The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humour, but without folly.
– Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur
I chanced upon this post written by a reader in a national news portal recently on the subject of political arrogance:
“We still find some politicians who don’t realise that voters rejected them because of the rampant corruption and their personal arrogance.
“It’s a wrong strategy to talk big and talk tough when you are small. This tactic is obsolete. More so when they no longer have the influence nor relevance as once they used to. Reason it out with sensibility, facts and humility. Voters will respect you more.”
I am sharing the reader’s comments above because it is relevant to the subject in discussion here.
There are two types of politicians that really put me off – the corrupt and the arrogant. The corrupt ones are just greedy and selfish.
The arrogant politician is a different kettle of fish altogether. Once he holds a position of power, the arrogant politician thinks that he is the most powerful man in the world and what he says and does is never wrong.
He expects others, especially his subordinates to trust all his instructions and he expects them to be acted upon in its totality. Anything less will not do. Such an attitude will eventually turn him into a big bully.
The arrogant politician is probably one who just refuses to understand that in a democratic society, politicians are meant to serve the interests of the people and work towards the common good.
Arrogance can undermine these principles by fostering a sense of entitlement, self-centeredness, and a disregard for the concerns of the public. As a result, it’s generally frowned upon in the realm of politics.
Today, I’m frowning upon the action and words of the Umno Youth leader, Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, in connection with the plans to introduce a new module to teach “40 hadith” in schools.
Akmal is someone whom I know nothing about, save for his arrogance now. So, I have to google the guy.
Akmal is 35, was elected as Umno Youth leader only in March this year, barely five months ago. He is also a first-term state assemblyperson and an Exco member in the state since Nov 2021.
I don’t think an Umno member with such credentials has anything much to shout about. He is not even a minister at federal level but only serves in a small Malacca state, the size of which is no bigger than my home district of Kuching.
The position of Umno Youth chief today is perhaps equivalent, and certainly less respected, to that of the boy scout leader in a big state like Selangor, as far as I’m concerned. Why, doesn’t Akmal know that the public image of his party is now at an all-time low?
Coincidentally, I’ve just written that “Umno is no longer the big brother it once was” in this column recently.
Let me recap these two lines for the benefit of people like the Umno Youth chief.
“I feel it’s really high time for this current crop of Umno leaders to swallow humble pie and discard their “big brother” attitude.
Let me repeat. Those “big brother” days of Umno are over! There are no longer “little brothers” for “big brother” to bully. Faham tak! Live with it!”
So, what did Akmal said that has made me so pissed off with him? It was his arrogance towards non-Malay anxiety regarding the further intrusion of religion into education (with the planned introduction of “Imam Al-Nawawi 40 Hadith” appreciation module in public schools).
Akmal vowed that anyone – friend or foe – must be prepared to face opposition from Umno Youth if they question the plan.
Wow! Does Akmal think that Umno Youth has a huge army to fight its enemies, imagined or otherwise? He talks big and wants to sound like a great defender of his race and religion; and as if he is prepared to die for his beliefs.
Perhaps, Akmal should do a Hishammuddin (Hussein) by flashing a keris in the air, vowing to destroy or kill anyone opposing the party. What were you thinking, Akmal?
I think MCA vice-president Datuk Ti Lian Ker has done the right thing by advising Akmal to have the humility and respect to hear concerns about the government’s plan to roll out the “40 Hadith” appreciation module to public schools.
“(Akmal’s statement) sounds ‘brutish’ and ‘uncouth’ and it is this Umno Youth’s mannerisms that have damaged Umno and BN’s public image in the eyes and minds of the fair-minded Malaysians of all races,” Ti said in a statement.
“Akmal must practise humility and respect for the law and Constitution by allowing concerned parents, religious leaders, NGOs, etc, to seek clarification on the mode, extent, and substance of the module”, the MCA leader added.
As a member of the unity government, the Umno Youth leader should have focussed on the clarification from the government that the new module will only be taught to Muslims and only at Islamic secondary schools, for now.
I hope Akmal and his Umno Youth team have learnt some serious lessons from this unfortunate episode.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
