Mandela
has been described by other leaders as a giant of history who moved a nation
towards justice and a light of the world. Madiba not only led but also
made sacrifices.
Words
such as freedom, courage, reconciliation, forgiveness, inspiration, grace and
compassion are closely associated with him.
President
Barack Obama made the following observation in his speech: “Emerging from
prison, he would hold his country together when it threatened to break apart.
He would erect a constitutional order to preserve freedom for future
generations, a commitment to democracy and rule of law ratified not only by his
election, but by his willingness to step down from power.”
Mandela
was no saint, as he himself admitted. “I am not a saint, unless you think of a
saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
But
he was willing to make sacrifices and had the courage to do what was right. He
lived by his idealism, taking risks through the power of action.
It
is worth noting a few examples of his sacrifices, simplicity and courage.
Offered
a release from prison in February 1985 if he rejected violence, he spurned the
offer stating: “Only free men can negotiate.” He had the courage to safeguard
the jobs of white civil servants, although this concession brought him fierce
internal criticism. He was also chastised for granting amnesty to 3,500 members
of the then hated police force.
Elected
president in 1994, Mandela allowed F W de Klerk to retain the presidential
residence and instead settled into a nearby Westbrooke manor. And he lived a
simple life, donating a third of his 552,000 rand annual income to the Nelson Mandela
Children’s Fund and made his own bed, even as president.
Malaysia
needs a Mandela. Perhaps, there never will be one.
But will there be leaders of
the country who are able and willing to make his life’s work their own? Will we
have such leaders who lead by sacrifice, courage, inspiration, grace, justice
and moral authority? Who will lead us to greater freedom, and social and
economic inclusion? Who will unify us racially, religiously and culturally?
Our
nation is deeply polarised, whether by politics, race, religion or income. The
urban-rural divide is not just about income but also race and politics.
Households are cash poor, running up high levels of debt. The cost of living is
rising as the increase in income falls behind real inflation rates, and made
worse by the weakening of our ringgit. Besides having to pay one of the highest
car prices in the world, the removal of various subsidies and the introduction
of the Goods and Services Tax in 2015 will compound the misery of the lower and
middle-income groups.
Meanwhile,
the stock market and property prices are at an all-time high. We see capital
outflows by the rich. The economy is increasingly in the stranglehold of fewer
and fewer people. The top 1% has more income than the entire bottom 40%. Monopolistic
and rent-seeking behaviour continues and, indeed, is perpetuated by the
establishment. The anti-monopolistic law is toothless. We have leaders of
people openly flaunting their power and authority, comforted by the knowledge
that their abuses will not be brought to accountability.
Bigots
openly cast racial aspersions and perform offensive acts, knowing they are
immune from prosecution. The same bigots and their supporters at the same time
threaten others when opposing views are expressed. Moderation is seen as being
liberal-minded. And all liberal views should be banned, as expressed by some
delegates at a political convention of the dominant political party recently.
Surely,
now more than ever, we should pray for a Mandela?
To
quote Madiba, the greatest moral leader of our time:
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what
difference we have made to the lives of others that will
determine the significance of the life we lead.”
