformist who did not buckle under pressure.

Unfortunately, he is someone the youth of Malaysia are discouraged to emulate.

Education or obedience training?

The youth of Malaysia are being pressured to conform. They are being taught not to question authority, for the government is always right and acts for the greater good. The few rebels who dare to be different are quickly pushed back in line via a series of psychological and legal threats.

Our perpetually criticised but unchanging education system must take most of the blame. It is common knowledge that our education system is so exam-oriented that what the teacher says is law, and most students learn quickly that Thou Shalt Not Question Thy Inviolate Answer Scheme.

Problems arise in subjective exams like Moral Knowledge, Bahasa Melayu, and English. Some teachers, for the sake of convenience, will not tolerate any answers that deviate from the answer scheme, even if the students had answered with reason. Students who dare to further question the scheme are either berated for being rude, ignored, or blacklisted as troublemakers.

If most students cannot even question exam answers, how are they going to become discerning members of society? Will they question the rampant corruption amongst government servants? Will they question the veil of secrecy that shrouds the distribution of lucrative government projects to some very fortunate individuals? Will they question the abuse of power of some over-zealous officials?

Or will they sit in silence like the good Pavlov’s dogs that they have been trained to be?

Reining in the dogs

The recent amendment to the Universities and Universities Colleges Act also serves to impair youth political awareness.

The amendment grants the higher education minister the power to appoint University Vice Chancellors. These VCs have the sole power to deal with discipline cases of students and staff.

Mahatir also introduced the “aku janji� pledge, which students must swear to abide by before they are formally accepted as freshmen. The pledge sets out strict limitations on political affiliation, political activity and freedom of speech with regard to “sensitive� issues. Transgressions of the “aku janji� pledge are dealt with by the (government-appointed) VC.

In this way the government tightens its control over the student body. Malaysian youths, who will one day inherit and run our country, are discouraged from developing their critical and analytical skills. They are not supposed to discuss important political and social issues for fear that such activity will be at the cost of social harmony and peace.

By simply discussing “sensitive” issues, students run the risk of being detained under the ISA.

But should issues deemed “sensitive” nearly 40 years ago still be “sensitive” enough not to be mentioned at all? It is understandable that the extremely fragile social situation of 1967 required extreme measures. But will Malaysians today really take up arms and beat each other to death if these issues are desensitised? Are we that immature?

Facing up to the facts

Let us ask ourselves: what will all this suppression achieve? Will the silencing of our opinions help develop Malaysia, in any way? Of course, it will make the lives of the authorities much easier, for there will be no public dissent.

But the authorities must realise that ignoring things won’t make them go away.

No matter how unpleasant issues might seem, we have no choice but to confront them head on. Burying them only worsens the situation. Stifling freedom of thought is futile. Throughout history, no matter how hard authorities have tried, they have failed in controlling the minds of their people. The Qing Dynasty tried to burn all Confucian books to regulate freedom of thought. It was short-lived. Nazi Germany fell. Fascist Italy fell. The USSR fell. North Korea will fall. It is only a matter of time.

Only by resolving these issues in a transparent manner can we move on as a nation.

Why can’t the government look at questioning as an essential part of democracy? The public has to be involved in checking and balancing the powers of the three branches of government. The absence of a discerning public is the reason why we have so much governmental abuse today.

Instead of muffling dissent, Malaysia should encourage it. We need creative thinkers and mavericks to speak up for the underprivileged, the voiceless, and to keep the government in check. Something has to be done.

And who will do it? The Mahathirs of the future, whom the government is trying so hard to shut up.

Consider this: if Mahathir was not only thrown out of UMNO for daring to champion his views but also jailed under the ISA, would he still be our Bapa Kemodenan? Will Malaysia be as developed and as prosperous as we are now?

The irony is that Mahatir himself put most of these opinion-censorship policies into place. But why would such a non-conformist on the international stage force his own nation to conform?

If Mahathir can be so outspoken, why can’t I do it too?

“The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the Nation’s greatness, but the men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that questioning is disinterested, for they determine whether we use power or power uses us.”
- John F. Kennedy

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ANDREW LOH is a staff writer for theCICAK.

He is a monstrously biased, rebellious 18-year-old who thinks that young people should rule the world, that Malaysian subtitlists should go for listening and language lessons, and that he is the third Malaysian Idol. Visit his site.