EDUCATION is a two-way thing. It is not the education system in schools or universities where the teachers and lecturers educate students.
In universities, a good lecturer will always welcome feedback from the students. Feedback from students is important in terms of enhancing the overall process of education.
However, when it comes to society, the government should not pretend it has all answers to the societal problems.
In this regard, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PMX) should not pretend he has all the answers to what ails the society.
The government has power to exercise authority but authority is no indication that knowledge is imbedded in it.
Anwar was upset that the opposition does not understand the economic issues faced by the country, the result of which confusion and misunderstanding arise. Therefore, Anwar wants to clear this confusion by wanting to educate the opposition.
More rhetoric over reforms
However, to date, he has not pointed out the instances where the opposition has gone wrong. It will be desirable for Anwar to pinpoint exactly where the opposition has gone wrong before he could suggest that they be educated.
Anwar might be the PM of the country surrounded by experts and advisors on various matters. However, even with such an access, Anwar cannot pretend that he is the incarnation of knowledge.
Having power does not necessarily translate to having knowledge and understanding. Alternatively, rather than wanting to educate the opposition, Anwar should find out whether his ministers and deputy ministers are knowledgeable about their respective areas of focus.
Shouldn’t he take the time to find out whether the ministers are doing their respective jobs assigned to them?
Lately, there have been instances of ministers and their deputies not discharging their given responsibilities. Why bother about the opposition when the Madani government ministers are not performing well?
Anwar thinks that he is a great philosopher without realising that in slightly more than a year as PM, he has not shown any leadership mettle in managing the affairs of the nation.
The country is more divided now more than before. The reforms promised when Anwar was in the opposition have all withered away. If at all there are talks of reforms, they are more in the realm of rhetoric and political propaganda.
No sense of direction
Essentially, reforms are dead under the Madani government. Government leaders who once used to criticise the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration for the wrongs done are repeating them.
It appears that leaders of the Madani government are the ones who should be educated rather than the opposition.
The opposition is just doing the things that the opposition should do – to keep the government in checks and balances.
Despite all his earlier promises, Anwar has proven to be an ordinary ethnic politician interested in power and position.
This would explain why reforms have been all forgotten. Anwar knows to stay in power for at least the remainder of the term, he cannot do extraordinary things.
All he has do apart from saying different things to different audiences is to maintain and reinforce the ethnic and religious divide. By so doing, Anwar wants to retire as a PM by having survived one political term.
It is not about Anwar educating the opposition for there is no pressing need to do so. Even if Anwar wants to educate the opposition, he simply lacks the credibility and vision for the opposition to take his lectures seriously.
Anwar is a big pretender who likes to show off the kinds of books he reads. Unfortunately, I don’t even see the remotest link between the book Until August and Coleridge’s poem the Ancient Mariner. – May 9, 2024
Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Images credit: Anwar Ibrahim Facebook
