Dr I Lourdesamy

Democracy can be worse than dictatorship. This is apparent from the political scene in Malaysia today. In a dictatorship, people can legitimately rise up and overthrow a bad government in power because it does not represent them. In Chinese history, even emperors were overthrown when they lost the mandate of heaven to govern because of corruption and abuse of power. Confucianism provided the moral justification for this.

The present political scene in the country is disheartening - disheartening because it is politics without direction. This applies to both the government and the opposition.

The present political environment in the country is interesting from a political strategy perspective. What are the strategic options available to both the government and the opposition? The choice they make will determine the future of the country - whether there is going to be change or continuity.

It is the best of times. It is the worst of times. I believe these words of Charles Dickens aptly describe the present scenario in our country.

What is a good government? This question is particularly significant and relevant to Malaysia today, given the present circumstances in the country. While opinions will vary on this, I believe there is a high degree of consensus on what constitutes good government in a modern society. The minimum characteristics would include the following:

The situation facing Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is very complex. Every action he takes or plans to take will have far-reaching consequences for him, Umno and the country. Worse, he hasn’t got too many options.

For me, 1MDB is a learning experience. It brings out the bad, the good, and the ugly in Malaysian politics and society.

I am afraid we are missing the point about 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). We are concentrating  on the problem, not the solution. This is the wrong way to tackle any problem.

The level of trust Malaysians have in their politicians is fast evaporating. This applies to politicians both in government and the opposition. The danger is that the dismal failure of politicians can undermine public confidence in democracy and the democratic process.

There are just too many things wrong with our country. All kinds of things are being said or claimed that are simply not true or plain wrong. People who know better, like academics and professionals, are not speaking up because of fear or because they want to be politically and socially correct. If they do speak up, they moderate what they say. They are afraid to call a spade a spade.

The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2014-2015 has caused some concern in Malaysia, and rightly so. There is not a single Malaysian university in the top 400 positions. What is more discomforting is the decision of Universiti Malaya (UM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) to opt out from participating in the THE ranking exercise. They argue that the THE ranking is less relevant to their direction and focus.

There is little doubt that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition is in trouble. In comparative terms, the BN has a more solid foundation. It has a decent track record of 57 years, has maintained peace in the country, and has brought significant economic and social development. In short, it has governed the country quite well and should expect continuous support from the rakyat.

The ‘Allah’ issue and the recent confiscation of copies of the Bahasa Malaysia Bible by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) has raised concerns among thinking Malaysians about where the country is heading.