YOURSAY | Lessons on unity from past education system

YOURSAY | ’Anwar must swallow the bitter pill if meaningful reforms are to happen.’

COMMENT | From Kirkby to Kota Bharu to Anwar

6th Generation Immigrant: Former professor in Neurophysiology Dr Zalina Ismail has in her write-up of thoughts and personal experiences, inadvertently revealed that Malaya/Malaysia has gone wrong with all our national policies.

She even pinpointed an exact era and it was not the era of her and her contemporaries.

Her disappointment with our cradle - the education system - of nation-building not only affected just the education system but has transcended across to the civil service, armed forces, judiciary, enforcement agencies and, last but not least, even the quality of lawmakers.

Blame game aside, surely this unfancied result of nation-building could only be pinned against the ruling government's policies - and we had only one government for at least 60 years.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was part and parcel of that delivery system when he was in the ruling government the first time around.

Hopefully, as the new ruling government of today, it's wishful of citizens to assume they know where all the flaws are and to correct them quickly.

Yes indeed, Zalina, I too miss the Malaya/Malaysia of pre-1970 where all things in life were not bound by race, religion and preferential treatment - and even if they all are necessary to implement, they'd be done intelligently without hurting or depriving other fellow citizens - a Robin Hood governing practice - a fair share in nation building too.

Proarte: A source of division in Malaysia is political Islam which Anwar uses to the hilt albeit in a kinder, gentler form.

But the real problem which commentators and the media fail to acknowledge is the subtext of "Ketuanism" in Anwar’s politics. It is opposed to the spirit of the "Kirkby" educational philosophy, which was about uplifting educational standards regardless of class, race or religion - it was decidedly egalitarian, not supremacist.

I would say Anwar’s modus operandi is not dissimilar to the second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak. What we fail to recognise is that if we do not get rid of the hopelessly divisive political ideology of “ketuananism”, we will not be unshackling our nation from its debilitating effects, which prevent us from achieving our true potential.

As a pointed comparison, see what Singapore, which was part of Malaysia until 1965, has achieved in terms of any development index.

Both countries took divergent paths of development. Singapore based it on equality, a zealous fight against corruption, an emphasis on high educational standards for all its citizens, meritocracy, and affirmative action for those in need, such as the “mendaki” programme.

This created a highly efficient and incorruptible civil service, with an emphasis on fostering good race relations and zero tolerance of racial and religious bigotry.

This led to the building of an excellent infrastructure - the results are there for all of us to see and it is the envy of the world.

Malaysia took an unconscionable path of racial and religious supremacy in all aspects of its governance, resulting in a massive brain drain.

This led to a devastating effect on the economy, deteriorating educational standards, endemic corruption in the civil service including the enforcement agencies, racial and religious disharmony and kleptocracy by our leaders.

Anwar has to deal with the root cause of Malaysia's problems and swallow the bitter pill if he wants to bring about meaningful reforms.

This means discarding the racial and religious supremacist ideology in the dustbin of history. Anwar cannot self-righteously talk about preserving Malay privileges even after 60 years of Merdeka, and not deal with the recommendations of the Reid Commission which called for a review of the policy of “privilege” after a 15-year time frame.

The Reid Commission was uncomfortable with the idea of racial privilege.

Cogito Ergo Sum: An excellent walk down memory lane with a view to the future. The hopes and aspirations of the average Malaysian lie on the shoulders of Anwar Ibrahim.

But this road to a better future is littered with so many social potholes created by politicians with narrow and extremist views of how this nation should go forward.

But their vision of “forward” is taking backward steps where divisive policies and cronyism trump equality and a fair go for everybody.

Let’s look forward in the right direction. Thanks, Zalina.

BlueShark1548: What a moving article! It should strike many chords of seniors, especially former students who were taught by Kirkby-trained teachers.

Its contents encapsulate what many who studied in English schools, especially mission schools, felt when our education system shifted its medium of instruction from the English language to Bahasa Malaysia.

Yes, we hope that our education system should emphasise the English language besides Bahasa Malaysia.

Most educational texts and media are in English. How else to acquire more advanced information than to be able to read English well?

We also hope that Anwar's openness to dialogue with PAS would benefit Kelantan and Malaysia as a whole.

The nation should not leave anyone behind as BN did for more than 60 years! We should turn a new leaf under Anwar's leadership and vision.

Madani Malaysia: Thank you Zalina. As someone who entered Standard 1 in 1952, I found your views nostalgic, enlightening and inspiring.

If Malaysia could have retained some of the winning formulas of the 1960s and 1970s especially in education, we would be a different kettle of fish today as a people and a nation.

Singapore started later than us but their winning formula appears to be the retention and refinement of the education system it inherited from the British.

Since the 1980s, Malaysia has taken the road that has led to our present predicament. We are in a mess.

The bigger tragedy is those bent on dividing the nation by race and religion as the way forward.

As for Anwar, many of us have travelled with him through his trials and tribulations over the last 20 years or so believing in him and putting our hopes in him.

This faith and fate have elevated him, bringing us to the crossroad that would decide our future one way or another. We have two contending factions.

One in pursuit of all things that have divided and stagnated us and the other in the direction of unrevealing the past pitfalls and driving us forward as a potent united multi-racial nation.

We are in a precarious situation. I hope the majority will take up your path.

Maya: Let's not talk about the past and be too ecstatic. Many have similar stories, but that's about it.

Talk about the now. Is it not a reflection of the past? Will Anwar and Pakatan Harapan remove the New Economic Policy?

Why were the history books rewritten? Will Anwar revamp the education system?

Anwar thinks he can win over Kelantan, maybe because there is some form of desperation right now. It is a short-term gain.

Once things are sorted out with billions pumped in, I bet the people will go back to their old ways.

All a “syiok sendiri”, short term myopic dream.

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