Malaysia's Values are Poisonous
- keloweelee
- Jul 1, 2019
- 5 min read
Warning: Spoilers for Game of Thrones and other movies included.
I jumped into the GoT boat only recently (so I hope I'm not giving out any spoilers and don't receive hate mail). By now I'm sure most of the population has witnessed one of the first (of many) heartbreaking and gory deaths the series has to offer - the beheading of Ned Stark.
He died an honourable men. In fact, some said honour killed that man.
Will we die for the things we believe in?
Values are a set of principles that represent the cognitive processing of a person’s goals which is often trans-situational, abstract and desirable (Schwartz, 1992).
Hacksaw Ridge. A beautiful, tear-jerking, movie. I often forget its name and accidentally splurt out "Ricksaw Bridge" instead, but my horrible memory serves this movie no justice. We get to behold skeletal Andrew Garfield with an accent - but however charming this actor may be, he is nothing in comparison to the true hero who risked his own life and saved 75 men, Desmond Doss, along with the other heroes who fought in the war.
It must have been petrifying, every breath could have been their last, as crowds of men charge towards them. Ready to kill, ready to die in the name of their nation. Kamikaze.
There has been a lot of talk about developing a "value-based education" in Malaysia. This was enforced repeatedly by our PM - Dr. Mahathir, as well as Education Minister, Dr Maszlee.
In the several talks I've been to (physically or online), either one of them shares a story about the Japanese people and how they're very (ridiculously) devoted to their values. "They work hard", announced through the microphone, "so much so that they would kill themselves if they do not perform well".
Some label it bravery, some label it foolishness... to go to war without a weapon.
"I don't know how I'm going to live with myself if I don't stay true to my beliefs"
As a medic stationed in Guam and the Philippines during WW2, his beliefs included the refusal to carry a weapon, he also believed in prayer. He wasn't only defenceless in the battlefield, but his beliefs also led to him being bullied by his fellow brothers. He was belittled, he was seen as weak, he was outcasted. Was he seen as an honourable man whilst at boot camp? Not at all.
Was he an honourable man when he saved people who were hurt - regardless if they were the enemy? Very much so. In fact, he received a Medal of Honour for his contributions.
A 2018 report suggests that Japan is witnessing the highest suicide rate in 30 years. "A tragedy", is what Education Ministry official, Koju Matsubayashi, calls it to be. A tragedy indeed.
They're (values) a set of principles that guides us, it serves as a moral compass in our lives, allows us to judge people or actions. In other words, they're pretty important. Enforcing the right kind of values would then be a step in the right direction. Note: the right kind of values.
Sometimes our brain contradicts itself. There were times in high school where I witnessed people getting bullied, "we're just joking", the bullies would announce. "They're just joking", I told myself. I've grown up now to realise that they were bullies, and I was no less of a bully as a bystander. It makes me feel icky inside. But there are many situations where we "deny" part of ourselves, our beliefs, our values. Do your values mean anything to you? Do they compel you to risk your life for others? We can wear these beliefs and values on our necks, hang them on our rear view mirror - but his comrades only saw him as honourable when Doss risked his life for theirs. Do your actions speak louder than your words?
Speaking of values. Mutual respect. Let me give you an example of what it is not. MACC Chief, Latheefa Koya, was appointed based on a unilateral decision.
"While we uphold the democratic process of checks and balances through the process of a Parliamentary Select Committee, this appointment should be seen as an exceptional circumstance... Corruption in our nation has reached critical proportions, traversing all levels of society... - G25 reported by NST.
Oxymoron. Noun. A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g. faith unfaithful kept him falsely true ).
It has nothing to do with her skills, I believe she is more than competent to fill the role. I'm not necessarily addressing the idea of democracy here either. But was there any respect shown to the cabinet, was there any shown to the people of Malaysia?
This is also a good example of what isn't trustworthiness - because people who are trustworthy keeps promises.
Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan. Keyakinan wujudNya Tuhan sebagai Pencipta alam dan mematuhi seluruhanNya berlandaskan pegangan agama masing-masing selaras dengan Prinsip Rukun Negara.
It's been seven years since I've graduated high school but memorising that moral value over and over again (as required by our then syllabus) has ingrained this definition into my head. It also took me seven years to understand that having the will power to behave according to our values required a lot more than mere memorising.
A recent incident about a girl receiving bruises after a disciplinary session also broke the world wide web. She was being rude, and wasn't very respectful. Neither was the way the teacher punished her over an offensive statement. Neither was the mother when she took matters into her own hands and made it a viral news with her device. Neither were the netizens when hundreds started leaking private information about the mother and daughter.
What is mutual respect? It's when you queue up and wait for your turn to order take-out - even if you're a King.
What does it mean to care? It's when you stop your car to check out if some victims of an accident were okay.
What is kindness? It's when you offer a ride instead of a fine to a family of five riding a motorcycle. It's also when you shield an autistic classmate from the rain by giving her a piggyback.
Values set a standard to judge people and events and it is also used to justify the legitimacy or worth of a person’s actions or choices
So what is this value-based education you speak of?
知らぬが仏
Ignorance is bliss.
Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In M. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology, 25, 1–65. New York: Academic Press.
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