The missing moral compass in our leaders

Lately, quite a few of our newspapers have had to retract their stories and apologise as part of defamation settlements. The spate of suits filed against mainstream newspapers, including the “New Straits Times” – and the regularity with which that once-august institution has had to apologise – has become a national embarrassment.

All this implies that journalistic standards at the paper are, at best, questionable. Worse, it indicates a dismal lack of professionalism and the abandonment of the principle by which journalism is governed: the dedication to truth.

The basic duty of a reporter is to present a story with as much balance and objectivity as possible. Higher up the chain, editors will always be subjected to the interests of the outlet’s owners – and this is true the world over – but a certain minimum standard must be observed at all times.

The problem is that our minimum standards are in the gutter. Perhaps owners and publishers don’t care too much about ethical principles and good journalism. Perhaps what’s “fair” and “unfair” are bothersome and unnecessary details that clash with political will.

Now, most of us know that the component political parties of Barisan Nasional own most of the major newspapers in Malaysia. As such, it’s incumbent on these owners to address the present situation which is, to put it mildly, deplorable.

Journalists can’t exercise the standards they aspire to if their editors don’t or can’t let them. In our country today, it has become difficult to write and print fair, balanced, or even accurate and truthful stories without upsetting owners.

Sadly, it seems as if some journalists have had to transform themselves into “political warriors” who are concerned only with the political victory and power of their paymasters. Anything can be justified in the service of these twin goals.

Other journalists don’t have much choice. They must follow orders if they want keep their jobs, let alone climb the ladder. One can’t blame them for trying to earn a living in these uncertain economic times.

Can we look to the opposition for good examples? Unfortunately, not all their political leaders practise the same level of integrity and fairness they expect from government leaders.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has so far seemed unable to use purely moral and ethical arguments against the Government in a way that Dr Martin Luther King and Gandhi struggled against gross injustice and dictatorship.

Even Nelson Mandela, branded a “terrorist” in his youth, grew into a compassionate elder statesman who harboured no ill-feelings against those who imprisoned him for 27 years.

Can you imagine any Malaysian politician today displaying even half that magnanimity?

Over the years, Anwar has not been able to inject into our political culture the same values that he accuses the Government of lacking. He has not been able to impart with conviction the belief that, as a society, we must possess core values that guide our entire community, including the practice of national and party politics.

He has been unable to provide the guidance that will enable the people of our country to discover their own moral compasses. Perhaps this is too tall an order.

Perhaps Malaysians are “not ready” for this kind of responsible democratic engagement.

What is Anwar’s own example? If you recall, on May 5 (polling day) this year, he tweeted that “PR has won….#ubah” while news spread of a 9pm press conference at the One World Hotel.

Pakatan Rakyat did not win. It was nowhere near winning a parliamentary majority.

Why was he so cavalier with the truth?  Why did he say, weeks before the election that he would retire if Pakatan failed to win – when he had no intention of retiring?

The less charitable might accuse him of emotionally blackmailing voters: some might have thought that, if he wouldn’t be around for much longer and if they wanted change in the country, then change had happen on May 5 – for Anwar’s sake.

Now, there is an issue about whether or not he said 40,000 Bangladeshis voted for Barisan Nasional at the polls. Perhaps he did not say exactly that, and I do recall that, at the time, he said more than 40,000 dubious voters had already entered the country from Sabah and Sarawak on flights chartered by the Prime Minister’s Office.

However, other opposition personalities spread news of Bangladeshi “phantoms” at polling stations to the point that several people – both foreign and Malaysian – were abused and harassed by concerned do-gooders.

Here’s one report. Here’s another.

You tell me if it’s okay to challenge other Malaysians to prove their citizenship simply because you think they are too “foreign-looking”.

And how is any different from the poor girl who recently tried to kill herself after being abused by schoolmates, neighbours and even the National Registration Department because of her skin colour?

Anyway, today Pakatan is struggling to deal with hudud and the many other issues that PAS has clearly stated to be their core beliefs.

On this note, Anwar the leader should be candid with voters and tell us what Pakatan agree on and what they don’t.

To accuse the prime minister of being silent and uncommitted on certain issues will sound hollow if the opposition leader does the same.

If Malaysians want the opposition to rule, I suggest we start by demanding that the same ethical and moral standards be observed by all leaders regardless of affiliation.

I’m not talking about recipes for how to go to heaven or about changing our criminal laws or discarding Western culture.

I’m talking about plain good conduct and the universal values that define us as a civilised humanity.

It’s not enough that politicians pay lip service to have these values in their speeches. We must demand exemplary action.

The opposition must not just offer a change of personnel in Putrajaya but a new kind of real, moral leadership that sets high standards of right and wrong in public affairs and inspires others not to be law-breakers or obedient slaves, but to be responsible citizens who will not fear their government.

With luck we might even produce good law-abiding civil servants who are unafraid of their political masters and are able to restore dignity and integrity to the civil service. – November 26, 2013.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.