Think before you act

 

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students are reportedly taking up a fight on two fronts.

They want a public demonstration to force chief minister Hajiji Noor to step down and have raised objections to the appointment of former chief minister Musa Aman as governor of Sabah.

Both are related to their perception that Hajiji and Musa are or have been involved in corrupt practices.

I would like to ask the students to pause in the “academic spirit of analysis” before proceeding with actions that may eventually have serious repercussions not only on the student organisers but their parents as well.

As an academic and former student activist, I ask the students to hear me out before they take action that may jeopardise their future.

In the case of Hajiji, the students should consider three important factors.

For a start, investigations are still in progress and in our country there is no law that requires a person accused of corruption to step down from office.

In the west, it is not unusual to see officials or political leaders caught in such a situation step aside, but they do it voluntarily, in line with their idea of professionalism.

Others may do so if asked by the top guns of their respective parties, and this is usually done to protect the party.

Given that no charges have been levelled against Hajiji yet, how can the students demand his resignation?

Even if he is charged, the law does not require him to resign, as was the case of Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who continues to hold on to his position as Muar MP despite being found guilty of corruption.

Nonetheless, he still has the right to appeal his conviction, all the way up to the Federal Court.

Rather than go along with NGOs that may have their private agendas, the students should respect the law.

Secondly, there is this narrative that the allegations of a mining scandal may, after all, have been instigated by hidden hands or another political party that may benefit greatly from a snap election.

The theory is that the giver of the bribes may stand to gain more from a change in government and the students, knowingly or unknowingly, would have paved the way for them.

Thirdly, if Hajiji decides to take the student organisers to court for tarnishing his image, their parents will be saddled with a huge legal bill.

The university may also take disciplinary action against the students for creating a public outcry without any evidence of wrongdoing.

Are the students prepared to face the consequences of their action? Are they prepared to see a promising career sputter to a halt even before it starts.

As a member of various disciplinary committees at university and at the federal level, I will not hesitate to take action to prevent public unrest, nor will I allow accusations to be levelled at anyone without any evidence deemed admissible in a court of law.

In Musa’s case I, too, have my own views of the man and would never voice my support for his appointment. But this is just my own opinion, and I will never accuse him of corruption, especially since he has not been convicted by the court.

If they proceed, the UMS students will be protesting without any evidence of wrongdoing or conviction, not to mention that it is bound to tarnish someone’s public image.

Like Hajiji, Musa can take legal action against the students, as a result of which their poor parents will suffer the consequences.

Students must learn that, in life, there is a time to act and a time to lie low.

They must learn that there are times when a tactical pause to consider other alternatives is better than a frontal attack.

If these students were generals in the army, their strategy could cost them their own as well as their soldiers’ lives.

Wars require tactical moves, good strategies and evidence of courage, not hearsay, popular narratives or viewer algorithm on YouTube or Instagram.

Students can turn to academic forums and rational media discourses as well as ceramahs and speeches that can be transmitted on Tik Tok.

Of course, such speeches and discussions must be based on evidence, strategic thought and, above all, respect for their targets and the office they hold.

We cannot build a nation by acting irrationally and in the heat of the moment.

As Will Smith’s character advised his son in the 2013 movie “After Earth” when his injuries sent the boy into a panic: “Take a knee, soldier. Breathe and clear your head”. - FMT

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