Admitting guilt is not enough

Admitting guilt is not enough

Wed, Aug 13, 2008 my paper

By Lim Mun Fah

TWO politicians who have faced sex scandals are launching new political campaigns.

Anwar Ibrahim is going to contest in the Permatang Pauh by-election. Meanwhile, former health minister Chua Soi Lek has declared that he will be contesting inMalaysian Chinese Association (MCA) party elections in October, marking his political comeback.

Compared to Anwar, Dr Chua has been lucky. Anwar was imprisoned, got punched in the eye and is now facing another charge. As for Dr Chua, he can still unashamedly face the media, talking about his "courage to admit mistakes".

MCA vice-president Ong Tee Keat said tainted political leaders should face up to society's values and norms instead of blaming others for exposing their misconduct. We know who he was referring to.

First of all, should personal moral conduct be a consideration in the selection of a party leader? Second, was Dr Chua sincere in his admission of misconduct, or was he forced into it through political calculations?

We will leave the first controversy to MCA members. As for the second, I believe different people will have different views.

We can actually look at Dr Chua from two points of view. On the one hand, many think he was an accomplished politician (many others may disagree).

On the other hand, there is a universal standard of morality. Right means right and wrong means wrong. You cannot simply rationalise your own behaviour because others exposed your misconduct through dirty means.

Once a person is found morally guilty, even should he own up, he would still have to face criticism from society and pay the price for his actions. This is what we call politics.

Moreover, there is a difference between introspection and admission of misconduct. Introspection is humble: A person will review his own faults as the basis of his admission. He must further prove himself worthy of redemption by thoroughly changing his conduct.

A person needs courage to admit his faults, but that does not mean that he has gone through introspection.

In the same way, a murder suspect may have the courage to admit to his crime in court, but that does not necessarily mean he has reviewed his faults, understood that he has done something very wrong and has made up his mind not to do it again.

The controversy about Dr Chua is whether he confessed with a sense of remorse.

To Dr Chua, he is a person who has committed a wrongdoing as well as a victim who was secretly videotaped. Such a "confusion" may lead him to the confused thought that "I'm wrong, but the others are more despicable". This confusion between right and wrong has not been clarified.

- SIN CHEW JIT POH/ANN