Persuade the people that what is right is in fact right — Hafiz Hassan

MARCH 4 — “We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think.”

That was what was said by Singapore’s founding father, the late Lee Kuan Yew, on prime-time television at the Republic’s National Day rally in August 1987.

That was how hard-nosed and paternalistic Lee was. He wasn’t even remorseful for saying that — not the slightest.

Indeed Lee believed that he needed to tell the people what was right and make the right decision, which justified his paternalistic and all-pervasive rule.

A year later in 1988 Lee’s son, Hsien Loong, defended the hard-nosed approach. He said:

“We should know what is right and we should try to persuade people that what we want to do and what we believe is right is in fact right.”

So, at least he believed in trying to persuade the people that what is right is in fact right.

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A general view of the Parliament lobby in Kuala Lumpur November 2, 2020. — Bernama pic

ut, can that be said of the government’s “no Parliament sitting at the moment” due to the high risk posed by the Covid-19 virus to nearly half of the elected representatives?

The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Takiyuddin Hassan, pointed out that 100 of the current batch of 220 MPs fall under the Covid-19 high-risks category. But at least three parliamentarians who were in the high-risks category attended Parliament in December last year after being allowed by the health director general.

One may say that it was only three. We are talking about 100 parliamentarians. But these 100 parliamentarians could don personal protective equipment (PPE).

It is no surprise that Takiyuddin’s explanation for not convening Parliament has been criticised by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council as baseless and unacceptable.

This is not to say that the PH presidential council is right.

Try persuading the parliamentarians what is right is in fact right. Or better still, do what is enjoined by the Quran: “Keep consulting them in collective affairs; then once you have made up your mind, put your trust in Allah.” (Qur'an 3:159)

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.