Politics Should Never Be the Source of Our Moral Values

By Dr Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos

 

Politics should never be the source of moral values, national unity, or genuine human compassion. If anything, politics is often the art of division disguised as governance. The sooner we realise this truth, the sooner we can begin the serious task of building a society rooted in empathy, justice, and human dignity—values that transcend race, religion, and the pursuit of power.

We must reject the naïve expectation that political actors will lead the moral or spiritual direction of a nation. Their primary motivation is not the cultivation of a just and humane society—it is the acquisition and retention of power. Power brings influence, wealth, and control. That is the core pursuit of politics, and moral integrity is rarely its compass.

Populism over Principles

Politicians, especially in democracies, do not govern by principle. They govern by numbers. This means they will always prioritise populist narratives that appeal to the majority, even if it marginalises the minority or undermines long-term societal well-being. Principles of justice, compassion, and equality are often sacrificed at the altar of electoral gain.

In Malaysia, political rhetoric continues to revolve around cmunal identity—race and religion are the favourite themes. “Defending race and religion” becomes a repeated slogan, not a deeply held conviction. It is used to invoke fear, provoke insecurity, and consolidate support among one’s perceived political base. Instead of challenging racial and religious bigotry, many politicians exploit it. They do not unite the people; they divide and conquer.

Disturbingly, we are now seeing younger politicians emulate and perpetuate these same divisive and opportunistic political behaviours. Many of them, rather than becoming reformers, are merely more eloquent versions of the past. They adopt the same playbook—emotionally charged slogans, racial pandering, manufactured outrage, and short-term symbolism over genuine substance. The same toxic cycle continues, just with younger faces.

Race and Religion as Political Tools

True leadership uplifts, educates, and unites. But political survival in Malaysia often depends on the opposite—on creating imagined enemies and defending imagined threats. Race and religion are weaponised to maintain political roles and secure voter loyalty. When Malaysians are divided, there is always room for a politician to present themselves as a “protector” of their group.

This strategy has devastating consequences for national unity. Our institutions, policies, and even educational content are often influenced more by racial arithmetic than by universal ethics. Policies are frequently crafted to appease communal insecurities rather than to promote justice across the board. The language of equality is rarely spoken in Parliament unless it is politically safe.

In schools, children are subtly segregated by language streams and cultural framing. Many grow up with limited exposure to other communities. By the time they are adults, this lack of socialisation becomes fertile ground for suspicion and prejudice—ready to be exploited by politicians.

Toxic Values Reinforced by Political Convenience

Politics in Malaysia not only fails to challenge regressive values—it reinforces them. The blind obedience to authority, the culture of silence in the face of wrongdoing, patriarchal structures, homophobia, and the fear of difference are often defended as “tradition” or “Asian values.” These are not values; they are chains.

Survivors of domestic abuse are often urged to stay silent “for the family.” Religious dissenters are demonised. Victims of racism are told not to “question the system.” And politicians, ever pragmatic, rarely challenge these oppressive norms. Why would they? These norms help preserve the status quo. These norms help win elections.

Instead of guiding citizens toward more ethical and compassionate thinking, politicians fuel the very toxicities that keep people divided, fearful, and emotionally reactive. The more divided and reactive the population, the easier it is to control.

The Illusion of Reform

We hear much about “national reform,” especially when new coalitions come to power. But reform is not merely changing faces or renaming institutions. True reform requires educating the citizenry, fostering critical thinking, and promoting a culture of compassion and civic responsibility. This is exactly what most politicians fear.

A thinking, compassionate, and morally upright population is difficult to manipulate. It demands answers. It sees through empty slogans. It refuses to be ruled by fear. This is why we rarely see political platforms that genuinely promote critical education, interfaith understanding, or deep institutional reform. Those who try are often sidelined.

Even judicial independence, media freedom, and anti-corruption efforts are often used selectively—highlighted when politically convenient and buried when they threaten vested interests. The lack of consistency itself is a form of moral decay.

Where Then Do We Learn Our Values?

If politics cannot teach us values, where do we learn them? The answer must be: from ourselves, from our families, our teachers, our communities, and our own personal reflection. We must reclaim the responsibility of nurturing our own moral compass.

Movements like Rapera—which stand for nurturing thinking and compassionate citizens—recognise this need. They aim to raise a generation that transcends the limits of race and religion, that sees humanity first before ethnicity, and that values justice over blind loyalty. The future of our nation depends on such citizens—not on career politicians.

We must begin asking ourselves the right questions: Are our leaders making us better human beings? Are they encouraging unity, or division? Are they fostering strength of character, or fear and dependency? Do they want us to think—or merely to follow?

Conclusion

The time has come for us to stop expecting politicians to be our moral guides. They were never meant to be. They were meant to govern within frameworks created by a society with moral clarity—not to define those morals for us.

We must build a moral foundation that is citizen-led, not politician-driven. National unity, human dignity, and compassion must not be the slogans of political campaigns—they must be the lived values of our daily lives.

Politics should never be the source of our values. Our humanity should be.

END.

What people expect in this brand new year - 2023.

It may be a new year may but I believe the hopes and expectations of the Rakyat remain the same in principle. 

Firstly, we all want to be able to live a life of dignity and have equal opportunities. Dignity is something essential to all human beings. It means being worthy of respect and honour. The opposite of this clearly means being treated as worthless or being disrespected. A true leader would do his/her utmost to ensure that the citizens have the opportunity to lead dignified lives. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”. 

A person’s self-worth and dignity can be lifted or destroyed by government policies and the laws of the land. A child who grows up being discrimination or ostracized from mainstream society simply because of the accident of his/her birth may become unhappy adult who feels oppressed. Only a leader with compassion, good conscience and who truly “fears” God can understand this. Therefore, a compassionate government should ensure that policies and processes exist that provide ample opportunities for those with talent to thrive. Policies should also exist to ensure the less fortunate among us, whether socially or economically, can lift themselves by way of positive assistance. 

Cruel discrimination in the name of race, religion or social status should never be allowed to be part of society, especially in a society that has a majority Muslim population like Malaysia. This is because any policy which is race based is clearly against the teachings of Islam. 

Furthermore, under the heading of “human dignity” are also economic and employment opportunities, positive working conditions, and equitable distribution of resources. I think it is time the government focuses again on small and medium enterprises, and cottage industries. There has been so much focus on mega projects that do not seem to benefit the common rakyat. Development in the country has also been too Klang valley-centric while the rest of Malaysia does not benefit. A proper policy would be able to create employment opportunities outside the Klang valley so that more balanced development can take place in Malaysia. 

Secondly, the government and political leaders should properly understand the provisions of fundamental liberties enshrined in Part II of the Federal Constitution – articles 5 to 13. Citizens themselves should familiarize themselves with these important provisions. You can only protect your rights if you know you have them. 

The Government should ensure that whatever policies that are passed strengthen these fundamental rights and not whittle them away. Parliamentarians should be engaging intelligently in debates and committed in ensuring that whatever bills that the Government passes does not contravene these Constitutional provisions. The Rakyat would be pleased to benefit from positive contributions from the minds of the parliamentarians rather than annoying sounds from their mouths. 

Thirdly, I hope that this Government is serious about and courageous in fostering true national unity. It is very sad that after more than 60 years of being independent we still allow blatantly divisive speeches, statements and politics to flourish in this country. 

I am not only referring to unity between the Malays and the non-Malays but between every Malaysian. And the Government ought to be wary of efforts to divide the Malays themselves for political reasons. They should also be vigilant of the rise of religious extremism which seems to be creeping quietly into Malaysia, posing serious security threats. 

Hence, it is my hope that this government addresses the issue of national unity substantially and designs long term policies that can unite Malaysians in striving for a common Malaysian Dream. Obviously, this effort must begin in the formative periods of Malaysian children. 

Fourthly, there needs to be serious efforts made to halt or reduce corrupt practices in all of our institutions and in all spheres of society. Corruption is not only cruel in the sense that scarce resources are diverted to feed the greedy rather that help the rakyat, but it also increases the costs of living. The negative effects of corruption are well known and I would not want to repeat it here. However, I have to emphasize that if there is real political will and efforts made, corruption can be significantly reduced. 

The Government should establish a task force or a committee with powers to come up with a way to tackle corruption in all institutions in the country. It is no doubt a major task but one that needs to be urgently undertaken. The corruption agency can audit lifestyles of even past political leaders to take back wealth that has been stolen through corrupt practices. If there is will, there is a way. The laws are certainly there.

Lastly, there needs to be continued respect for and upholding of the rule of law. Rule of law is a vast area that includes equality before the law, equal access to the law and so on. Essentially, adherence to the rule of law is the ordinary citizen’s last line of defence against oppression by the privileged or the powerful. Hence, our parliamentarians must ensure that any law approved is just. 

It is also important to ensure that whenever discretionary powers are given, as may be necessary, there are effective checks and balances. This is because, discretionary powers may also result in corruption, abuse and oppression. 

With this, I wish the readers: Happy new Year ! 

Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos.

Managing the rakyat’s frustrations.

A PERSON’s capabilities are only seen during times of crisis. The same is true for political leadership.

We do not say that a leader is great because he spends on grandiose projects using the taxpayer’s money to carve out his legacy. We only consider him great when he allocates the country’s resources wisely and thriftily to increase the general welfare of the people.

And when he spends the money to increase the number of educated citizens, in terms of thinking abilities, skills, citizenry, compassionate and humanitarian values, and ensures that every citizen who wants has access to free education up to the tertiary level.

A leader is loved when he strives to raise the dignity of the average citizen regardless of ethnicity, religion or social class. When he allocates budget to ensure that every citizen has access to affordable healthcare, housing, sustainable transportation facilities, employment opportunities, and the basic amenities required to live a life with dignity.

At the end of the day, the budget comes from the rakyat in terms of the taxes that he pays and the national debt that he and the future generation have to carry. It is not the personal resources of the leaders to do as they wish or to enrich themselves and their cronies by carving out the budget among themselves,

Continue reading by clicking on this link The Star/Through Many Windows

Managing diversity in life.

HERE are many truths in life. Most of the time it is ever present before us. However, there are people with vested interests who try to distort the truth and lead us on a road of delusion, far from reality. The road of delusion and denial of reality often ends with misery and sufferings. One such truth that we should remind ourselves and hold on to it steadfastly is the diversity of life.

All we have to do is to simply look at what makes up life. We are familiar with the seven colours of the rainbow. According to researchers, we can see about 1,000 levels of dark-light and about 100 levels each of red-green and yellow-blue. Botanists know the truth about the plant kingdom – there is no single but diverse types of plants that can be categorised in diverse ways.

The same holds true for the animal kingdom and everything else that exists on earth – there is variety and diversity, not homogeneity. If you look at nature, all creatures in nature, plants and animals, do not find diversity a threat to their existence. On the contrary, they accept that diversity is what sustains their survivability and existence on earth. There is no denial.

Humans, however, being the more intelligent being are still grappling with this truth of diversity both in the “secular and religious world views”. We have created various social constructs, ostensibly to assist us to understand human life and human communities better.

Many of these social constructs arise due to the nature of human interaction and the manner in which human beings have evolved over millions of years. Examples of social constructs are ethnicity, religion, languages, culture and so on.

These things exist because we have agreed that they exist. They become the norm and through time are taken to be “normal”. They may not exist in objective reality. For example, the definition or understanding of an “ethnicity” or “race” is clearly a social construct to define a group that has satisfied certain agreed and set criteria.

Is a Chinese baby brought up by Malay parents and embraces Islam and grows up as a Malay, a Malay or Chinese? Likewise what about the Malay baby who grew up as a German in Germany? Asking questions like this will make you understand the concept of objective reality and artificial constructs.

In any event, the moment you understand that there are diverse religions, cultures, languages, and ethnicity in the world, you will be able to peacefully understand and accept the existence of this diversity. You will not make the diversity as a cause for disunity, distrust, stereotyping or hatred. You will be able to see that beyond the clothing of social constructs lies humanity that needs to be awakened and respected.

It is false that all the good people are in one social construct and all the bad are in another social construct. The labels of religion and ethnicity or cultures do not determine superiority, it is the good conduct of human beings. Substance rather than form.

However, we have to be careful of the ignorant but loud and persuasive politicians that lead humans down the road of division and disunity exploiting the artificial social constructs.

These are the kind that sow distrust, hatred and disunity among human beings based on differences of religion and ethnicity. They do this to hold themselves out as champions of one ethnic group against another.

At the end of the day, people will see that these politicians and their own families become enriched to become elites of society at the expense of the divided country. These politicians are often supported by some the religious groups in their societies. Religion can also confer status, power and wealth if properly manipulated.

In Malaysia for example, there are still politicians who play the race card and religious groups who play the religious cards. The abuse of religion sometimes becomes very dangerous in our country where it has bred extremism and even exclusivity.

Shockingly, a decade ago, I have heard a Chinese Muslim academic in this country erroneously argue that Allah has created India for Indians and China for Chinese in allegedly Islamic terms. He was obviously pandering to a Malay crowd to argue that Malaysia is for Malays. These are baseless arguments without any basis in the Quran and Sunnah.

Obviously, this academic has not read the many clear verses in the Quran which teach that our diversity is a blessing and we are required to live peacefully together (Al Hujurat verse 13). That the oppressed in one part of the world have a duty to migrate to another (Surah An Nisa verse 97-100) and that it was Allah’s will to create diversity (Al Maidah Verse 48).

He was obviously equally oblivious to the fact that Allah had also chosen to place the Orang Asli, Kadazan Dusun, Muruts, Bidayuhs, Melanau and 33 other indigenous groups that communicate in over 50 languages and 80 ethic dialects in Sabah. His argument becomes more dangerous because he attempts to frame it in “Islamic” terms. I was too young to rebut then.

If we all take a deep breath and we do not either get drowned in our self-imposed ignorance or in our self-imposed “academic or religious” arrogance, our sense of compassion within each of us will allow us to embrace the rightful place of the other. Let us work towards that instead of being trapped by those who use secular or religious tricks to divide us.

END.