3/09/2011
Why is there a need to apologise?
LKY has made a statement that he stood to be corrected on his comment that the Malays should loosen up a little in their observance of Islamic norms. He was just being polite. As an elder statesman, he was being generous to offer his advice for the Malays to integrate better with the other communities.
For him to have made the statement, the reason is obvious. If the Malays have integrated at a pace and level that he found comfortable, he would not have to say this.
The Malays may think otherwise and feel that they have integrated very well and no need further advice. It is just a matter of perception from two different perspectives. Some may agree with him, some may not.
I am still reading many comments that LKY needs to apologise. Apologise for what? For trying to them to be better integrated? Is that a derogatory remark, something that hurts? If the Malays disagree with his observation, just tell him they don’t agree. Both need not see eye to eye.
Actually the way LKY puts it, the comment was most polite. He is not demanding the Malays to do what he wanted or else…. He did not reprimand the Malays for the pace of integration which he found still not good enough. The more the Malays and the other communities integrate with each other, the better it is for hotel building. Oops, I slip. I mean nation building. Even if it is just a hotel, integration of all parties working and living in the hotel cannot be bad.
Need to apologise for wishing the community to be better? Come on, grow up lah. Take off the blinkers and see the world from the level of a higher good and stop being so petty and personal. The Malays are lucky that the MM is thinking about their problems and how to help them along. He could just keep quiet and pretend, which everyone is doing, that all is fine.
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7 comments:
I am absolutely flummoxed that the MM issued that "I stand corrected" statement.
What he said in his book was indeed The Hard Truth and it seems that the hullabaloo it raised underlines the absolute truth in the adage that humans who are mostly non thinking ones, want to hear only the beauteous "truth".
Need to apologise? As you so rightly pointed out, where is the need to?
In fact I would think of him as a lesser man if he really did apologize instead of the conciliatory statement put out to calm frayed, unthinking egos.
"If you want to move up, grow up, integrate and move with the flow!"
The above would be a sentence I would include in the book if I were the author.
Hi Wally, nice to have you back.
For ordinary beans like us, our advice is a dime a dozen, and pretty worthless. In the case of LKY, he can charged for his advice and many are will to pay dearly for that and the advice may or may not be applicable or acceptable to the seekers.
Here he was giving free advice, crafted from his years of experience, and people got offended. Agree or disagree, it is expensive advice that normally does not come free or even being offerred.
In the old days the Malays do not see the importance of economic progress. They prefer the easy-going simple kampong kind of lifestyle. Less pressure, more cohesive neighbourly interaction and help among the inhabitants of the kampong.
The changes in Malay outlook occurred rapidly after the formation of Malaysia when the Malays realised the importance of staking their claims and the need to fight for it. Politics forced the pace of change. Now they are more like the Chinese.
Will LKY ever apoligise for anything he said or do? We should know. And we also know that not everything he did or said turns out that he is right.
Actually, it was almost forgotten by most Singaporeans who happen to have very short retention.
Don't know why he stirs the hornet nest and wakes up the sleeping dogs.
Doing damage control that requires more measures is out of the frying pan into the fire.
'chong min e si, hu tu e si', literally 'one foolish moment tarnishes ones' whole life. And to conclude ones' existence on such a note is all the more lamentable.
patriot
> I am still reading many comments that LKY needs to apologise. Apologise for what? <
One thing you'll notice -- like family ties and filial piety, there is an Arse Kissing Aspect in Asian culture.
Issue 1 In some old cartoons, kung-fu Chinese/ Nipponese characters bow and fawn apologies "So Solly" -- as if to suggest that this myth of "Asian politeness/ fake respect" expresses itself by bowing (wai in Thailand) and meaningless "sorry's". Even in the pop music -- whether it is Canto or Mando or Malay pop songs - sorry's everywhere. WTF!?!
"So sorry", "Fry Rice", "You like fucky-sucky? I ruv you rong time".
Wake up you fools. Don't allow the Hollywood Asian stereotype to come true.
Issue 2 - Freedom of Expression/ Speech: If you support freedom of speech and expression, then you will have to accept the FACT that occasionally it will be OFFENSIVE to some individuals and groups.
People tend to attach their identities to "ideas" and abstracts. Criticising a culture, religion or politics is not an attack on the person but an opinion on their beliefs.
So to me the most "offensive" thing is when people get "offended" when their beliefs and ideas are attacked and they take it personally.
But we are human, of course at some level and in the initial phase, we feel personally attacked when beliefs and ideas are criticised. But a mature society is supposedly made up of mature individuals, and the mature thing to do is to be rational and not be offended (personally). Freedom of speech means the "injured party" has the right to a rejoinder or to ignore/ brush off/ flip the bird at the person doing the "attacking".
Here's a rational and very effective time and face saver:
If you do something wrong, apologise and get on with your life. If you have done nothing wrong, ignore the "guilt-trippers" and just get on with your life.
In other words, LKY doesn't have a problem. The people who are "offended" -- they have a serious problem.
Fuck them all, in the arse with a fistful of dirty chopsticks.
So sorry. (Bow)
First one in the cyberspace I note to have a different school of thought...
WSell each time MM makes a statement, the oppos or dissenter try to read the meaning differently.. ad if possible crucify him for his statements.
Just stating a fact... the Malays are not integrating as well into the community with their Islamic norms.. if they don't agree as you say, then just ignore it.
Why the need to apologise or even make this polite statement baffles the hell out of me.
MM should not waste giving his sought after advice to people who not only don't appreciate, exaggerate the meaning and cook up a storm over it.
Playing a musical intrument to a cow is a waste of time.
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