Malaysian Role Models

Yin says that one should not scold the rakyat when they put their hands out for a few ringgit more, because our leaders stuff themselves with ringgits till they come out of their ears…

Yin: It’s alright for prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad to berate the Malays and accuse them of being lazy and untrustworthy, and people with a entitlement or dependency mentality. But he and other leaders are part of the problem. The prevailing Malay mentality was started and encouraged by them to serve their own interests. 

Our leaders lament the lack of English competency, but wasn’t it their chauvinistic and inward-looking education policy that took a country with a high standard of English and a respectable university to what we are now? 

And if he accuses the Malays of being untrustworthy he should ask himself why.

Who are our role models?

South Africa has Nelson Mandela. India, Mahatma Gandhi.

They are not only icons in their own country, but also role models for people all over the world.

There are many others in many fields – football has Marcelo Bielsa; Jazz has Theolonious Monk; philanthropy, Bill Gates and there’s Mother Theresa; Fidel Castro and so on. But let’s stick to Malaysian politics.

When you have an ex-prime minister  who is facing charges for alleged grand theft of the Guinness Book of Records scale, how dare you accuse Malaysians of being corrupt, or Malays of being untrustworthy?

What do I tell the mata2 who angles for ‘minum kopi’ when one of his ex bosses take money from a gambling operation; or a clerk not to ask for incentives when the director gives himself lucrative contracts. What’s the big deal if a purchasing clerk adds RM2 to something he buys, when the minister buys a RM5 screwdriver for RM100,  and he buys in the thousands.

Fish rots from the head they say.  If our leaders cannot be honest, how do you expect the men on the street to be. The government sets the standard for the rest of us. But in Malaysia it’s a case of do what I tell you and not what I do. They come up with empty slogans against corruption or ask the people to be hardworking and so on; but do the opposite.

Najib Abdul Razak and Jho Low are  no less global icons than Mandela (I wonder if icon is the right word). Malaysia Boleh!

Mind you; honesty is not just related to money. Is not trying to pass off as more educated or qualified than you are, not cheating? Whether you are a deputy minister, or a menteri besar to give the impression that you have a degree from a prestigious university or even a degree at all, is right is it?

For this sub-category (icon kecil): My nominations are Marzuki Yahya and Ahmad Faizal Azumu. I leave it to you to choose. All votes must be in by sundown addressed to “Wad 5; The Happy Place”.

Manglish

As to our English . . . 

Our ex Deputy Prime Minister, Ahmad Hamidi, addressed the United Nations in Manglish which left his listeners confused. Unfortunately Manglish is not one of the listed official languages in the United Nations – consequently they could not find a competent translator.  But I am sure Dr Hamidi thought he was speaking English. 

And when you have a Minister of Education who is more concerned with the colour of school shoes and the size of their school bags the bigger and more important issues get ignored.

I don’t get as irritated these days when I hear advertisements which say “Volvo made by Sweden” or see signage at our airports which tells us to “walk this way?” – waggling our bums? If our former, second top man can do it why not us?

My nomination goes to Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as our Malaysian icon for speaking English. 

The word “dependency” gives a different connotation. It implies that one depends on something – in this case help from the government. There is nothing wrong for the poor to depend on the government for help (as different from ‘handouts’) that’s what ‘affirmative action’ is about. A more accurate description  is ‘the mentality of greed’ and entitlement to it. 

UMNO politicians feel it is their entitlement to feed their greed – get contracts; be appointed to lucrative sinecures; directorships of companies; APs and everything else to feed their greed. 

How can one scold the simple rakyat when they put their hands out for a few ringgit more when you stuff yourself with ringgits till they come out of your ears?

My icons for this category goes to . . . UMNOputras and their leaders jointly. 

With role models like these what do you expect the rest of us to be? 

Monkey see monkey do mah! 

And if we think this is something in the past and it won’t happen again; think again. 

It’s not yet one year into this new PH Government and we are already seeing the bad habits return – probably a disease carried by those with UMNO dna who now infest PPBM.

What is the true picture behind the RM2  company for this Reforestation Project. The Perak PH Government has been very quiet about this. 

“Physician heal thyself” so the Bible says; Dr Mahathir you and your government should lead by example. Be the role models Malaysia deserve.

(The video is from You Tube and the photo of Najib is from Malay Mail)