"The truth is far more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction".

These were the words of political and spiritual leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Oct 2, 1869-Jan 30,1948) or simply known to the world as Mahatma Gandhi.

Great scientist Albert Einstein said of Gandhi: "Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood." He also once said, "I believe that Gandhi's views were the most enlightened of all the political men in our time."

Indeed, 'political integrity' is an extremely rare gem today and in our 'Malaysia Boleh-land' searching for this leadership quality among our politicians is tantamount to digging a desert with a teaspoon to find dinosaur fossils.

Perceptively, it is like comparing the incompatibility of 'oil to water' as some may argue that it is similar to politics and integrity. Others attempt to justify that in the dark evils of politics, there is no room for integrity. Men of integrity naturally fail to reach the top echelon of political leadership. Many who cherish integrity are eventually betrayed and waylaid by leaders who care-less for this leadership ingredient.

It is therefore not surprising that the survey findings of the Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia showed that politicians are the least trusted group of people. Some 62 percent of the respondents judged the profession of politics as 'untruthful and untrustworthy'. Some 32 percent 'don't know' whether our ministers are truthful.

Our political landscape is better known for its 'corruption, bad governance, intolerance, cronyism, nepotism and arrogance' instead of political integrity.

Tolerance and 'hornets'

Remember an incident where an elected government representative in the Dewan Rakyat shouted at fellow Malaysians to get out of the country if they did not like the idea of Malaysia being an Islamic state?

On another occasion, Jerai MP Badruddin Amiruddin, when addressing the Umno general assembly two years ago, said:

"Let nobody among the other races ever question the right of the Malays in this land. Don't question the religion because this is my right on this land. Don't poke at the nest, for if disturbed, these hornets will strike".

Malaysian voters should self-examine and ask if these type of leaders should be re-elected? Is this the mentality that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is promoting?

Time Magazine named Gandhi as the runner up to Albert Einstein as 'person of the century' at the end of 1999, and named the Dalai Lama. Lech Walesa, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Cesar Chavez, Aung San Suu Kyi, Benigno Aquino Jr, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela as the 'children of Gandhi' and his spiritual heirs to the tradition of non-violence.

Gandhi, a political symbol of humanity and tolerance was known more than his admirable sacrifice in manifesting justice and truth. He changed people's mind and opened lots of people's minds exemplified by his political integrity, his philosophy of self-sufficiency and simplicity throughout his life.

His humility reflected in his autobiography for saying that he never felt worthy of the title Mahatma (great soul) accorded to him on Jan 21, 1915 by his pioneer supporter Nautamlal Bhagavanji Mehta at the Kamribai School in Jetpur, Gujarat, India.

Even though Gandhi was born a Hindu and practiced Hinduism all his life, his tolerance for other religions was reflected in his belief that all religions to be equal, and rejected all efforts to convert him to a different faith.

Later in his life when he was asked whether he was a Hindu, he replied: "Yes, I am. I am also a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist and a Jew".

In his own biography he wrote: "As soon as we lose the moral basis, we cease to be religious".

There is no such thing as religion over-riding morality. Man, for instance, cannot be taken to mean a nonviolent struggle or ' satyagraha ', in the way Gandhi practiced it.

Painful lesson

Religious tolerance aside, in various discourses on the practice and theory of political leadership, it has been cited that if you get a leader with only drive but not competence and integrity, then you get a 'political demagogue'.

Get someone with competence without integrity and drive, and you get a technocrat. And the answer probably lies in that we are not short of these types of leaders who have been voted in during many general elections.

Author Vasan Appanah who wrote "Leadership (Practice and Theory)" summarised the qualities of good leadership: "It is wrong to assume that one becomes a good leader simply if one possesses certain qualities or styles".

Much-quoted aphorism from Bennis (1983) who said: "Managers do things right. Leaders do the right things. Being a good leader is not just possessing certain qualities." How true this is.

Certainly, Malaysian voters are learning this painful lesson on bad governance.

Reformer and philosopher Amos Bronson Alcott was perhaps right when he said that any government which cares only in protecting business (and probably nothing else) is but a carcass and soon falls by its own corruption and decay.

A government of and with integrity will not allow anyone plunging into politics to make their fortunes and only care that the world shall last their days. Government ministers getting so much information all day long should also not be allowed to lose their common sense and wisdom in policy decision-making. There are too many classic examples of failed government projects at the colossal expense of the people.

Confucius, famous Chinese teacher, philosopher and political theorist (551-479 BC) said: "The strength of a nation is derived from the integrity of its homes."

Likewise, the strength of a government is derived from the integrity of its elected representatives. Malaysians would like to believe that the promises outlined in the 2004 BN manifesto are truthful and not a publicity gimmick penned by 'spin-masters'.

Shuiraz Faruqi (an earnest citizen) once said: "Patriotism is a live sense of responsibility. True patriots are people who take pride in their work; who do ordinary things in an extraordinary way; who regard their work as part of worship and give it the same type of devotion; who leave the nation better than they found it".

American author Edward Abbey (1927-1989) wisely quipped: "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government (lacking integrity)".

More but less

Integrity is not something that can be given from the people to the government. It can only result from the relentless pursuit of honesty by the government of the day at all times. The strength of the government cannot be derived from the integrity of its actions with only broken promises.

The past electoral successes of the government-of-the-day which promised wealth and physical development to the electorate under the banner of progress are taking a heavy toll now. Have we really made "real" progress in the quality of Malaysian life? Think it over.

Today we have higher buildings and wider highways, but we have shorter temperaments and narrow points of views. We pay more but enjoy less. We have more schools and colleges but dropping quality of education. We have bigger houses but smaller families. We have more negotiations but less compromises.

We have more knowledge but less wisdom. We have more medicines but less health and more diseases. We promise much but fulfill little. We have higher incomes but are less caring. We have much food but less nutrition. We have rich people getting richer and poor getting poorer. Our rivers are getting more polluted. Drug addiction and related criminal activities continue as mainstay symptoms of our so-called national progress. Public safety is no guarantee, a grave concern. Proliferation of housing estates and commercial areas generate more traffic with vehicles choking limited public road network systems.

The list of complaints can stretch from illegal immigrants to various public concerns on corruption, nepotism, religious affairs.(etc). Does this detrimental state of national affairs indicate the direction that we, as a nation, are heading towards?

Perhaps, we should take heed of our prime minister's advice. We should stop complaining. We should just make our decision on which party we should vote for and not change this decision come the next general election. Our voting based on integrity should judge the government's performance and not its future promises.

Or maybe we should take a leaf of advice from former US president Ronald Reagan who interestingly remarked: "I am very proud to be called a P.I.G. It stands for Pride, Integrity and Guts."

We should support candidates (regardless of party affiliations) who have leadership qualities, those who can stand up with pride, integrity and guts as opposed to those who promote ethnocentric interests. (source: Think exist.com )

Can Malaysians honestly say without self-deception that they are enjoying 'the fruits of progress' as promised at every general election?

STANLEY KOH is a Buddhist Monk and works for a local think-tank.