Will we learn from History?

Subject: History

Yes, Abdullah is right about History lessons, in theory. When did we ever learn from History? We are supposed to be able to learn from the mistakes from history and improve from there. Have we?

Two World Wars and thousand of battles, civil wars, atrocities from mankind, look at the world today. Religions teach love, compassion, 'war' against our own lust, greed, hatred, ignorance, jealousy, yet humans use that as war against 'other religion'. So what is it exactly do we learn? As a politician, what can he learn from history?

Can he apply this lesson from past corruption and decay in politics to a clean post-2008-election government? Will his Cabinet Ministers learn from this? In everyday situation when we are in our routine, we never bring to mind about history lessons. We think about gain, power, self-interest... How many Malaysian politicians really sacrifice their own time for the benefit of the country? Before Merdeka, I assume that the 'fighters' of the time went all out to gain independence with a selfless spirit. Such mentality metamorphosised itself not to a beautiful 'butterfly', but to a corrupt, power-crazy entity.

Can Malaysians also learn from history that we can never improve though handovers, subsidies, and preferential treatments? This is not about race. This is about not being able to stand on our own two feet and not knowing how to learn from own mistakes. In a family, any family in the world, you pamper a child, give him everything he wants, money, house, car, etc., do everything for him, can he ever grow? Will this kid learn value? Compare that to another person who did not have such handovers. The least this other person can learn is self-reliance. If his fighting spirit is strong enough, he can do very well, to the annoyance of the pampered child.

Abdullah has to come out strong. He has much to do if he really wants to fight corruption in Malaysia. Worms will be exposed, if he is not fearful. Dirty linens will be made public if he can afford that. Already the PK is doing some cleaning up. Can he do a better job? Hopefully it is not just a political talk. Walking the talk is hell of a sweat, but it is good for health.

Saturday May 31, 2008

PM: Learn from history

KUALA LUMPUR: History has taught that civilisation will suffer whenever the people's thoughts are threatened by corruption and decay, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

The Prime Minister said that because of that, mistakes made throughout history should be understood so that they are not repeated.

“I believe this explanation to be true for the Islamic civilisation,” he said at the launch of The Encyclopedia of Islam and Iran: Dynamics of Culture and the Living Civilisation at the Islamic Arts Museum here yesterday.

“History has taught us that human capital development has in fact been very much an integral element in the rise and decline of civilisations,” he said, adding that the passage of Islamic civilisation was repetitive in nature.

He said whenever institutionalised thought became weak and insignificant, civilisation would also suffer a similar blow.

“Sadly, however, we still seem to find ourselves mired in confusion and ignorance which have left the indelible imprint of difficulty and despair over much of the Muslim world. Clearly, we have not been conscious of their mistakes,” he said.

However, Abdullah said that all was not lost and that Muslims were not pessimistic about their future.

“We are confident that Islam will provide us guidance,” he said.

Abdullah reminded Muslim leaders to remain dynamic and place emphasis on education.

“Otherwise our efforts in promoting human capital development will be relegated to the realm of mere slogan,” he added.

Abdullah said the book written by Dr Ali Akbar Velayati, who is currently an adviser in international affairs to Iran’s supreme leader, captured the essence of this rise and decline throughout the Islamic civilisation.

The encyclopedia is the English translation of Dr Velayati’s work, Mawsu’ah al-Islam wa Iran: Dinamikiyyah al-Thaqafah wa Haywiyyah al-Hadarah which was orginally published in the Persian language and subsequently rendered into Arabic.

At the event, Abdullah received a cheque for RM800,000 for victims of the cyclone in Myanmar from Al-Bukhary Foundation chairman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary.