APOLITICAL BEING?

by Zabariah

9/5/13

   Winston Churchill defined a good politician as having the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen…

   You would think that I am going off tangent writing on something that is leaning towards “politics” when everyone is busy trying to hone their personal and professional resolutions for 2011, preparing some grand strategic scheme for the year and yes for those with children, getting their little ones ready for school? I beg to differ, of course.

   Sustainability, by virtue of its documented meaning stressed the importance of protecting and conserving Mother Earth for the next generation, and many generations to come, from all aspects – economics, socio-cultural and environmental. What was not explicitly spelt out was the fact that this principle could only be translated into actions if there is a keen political willingness of not only an individual (meaning you and me), the society and the country to subsume his or her own needs and aspirations to the bigger and more noble cause of advancing humanity and human dignity. So what better way to fire up 2011 then to prompt our memory (and yes, we humans are real forgetful mortals) to the true meaning of being responsible and contributing citizens of this country, and of the world for that matter?

   Of course if we consider politics (or rather political ideologies) as the domain of politicians and political parties, then 2010 was not without its share of political moments. Big time, in fact. The Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the Haiti earthquake, the planned withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, and to top it all, the diplomatic embarrassment and uncomfortable dealings between nations, thanks to WikiLeaks. And closer to home, Malaysian political landscapes were rife with colours and memorable antics.

   Now my first New Year question to all of us - Have we become so apolitical that we relegated and pigeonholed the real issue here – that politics and political parties are solely the sphere of politicians, and an ordinary citizen like you and me has no say or could possibly play any part, whatsoever in politics?

   In his book Politics, the Greek philosopher Aristotle asserted that a man is by nature, a political being. He argued that ethics and politics are closely related and that a truly ethical life can only be lived by someone who participates in politics. I am not really sure of this ideal as put forth by Aristotle after a lot of incidences as reported in the mass media of unsavoury behavior of some politicians, but one thing I can agree is that ethics should be the topmost priority in politics – political parties and aspiring politicians included.

   Ibn Khaldun, the most important figure in the field of History and Sociology in Muslim history, affirmed the importance of ethics and wisdoms in politics:

“Politics is the ordering of the household or the city as they ought to be according to the requirements of ethics and wisdom so that the multitude could be made to follow a path leading to the protection and preservation of the species.”

   Ibn Khaldun also emphasised the imperative of “a sense of solidarity” for any social or political development to thrive. Without a willingness to subordinate the self to the group, peace and social development are not possible.

   If ethics and wisdom are the tenets of politics, then we the ordinary citizens, especially our young people should place high regard on politics and the political process. One of the most important tools a citizen must have to participate effectively in the political process as part of his or her contribution towards a sustainable future is accurate and timely information. Acquiring such information is so much easier today than it has ever been before. Even without ever leaving our homes, we could communicate with a wider audience, something we have never dreamt possible just a few years ago.

   I believe that to contribute effectively to this beautiful country, my right to vote and to have a say in the political realm is something I would not want to be compromised and especially at the start of a New Year, I want my voice to be heard, however minute it could be. I want to proudly say that I am responsible for the growth and development of this country by exercising my rights as a conscientious citizen and that I have a choice to make extraordinary things happen and being apolitical is definitely not an option.