MUCH has been written about the new political landscape of Malaysia since GE14, and so I thought I would venture into something that some people may consider mundane.

I feel it’s not just the political landscape that needs a new paradigm, but that we, too, need a new paradigm in the way we Malaysians live and think about our daily lives.

A few weeks ago, while walking along a busy street in the city, I noticed a couple almost getting run over by an errant driver, even though the couple were in the right by choosing to cross at a pedestrian crossing that had a traffic light. The traffic light had been red for motorists and yet, the driver chose to blatantly disregard the traffic light. On my way back, I witnessed a near-identical situation. It made me wonder as to how people process in their minds the need to adhere to laws, especially laws that regulate communal life.

Intrigued by this curiosity, l looked for an opportunity to engage in an informal discussion with some young people, and when an opportunity presented itself, I posed this question: if you were driving and had to make a U-turn at a traffic light that had a “no U-turn” signage, what would your guiding principle be in making this decision? Is it the fact that there is a no U-turn signage or the fact that there isn’t a policeman watching? A majority of them responded by saying that if there weren’t any authoritative figures watching, they would make the U-turn, even with a clear signage prohibiting it.

Wanting to probe further, I asked them about GE14 and how they perceived the outcome. Most of them were vocal in expressing their anger and displeasure at the corruption, financial leakages and other issues that had hindered Malaysia’s full potential. 

The great disparity between personal moral values and the expectations we place on other people, especially people in public office, thus became more apparent.

This is certainly not a reflection of what most people would think (I hope), but it is probably indicative of how people look at laws and process them in their minds. The underlying principle when it comes to personal moral values is that “it is OK as long as I am not caught doing it”. This is certainly not a new phenomenon. The Kantian model of ethics, be it personal or public, does indeed dominate the undertaking of ethics in many aspects of human life. The fear that “big brother” is watching, with the view of being punished when caught, dominates many areas of our lives.

Prior to May 9, many people who had either directly or indirectly benefitted from the corrupt system that prevailed in Malaysia must have thought that they would be never caught, but how wrong must they feel right now. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, the great Roman Empire did not go on forever.

The transformation of Malaysia, though, still has a long way to go, and must begin with the personal transformation of each of us. If our perception of laws is that they can be flouted as long as one is not caught, then transforming Malaysia is going to be an uphill task. But it is not that we Malaysians are incapable of comprehending or living according to social norms that seek to benefit most people.

Look at how attitudes changed when Malaysians crossed over the causeway into Singapore. It is as if some miracle happened on the causeway as Malaysians suddenly became law-abiding citizens, though only temporarily. The same can be said of those who cross over into Malaysia only to break laws, thinking they can get away with it easily.

We need an education system that not only churns out students with straight As but a system that equally develops the social consciousness of its students. The American philosopher-educationist John Dewey put it clearly in saying that “education is a regulation of the process of coming to share in the social consciousness; and that the adjustment of individual activity on the basis of this social consciousness is the only sure method of social reconstruction”.

Rather than just changing shoes for school, let’s also find ways to change the way we learn in schools. A new consciousness for the reconstruction of Malaysia. – July 23, 2018.

* Dr Clarence Devadass is a Catholic priest and director of the Catholic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Moral education is an issue close to his heart. He focuses on paving resourceful ways to promote virtues for living in a multireligious society, for a significant life together.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.