I read Sakmongkol's
The Vicious Cycle of Malaysian Politics, including all the comments posted. Many a times I tend to agree with Sakmongkol, but not this time! Malaysian politics is very unique. We are multi racial and multi religious. We have our own brand of politics and our understanding of politics tend to be very diverse in nature.
If you are born in a family of politicians you tend to take politics in the way your family takes it. In all likelihood, if your family is of the UMNO diehards, your thinking about politics maybe influenced according to the UMNO way. Nevertheless, there are also situations where a person born in the family of UMNO diehards tend to stray and become diehard supporters of Pas and vice versa. And, we also see families with mixtures of political ideologies. Shahrir Samad and Khalid Samad is a classic example. Compare that to Lim Guan Eng/Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh and sons! And, naturally Anwar/Azizah/Nurul and the Sheikh Fathils family of the last era!
Are we to select new generation leaders by way of their family background? Sakmongkol look at it in the light of the Ketua Pemuda UMNO contest between the likelihood of KJ, Khir Toyo and Mukhriz. We know KJ is the son-in-law of Pak Lah (the outgoing PM), Khir is the son of Toyo (an ordinary kampong folk of the Javanese origin) and Mukhriz is of course the son of Tun M (the previous PM).
As Sakmongkol was/is trying to break the Vicious Cycle, he seems to support the contest to between KJ and Khir leaving Mukhriz out. It's here that I tend to disagree with Sakmongkol.
We have a certain system that we have for ages followed in the selection or election of leaders. We have not included the criteria of "breaking the vicious cycle" in our determination of future leaders. To us, ideally, leaders must be selected or elected on the basis of "Let the best man win" and let the process of democracy takes its own cause. Whoever secures the most votes, win, notwithstanding whatever his or her family background. His family background might be of the Pas-diehard-kind but if he secures the most votes in an UMNO contest, he wins and he is the leader nonetheless!
The vicious cycle that should be broken must be, none other than the cycle of MONEY! And, everybody knows what I mean! Can any of the 3 candidates win without the use of money? Will they get any votes if money is not cycling and circling around?
(The picture above has no relevance whatsoever with the article posted)
(p/s. How about circling money when they are busy pocho-pocho!)
Politics is elitist in most places.
ReplyDeleteIn Britain, children of powerful political families are appointed/elected to powerful positions in party, government or business.
Same with Japan, China, America, etc.
Even some cases of "people's revolution" were instigated by factions of the ruling elite, like in Russia.
What we should have is greater meritocracy in the sense that these elites should go through the mill, start from the bottom, perform.
At the same time, capable people should also have access based on merit.
Meritocracy, though cruel sometimes, is probably the most motivating way to get people to put their best efforts.
Other elements must also exist, a culture of curiosity, a belief that one is capable to achieve anything that one puts one's mind/heart/soul to, and a culture that values excellence instead of dengki-ness.
Dengki-ness, not just among Malays, is probably an unavoidable human nature. Yet, it must not be pushed to extreme that the natural order of things are turned around where lineage dictates the social order.