MAY 21 — The all-embracing and most-used expression in Malaysia is “Islam and all its values”. Every time our leaders and public officials open their mouths, they will not miss making a reference to religion: everything we do, every word we utter, every policy we make, and every law we have passed must not violate or be inconsistent with Islamic laws and values.
In my school days the values we were taught were universal values — values that humanity by and large accepted as “good” values, and our earlier leaders developed the Rukun Negara as unifying principles for all people of this country.
In the Rukun Negara we are told to believe in good morality; in the sanctity of the Rule of Law and the Constitution; and the respect for the rights of all citizens, among other things.
Today, under the wise leadership of UMNO leaders, Malaysians are told to abandon these values. In place of the Rukun Negara we have Islam and Islamic values. Listening to these leaders and their “Islamic” mantras, it would appear that “being Islamic” (as defined by them) is more important than being human.
Let’s look at their antics in Teluk Intan.
When Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud was selected by the DAP as its candidate for the coming Teluk Intan by-election, the UMNO machinery went into full swing accusing her (among other things) of being a tool of the racist DAP and warning that she would be dumped in the mud one day when the DAP was done “using” her.
UMNO has described her as a traitor willing to sell her “race” by helping the DAP. Some even asked her mother (a member of UMNO) to be sacked from the party.
As a Muslim, I feel ashamed that these virulent attacks on the poor girl are being launched by UMNO. As such, I’d have thought that good Muslim leaders such as Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin would not remain silent.
Unfortunately, that’s what they’ve done. They do not feel it necessary to put a stop to unwarranted personal attacks that have no part in any modern democracy, Islamic or otherwise.
Najib and Muhyiddin should not sit quietly and allow this violent political culture to take centre stage for all the world to see. As leaders of Malaysia and the champions of everything “Islamic”, this political debauchery should be condemned. But they have done nothing.
Are they not ashamed that they are seen to be condoning gutter politics? Are they not embarrassed that Indonesia, a much younger democracy and a much economically poorer Muslim nation, has not found it necessary to resort to personal attacks in its recent political contests? In fact, Indonesians have shown great restraint and political maturity in the way they’ve behaved during their general election.
Their Election Commission is a useful arbiter and referee between competing candidates. The Commission has powers to disqualify any party or candidate engaging in direct personal attacks, which includes the “defamation of any individual, religion, ethnic group, racial group, community, candidates and other electoral contestants” (See Article 86 of Law 8, 2012 on Legislative Elections).
Indonesians have a culture and a history to protect, and democratic elections are not meant as free-for-all avenues to humiliate one’s opponents. Instead, Indonesians are advised to use their good judgment in selecting the leaders of their choice.
To put it simply, Indonesia has progressed in many ways in their quest to build a nation with values all Indonesians share as a people—but in Malaysia, the Malays seem to be going backwards. Perhaps the great success of the New Economic Policy has somehow made Malays “different”.
As a Malay, I feel proud that the young Dyana Sofya has been given the chance to contest and become a Member of Parliament. She will of course have to prove herself, but we should not shame her and her family for making a political choice that she believes in.
Isn’t respect for someone’s choice — respect for another person’s dignity — a human attribute we all must have? I’d have thought that this was what a good Muslim should practise and preach. I am sure it is.
If UMNO thinks that someone in Terengganu has a higher moral value despite his political antics, and that his conduct is consistent with Islam, so be it. But why use Islam as the basis for vilifying Dyana Sofya in Teluk Intan?
I hope the Malays will vote with an understanding of issues and without being influenced by factors irrelevant to deciding who is a better candidate to serve them.
In this, I will say that Datuk Mah Siew Keong of Gerakan is a fine gentleman and has the temperament to be a good leader for a multiracial Malaysia — but his baggage is the Barisan Nasional.
In any case, voters must always be respectful of the candidates and not be blinded by the propaganda of hate and lies. The DAP is not a racist party — if it were, the Registrar of Societies would have deregistered it.
Even if you think that Dyana has made a wrong choice in joining the DAP and not a Malay party, it’s her decision. It does not mean she has “betrayed her race” or sold her soul — there are others who have done that right before our very eyes, and she is not one of them.
Similarly, the Chinese too must vote wisely and vote for Dyana, even if she is Malay, provided they think she can be a good Member of Parliament. The idea that only a leader from your own ethnic background can serve you well is a lie — you just have to look at real democracies to know this.
Leaders come in all ages, colours, shapes, sizes and ideologies, but the criteria of a good leader always remain the same. That’s all that counts.
*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.
