Let’s walk the talk, Malaysia is our home
AS each Merdeka season approaches, and the topic of patriotism refloats itself while leaders of government and politics refresh us with reminders on what is patriotic and what is not, there is one gaping issue. The training of our young, within and without the precincts of schooling, that we are concerned with.
How do we translate “Setia kepada Raja dan Negara” into a cohesive way of life? Or for that matter Belief in God?
The fact that we have not achieved the requisite maximum dividends of national unity via the Rukunegara must now impel us to think further and deeper.
It is not the ends or the objectives that we question. It is the how and the why – the mechanism of doing things and of course, the relevant reason for doing it.
Perhaps it is time to adopt the long-term approach – via education. Each pillar within the Rukunegara must be well laid out. Every radio, TV station and every newspaper promotes “constructive” patriotism via non-formal channels.
The Rukunegara should be made a compulsory subject in all public service courses, each pillar to be translated into imbued programmes. Its first two ambits – Belief in God and Loyalty to King and Country – necessitate a proper induction of symbolism that should portray the national flag and the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.
Of course, to inculcate this among the young and civil service personnel, we need good, resourceful teacher-instructors, the type who are themselves taught the ropes of high culture that go towards higher meanings of a multiracial society.
Patriotism among the rakyat is a matter that should be imbued by factors not only within the precinct of politics and government but also within the arena of corporate, social milieu.
Sentiments of humanity is involved here, hence the people must experience a sense of oneness and love for the country. The “us” in them has to be felt – and felt positively.
For this we need to return to the basics of high culture, a subject that is unfortunately not taught in our schools and universities. We teach too much of “what I get” instead of what “we give”.
The fact that our teachers are not trained under this bespeaks action of immediacy. Even now, a large segment of parents don’t even allow their children to clean their own classroom toilet bowls.
In Japan, they teach culture of good breeding and positive values for the initial seven years of primary schooling. Pupils learn through practice the value of cleanliness, respect for teachers and the elderly, proper lingual usage in communication, appreciation of culture, music, outdoor elements and all the positives of a decent human life.
Outstanding in all these is the teaching of making theft and lying as hideous aspects of community life. They learn more of “we” than “I”.
The world knows of the Japanese psyche more out of this regime than from any other inductions despite their share of aberrations of World War II. Thanks to their imbued system, school bullies are not part of Japanese educational hazards, to start with.
Naturally, when high culture is taught – in similar pattern as the Japanese system of education does, personal and premises cleanliness will become the order of the day; when items of national significance are learnt at an early age within congenial surroundings, human sight of the world significantly changes for the better. And patriotism comes in naturally.
When the children of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Muruts, Iban, Melanaus, the Orang Ulu and the rest of our Malaysian minorities eat, play and learn together under the melody of Negaraku and the understanding of Rukunegara, there won’t be many areas left for the wild cards to be played.
It is time for our educators to get their act together and forge ahead for a congenial, acceptable high culture module through school, university, youth training, civil service induction and other culture-shaping mechanisms.
Our high culture training has been in the abyss for far too long. Malaysia is our country. It is our home.
We are duty-bound to make life a pleasant hybrid of the future. Even if we are to be taught how to be happy together again, so be it. But we must walk the talk.
When the children of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Muruts, Iban, Melanaus, the Orang Ulu and the rest of our Malaysian minorities eat, play and learn together under the melody of Negaraku and the understanding of Rukunegara, there won’t be many areas left for the wild cards to be played.