BY PROF DR. MOHD TAJUDDIN MOHD RASDI
Recently I read a columnist running down Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in an article ‘When will Abang Jo’s luck run out?’.
The columnist in an online portal suggested that Abang Jo has nothing but luck on his side because of all the positive things that has happened in Sarawak. Sarawak is now a kingmaker and it also holds the cards to get whatever it wants. I will discuss my points in the context of press freedom and adab (good manners).
Lately, there has been a hue and cry over the idea of press freedom or freedom of speech being checked by the Unity Government led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Critics are quick to point out that it was Anwar and the Reformasi Movement he initiated that had criticised the Mahathir-led BN government for curtailing press freedom and freedom of speech.
I was one of the strongest supporters of the idea of press freedom and freedom of speech but I have always maintained that these must come with adab and sensitivity to a certain context of the issues. For me, as a husband and a father, I have absolute command over my children and wife and can practise 100 per cent freedom to say anything. But I seldom wield that power and choose to be silent or diplomatic most of the time.
I have been aware of the fallout from the idea of a Western style freedom of speech and press freedom. I believe in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad who advised Muslims to guard their tongues from saying things about others that may destroy themselves.
The great intellectual and spiritualist Imam Ghazali listed 25 Bencana Lisan or Disasters of the Tongue in his magnum opus Ihya Ulumuddin. I hold to this teaching that brought me to the concept of ‘adab bila berbicara’ or decorum/respect/dignity in speech.
I am also brought up by the teachings of Islam from the Prophet who said that you must give respect to a leader even though he may come from a different upbringing. This by no means is meant total obedience but according the proper dignity in voicing concerns and issues to a leader.
I notice that several online news portals have no respect for leaders and also practise what I consider an insulting, disrespectful and derogatory sense of editing and writing. I have seen how journalists write news about an issue not sourcing a balanced perspective and I have seen editors allowing total leeway to columnists and content creators to simply and outrightly insult leaders, particularly those not of their race.
I have read insinuations and direct suggestions that ministers, prime ministers are stupid, moronic and simply playing to the gallery. I will explain my rules of writing criticism of policies and statements by personalities of importance.
My first rule of criticism is, to criticise only when I think I can do better than the person, given a chance to be in the same position of a minister, MP or prime minister and within that particular context of political situation. Simply put, would any one of us who have been married for 40 years, raise children listening to some ‘experts’ who have never been married or had children? I will say definitely not.
Yet, I read so many criticisms against the prime minister and ministers but I doubt very much whether the critic would fare any better. The critic would probably drown in a week. Secondly, I would criticise only the statement, action or policies, not the person.
We can never know about a person and can never judge anyone in this world — even our wives after decades of marriage. Only God knows the person. We can only dwell on the issue. Finally, for every criticism there must be a viable and doable solution, if not keep quite saja lah.
According to the writer of ‘When will Abang Jo’s luck run out?’ just read the following excerpts by the author:
“But rather than credit Sarawak’s good fortune to Abang Jo’s skills and abilities, I would say that it is more due to his incredible streak of luck that Sarawak has been very fortunate during Abang Jo’s reign.
Imagine how lacking in abilities you must have been to not be able to go to university after finishing secondary school … despite your father being the YDP of the largest state in the nation …”
First, the writer deemed everything good happening in Sarawak as luck. My first concern with this suggestion is, who in the world is the writer for him to say such a thing?
Has this writer ever headed a political party? Has this writer ever managed a whole country? Has this writer ever experienced negotiating with friendly and unfriendly parties? Zero, I would assume (as I do not know this writer). If someone like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad or Anwar were to say the same thing that the writer said, I would listen. But coming from a ‘zero politician’ like him, susah lah sikit nak percaya.
Secondly, the writer cruelly suggested that the Sarawak leader is inept or has a low IQ or intelligence judging from his background. My fellow Malaysians, I have a PhD and authored thousands of writings and I will tell you that if you offered me the post of Prime Minister or Premier, I would say cari orang lain lah. I could not do it.
Being a leader is not about university degrees or academic intelligence. The Prophet Muhammad was illiterate. He could not read nor write. And yet he had wisdom. Wisdom and leadership come from character, values and perspectives learned from reflection, reading and experience. I have seen so many leaders with university degrees insult the rakyat, rob the rakyat, lie to the rakyat and are just simply selfish.
The most terrible statement I have ever read in my 25 years of writing for the public are the words that the writer had started with in his opinion piece as follows:
“They say if a saint blesses you, good fortune will follow.
Going by that logic, I suppose that when a sinner like Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has bestowed high praise on Abang Johari recently, Abang Jo’s seven-year streak of good fortune should be coming to an end in the not-too-distant future.”
The writer called Zahid a ‘sinner’. Jesus had said let he who has no sin cast the first stone. In the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, only Allah knows the hearts of man and only He is fit to judge.
Even if ustazs, muftis and political leaders in religious parties declared someone a sinner, I do not support their practice and way of Islam. The writer judges people and persons as a whole as if he was God Himself, it seems.
I have learned that in judging others, we judge ourselves and also open ourselves to be judged by others in turn. Speaking of the corruption cases that Zahid may be guilty of as a sin is acceptable, but calling persons as sinners is something I never practise.
Finally, I would like to take issue with the news portal. Is this the kind of press freedom that we want as a nation? A freedom to write freely in a news portal granted a licence so as to destroy our value system of kesopanan dan kesusilaan?
Try looking up that word kesusilaan, why don’t you? Or is your Bahasa Malaysia not so good … ah? Well look up this peribahasa while you are at it ‘terlajah perahu boleh diundur, terlajak kata buruk padahnya’.
My fellow citizens, as they say, we are what we eat but it is also true that we are what we say of others or be allowed to say about others.
- Prof Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is a Professor of Islamic Architecture at UCSI University.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
