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Showing posts with label 'Maju' together for true Merdeka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 'Maju' together for true Merdeka. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Dear Malaysia, stop the corrupt policies of absolute powers that corrupt absolutely !

 

 

 

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AOTan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO

 

Dear Malaysia - Wednesday, 31 Aug 2022

This year, we mark our 65th National Day and 59th Malaysia Day. I would like to take this opportunity to continue the conversation we started last year by penning some thoughts on our beloved nation.

We live in a time of extreme uncertainty. Even as Malaysia and the world transition into the endemic phase, Covid-19 still poses a threat. Tensions between the United States and China have escalated, while the war in Ukraine has disrupted global supply chains.

Inflation is soaring and the widening income inequality is reversing decades of hard-earned progress.

Given these global headwinds, it is even more pertinent that we as Malaysians get our act together, fast, if we are to overcome these challenges

We have to take a hard look at where we are today, where we want to go and how we intend to get there.

Let me highlight some positive developments that have happened over the past 12 months.

For example, the historic memorandum of understanding (MoU) that was signed by the Prime Minister and the Pakatan Harapan opposition coalition is beginning to bear fruit in terms of reforming our political system.

The anti-party hopping law has been gazetted. A political financing bill will soon be tabled. Parliament is growing in independence as it plays its check-and-balance role.

But even more crucial is the out-of-the-box thinking that led to the MoU and introduced the concept of “compete and collaborate” into our political system. It provided a sense of stability that greatly helped the governance of the country. We need more such ideas in order to move forward.

The government did well to cushion the harshest impact of the rising cost of living for Malaysians, especially for those in the B40 category.

But it has come at a huge and, clearly, unsustainable cost: almost RM80bil in subsidies.

While these stop-gap measures have provided temporary aid, what we really need is a set of cohesive, coherent and coordinated long-term policies that can raise productivity levels and the rakyat’s income.

In the words of the late Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they are falling in.”

However, like many of my fellow Malaysians, I worry that some in power appear to be more focused on politics, rather than policies.

We are all aware of the obstacles we face in trying to build a brighter, more progressive, more inclusive and more sustainable future for our country.

Let me share some of them. It is crucial that we acknowledge the pressing need to strengthen our national unity. Our diversity is a strength that enriches us as a nation, not something that divides us.

We must all do what we can to clean up the toxicity that influences our conversations on race, religion and culture.

And then, there is education. It is no secret that our education system needs a massive overhaul. Unless we urgently address this challenge, we will doom our children and our country to a future of poverty and misery.

In a globalised world, the competition our children face will come not just from the student at the next desk, but from far beyond our borders.

In this context, I am concerned to learn that the command of English among young Malaysians is on the decline.

Obviously, Bahasa Malaysia is our national language and we should know it, but we are a trading nation and English is the language of trade and commerce. A lack of fluency in English may well pose a major hurdle in our efforts to build a prosperous Malaysia.

In fact, the more languages we are fluent in, the more opportunities we can explore in this globalised world.

The perception is that corruption has now become endemic in this country. I do not need to go into specific details. You are all aware of the issues and the scandals. Unless we seriously root out corruption, we are in trouble.

Like how cancer attacks a body from within, corruption is a disease that can destroy a country and a society from the inside out.

Allowing corruption to go unchecked is like injecting poison into a body. Corruption is a two-way street involving a giver and a taker.

Battling it will require not only strong laws implemented without fear or favour, but also a change in mindset and culture among all of us. How exactly do we achieve this?

The recent decisions by the courts on corruption cases have sparked hope. The judiciary’s upholding of its institutional integrity is a huge step forward in this war against corruption.

Let us bear in mind that even as we address these political and socio-economic issues, we do so at a time when climate change threatens the very survival of humanity.

Implementing the sustainable development agenda is no longer an option, but an urgent imperative.

The path has already been charted for us. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, lay out a holistic and comprehensive roadmap.

But realising the 17 SDGs is not the role of governments alone.

It requires the commitment of every element of society – the private sector, academia, civil society and every single one of us.

We are all in this together.

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO

A concerned citizen of Malaysia 

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Dear Malaysia - Tuesday, 31 Aug 2021

 

 My fellow Malaysians

As a third-generation Malaysian of Chinese heritage who was raised in Pusing, Perak, and an entrepreneur who owes a great debt of gratitude to my country for the opportunities it has given me, I would like to share some thoughts on building a more progressive, inclusive and sustainable future for all under the Malaysian sun.

We wake up today marking our 64th National Day and, soon, will mark our 58th Malaysia Day on Sept 16.

Notice that I said “mark” and not “celebrate.” The reason is obvious: more than 15,000 Malaysian lives lost to Covid-19; more than 1.6 million of our Malaysian family infected; millions more reeling from the impact to their livelihoods; a rising number of Malaysians taking their own lives due largely to factors associated with the pandemic; schools closed; and lockdowns, masks and physical distancing.

And to add to our troubles, a political crisis that has witnessed Malaysia having three prime ministers in three years.

I do not need to dwell on the details. We are all only too aware of the grim reality.

Malaysia is at a tipping point, which some may even liken to what happened on May 13, 1969. However, while May 13 posed a threat to the very existence of what was a much younger Malaysia, the crisis sparked by the pandemic is of a very different nature.

The only similarity, in my view, is that once again it is up to us to decide on how we overcome the challenge – an opportunity to take a hard look at where we are today as a nation, where we want to go, and how we get there. In short, we need to have a national conversation within our Malaysian family based on civility and mutual respect.

My fellow Malaysians

Let’s begin with a discussion on how we can eradicate the virus of racism in our society. Let us acknowledge that Malaysia’s rich diversity of races, ethnicities, cultures, religions and even cuisines is a strength for us to leverage, not a barrier that divides us. Let us break down these walls between us.

In this respect, the one silver lining that gives me hope amidst these dark days is witnessing how Malaysians are rising above race and religious lines to help not just their neighbours but even total strangers in their time of need.

That this outreach is driven largely by civil society groups comprising young people of all races indicates to me that perhaps the current generation is moving beyond the “us-versus-them” mentality that has dominated much of our lives over the past four decades or so.

Let us also use this opportunity to discuss the reforms we need to put in place to build the Malaysia that each and everyone of us wants. The post-May 13 blueprint may have served its purpose back then, although my personal opinion is that while the policies were drawn up with good intentions, the implementation went somewhat off-track soon after.

But that was a different time. We cannot overcome the challenges of the Digital Age using analogue mind-sets. We now have an opportunity to thoroughly re-examine the various factors that define our daily lives.

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO 
Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO

They include, for instance, the economy: How do we promote an economy based on innovation, digital tools, competition and meritocracy, one where “know-how” matters more than “know who”?

Then there is education. It is obvious that our current education system is failing our children. We need to urgently re-examine how we teach, what we teach and even where we teach. In a globalised world, our children face competition not just from the student at the next desk, but from those far beyond our borders. If we do not prepare them correctly, we doom them and our country to a bleak and poverty-ridden future.

Let’s move on next to governance. Restoring the integrity of our institutions is of fundamental importance. I do not want to sound like an old uncle always talking about how much better it was in the old days. But the fact remains that there was a time when Malaysia was held in high esteem internationally for a judiciary noted for its independence and integrity, the efficiency of our civil service, the provision of public healthcare and a Parliament that sought to play its role as a check and balance on the Executive.

And then there is the issue of corruption. Need I say more? Unless we seriously root out corruption, we are in trouble. I am not naive enough to believe that we can eradicate corruption completely. No country has done so. But we must, at the very least, reduce it from a cancer in society to just a sore thumb.

Corruption, of course, is a two-way street involving a giver and a taker. Battling it will require not only strong laws implemented without fear or favour, but also a change in mind-set and culture among all of us. How exactly do we achieve this?

The recent accord reached between our Prime Minister and leaders of the Pakatan Harapan opposition on these issues, if followed through, offers hope that we may once again restore pride in our institutions and progress as a nation.

My fellow Malaysians

We began our journey in 1957 with hopes and aspirations. We suffered the tragedy of May 13 even before Malaysia had reached its teens. The nation matured in its adulthood in the years that followed. The country is now past its middle age – a time when hard-earned experience and wisdom can be our guide.

I believe that all of us as individuals must have a higher purpose in life. For me, that higher purpose is a commitment to nation-building and to giving back to society.

An optimist by nature, I have a deep faith this higher purpose is also shared by all of you and that together, we can overcome the challenges we face and build a Malaysia that our children can be proud of.

In this effort, we should all be guided by our Rukun Negara, which represents the soul of our nation.

As it says on our national motto: Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu. Loosely translated as “Unity is Strength.”

We are all in this together.

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr Jeffrey Cheah AO

A concerned citizen of Malaysia 

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Sunday, September 1, 2019

'Maju' together for true Merdeka

Collective responsibility: We need to sacrifice for the good of society so that the next generation can have a better life.

YESTERDAY I read a heart-wrenching piece by one of our towering Malays in academia, Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi, entitled A meaningless Merdeka”, where he laments on the sliding down state of the nation and our failing society. His utter despondency on the futility of trying to save our beloved Malaysia in a climate where in his words, “"peddler of religious capitalism comes to this country blaring insults... and ministers have dinners with him”" and "“Old Malaysia has just been given a new lease of life by a heart bypass”", seem like the norm today among the real thinking-class of Malaysia. His article hit every point like a nail-gun to the head.

Tajuddin was scathing and uncompromising in his words. I quote – "Malaysia is on a certain road of destruction…" and he continues with this damning pronouncement – " I can definitely say that Malaysia is a failure".

If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that the failure that is Malaysia is ours. You and me. Not someone else's. We collectively failed. We did not do enough, and we did not do it early enough to right the wrongs. We did not do say no and stop when we should have.

We cannot blame politicians for being politicians. We cannot blame religious charlatans for being charlatans. We cannot blame opportunists and extremists to do what they do. They will do what they do because we allow them to and today we reap what we sow.

The fact is Malaysians have had it good. We got our Independence when the British Empire was in decline, washed up after two world wars and really wanted out. Even when we fought the communists the British were still here helping us along the way. In no way does that diminish the contributions of our heroes but we, as a society, never needed to see the prolonged cruelty, bloodshed and loss of a war for independence. Indonesia did. India did, a war of attrition like no other. We just did not.

We let others do the “fighting” for us and they managed to get it as best they could, and we continue to make a living from this natural paradise called Malaysia. We compromise our ideals because "let'’s not make waves and hurt our rice-bowl".

Well, more and more of our rice bowl is being taken away and more and more of our opportunity and dignity are being crushed because we didn't want to stand and be counted for what is right. Lo and behold, those that we left to do the fighting for us are the ones that seem to be taking them away and giving them to those who are making the most noise. Am I right or am I right?

Because we are selfish. We just care about what happens to us and not to those around us. We don'’t have the tradition of sacrificing for the good of society so that the next generation can have a better life or building a better society because we never needed to really fight for it.

Ours is – let me take care of me and mine, and then we blame others for the loss that we must face. Ladies and gentlemen, human beings are inherently selfish if you allow them to be.

Less than 50 years ago, the blacks in America had to adopt Ghandian civil disobedience, march together with liberal whites for years and years just so they can vote, go to schools and universities together. They were beaten, some to their deaths. Their leaders were shot and killed.The blacks in America had to adopt Ghandian civil disobedience, march together with liberal whites for years and years less than 50 years ago just so they can vote, go to schools and universities together. They were beaten, some to their deaths. Their leaders were shot and killed.

From ground up: Only a few Malayans had to take arms in the nation's struggle for freedom, like these local women who joined the Malayan Home Guard troops during the height of the Malayan Emergency in the 1950s. - National Archive
What have Malaysians done to achieve equality in the last 60 years? Really, what? What have we done? I tell you what, we worked and sent our children away and abandoned the only place we know as our homes. We abandoned our less fortunate friends and families, that is what we did.

We complained at home and we kept quiet outside of our home. We allow the violence that was May 13 to shut all of us up and every truth was swept under the carpet. And we wonder why we are today, instead of living in a more equitable society, worse off and less equal. While the politicians live in luxury, and the religious charlatans and extremists roam free. Tepuk dada tanyalah selera.(To each his own.) This Merdeka, one year past the euphoria of May 9, again I say, I am convinced more than ever, that looking at politicians will not be the answer to the salvation of this nation. I believe the salvation for Malaysia will come from a class of citizens who, despite the prejudiced environment and the institutionalised discrimination we must live in, see the world for what it could be rather than what it is now.

These are the people who have decided that they are going to make the necessary changes to obliterate these divisions in their private and public lives. These people are the moderates, the liberals and the progressive thinking individuals, cutting across all racial and religious lines.

If you are one of these individuals then MAJU (Malaysian Action, Justice and Unity Foundation) is where we will organise and change Malaysia. Imagine a million such people under a wide tent, literally putting their names behind the movement. Imagine the resources at our disposal and the decibels of our collective voice under this one banner. We can change Malaysia.

This is how we change our society. We cannot wait for others to agree with us. We cannot expect politicians and elected officials to lead us. We must be the ones to take the initiative and mobilise and show a different narrative for this nation.

We must show the narrative of what it means to live in a society where freedom of religion is real, not where you say there is freedom and yet you stop others from exercising theirs. A narrative where Islam is kind and compassionate, and not dogmatic and judgmental. We must show how we can build a science-centric society that will take Malaysia to the next level.

We must change draconian and cruel laws. We must have laws that protect the weak and the marginalised instead of continually having our weakest sacrificed at the altar of commercial interests. We must make our society fair and equitable for all without regard for race or religion. That is the beauty of democracy. It is meant to perfect a better union. Do not wait until democracy is usurped and theocracy reigns in Malaysia.

It is imperative that progressives, moderates and liberals of Malaysia organise. We must be bold in our vision but we must conduct activism within the limits of what the law provides; and that is what standing on a platform together as citizens afford us.

We intend to change how civil liberties and humanitarian concerns are addressed, not on piece-meal basis but over an encompassing agenda. To do that we need the weight of numbers of our citizens behind us. You need to stand and be counted. You can no longer be anonymous. We must have the courage of our convictions. And with that we can even change the face of politics and political discourse in Malaysia. Time is not on our side. We must have a sense of urgency. Come with me and let’s build a progressive tent no one could ever dream of in Malaysia. Let us MAJU together and truly MERDEKA.
Siti Kasim
The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sunday Star.  Source link




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