ID :
494518
Wed, 06/06/2018 - 11:17
Auther :

Time For Malaysians To Become More Mature

By Erda Khursyiah Basir KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 (Bernama) -- The Malay proverb, "Rumah dah siap, pahat masih berbunyi" (The house is ready but the chisel is still making a sound) perfectly describes the situation post-GE14. The 14th General Election on May 9 saw Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) (picture) wresting control of Putrajaya, Malaysia's federal administrative capital from Barisan Nasional (National Front) but instead of giving the new government the time and space to prove its capability, scores of social media users have taken to littering cyberspace with their uncalled-for remarks. The election is done and dusted but these "commentators" – regardless of whether they support or oppose the newly-formed government – are not letting up on their online rants. In fact, their exchanges often become so heated that many of them have "unfriended" or blocked even their own friends on their social media accounts, just because they have different political leanings. With the dawning of a new Malaysia, is this the level of maturity we expect of our social media users? Malaysians voted in a brand new government as they wanted a change at the federal level but, sadly, there are still people out there who are stuck in their same old "mould" and are reluctant to embrace change. AVOID SEDITIOUS COMMENTS Sharing his views, political analyst Associate Prof Dr Ahmad Martadha Mohamed said it was time for society to become more mature and refrain from giving comments that smacked of prejudice and were seditious in nature. Such remarks can not only trigger misunderstanding but also create disharmony and conflicts among the people. "Individuals should learn to respect each other's views. It is so wasteful when so much of time is spent arguing and quarrelling and defending one's viewpoints. "Don't make statements to deliberately invite trouble and trigger conflicts among the people," he told Bernama, adding that the dissatisfied parties should offer constructive criticism instead of blindly condemning and finding fault in what others do. Ahmad Martadha urged the people to place their trust in the new government's ability to discharge their responsibilities properly, including fulfilling the pledges it had made in its GE14 manifesto. There was no reason to question the government's competence to govern this nation as Pakatan Harapan has given its assurance that it will safeguard the welfare and well-being of the people, he said. "Some people are still having negative thoughts about the changes to be instituted by the new government. Other advanced countries have experienced a transition process (change of government) similar to ours. "It's not fair to criticise the (Pakatan Harapan) government (as it only came into power recently). What's more important now is for the rakyat to unite and help to develop the country, as well as face whatever challenges and threats that may come from within or outside the country. "If the people are not satisfied with the performance of the current government, they have the power to bring about a change when GE15 takes place," he added. GIVE THE GOVERNMENT MORE TIME International Islamic University College Selangor senior lecturer Dr Hairol Anuar Mak Din, meanwhile, said all Malaysians should accept the fact that a transition of power has taken place and, hence, should give the new administration more time to bring about changes and improvements. He said fulfilling the promises outlined in its election manifesto should not be the government's priority because what was more pertinent now was for it to take stock of the current realities at both the domestic and international levels. "Any political decision they make will influence public confidence and also foreign investors' confidence as to the government's ability to govern this nation," said Hairol Anuar, who is attached to the department of statehood and civilisation studies. Any changes to the previous government's policies should only be done after a proper review is carried out and any new policy to be introduced should be appropriate to the nation's needs. "The time frame for the government to fulfil its manifesto is not necessarily limited to 100 days. It will have to study some of its pledges more closely to ensure that they are not merely populist measures that yield short-term gains but can bring benefits to the people over the long term. "After all, PH has five years to fulfil all its promises listed in the manifesto," he said. Hairol Anuar also felt that those allegedly involved in wrongdoings during the previous government's era should be dealt with in accordance with the laws of this country and not be victims of political revenge. "Issues involving the previous government and its leaders have to be addressed as soon as possible to avert any element of prejudice that can taint the nation's rule of law," he added. (photoBERNAMA) -- BERNAMA

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