theSun | TUESDAY JULY 21 2009
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speak up!
Do we have what it takes?
THE big news in the
UK over the weekend
is the chief of the
armed forces taking
on the government
for ill-equipping Brit-
ish troops serving in
Afghanistan.
Sir Richard Dan-
natt has been vocally
livid over the deaths
of 16 servicemen Down2Earth
in the frontline this by Terence Fernandez Secretary to the
month alone and
has broken with
protocol, openly questioning
the government’s commitment
in ensuring that the UK’s 7,000
troops are fitted out with the
equipment needed to serve in
the war zone.
Since eight servicemen died
in a day last week, the British
public have been giving their
government a hiding for com-
mitting to an ill-conceived war
and at the same time stinging
on support systems that had
resulted in soldiers returning
to their families in Union Jack-
draped caskets.
Dannatt had said if he had
received the helicopters that he
asked for, there was a possibil-
ity that some, if not all of these educated and informed dissent.
men would be alive today since
they would not need to ply the
treacherous roads of Afghani-
stan, which are riddled with
mines and crude bombs.
Dannatt had also chastised
his political masters for not
paying the troops their worth
declaring “they are paid less
than traffic wardens.”
Back home, I have met very
few public servants with the
backbone to call a spade a spade
and take to task their political
masters for wrong and question-
able policies and decisions.
Official letters always end
with the line “saya yang menurut
perintah” and all these officials put their ego aside and admit to
follow the letter to the “T” even mucking up?
letter
letters@thesundaily.com
Concerned parents unable
to attend meeting
THIS letter is written on behalf
of about a hundred parents who
are unable to attend today’s
public meeting initiated by the
Education Ministry concerning
the policy reversal on the teach-
ing of maths and science.
While we applaud the gov-
ernment for taking the initiative
to provide a comprehensive
explanation of its decision to
reverse the policy, we parents
are disappointed and curious
as to why it is being held on a
working day.
As parents, we are respon-
sible for our children’s future
and place great importance on
their education. As parents too,
we monitor their educational
development and progress on
a daily basis. Hence, we more
than others know the difficulties
they face concerning a particular
subject; be it the methodology
of teaching or our children’s
weakness in fully comprehend-
ing the subject matter due to the
communicative and teaching
language used.
A great number of parents
including myself who have
children studying in a govern-
ment-aided missionary primary
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all to do the right thing? never put their money
There are many silent where their mouths are.
ones in the system who They are susceptible to
want to do what’s right intimidation and compla-
but lack the confidence cent towards making their
because no one would voices count, such as the
stand by them – not their courageous minority who
when the “perintah” Perhaps, if the society the system is bigger than superiors, not the ministers want to see an improved
is questionable or that they serve also has a us and allow people with and not even the public. public service, responsible
downright stupid. low tolerance level for questionable motives and Yes, the public are to be politicians and accountable
The officials I questionable priorities, credentials to call the shots blamed for the situation we enforcement agencies, and
know, like Dannatt, abuses of power and cor- and determine what’s best are in. It is true that we are put themselves out there to
who had stood up ruption such as the Brits, for 27 million people. a tolerant society. We are realise this idealism.
to their bosses and then our politicians and When civil servants tolerant to corruption, we I’m sure once we as
political masters had officialdom would also pull who have the guts to stand are tolerant to bureauc- taxpayers give them the
been transferred and up their socks. up against injustice and racy, we are tolerant to confidence that they will be
in one case subject to Unfortunately, Malay- bad decisions are cut down even deaths in custody. supported all the way, we
a criminal charge. sians are a complacent lot. to size and risk losing their Am I wrong? I’m willing will be able to unearth our
Despite Chief Don’t want to rock the boat, pensions, what motivation to take a bet that within very own Richard Dannatts
resigned to the fact that is it for others to risk their weeks the outcry over the and from what I have seen,
Government Tan Sri last death in custody will there are many.
Sidek Hassan’s ad- be forgotten as we go back
vice to his subordinates that they Yes, the public are to be blamed for the to our mundane routines, Terence says bad things hap-
should stand up to wrongdoings situation we are in. It is true that we are a our guilt relieved by the pen because good people do
by their bosses, it seems that it is tolerant society. We are tolerant to corruption, thought that others will be nothing. He is deputy editor
easier said than done. doing the dirty work. (special reports & investiga-
When the system does not we are tolerant to bureaucracy, we are tolerant Malaysians like to tions) and is reachable at
support the Richard Dannatts to even deaths in custody. whine but will seldom or terence@thesundaily.com
for speaking up against abuses
then one cannot blame civil
servants for clamming up and
obediently carrying out suspect
instructions.
Unlike Dannatt, who still
managed to make it to the high-
est echelons of the armed forces
despite speaking out against his
bosses for the last four years – a
testimony of the maturity of the
British system and the British
public who allow and appreciate
Dannatt had been accused as
a closet Tory by elements in the
New Labour government but on
Friday, Secretary of Defence Bob
Ainsworth ordered junior min-
isters to refrain from moving a
motion to censure the armed
forces head.
In the meantime, Prime
Minister Gordon Brown, who
had slashed defence spending,
had also acceded to Dannatt’s
request for additional funds to
kit out his troops.
Do we dare hope that our
politicians and government offi-
cials would be as magnanimous
as their British counterparts to
girls school in Petaling Jaya are
very much for the continuation
of using English in the teaching
of maths and science. This we
believe is in the best interests of
our children.
At the same time we would
also like to hear the views of the
education experts which will be
presented at the meeting just to
be sure that our stand is correct.
However, the scheduling of the
meeting on a working day pre-
vents most of us parents from
attending. This, plus the short
notice also makes it difficult for
parents from outside the Klang
Valley to attend the meeting at
Putrajaya.
Indeed the manner that the
whole event is arranged does
look suspicious. Hence in the
spirit of 1Malaysia we parents
appeal that the government
reschedule the public meeting
to a more appropriate time and
date. Please be fair to us parents,
for we are after all not only the
guardians of tomorrow’s Malay-
sians but are also a significant
voting group.
Shamsudin
Parents Action Group