Gratitude and Punishment
I wanted to talk about UP, but I think it's still too early lest I alienate those who haven't watched it yet. So I'll spend time on other things then.
It's curious that the 2 concerns I had recently has been covered by Tun Dr Mahathir in his blog, back to back.
1. The first and earlier issue is titled "The Doctors" in which is based on the content of his speech given to some medical graduates. In it, he details about our students, sent abroad to study medicine and such under government scholarship, which after finishing their studies, said students decided not to come back to Malaysia and instead provide their services and skills that they havve studied while being paid for by the MALAYSIAN government, for these other, developed countries. Now I know, the environment provided by such countries are much better than what we have locally. God knows, doing animation would probably be much better in France or the US, or film making in Hollywood, just to state a few. And yes, I think it goes without saying that a lot of times, the pay out there is better than what we will get back here anyways.
I however cannot reconcile with such a notion, even if my studies are only paid by government loan instead of scholarship, which I have to repay in time. Loan or scholarship, I think as Malaysians, we should the importance of contributing to the country. Yes, I know, what we have here isn't as much as some out there; the systems we have here can be outdated, archaic, disorganized, inefficient; the people in our industries could possibly comprised in larger percentage of the incompetent, the inexperienced or downright simply people we don't like to be with. But to be perfectly honest, if we don't fix it, who else will? Who build and fix Malaysia and raise her standards to match other countries if not us Malaysians? What, do you expect Americans, Britains, French or other such western nations, or Japan, or Korea to help build the our own country simply because we decide to work in their country? A lot of people told me in the past that I should try my luck overseas and all, because they think I have sufficient talent. After all bodies like Filem Negara or Finas and such would likely hamper and limit my creative vision in storytelling. But I tell you this, I do not feel that my place of work to be anywhere else but in Malaysia. I will visit England, the US, Africa or such, but where I work and where I live is here.
2. The second matter is about the recent story of a local model, who after being found guily of drinking beer (she is muslim) is sentenced to canings as punishment (I dont remember any other additional sentences nor the number of lashings sentenced). Under Islamic Law, yes, drinking alcohol is prohibited. And it is also true the said model herself has willingly agreed to the sentence. My point here is that there seems to be an underlying celebration, a quiet sense of triumph at punishment. Yes offenders should be punished, but publicizing it, making it look like a glorious thing or to center-stage punishment as the aspect of Islamic rule seems just wrong to me. We should talk of her repentence, making only a passing note on the punishment.
People say with the punishment, more and more people out there will be inclined to obey the law. But I dare say I disagree. When you push people, they will push you back eventually. It is probably a matter of time before all we see about the governing body, or even the general society, is simply punish, punish, punish. Those who eventually realized that one day will start crying out "tyranny!". And we can guess all too well where that can lead to. Yes, you CAN say that such a heavy traditionalized Islamic society can perhaps bring some good, but believe me when I say, if you know human psychology especially, it won't matter much when the focus is all on the negative issue.
Tun Dr Mahathir questioned if the punishment is suitable in relations to the offense commited. I don't know, I'm not deeply religious. Some say that is what the core Islamic rules say, and to that I can't comment. I can only say it feels quite excessive, but then people largely knew that stealing was supposedly punishable by cutting off ones hands, the Hukum Hudud I think its called, but even then I think it is excessive. After all I cannot imagine how enacting those measures can assure anything but confirm the outsiders that muslims are a vicious people, as they so often feared.
It's curious that the 2 concerns I had recently has been covered by Tun Dr Mahathir in his blog, back to back.
1. The first and earlier issue is titled "The Doctors" in which is based on the content of his speech given to some medical graduates. In it, he details about our students, sent abroad to study medicine and such under government scholarship, which after finishing their studies, said students decided not to come back to Malaysia and instead provide their services and skills that they havve studied while being paid for by the MALAYSIAN government, for these other, developed countries. Now I know, the environment provided by such countries are much better than what we have locally. God knows, doing animation would probably be much better in France or the US, or film making in Hollywood, just to state a few. And yes, I think it goes without saying that a lot of times, the pay out there is better than what we will get back here anyways.
I however cannot reconcile with such a notion, even if my studies are only paid by government loan instead of scholarship, which I have to repay in time. Loan or scholarship, I think as Malaysians, we should the importance of contributing to the country. Yes, I know, what we have here isn't as much as some out there; the systems we have here can be outdated, archaic, disorganized, inefficient; the people in our industries could possibly comprised in larger percentage of the incompetent, the inexperienced or downright simply people we don't like to be with. But to be perfectly honest, if we don't fix it, who else will? Who build and fix Malaysia and raise her standards to match other countries if not us Malaysians? What, do you expect Americans, Britains, French or other such western nations, or Japan, or Korea to help build the our own country simply because we decide to work in their country? A lot of people told me in the past that I should try my luck overseas and all, because they think I have sufficient talent. After all bodies like Filem Negara or Finas and such would likely hamper and limit my creative vision in storytelling. But I tell you this, I do not feel that my place of work to be anywhere else but in Malaysia. I will visit England, the US, Africa or such, but where I work and where I live is here.
2. The second matter is about the recent story of a local model, who after being found guily of drinking beer (she is muslim) is sentenced to canings as punishment (I dont remember any other additional sentences nor the number of lashings sentenced). Under Islamic Law, yes, drinking alcohol is prohibited. And it is also true the said model herself has willingly agreed to the sentence. My point here is that there seems to be an underlying celebration, a quiet sense of triumph at punishment. Yes offenders should be punished, but publicizing it, making it look like a glorious thing or to center-stage punishment as the aspect of Islamic rule seems just wrong to me. We should talk of her repentence, making only a passing note on the punishment.
People say with the punishment, more and more people out there will be inclined to obey the law. But I dare say I disagree. When you push people, they will push you back eventually. It is probably a matter of time before all we see about the governing body, or even the general society, is simply punish, punish, punish. Those who eventually realized that one day will start crying out "tyranny!". And we can guess all too well where that can lead to. Yes, you CAN say that such a heavy traditionalized Islamic society can perhaps bring some good, but believe me when I say, if you know human psychology especially, it won't matter much when the focus is all on the negative issue.
Tun Dr Mahathir questioned if the punishment is suitable in relations to the offense commited. I don't know, I'm not deeply religious. Some say that is what the core Islamic rules say, and to that I can't comment. I can only say it feels quite excessive, but then people largely knew that stealing was supposedly punishable by cutting off ones hands, the Hukum Hudud I think its called, but even then I think it is excessive. After all I cannot imagine how enacting those measures can assure anything but confirm the outsiders that muslims are a vicious people, as they so often feared.
posted by Raccoon General | 8:08 AM
1 Comments:
politician will use anything and everything for their benefit.
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