Thesun 2009-06-09 Page13 Whats Wrong With Asking Questions

theSun

13

| TUESDAY JUNE 9 2009

speak up!

What’s wrong with asking questions? Scene: Pavilions Court, Kuala Lumpur CHONG: Young people were there, Cikgu? I thought the annual Asia-Pacific Roundtable usually focuses on regional security issues, serious issues which young people are not interested in. So, how come young people were there. Zain: I think we are wrong in assuming that young people are not interested in serious matters. I think it was a great idea to invite young people to present their perspectives of things. Chong: But peace and security issues have always been discussed by senior people, those who have been in the business for a long time. Zain: Some of their perspectives on certain subjects have remained unchanged for a long time. Perhaps that’s the reason why the situation has not improved. The young are different. They would not hesitate to describe a perspective as passé, a French word whose meaning is similar to the Malay word basi. Yet these seniors think they are right. They know better. Haven’t they eaten more salt! Chong: Thus they are the ones making decisions. The rest of us have to accept them without question. But how come you were at the roundtable discussions, Cikgu? Zain: Azman managed to squeeze an invitation for me from the organisers. Somehow he managed to convince the organisers to let me in as an observer free of charge.

Chong: And Mohan? Zain: To me it is good that the Mohan: My law firm paid young are asking a lot of questions for me to be there. Yes, I agree these days. To them old and what with you Cikgu that young others consider as established people can provide fresh perideas should not be taken for spectives to some outstanding granted. They should be examined issues. They see things in a diffor their present worth. If they are ferent light. One young panellist no longer relevant and probably said that government and the even a hindrance to progress they military are not sole actors to should just be dumped. These inguarantee a nation’s security. cludes traditions and conventions. Outrageous, said a senior govWhen there is no longer a need for WhatTheySay ernment official in the audience them they should go. by Zainon Ahmad to his friend. Nothing is sacred and nothing is Azman: One Singaporean written in stone. Even the constituthink tanker began his presentation in one tion. For instance at the rate the Thais are of the sessions by saying that it was strange saying critical things about the monarchy I for him to be talking about democracy when wonder whether certain provisions in the he wasn’t sure whether Singapore actually country’s constitution shielding the royal wants democracy. My neighbour in the audifamily would not be amended shortly. ence, a young Singaporean, whispered to me Azman: Is it true that Thais write a new “that’s what he thinks.” constitution every time they no longer think Zain: Young people think differently esthe old one is good enough for them? pecially those who chat on the Internet with Mohan: True but not that way. Yes, they nationals – young ones, of course – from have had a few constitutions already. So you other countries. One young participant told see the questioning is happening everywhere me that the Israel is finding it difficult to get and not just in Malaysia. Why should this be young people to join the army these day bethis way and why should that be that way? cause they don’t want to shoot Palestinians. Chong: But Malays don’t question. Azman: Another participant told me of Zain: Not anymore, Chong. For instance a Pakistani youth who told his Indian friend young Malays of southern Thailand are on the Internet that he could not understand questioning efforts to assimilate them into why their people should be killing each other the larger Thai society. They want to be Thai over Kashmir. nationals but they want to be recognised as

letters

USM explains shortlists

[email protected]

Yeop Mahidin, our forgotten hero

I

F most Malaysians don’t know who Yeop Mahidin is, don’t blame them for there is not a single book available to highlight his daring deeds in fighting the communist terrorists. My brief check shows that there is nothing in the National Library, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, the Malaysian Historical Society and the book stores Like others, I, too, was ignorant until I read the book The War of the Running Dogs by Noel Barber. It gives a restricted write-up of Yeop Mahidin’s battle against his hardcore communist cousin Abdullah C.D and his attempts to prevent the Malays from falling for the communist ideology. When the communists were burning buildings and killing people in Pahang, concerned kampung folk approached the Sultan of Pahang to appoint someone to counter the spreading communist violence

According to the book, the caring sultan came to their rescue by appointing his secretary Yeop Mahidin, a fearless fighter who had escaped from Malaya to India when the Japanese invaded Malaya. There he joined Force 136 and was parachuted back to Malaya to fight the communist terrorists. Yeop Mahidin, it seems, formed a group of bodyguards called Vagabonds and later formed the Pahang Kampung Guards which stood by him and fought the terrorists for eleven years. Before the end of the emergency, he had 26,000 loyal guards under his command. It may be safe to conclude that Yeop Mahidin succeeded in preventing the Pahang Malays from coming under communist influence and getting others to surrender. His noble aim was to rehabilitate them to be good citizens instead of jailing them. Yeop Mahidin was awarded the M.B.E. at the victory parade in Lon-

don. When the emergency ended he was made the commander of the Malayan Territorial Army. The above information on Yeop Mahidin does not do justice to his eleven years of risky anti-communist campaign. There must be more outstanding deeds by him and his dedicated fighters which must be highlighted in book form or otherwise. Any takers? The authorities should form a high-level committee comprising writers, historians and other relevant personalities to unearth more unknown heroes who have contributed towards the defence and success of the nation. We need to know who our heroes are. I am surprised that foreign books seem to have more stories to tell us on our nation’s history than ours. S.T. Rajagopal Kuala Lumpur

Cushion the poor from price hikes I REFER to “Pandora’s box of subsidies “(Down2Earth, June 2). The BN constantly reminds us that the government’s priority is to look after the rakyat – especially the lower-income group. However, this is not borne out by its policies. Malaysians have long learned to treat such claims as mere rhetoric. The economic downturn may have necessitated the cut in subsidies on essential items like sugar and flour but surely such a cut will affect the lower-income group much more than the middle class or the rich. A more sensible approach would have been to provide the lower-income group with a cushion, eg food stamps (for the items where subsidies have been withdrawn) to soften the inevitable rise in their food expenditure. It would be throwing the baby out with the bath wa-

people with a language, religion and culture of their own. And what’s wrong with that, they asked. Strangely many young Buddhist Thais in the north empathise with them. Chong: But Malays in Malaysia do not ask questions. Zain: In Malaysia, everyone asks questions and expresses themselves openly. For instance, the Ibans and other Dayaks of Sarawak and the Kadazan and the Muruts of Sabah don’t want to be referred to as “lainlain”. The Indians and the Chinese, want to know whether they have the same citizenship rights as the rest of the population – if not why not. Is it a permanent state? Some Malays want to know too. Also some Malays want to know why there cannot be one national school system and why are some Chinese organisations against it. Some Chinese who are sending their children to national schools want to know too. Mohan: I think it is a healthy sign. The questioning must go on. It is an inevitable result of the openness the government has allowed us and the outcome of March 8. For whatever it is worth it augurs well for the 1Malaysia concept that the prime minister is talking about. Zain: But in questioning and debating let us try to be more civil to one another. No one has to be rude if he doesn’t like a particular question. Above all we should not forget that we are all Malaysians.

ter if subsidies – which have their merits – were just removed without some sort of replacement to reduce the hardship of the poor. The capitalist system is perhaps the most efficient form of economic management. As Adam Smith opined: “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker, that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” Put simply: In order to be successful, companies must provide the best service or product at the best price in order to survive. This ultimately benefits the consumers. This is the genius of capitalism as described by Adam Smith over two hundred years ago – “Let man seek his own advantage, sometimes he will flourish, sometimes he will flounder. But always, the process of innovation and failure will

reward the common good.” Capitalism has since undergone changes – mostly to create an even playing field for all players and to ensure that there is no price fixing by cartels. Genuine competition ultimately ensures that resources are used efficiently to deliver the best products at the lowest price. It’s all right to apply market forces to our economy if that is the government’s intention. But it must be the real McCoy not the ersatz version. Smith would be at a loss for words to describe what we have. It’s called crony capitalism Mr Smith! A form of capitalism where so many sacrifice so much for so few. Where wealth is distributed upwards – the poor supporting the rich. Yin Ee Kiong Penang

I REFER to “Parent smells a rat” (Letters, June 2). The final shortlist the writer referred to comprises many lists of qualified candidates for each programme. An applicant will be entered into a list based on their first choice in their application. The cumulative criteria used for ranking in the list includes not only the results obtained but also the co-curricular marks, the MUnSyI assessment carried out by Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (MPM) as well as interviews for programmes like medicine and

pharmacy. Some courses would have a higher cut-off point because of the larger number of applicants to places available. The names short-listed are of applicants who have scored the highest when all the marks from the different components have been tallied. Professor Ahmad Shukri Mustapa Kamal Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International Affairs)

Subjects limit a good move THE recent announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin, who is also the education minister, that students will only be allowed to sit for a maximum of 10 subjects in the SPM from next year is a step in the right direction. Allowing students to take and attain a maximum of 20As brings about unhealthy competition and unnecessary grievances. Producing students who only achieve educational excellence and are not multitalented is tantamount to churning out misfits in what is supposed to be the upper echelon of society. In the 1950s and 60s, students sitting for Senior Cambridge exams only took a maximum of eight subjects and any students scoring five distinctions was considered to be excellent. Many of them also excelled in sports. These are the type of students we need to produce – well-moulded for the globalised world. We need to inculcate in our students that being successful in life does not mean working in an air-conditioned office. Being a successful entrepreneur is also an accomplishment. Even being a good chef or a farmer earning a respectable monthly income should be construed as being successful. It’s time to get out of the box and be broadminded. Sadly, our education system does

not emphasise on such traits. We live in a society where top students should only be doctors, lawyers, engineers, accountants or professors. Scholarships and loans awarded should take into account not only a student’s academic achievements but also extra-curricular activities. Preference should be given to students who excel in sports, music and those holding office in voluntary organisations. Students applying for loans or scholarships should also be put through a stringent aptitude test followed by a rigorous interview with academicians and psychologists. Only then can we be assured that the best and the brightest will be rewarded. After this, a student’s financial background should be taken into account. However, if a student gains entry into a renowned university or college, then the government should automatically grant a scholarship. Scholarships should only be awarded for exceptional students who will become invaluable assets to the country. Recipients should be tied down to the government and be required to serve at least ten years. James Gonzales Kuala Lumpur