2018-09-30 at

Civics Education in Malaysia

In conversations after GE14, I blogged a recommended strategy for reforming education in Malaysia. Now, a few months later, I would like to refresh that thought, with an observation about how Malaysians often present the wrong branches of government with demands for solutions, while ignoring the appropriate branches.
.
The Problem:
.
Malaysians mostly enter adulthood without knowledge of how to operate our republic. The reason for this, is that past leadership repeatedly consolidated power in the executive branch of government, and so the headlines for 35 years (50?) spoke mainly of executives as agents of change.
.
Now when a citizen wants change, they complain about executive inaction. The citizens only know how to vote in general elections, and then they are dismayed when their ideal public policies do not easily come to pass. This is foolish. Sic.
.
The Way Things are Supposed to Be:
.
A general election elects Legislators (L) to legislative assemblies (Dewan Rakyat; Dewan Undangan Negeri). The Ls in turn elect a Chief Executive (E) who in turn appoints other members of the executive branch. Then the Ls go about their pedantry of MAKING LAWS. The Es don't get to make laws; someone can be an L, and an E, but these are different roles. After laws are made, LAWS ARE INTERPRETED by yet another party in the administration of justice, the Judiciary (J). The Es don't get to make legal judgments; the Ls don't either. Again someone can be an E and a J, or a L and J, but the roles are separate, even if the actor is the same. After laws are made, and judgments are formed, only then do the Es OPERATE ACCORDING TO THE LAW, or above it.
.
The Recommended Approach to Solution:
.
The Ls, the Es, and the Js, and the Council of Rulers (C), each have different roles. The executive in charge of national education needs to implement drills among children, to ensure that they understand these levers before they become qualified by age to cast votes in the general elections.
.
This is why we require reform in civic education. So that citizens may appropriately direct their wrath an E, J, L, or C, based on the nature of the change that is required. We must stop this nonsense of blaming and praising only the Executives on matters of reform.

No comments :

Post a Comment