Malaysians need to be agents of change rising above all adversities

Letter to Editor

MALAYSIA is lacking trust deficit because there is no justice and truth spoken or revealed. Nobody trusts nobody individually, and this extends to mistrusting the Government – the very institution governing the country!

Whatever you read, hear and see, Malaysians seem to look at it with scepticism and mistrust. Why have we sunk to this level of quagmire? Who caused the spiralling downward situation?

Is it the Malaysian public or the Government of the day who have been influenced by corrupt politicians? We can continue probing further but it only points to one source – politicians who have weakened the country’s institutions especially on executive and judiciary levels.

This reminds me of the words of late Dr Chuba Okadigbo, a Nigerian philosopher and political scientist. He said, “If you are emotionally attached to your tribe, religion or political leaning to the point that truth and justice become secondary consideration, your education is useless, your exposure is useless if you cannot reason beyond petty sentiments, you are a liability to mankind.”

This quote which has depth and dimensions in wisdom and truth is a gentle reminder to all Malaysians on how we are faring.

There is nothing wrong with belonging to a particular race or tribe as we were not given a choice in the first place. Simply put, we are born into it.

Again, religion can be determined by an individual and is something that is either inherited from their ancestors or is a result of conversion from another faith through independent investigation and personal choice.

There are faiths, beliefs, doctrines and dogmas that accompany us in our fleeting moments in life.

However, if these affiliations and beliefs become primary consideration, truth and justice become secondary, and if this is the case, it is better to not have any religion, racial sentiments or even political leanings which are detrimental to Malaysians.

As the above quote so aptly pointed out, our education, exposure, reasoning and petty sentiments become a liability to our own conscience, thus making us confused and cause us to lose our vision and mission.

Yes, unity in diversity is the divine clarion call that mankind need to abide to. If our loyalty is only for our petty sentiments, how are we going to unite for a greater cause?

As the quote goes, “Truthfulness is the foundation of all virtues” upon which civilisation evolves to be ethical and prosperous.

According to Baha’i writings, “Truthfulness and trustworthiness involve much more than not telling lies; they embody the overarching capacity to discern, value and uphold truth itself.

“Without these spiritual qualities, neither individual nor social progress is possible.

“Justice is vital to the establishment of unity and harmony at all levels of society as it provides the standards by which individual conduct and collective effort are judged.

“A requirement for living a life of service to humanity, then, is constant effort to develop truthfulness, trustworthiness and justice and ensuring that they are ever-present in thought and action.”

In the context of Malaysians, each of us need to reflect and ask ourselves whether we as individuals are a liability or asset to the country by weighing the elements of truthfulness and justice in relation to their sentimentality which may become an antidote to unity.

Be an agent of change rising above all adversities to become a productive and peace-loving Malaysian failing which we become a liability contributing to the weakening of the social and economic fabric in our beloved nation. – Dec 1, 2021

 

K. Tamil Maran (K.T. Maran)
Seremban

The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.

Subscribe and get top news delivered to your Inbox everyday for FREE