IT appears that Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, popularly known as Ku Nan, was quick enough to learn that ordinary Malaysians cannot be treated as if they’re all dense.

This lesson was learnt after he got flak from Universiti Teknologi Mara alumni over his remark that the insitution accepts “slow learners”.

If indeed there are “slow learners” at the said institution, Ku Nan should be clever enough to appreciate that the most unintelligent thing to do is to tar all UiTM students (and by extension, the alumni) with the same brush given that many of its graduates have made it in life.

And if truth be told, “slow learners” in the student population are not the preserve of UiTM alone; they exist in other institutions of higher learning as well.

This controversy broke out in the context of Ku Nan reportedly getting incensed by some Malay students and others who were critical of the government.

He lambasted them for not being grateful to the Umno-BN government, which he believes has done a lot for the Malay community.

But to heap the blame on the opposition, as he did eventually, is really to stretch our already frayed imaginations.

In this context, the less he opens his mouth the better. By the way, wasn’t he the one who not too long ago claimed that the homeless in Kuala Lumpur were lazy and too comfortable with their situation?

If Ku Nan needs reminding, education is meant to liberate the mind so that at the end of the day the receiver of education can free himself or herself from the chains of ignorance, bigotry and stupidity. In turn, he or she can become a useful and morally upright member of society.

Surely, he doesn’t want these educated people to conveniently transform into apple polishers, as this can cause undue harm to their self-esteem.

In other words, the alumni can be appreciative of what the government had done for them and the larger community, while, at the same time, be critical of the government, especially if they feel that the government has done something wrong.

Indeed, as educated people, the alumni should also be critical of other social institutions as well, being members of a democratic society.  

If Ku Nan is troubled by the spectre of “slow learners”, perhaps he should look no further than the people in the current administration.

For, there are people in the administration who seem to be slow in learning the fact that to be critical of the government and to demand accountability, like what the Bersih movement  and other civil society groups and concerned Malaysians have done, is not committing a heinous crime.

Similarly, to be inquisitive about what had happened to taxpayers’ money, such as the case of a sovereign fund that is now the monstrous elephant in the room, is not stoking unnecessary fear among Malaysians.

To ask such questions is part and parcel of the democratic process.

It looks like “slow learners” can exist in many parts of society.