Needed Urgently A New Breed Of Young Politicians

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Come 2023, Malaysia must put out an advertisement inviting applicants to stand for the 15th general election. People are just fed up with all those previous candidates in past elections who had made a terrible mess while in public office.

It is high time the traditional practice of picking candidates from the same, same old parties be done away with. This old formula is no longer workable because it is divisive and flawed.

What to look for in the candidates for a newer Malaysia? The requirements must be stringent so that only the best are selected. In other words, you have to separate the wheat from the chaff.

For starters, take a look at their academic qualifications. This is important because what the country needs urgently are people who can put their brainpower to good use to propel Malaysia into the ranks of a thriving economy.

All graduates from the science stream are the ideal choice. They can spearhead the agenda to promote science and technology. Look at their working background: scientists, doctors, bankers, economists, engineers, agriculturists, medical specialists - snap up all of them.

Those with liberal arts education are also needed as administrators who can employ humanistic principles to the art of managing the affairs of the state. They can temper soaring scientific enthusiasm with down-to-earth programmes to improve the quality of life. A mixture of science and arts background can strike a nice balance in the pursuit of national growth.

But go easy, go easy on candidates steeped in religious studies. You put them in the cabinet and life for the ordinary citizens would revolve around decrees, regulations, and prohibitions. If they must join the team, then confine them strictly to matters that require a little religious guidance. Life must be allowed to flow its natural course without too many religious blockades.

There must be one common thread running through all these aspiring candidates: they must have good command of the English language. A mastery of the language would better equip the nation to tackle the stiff challenges coming from the international front.

The advertisement must state unequivocally that as the people's representatives, they must go out and really serve their constituencies. They must mingle with the people, especially the poor and the needy, stay with them to experience their poverty and hardship, and make every effort to solve their woes.

Throughout their term, they must be in daily touch with the constituents, and not merely show their face at election time. They must repeatedly chant the mantra, "I am totally the servant of the people". They must be totally selfless.

To carry out this exacting public duty, all aspirants must have a large reservoir of energy to push the country forward without slackening. So, check their age: just pick those in the 30s and early 50s. Based on past experience, shut the door on those past their 90s. Their crusty brains and inflexible ways are no longer suitable to the current times.

Lest we forget, dig into their personal background. Is their behaviour abnormal? Have they amassed wealth by crooked means? Do they have a violent streak which can spill onto the floors of Parliament? Do they have a past record of assaulting innocent citizens? A good rule of thumb is to cross out characters of dubious conduct
Needed: A new breed of young, selfless politiciansThis is what Malaysia needs: a new breed of young, imaginative, creative, selfless politicians who can bring out the best in the country without causing harm to anyone. They must form new people-orientated parties to fight for the interests of all Malaysians, and all members must come from all races and faiths.

The fresh blood must come up with novel ideas and strategies to map out a completely different direction from that of the old days. The traditional policies based largely on race and religion must be discarded permanently.

In preparing for the total overhaul of the country, politicking will have to make way to broader concerns for public well-being. No politicians in this new order need to fight for narrow goals. There is also no place for the politics of cronyism.

The new guardians of Malaysia must, however, learn some of the lessons of the past to serve purely as a warning not to play too much politics at the expense of peace and unity. More importantly, they must never seek advice from all those washed-up veterans: they have been bad examples of how not to govern.

Come 2023, all the new slate of candidates picked for this bold experiment must be ready for the toughest fight in the history of Malaysian politics because they would be going all out to dismantle the old order once and for all.

Once in power, the results would be exhilarating: no more bickering, no more betrayal of trust, no more stealing of public fund, no more being "bedevilled by chaotic political scenes"
PHLIP RODRIGUES is a retired journalist. - Mkini

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