HAIL THE SUPREME STAR

SPEAKING OF CULTURE

The Sun, Weekend Edition, Conversations: Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, 15^th October 2005, with Husna Yusop

You mentioned education just now. I remember our second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak said in 1965 "our National Education Policy is aimed at bringing children of all races together, learning the same thing in the same way and under the same roof so that they will feel that they share the same ideal and the same country". But this is not happening.

Yes, it is not happening. You are right. To a certain extent it does happen. Let me admit again. Culture can be nurtured. It does not happen by chance. Culture can be nurtured in the cocoon or in the testing bed. Now what is the testing bed? The testing bed is education, the schools. Instead of sharing a common experience, we see polarisation of the races. No shared experience. This because there are Chinese schools and Tamil schools. And Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) today is not what was envisaged long ago as a place our children learn and grow up together. We want all races to pass through the same schools, but they are not. In the 60s and 70s, yes, but not now.

Why is this happening?

Because they see certain things in the Sekolah Kebangsaan which frighten them. Too much religion, too much Islam. They became frightened. That is the big impediment to the races studying together under one roof. Therefore, if Islam in schools can be reduced, SK can once again play the role intended for it. Now it is not about the teaching of ugama that is being questioned. No, not that. Have religious classes by all means. But keep away Islam from other aspects of life in the school. No doa at the assembly, no doa in the classroom except during religious classes. Then, and only then can Sekolah Kebangsaan be the crucible where shared experience is cooked. Finally, we must improve the quality of teachers in SK.

You said Islam is also a source of culture and I agree with you. But the Islam that is imposed on us by the ulama does not help towards the creation of a national culture?

It is actually a Catch 22 situation. It would seem that culture and religion do not go together. But they do. The ministry is in quite a bind. Concerning the knowledge aspect of culture we have no problem with Islam. In terms of the value system, it's okay. But entertainment and music are problem areas.

P/S - It is fair that the article is read in its totality.

F3154L:

The situation may seem as simple as the words of a barrister by the roll of his tongue. It is not. With respect, those things said were beyond his job scope*. But then again, he deserves sympathy for the dilemma he is put in. Holding a portfolio of enhancing the level of culture in an already confused-cultured-country must be a daunting task.

Admission?

1. That the racial disintegration, if not segregation, was brought about by different streams adopted by the ruling government in the country’s lower education system.
2. Islamization is not a priority - Islam is exclusive to Muslims, in the lower education system at the very least.
3. Entertainment and music are problem areas, and as seen, yet to be addressed by those in authority.  

*Perhaps some things should have been left unsaid.

“It takes courage to close the gap of what we are and who we aspire to be…”

Children who grew up on Aesop’s Fables, stories by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, Sheherezade’s 1001 Nights and proverbs and old wives’ tales, learned lessons that have stayed with them.

From the tale of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, we learned that if we tell lies, people will not believe us when we tell the truth; we learned from Androcles and The Lion that gratitude is a sign of a noble soul.

And we learned from The Prince and the Bundle of Sticks that unity is strength.

The great fairy tales depict morality through anecdotes of tussles between good and evil.

They depict character and virtue attractively; wickedness and deception are evil.

Through these stories, we face the unvarnished truth about ourselves and are compelled into thinking about what kind of people we want to be.

One of the most-liked fairy tales is Beauty and the Beast because it contrasts goodness with badness in an appealing way.

The story starts with a very rich merchant with three daughters, all of whom are extremely beautiful, especially the youngest.

She was called "The Little Beauty" but the story does not talk about her physical attributes.

Instead, it draws attention to her virtuous character. Her moral goodness, or inner beauty, is contrasted with her sisters’ pride, vanity and selfishness, their inner ugliness.

By portraying the world in which ugly beasts are transformed into princes and where evil persons are turned to stone, fairy tales remind us of the moral truths.

These tales draw a distinct line between good and evil. But in the real world, as we know it, there are grey areas.

There is good and there is evil, and there are good people who have a little vice and there are evil people who may have a good streak in them.

And we also know that the mere ability to use moral principles to justify one’s actions does not make that person virtuous.

We see in our world people who shout loud about virtues and principles but who really are trying to hide their flaws.

We all forget sometimes, as one philosopher said, that "you cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one", or that "character is what you know you are, not what others think you have".

We learn from what great writers such as Somerset Maugham meant when he said: "When you choose your friends, do not be short-changed by choosing personality over character."

Or what John Wooden meant when he wrote, "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are; your reputation is merely what others think you are".

……

Kalimullah Hassan, October 2^nd 2005, NST

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