I read Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin's remark that Malaysian television viewers were not up to the mark of their British counterparts. Malaysians are still deemed by him as racially conscious. His conclusion is that any direct telecast of Parliament might just spark ugly racial sentiments. To him, the people are 'not ready'.

The honorable ninister, to be sure, means well. But I'd like to challenge him to examine this rationalisation again to see whether or not it is conceptually sound. To me, it is more a reflection of Ketuanan Melayu ethnocentric fear of the unknown, fear of exposure, fear of having to face the ugly truth.

There is something unsound when a new thing is not accepted on the excuse that 'the people are not ready' for it. It is self-defeating as the people will go round and round in a circle of conformity and the status quo, and fearful of change. Imagine in history Parameswara not marrying a Muslim princess, getting converted into Islam and founding the Malacca Sultanate because the Malays were 'not ready' for these developments? There would be no Malay history as a result, or it has to be drastically re-written.

Imagine, too, Columbus the Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 hoping to find a route to India (in order to trade for spices), and in the process, discovered America. He did so not waiting for many fellow Italians still living in abject poverty and squalor to become prosperous. Or, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) who institutionalised scientific experimentations; or, Isaac Newton (1642-1727) who discovered the theory that to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Charles Darwin (1809-1882) propounded his theory of evolution.

They formulated their trail-blazing postulations within a hostile environment ('the people are not ready') for something new, for change. Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969. They all bravely moved on anyway, projecting their findings and discovering new vistas, and in the event changed the entire course of human history. The human civilisation has been thankful ever since for their courage and fortitude.

I have to come closer to home. In 1957, the country was debating whether or not to opt for independence from the British. Imagine the course of history if the pro-independence people had to wait for those against to be ready. Also, television was introduced into the country in December 1963 (and in colour in 1978). They represent some radical improvement and progression of communication and entertainment. I do not remember the government having to wait for all of the people to be ready for the advent of this modern communication tool. How many Malaysians were ready for industrialisation after Independence?

The ugly truth is that in our society, like all others, there are the groups who trail-blaze, who lead the country dynamically forward; they are the leaders. Then there are others who are just the hangers on; they are the led. The first group are those who meet challenges squarely and confidently, and progress and prosper. They are adept in managing change. The honorable minister would surely know that these people are always ready for change.

Those in the second group are fearful of everything, even of their own shadows; the Ketuanan Melayu elite seem to belong to this category. Our recent economic history has shown the country had to wait for them at all to be ready. Regrettably they have taken their own sweet time, and true to form are basking in their comfort zone of conformity and protection of the status quo. They are not remotely willing to change.

Now the honorable minister says we the trail-blazing group still have to wait for them. The country will have to pay a heavy price for this.