2010: Sapere aude!

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May Malaysians be blessed with love and pursuit of wisdom by intellectual means and moral self-discipline.

May Malaysian bloggers, the scions of the fourth estate help shape the media into a respectable community, rooted on the basis of reason and consent.

If it may be possible at all, may more Malaysian political parties and their politicians emerge enlightened from their self-imposed immaturity.

Happy 2010 to all!

~BC

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And, here are those useful links to all of the above funny ideas:

1. http://www.philosophynow.org/issue49/49steinbauer.htm
2. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/philosophy
3. http://www.campwood.com/FourthEstate.htm
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_is_Enlightenment%3F

In Malaysia politics, it pays to be clear, be very, very clear

In politics, it doesn’t pay to have an ambiguous stand.

The danger in the inability to align your party stand to your coalition government’s stand will give a perfect ammunition to your political opponents and non-fans.

The poor constituents will be mighty confused and will remember to link these incongruities together with wild juicy stories that does somewhat hurt your image as a believable politician. Think of the wastage of a lot of unnecessary energy and PR fees to dislodge stings from political opponents aplenty in the media, when you could have spent it on outreach campaigns.

Let’s take a look at a very real case, which has been a subject of debate and name callings between a lecturer supporter for SSS (Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua) and a politician who highly support vernacular schools and also happens to be a Deputy Minister of Education for the ruling government which was supposed to uphold the national education system.

My friends like to roll their eyes upwards to heavens for such case of what they call ‘a dumb debate’.

But I digress…

The politician’s party has this item in its aims and objective:

“To preserve and sustain the use and study of the Chinese language,

and to ensure that its use, teaching or learning shall not be prohibited or prevented in the conext of Article 152 of the Malaysian Constitution;

Generally to do all such acts and things not enumerated in the preceding sub-Articles for the well-being of the Party and its members.”

That maybe absolutely the right thing to do before 1957.

But, oi, wake up… it is 2009 now and soon to be 2010.

The generation of Malaysian Chinese today is no longer as scared as their forefathers of workers or coolies herded in by the triads in charge of tin mines.

It is 1Malaysia now.

Why don’t the political party just update or make current its party constitution to fight for a quality education system for all?

For all those who cares for the future of Malaysia in the war of global talents, why not fight to let forth a flotilla of schools to unlock the combination keys to hidden talents yet unable to be achieved by the national and vernacular schooling system? Get out of your cave now.

Malaysia desperately needs schools to unlock talents of multiple intelligences. It just doesn’t work anymore to have a student excel in memorising or vomit out what has been indoctrinated into his/her cave, ooops, brain.

Instead of indulging in mindless debates and dares, why don’t Malaysian Chinese Association take the lead and fight for an education system that will result in specific cognitive abilities that will be sought and cultivated by leaders in the years ahead: the disciplined mind, the synthesizing mind, the creating mind, the respectful mind, and the ethical mind?

Dare you, MCA to break away from your self imposed chains and reach out to 1Malaysians meaningfully before the 13th General Elections?

PKFZ: The barometer of Malaysian government’s vote-ability

Me handphone beeped a text message this morning:

10/12: Former Port Klang Authority General Manager, Datin Paduka OC Phang and two others were arrested over the PKFZ issue. They will be charged in Klang today./The Star

Nice.

Now let us hear from politicians who dare to stand up for principles and accountability to the people of Malaysia.

Other politicians’ voices, please, besides Ong Tee Keat. We already know he has trail blazed the way forward in breaking the iceberg of this huge financial scandal Malaysia can do without.

Anyone else from MCA daring to go against corruption?

Let me hear from others who may have some hidden strength of character undetected by voters. Never, never be shy to promote your beliefs to your real constituents out there. MCA is just a tiny platform for your political relevancy. May I remind you, your BIG target to win over is Malaysians. Orang putih ke, orang hitam ke, orang coklat ke…  doesn’t matter. (I just love this colourful line of Susan Lankaster’s from me favorite Malaysian movie Mekanik. See the youtube clip open at 5:45 – 6:02)

We already have a brave young one from Pemuda UMNO who has asked for force of the law to come down hard on those gluttons nibbling off chunks of the PKFZ gravy train.

Bravo, Khairy Jamaluddin!

If UMNO and MCA keeps on upgrading their level of accountability and adherence to rules of governance, no sane voter will begrudge them the reward of a huge mandate in the next General Election.