Valid criticism or simply being rude?

THERE are many Good Samaritans in Malaysia, and in a democracy we need them all. However, these Good Samaritans need to understand the value of the Malay proverb “buat baik berpada pada” (do good in moderation) and also the Prophet Muhammad’s lessons about respect due to a leader.

The Malays also have many proverbs dealing with how to respect an elder or a leader as well as reminders about “memijak kepala” (stepping on the head).

In this week’s column, I would like to remind civil society leaders and personalities to be mindful of not only what comments they make but also what sort of tone they use and in what manner they deliver their words.

If such decorum is not met, then the enemies of tolerance, democratic freedom and compassion will use statements made by these Good Samaritans to signify weakness in the present political leadership and, worse, that non-Malays and non-Muslims are seemingly dictating policies. This, undoubtedly, would be a disaster for the country right now.

The proverb “buat baik berpada pada” to me means that whatever good we try to do, it must be measured carefully within the cultural, social and political context of the situation. One should not just go headlong into doing “good” at all expense.

The Malay expression “memijak kepala” is about the most kurang ajar (rude) and humiliating action or statement aimed at someone in authority, like a parent or a leader. Such actions would be dealt with severely in Malay culture. A parent may disown a child or a leader may order the greatest penalty against someone who acts in this way.

The Prophet Muhammad, as I recall, said you must respect your leader, as found in the chronicles of Imam Muslim and Imam Abu Dawud (RA): “Hear and obey even if a black, ugly, small-headed slave is made your leader.”

My translation of this hadith may not be the best but it is good enough to express what I’m trying to say here, that even though you may disagree with a leader, you must not show total disrespect.

This does not mean that Islam condones followers blindly agreeing with everything a leader says or does simply because that leader is seen as “representing” the Prophet. On the contrary, Muslims are held responsible by Allah for reminding leaders of transgressions – but with the proper decorum and expression.

Here’s an example of what I mean: A recent statement by a Bersih leader that grabbed headlines suggested that the government is on the verge of collapsing if certain reforms it advocates are not made.

When I listened to a recording of the statement, it seemed to me that the journalist had used a more bombastic interpretation of that statement in the written article. But even the most positive interpretation of the statement seems to be that the Bersih leader is holding the government to ransom if certain reforms are not carried out.

Then there was also a personality, who used to be a high-ranking civil servant, berating the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for talking about reforms but delaying them or even not caring about them anymore. I have always said that in life, we want everything instantly, but in politics timing is everything and the context of a situation is also important.

We Malaysians must learn to trust a person based on his past record, his words and his actions within an understanding of the political context, temperature and climate. If we are to be mature citizens, we cannot afford to act like children throwing tantrums just because our Good Samaritan reforms have yet to be carried out.

I can see clearly the mistakes made by such civil society personalities in 2018 that contributed to the fall of the Pakatan Harapan government. Malaysians do not seem to understand how to use true freedom of expression, speech and criticism properly and in good faith.

The actions of these Good Samaritans may influence voters who will determine the course of upcoming elections in six states. These voters – mostly non-Malays – have high hopes of the unity government but are also nervous about it. Spooking them by accusing Anwar of backtracking on or stonewalling the reform agenda may push them over the edge and we will end up with six state governments that comprise a single race and religion, that have a total disregard for the rights and dignity of other Malaysians.

As I have said so many times before, “terlajak perahu boleh diundur tetapi terlajak kata, buruk padahnya (a boat that goes too far can be turned back, but words that go too far will lead to disaster)”, and we may lose the chance to ensure inclusive and progressive governments are voted in at the state elections.

Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at the Tan Sri Omar Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Studies at UCSI University.

The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.