Save our cultural heritage of honesty in public life

 Integrity, trust and accountability were part of the nation’s rich cultural heritage, but the reality of public service today leaves much to be desired.

The government should be commended for its work on heritage buildings in Kuala Lumpur and its exhortation that “buildings must be brought to life” not left as forlorn structures well past their prime!

These buildings are deeply steeped in the history of the nation and have tales to tell. Historical heritage through refurbishment of structures can be restored. Sadly, the same cannot be said of cultural heritage, which is fragile and not easily restored, assuming that it is even possible.

In this context, our cultural heritage in recent times appears to have gone south.

Integrity, trust and accountability are among the core components of cultural heritage. These values which were prominent and held in high esteem, as reflected during the early years of nationhood, have all but disappeared.

The tenure of the late Abdul Razak Hussein, for example, reflected a set of values uncommon these days. Good governance was part of the nation’s rich cultural heritage.

Public service today leaves much to be desired given the antics of the current cohort. It is unlike in years gone by when it was considered a privilege to be employed in the civil service.

The service was more heterogeneous then, tapping on the talents of many. Integrity and trust were a given. Meritocracy ruled the roost.

The culture of bribery, be it by giver or receiver, and instances of abuse of power were a rarity and looked upon with collective disdain. There was no “innocently asking and corruptly receiving”.

As a precursor, money politics has now entered into the equation. The ubiquitous culture of corruption has permeated not only political parties but also the civil service and government agencies.

The recent arrests of civil service officers at the highest levels, including the armed forces, be it for bribery or criminal breach of trust, should send shivers down the spine of any nation which expounds its achievements in the spheres of economic development and regional politics.

Enter money politics

As far back as 1996, a predominant political party debated on money politics and the harm it could bring to the nation.

To quote an utterance by a senior political figure some years later, “money politics is ugly, disgusting and vile ….for our religion, our customs and our practices” . This lament does not seem to have gained traction at any level.

Successive prime ministers have been unable to address this and it is now an entrenched practice seriously maiming our rich cultural heritage.

Notwithstanding exhortations to eradicate or at least fight corruption, many now consider it lip service given unexpected developments on high profile corruption cases.

There is shadow dancing on enacting a political financing bill which was mooted almost a decade ago.

Appointments to government related corporations and agencies tend to be a reward for political patronage – a continuing deviant culture yet to be addressed notwithstanding changes to the government of the day.

Political hot potato

Kuala Lumpur’s City Hall, which sits in the enclave of historical buildings, has become a political hot potato thwarting rational thought on what can be done to preserve the rich heritage of historical structures.

It is depressing that graft busters surmise that this establishment has poor governance practices. This aids and abets corruption at multiple levels.

Is City Hall so culturally decrepit that it is considered by some quarters to be a cesspool of both corruption and abuse of power; be it against the lowly balloon seller, the street hawker or others higher in the food chain.

It is not about results of academic studies on elections for the post of mayor but the culture of those who hold office. Some treat it as their own turf based on political patronage.

Sudden removal of a mayor, with no explanation offered, casts a shroud on transparency, accountability and possible abuse of power. It compromises good governance and raises the question as to who is the puppet master?

Has our cultural heritage of servitude, humility, rejection of corruption and zero tolerance for abuse of power run its course? It is indeed both saddening and depressing if it indeed has.

On a broader front, cultural heritage encompasses respect for fellow citizens, irrespective of ethnicity and religion, championed through non-abrasive verbal articulations and non-combative stances.

Hopefully, these have not been buried forever to the extent that no amount of restoration on the cultural heritage dimension is possible.

Restoration of cultural heritage should go hand in hand with restoration of historical heritage – a tall order indeed but not insurmountable. - FMT

 The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.