I am no lawyer; but claim to be a keen
student of the laws of this nation. Good governance of any nation is
premised upon a framework of democratic institutions which safeguard the
rule of law in Malaysia. Laws exist to support and facilitate the
achievement of good democratic governance.
Unfortunately though for us in Malaysia, the so-called ‘Presidential Party of Malaysia’ and their ketuanan agenda sees theirs as the only privilege of primacy and legitimacy, and regard all else as foreign perpetrators of criminal ideas and ideals; even if espoused within the framework of the rule of law.
How
else can the former and longest serving prime minister of Malaysia
speak with the complete ignorance that he does, and continues to do so?
He recently declared that the Bar Council is a political party. Since
when, and under which law of Malaysia; other than his own idiosyncrasy?
The Bar Council from its inception and until now, even in spite of his 22 years of abusive rule, remains the legal and legitimate body to set and monitor standards of good and correct legal practice and the progress of democratic human rights in Malaysia. No judge, for example, can become one if not already called to the Bar. No one can be called to the Bar if they do not meet some minimum qualifications and practice of law, duly recognised in Malaysia.
So how can the former PM simply say that the Bar Council is a political party? Next, when he feels like it, he will declare that the Church in Malaysia is another political party.
Conceptual clarity in the world of ideas was the hallmark of both Plato and Aristotle. One’s concepts and categories of thought cannot become unclear or confused. There are also various units of analysis, or levels of analytical thinking. For a simple example; there are at least three categories of thought extrapolation in the field of management; the strategic, the technical and the operational.
Most managers at the retail levels of service delivery must have operational capabilities and appreciate the processes of resolution of such issues and problems. That is true for a pharmacy or for a school. The next level of thought extrapolation includes technical competencies but which transcend mere operational concerns. Operations focus on the ‘how to’, whereas the technical looks at the ‘what’ behind the ‘how’.
For example, in a pharmacy, the business manager can sell off-the-shelf medical resolutions, but the law states that only a technically qualified person can be a ‘registered pharmacist’. Only they can prescribe and dispense medications which come under the Poisons Ordinance. Likewise, at the school level, no teacher or school principal can either teach or change the curriculum without explicit agreement of the curriculum division of the Education Ministry without full knowledge of the subject matter.
The third and highest level of thought extrapolation for ordinary humans is called concept skills and abilities. This is the ability we must all learn at the university level of education.
Most training and education systems ensure that, even if one does not have the equivalent of a subject matter degree, they will conduct structured training such that by the time a worker is about 10-15 years of service experience such conceptual and subject matter skills become prevalent with the majority of workers. These conceptually qualified can go on to become general managers and directors of their large and specialised divisions.
Allow me to state one simple example I am familiar with. In the Armed Forces, there is basic training before one becomes both an officer and a gentleman. Usually this is conducted in some kind of post-secondary training equivalent to a diploma.
But, even in the Army, after about 3-5 years of service one has to attend some more basic management training. Then, in another few years before one moves to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, one has to attend training at the Staff College.
Finally, before one becomes a one-star general one has to attend the Defence College training. The staff college prepares one for technical and overview knowledge of army tactics, strategic thinking and related multi-disciplinary content. The Defence College therefore prepares one for conceptual skills related to operations and strategy optimisation within the context of the particular strategies of war and peace.
Therefore, while I have the highest of respect for the man, who is my father’s friend and former prime minister for his contributions of leadership to this country, I have to ask him to pipe down and not to display his brand of ‘ignosis.’
For Malaysia to grow and achieve the quality of democracy and true independence that PM Tunku Abdul Rahman (left)
dreamed of we must become a united Malaysian nation under the rule of
law. We must also envision unity within a context of diversity. Yes, we
must become a Malaysian Malaysia and not just a Malay Malaysia.
Singapore has today achieved much more than Malaysia has in the common time-frame. Of course, our issues are more complex and more complicated but that is no excuse for unclear thinking.
I think Dr Mahathir Mohamad lost much of his clarity of thought after he was challenged by the Musa Hitam and Tunku Razaleigh Hamzah partnership within Umno. That partnership destroyed the older Umno and created a new version 2 Umno Baru which is still without a clear self-identity.
Today, PAS, DAP, PSM, and Gerakan are the only parties in the peninsular, to my mind, that have stayed true to their older founding visions. All others are merely different versions and variations of a Ketuanan Melayu agenda. Such an agenda subtly believes that only a Malay, and not the most qualified person, can become the prime minister of this nation-state.
Dear Mahathir, it is time for you to stop playing your decrepit and out-of-date politics of divide and rule, but instead plan and strategise how to leave a positive legacy for this nation-state to become one, before your time is up.
We can build what I have termed a 1BangsaMalaysia. Yes, the nation-state called Malaysia within one national bangsa, where there is unity, mutual respect and due consideration for the other! This bangsa is a people group and not an ethnicity, and is only one of the hundreds of states that make up the Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu, or United Nations. Comprehend?
The UN Secretary-General thus suggested that Malaysia can become a role model nation for the world. Can you please pick up the telephone and become strategic again in your thinking and problem articulation? Otherwise, you might go to the grave with many people cursing your misdeeds and mis-pronouncements.
May God bless us to become 1BangsaMalaysia.
KJ JOHN was in public service for 29 years. The views expressed here are his personal views and not those of any institution he is involved with. Write to him at kjjohn@ohmsi.net with any feedback or views.
Unfortunately though for us in Malaysia, the so-called ‘Presidential Party of Malaysia’ and their ketuanan agenda sees theirs as the only privilege of primacy and legitimacy, and regard all else as foreign perpetrators of criminal ideas and ideals; even if espoused within the framework of the rule of law.
How
else can the former and longest serving prime minister of Malaysia
speak with the complete ignorance that he does, and continues to do so?
He recently declared that the Bar Council is a political party. Since
when, and under which law of Malaysia; other than his own idiosyncrasy?The Bar Council from its inception and until now, even in spite of his 22 years of abusive rule, remains the legal and legitimate body to set and monitor standards of good and correct legal practice and the progress of democratic human rights in Malaysia. No judge, for example, can become one if not already called to the Bar. No one can be called to the Bar if they do not meet some minimum qualifications and practice of law, duly recognised in Malaysia.
So how can the former PM simply say that the Bar Council is a political party? Next, when he feels like it, he will declare that the Church in Malaysia is another political party.
Conceptual clarity in the world of ideas was the hallmark of both Plato and Aristotle. One’s concepts and categories of thought cannot become unclear or confused. There are also various units of analysis, or levels of analytical thinking. For a simple example; there are at least three categories of thought extrapolation in the field of management; the strategic, the technical and the operational.
Transcending mere operational concerns
Most managers at the retail levels of service delivery must have operational capabilities and appreciate the processes of resolution of such issues and problems. That is true for a pharmacy or for a school. The next level of thought extrapolation includes technical competencies but which transcend mere operational concerns. Operations focus on the ‘how to’, whereas the technical looks at the ‘what’ behind the ‘how’.
For example, in a pharmacy, the business manager can sell off-the-shelf medical resolutions, but the law states that only a technically qualified person can be a ‘registered pharmacist’. Only they can prescribe and dispense medications which come under the Poisons Ordinance. Likewise, at the school level, no teacher or school principal can either teach or change the curriculum without explicit agreement of the curriculum division of the Education Ministry without full knowledge of the subject matter.
The third and highest level of thought extrapolation for ordinary humans is called concept skills and abilities. This is the ability we must all learn at the university level of education.
Most training and education systems ensure that, even if one does not have the equivalent of a subject matter degree, they will conduct structured training such that by the time a worker is about 10-15 years of service experience such conceptual and subject matter skills become prevalent with the majority of workers. These conceptually qualified can go on to become general managers and directors of their large and specialised divisions.
Allow me to state one simple example I am familiar with. In the Armed Forces, there is basic training before one becomes both an officer and a gentleman. Usually this is conducted in some kind of post-secondary training equivalent to a diploma.
But, even in the Army, after about 3-5 years of service one has to attend some more basic management training. Then, in another few years before one moves to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, one has to attend training at the Staff College.
Finally, before one becomes a one-star general one has to attend the Defence College training. The staff college prepares one for technical and overview knowledge of army tactics, strategic thinking and related multi-disciplinary content. The Defence College therefore prepares one for conceptual skills related to operations and strategy optimisation within the context of the particular strategies of war and peace.
Therefore, while I have the highest of respect for the man, who is my father’s friend and former prime minister for his contributions of leadership to this country, I have to ask him to pipe down and not to display his brand of ‘ignosis.’
For Malaysia to grow and achieve the quality of democracy and true independence that PM Tunku Abdul Rahman (left)
dreamed of we must become a united Malaysian nation under the rule of
law. We must also envision unity within a context of diversity. Yes, we
must become a Malaysian Malaysia and not just a Malay Malaysia.Singapore has today achieved much more than Malaysia has in the common time-frame. Of course, our issues are more complex and more complicated but that is no excuse for unclear thinking.
I think Dr Mahathir Mohamad lost much of his clarity of thought after he was challenged by the Musa Hitam and Tunku Razaleigh Hamzah partnership within Umno. That partnership destroyed the older Umno and created a new version 2 Umno Baru which is still without a clear self-identity.
Staying true to older founding visions
Today, PAS, DAP, PSM, and Gerakan are the only parties in the peninsular, to my mind, that have stayed true to their older founding visions. All others are merely different versions and variations of a Ketuanan Melayu agenda. Such an agenda subtly believes that only a Malay, and not the most qualified person, can become the prime minister of this nation-state.
Dear Mahathir, it is time for you to stop playing your decrepit and out-of-date politics of divide and rule, but instead plan and strategise how to leave a positive legacy for this nation-state to become one, before your time is up.
We can build what I have termed a 1BangsaMalaysia. Yes, the nation-state called Malaysia within one national bangsa, where there is unity, mutual respect and due consideration for the other! This bangsa is a people group and not an ethnicity, and is only one of the hundreds of states that make up the Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu, or United Nations. Comprehend?
The UN Secretary-General thus suggested that Malaysia can become a role model nation for the world. Can you please pick up the telephone and become strategic again in your thinking and problem articulation? Otherwise, you might go to the grave with many people cursing your misdeeds and mis-pronouncements.
May God bless us to become 1BangsaMalaysia.
KJ JOHN was in public service for 29 years. The views expressed here are his personal views and not those of any institution he is involved with. Write to him at kjjohn@ohmsi.net with any feedback or views.
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