Malaysia needs more statesmen, fewer politicians

KUALA LUMPUR: Where local politics and voters are concerned, Malaysia is entering the fourth era. The first was the agrarian era when most of the voters earned a living from agriculture; the second was the industrial era when many voters worked in the various industries; and the third was the services sector, including Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Now comes the fourth era which, in my opinion, rightfully comprises 'happy and satisfied' voters. Elated voters are what we want to see in the social and economic sectors of our country.

Looking back at the outcome of the 14th General Election, I am sure the readers will agree that we are moving away from race and religion-based politics although there are some semblances of it in certain areas or states.

Now we must look into 'delighting the people or voters'. In order to do this, it is vital for our political landscape to change and start producing great statesmen, instead of mere politicians.

The World Book Dictionary defines a politician as "a person who gives much time to political affairs; a person who is experienced in politics". A statesman is defined as "a person who is skilled in the management of public or national affairs". Definition-wise, the difference is subtle but in terms of what they do, there is an enormous difference between a politician and statesman.

To use a simple example, there are thousands of football club managers but very few or none of them can come anywhere near Sir Alex Ferguson, the former Manchester United manager, who was exemplary and outstanding. He not only achieved the objectives of his club but became a person others talk about and want to emulate. His skills, abilities, tactics and styles all point towards making football fans delighted.

We may single out Tunku Abdul Rahman as a statesman who not only gained independence for our nation but managed to create a Malaysia which is very much cherished. His statesmanship qualities were indeed delightful although Malaysia was in the agrarian era then. Tunku's versatility, outlook, views, styles, and approach were accepted by every sector of our society. He moved beyond race and religion to build our proud nation.

We are suffering from a 'drought' of statesmen and experiencing a 'flood' of politicians. It is similar to consuming a diet laden with calories but containing almost no nutritional value.

Statesmen are like vegetables. Many people don't like them but they (vegetables) are good for you. Politicians are like ice cream. Eat too much of it and you will have to worry about the ill effects later.

The founders of this nation were not politicians. Our first and second Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdul Razak, had almost no political experience when they were elected to serve our nation. No experience but they had education, ideas and conviction. Tunku's gregarious nature and charm coupled with Tun Razak's brilliant ideas attained what all the experience in the world could not. They gave us liberty and the most brilliantly devised system of self-government in history.

Simple definitions aside, what is the difference between a statesman and a politician? A politician works with details. A statesman works with ideas. A politician debates over whether to raise the minimum wage by 50 cents instead of 40 cents. A statesman, on the other hand, asks, "If the government has the power to dictate the least I can make, don't they also have the power to dictate the most I can gain?"

A politician debates the cost of a plan. The statesman questions the wisdom of the plan. A politician tells his constituents what he did for them. A statesman does not worry about what he succeeded in doing or can do for his constituents because he is too busy trying to guarantee a future for his constituents' grandchildren.

A politician follows the crowd. He maintains the image of leadership but in reality, he waits to declare a position which he sees is the most likely one to get him re-elected. As former president of the United States Woodrow Wilson once said, "If you think too much about being re-elected, it is very difficult to be worth reelecting."

A statesman, on the other hand, leads. He does not bow to the opposition's 'screeching and wailing'. The statesman says, "Always stand on principle even if you stand alone." I suppose politicians are like hornets and mosquitoes. We may never understand why we have to endure them but they, like the poor, will always be with us. Statesmen are almost like dinosaurs, doomed to extinction if not already extinct. The small (and small-minded) survive and thrive, while the great and noble go by the wayside.

Our amazing nation was founded by statesmen. Such leaders are necessary to preserve that dream. But we don't seem interested in liberty and justice for all. We seem more interested in prescriptions and paychecks for everyone, regardless of who has to foot the bill. Prescription politics is the politics that our politicians are embarking on today.

The problem with our society is that we want babysitters and not leaders. We may gripe, moan and complain about politicians but we continue to ensure their survival. All they have to do is tell us what we want to hear, namely 'prevent crime', 'reduce pollution', 'provide better job opportunities', 'build more schools', and we will vote for them.

Statesmen are people who can deliver the 'delight' to the people who vote for them. This is the type of leader that Malaysia needs. And Malaysia needs many of them.

About the writer: Ravindran Raman Kutty is an award-winning communications practitioner and a fellow of the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia. - Bernama