Hadi and the need for responsible leaders

 

On Aug 31, we’ll be celebrating 65 years of Merdeka. Yet, we see leaders, so-called leaders and some individuals sowing hatred or disunity among citizens of various ethnicities in Malaysia.

I read a report on July 1 that said hate speech was on the rise in Malaysia. The report said an artificial intelligence driven hate speech tracker called #TrackerBenci, developed by the think tank The Centre, recorded 2,740 “hateful” tweets in March. The number rose to 3,088 in April but dropped slightly to 3,004 in May.

Although hate speech is never acceptable, sometimes we can understand an ordinary person who doesn’t know better writing or saying something in anger or frustration on the spur of the moment. But not when it comes to leaders and those who claim to be leaders or want to be leaders.

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This is because some people emulate their leaders, just as some follow the fashion sense of movie stars.

Did PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang consider this before his recent utterance?

According to an Aug 20 FMT report, Hadi said non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras were at the root of corruption in the country. He was quoted as saying: “In fact the majority of those involved in ruining the country’s politics and economy are non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras.”

Really? Didn’t anyone tell Hadi that corruption has nothing to do with ethnicity or religion?

Some Malaysians have called on Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to censure Hadi – whose party PAS is part of the governing coalition – for making divisive remarks. Ismail, who is promoting “Keluarga Malaysia”, has preferred to remain silent.

Hadi, of course, is no stranger to controversy and has often made comments that have hurt sections of Malaysians. For instance, in December 2019, he was reported to have courted controversy by accusing the Chinese educationist group Dong Zong of disrespecting “native residents” and being ungrateful to “those who allow them to stay here”.

In January 2019, he was reported to have called on Muslims to only support Muslim leaders or they’d end up in hell. He reportedly said it was their duty as Muslims to vote for Muslims and that having a cruel Muslim leader was better than having the kindest non-Muslim leader.

At one time, he even uttered words that divided the Malays themselves. Remember his 1981 “amanat”, or edict, which resulted in the “kafir-mengkafir” division among members and supporters of PAS and Umno?

He is on record as having made remarks that are divisive and totally unsuited for a multiracial, multireligious nation. Which is why he can never be considered a national leader or a leader of all Malaysians.

But, of course, other political leaders too have uttered remarks that have been seen as divisive. Even some politicians who are now holding ministerial posts have in the past expressed divisive or racist sentiments. All we have to do is listen to, or read, their speeches, especially those made to members of their own community.

And some prime ministers, over the years, have closed an eye to such utterances coming from their own party members or powerful members of coalition partners.

I respect Hadi’s right to express his opinion, just as I respect the right of every individual to do so. But leaders are supposed to rise above ordinariness and to understand that their words and actions can influence others or impact society in some way or other.

A responsible leader is always careful about what he says and does, more so in multiracial Malaysia where sensitivities run high. A responsible leader is one who speaks and acts in such a way that he builds bridges between the different races and religions.

A responsible leader checks his facts before he makes any statement, as the truth matters. Malaysia needs responsible leaders more than ever.

This year’s Merdeka theme is “Keluarga Malaysia Teguh Bersama”. We have been told that “Keluarga Malaysia” refers to a society that observes unity and peace while “Teguh Bersama” refers to the strength that can be achieved by working together as Malaysians.

If annual Merdeka themes, such as the above, are to be meaningful, then we have to work towards eliminating racial and religious prejudices. Leaders especially have to carefully weigh their words before opening their mouths.

However, all said and done, it would be naive to expect politicians and others in positions of leadership to stop making divisive comments.

Apart from hoping they change for the better, we can take certain actions on our own.

We can, for instance, make sure that we don’t utter racist remarks or make biased comments that create further divisions among Malaysians. We also have to understand situations so that we don’t fall into the trap of some of these politicians or bad actors.

Another is to send letters/emails to protest whenever an elected representative or leader says or does something that’s divisive or untrue or hateful. Let’s also make use of the Public Complaints Bureau in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Yet another option – an effective one – is to vote for those who champion unity in diversity when the next general election comes along in a few months. - FMT

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