YOURSAY | Do we need more fantasy slogans?

YOURSAY | 'The catchphrase Malaysia Boleh has more meaning.'

Anwar and the inspiration behind ‘madani’

David Dass: I do not want to throw cold water at what is probably a well-meaning attempt to alter the direction our country has taken.

The challenge is to take steps to make these broad values filter down through the people of our society. Many have been subjected to Biro Tata Negara (National Civics Bureau) conditioning for years.

History books have been doctored with the intent of diminishing the role played by non-Malays in the building of this nation.

The New Economic Policy, which was meant to be a plan for all Malaysians, became an instrument to advance one group whilst excluding the rest.

Perceiving the Chinese and Indians as intruders or immigrants or as kaffirs justified the sometimes discriminatory policies of the government or government agencies.

We are a polarised nation. Each race follows a different path. The minorities without their own resources languish.

Leaders often work with business interests to ravage our forests, pollute our environment, and undertake wasteful and extravagant projects. The number of poor people continues to grow.

Let us move away from empty slogans and formulate policies and undertake actions that reflect the values contained in Malaysia Madini.

Perhaps that is the intention. If it is, I apologise.

MS: An aspirational tagline like “Malaysia Madani”, while arguably useful as a policy guide, really serves to brand the politics of the incumbent to give it an exotic gloss, an arabesque veneer of piety, never mind its utter unMalaysian foreignness.

Interestingly, it offers a glimpse into the mindset of its creator and suggests that whatever good it contains in its meaning is totally alien to the local culture, such that there is no equivalent for it in Bahasa Melayu.

And being aspirational, it also points out the harsh and indisputable reality of the country's current state - a bigoted kleptocracy that has embraced and weaponised racial and religious supremacy - now as much a religion as the faith of its adherents.

Whether or not Madani (as defined) will co-exist with Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) and Ketuanan Islam (Islamic supremacy) or slowly displace them is to be seen. Chances are, it will be a case of “manure by any other name will smell as bad”.

Albert Ponniah: Looking at the depth and broadness found in Madani, what better turn of events than its powerful message to reawaken the declining Malaysian civic consciousness on fairness and solidarity, the lack of which has led into darkness in the name of political, and racial and religious singularity society goals.

At last, after all the empty political slogans churned out without depth and meaning, one now comes with the prospect of an everlasting living goal for Malaysians to replace it all.

Let it be seen in all aspects of government and inclusiveness, fair allocation of resources, opportunities in education, employment, ownership, growth, and good prospects for peace and happiness.

Leave aside ready detractors and let us turn towards a true Malaysia for all Malaysians. Congratulations in advance, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and thank you.

Apanama is Back: If this slogan and its implementation use the current resources without any additional funds, I feel this should be fine.

Since the concept seems like a public consultation in drawing up public policies, I need to see how this madani concept will be implemented in the coming weeks and months.

It will be good for Malaysians to get involved in the policies that will have an impact on their daily life.

Therefore, instead of investing in suggestion boxes, it will be better if the consultation and feedback from people are digitalised.

Nowadays, we could just fill up surveys, for example, using Google docs. Need to wait and see more details on the implementation of this concept.

SmartTraveller: We were fed with slogans since the 1980s. There was, Cekap, Bersih dan Amanah (Efficient, Clean, and Trustworthy), then came Islam Hadari  (Civilisational Islam) followed by 1Malaysia and later Keluarga (Family) Malaysia.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s slogan inculcated more inefficiencies, dishonesty, and nepotism.

Former PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Islamic messages incubated religious interpretations, leading to the Green Tsunami, today.

Former PM Najib Abdul Razak’s 1Malaysia gave us rampant kleptocracy in 1MDB.

Former PM Ismail Sabri Yaacob’s Keluarga (Malaysia) garbage saw racial discrimination and speaking to foreign dignitaries in Bahasa Malaysia.

Do we need more fantasy slogans? Our national debt hits RM1.5 trillion today. The catchphrase Malaysia Boleh has more meaning.

Man on Silver Mountain: They always want some tagline, a catch word. What actually is it? A theme? Not wanting to sound negative, it has become so routine and therefore predictable.

A new government will come out with one. Najib’s was 1Malaysia, and he, therefore, become MO1 (Malaysian Official 1).

I don’t know. If they cut this out and instead be more original, just be pragmatic, seen instead of being heard, do instead of just talk, it would be probably just as effective.

Madani. What is it? Reading the article here, it seems to be an Arabic word. Not against Arabic, but can we have a simple Malay word, Bahasa Melayu? Or a simple English, even better to show we want to be abreast with the time.

Hang Babeuf: “Madani” [adjective/descriptive] is cognate with “tamadun” and “din”. A “madani” place is a place of law, lawfulness, lawful regulation, civilisation, civic culture, and civility.

It is to be understood contrastively, meaning in opposition, adjectivally, to “badawi”: to places and traits that are tribal, ungoverned, without formal legal institutions and juridical restraint, without civility or any urban [and urbane] civic culture.

All that said and made clear, it might be wise if he [Anwar] and we all would devise a new, different term to apply here, one not anchored and trapped in this obscure term’s 1990s past and subsequent history.

Yes, this “madani” word is derivatively Arabic and it, therefore, has a certain “cachet” and legitimacy. In “certain quarters”. Or so it is hoped.

But perhaps we need to start again with something else. With a different word, one that better and less obscurely conveys “civility”, well-mannered, decent, compassionate, respectful, mutually respecting, and inclusive.

An outlook or attitude or style of sociability that is “madani” is one based upon an ethos of citizens and common citizenship, one that is based on shared citizenship, on the decent sharing of citizenship.

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