INTRODUCTION
The lack of practice of Malaysian values and the spirit of being a good Malaysian especially amongst the younger generation have become recent issues.
I totally agree to this statement. Nowadays, younger generation shows a lack of practice of moral values in Malaysia and also in other countries worldwide, which makes the issue of patriotism as a global concern. Among challenges, while implementing these values among the younger generation, are negative attitudes among young generations, the lack of appreciation among the people of various races, the lack of confidence among the people of multiple races, and globalization.
There are at least ten hidden dangers that threaten the society at the moment-drug abuse, juvenile crime, lack of parental care and guidance, society’s indifference, lack of spiritual strength and moral values, negative peer influence, insufficient role models, the weakening of the traditional family relationships in modern living, low self-esteem and the lack of goal setting skills.
Values are the internal precepts by which we make our decisions. When we are confronted by choices, options, or moral dilemmas, the decisions we make will indicate what values we hold. The five human and moral values are righteousness, peace, truth, love and non-violence. Human values give worthiness and respect to life. The foundation of human values are based on dignity of human life, respect and consideration for others, the importance of integrity and service, an attitude of non-violence and also the individual and collective quest for peace and happiness.
Based on my observations, courtesy, politeness, patience, humility, tolerance and respect have yet to become our way of life. A lot more remains to be done to inculcate these virtues among Malaysians, particularly the young generation, today. Many school children these days are not even prepared to say “thank you” when they are presented with rewards in recognition of their achievements. Many do not seem to practise courtesy despite learning it in school. They seem to take things for granted.
Today the world has changed .the old values are no more cared for and there is value erosion. Now greatness, goodness and success is measured by the wealth one has. The main aim of life is to earn more and by any means. Simple living is no longer a motto of life. To achieve the luxurious in life people have become greedy, selfish, dishonest and adopt foul means to collect money, People now exploit their own kith and kin. High ideals of patriotism, selfless devotion to society, sacrifice and service are hollow words for them. Honesty is no more, best policy.
As the country’s economy advances and as our society becomes more affluent, courtesy, noble values and ethics seem to be taking a back seat. The degradation of moral values arising from the negative aspects of Malaysia’s economic success is a subject of concern for the nation and the public at large. We are proud of our economic achievements but we must always be conscious of the hidden dangers confronting us.
The family institution could be the first victim of economic progress, with children not getting enough attention and guidance from their parents who are busy pursuing their careers, leading to the emergence of various social ills among our teenagers. Unless and until we succeed in boosting our social capital, no amount of economic development can strengthen our social fabric. That is why it is important for Malaysia to balance rapid economic growth with moral, ethical and societal values. These values are the bedrock of a civilised society.
It is not unusual to see inconsiderate young drivers obstructing yellow boxes on the roads and parking in areas not designated for them, such as parking spots for the disabled and near fire hydrants; and people littering in public places, vandalizing public property, jumping the queue and not saying “sorry” even when mistakes are made. Other discourteous behaviours include smoking in non-smoking areas, spitting in public and not giving up seats to the elderly, disabled and pregnant women. The list can go on and on.
With the integration of digital technology in our daily lives, people have also become more self-absorbed and not interested in those around them. Family members engrossed with their mobile phones or tablets over family meals is a normal sight in restaurants and homes in Malaysia. Spending quality time with the family has been overtaken by the need to constantly check their mobile devices, which is bad manners at the table and can be considered rude.
There is also increasing concern over illegal electronic gambling at cybercafes which are mushrooming in every township including even in the rural areas. While these are good so we could be more IT literate and have greater Internet access, there are also those who abuse them for unhealthy activities such as gambling and pornography. With easy access to pornographic materials, it is not surprising that we read more and more stories of sexual crimes involving youths and teenagers in newspapers nowadays.
I believe that the government need to do more in controlling pornography by way of restricting accesses to the sites. I realise it is impossible for the government to block everything on the Internet. But I think there should be a way to do this. Online pornography is a major issue today and the time has come for Internet control over pornography. The public should be encouraged to lodge reports to the relevant authorities on any pornographic website and those who flout the law by creating these websites should face stern action.
Social media is an important tool to keep families, relationships and friendships closer in this digital age. However, courtesy and respect for others are thrown out the window when some Malaysians behind the keyboard spread malicious remarks, derogatory statements, slander and insults via social media.
Judging from the behaviour and attitude of a large number of Malaysians today, I have serious reservations about the effectiveness of our on-going campaign to promote courtesy among the people and make it a way of life. The negative behaviour syndrome as reflected in problems like road bullying, breaking traffic rules, littering and being disrespectful to the elderly has clearly proven that we are still far from being courteous and polite.
The time has come for all strata of Malaysian society to ask whether they have done enough to ensure the success of the national campaign to promote courtesy and noble values among Malaysians. I believe social problems especially among youths could be curbed by providing them guidance and care not only from the parents but also from their communities as well. Moral decay is caused by the erosion of spiritual and ethical values which can be overcome by upgrading the quality of family life to impart basic moral values to the youths.
Good moral and ethical values must be given the highest priority in all programmes to train and build our youths for national development and nation building. Everybody should strive to build a caring culture and not rely solely on the government to launch campaigns towards that objective.
The private sector can play a very important role to promote a caring society through the setting up of welfare or charitable foundations to provide financial assistance to the needy for education, medical and other needs. The government can assist these foundations by granting them tax exemptions as an incentive for them to do more charitable work.
In my opinion, I strongly recommend that the family institution is further strengthened and advise parents to take better care of their children. These days, because of materialistic and the personality cult, people are more concerned about having more and for that, they work more, leave home more and in the end, their children will be neglected and left to their own device.
Parents must focus on the quality of family life and take steps to instil in children basic moral values needed to build the foundations of a strong, stable and cohesive society. When modernisation and economic development take place, problems such as declining human values and moral degradation occur. To arrest the situation, a massive programme to inculcate values is required at all levels for children, youth and teenagers. Values such as obedience, filial piety, respect for elders, patience and tolerance, truth, responsibility and honour need to be emphasised. Strong human values, along with strong families, are key to building a peaceful and stable community which will lead to a strong and stable nation. The need for this has never been greater.
One important aspect of the 11th Malaysia Plan that should be addressed is enhancing social development based on noble values, which can help strengthen human capabilities and the role of family institutions in achieving a balanced society. The success of our nation depends not only on economics, science, and information and communications technology, but also on how we can build a society which is morally, spiritually and mentally strong. This can be a bulwark against the many social and moral issues besieging our society. Our nation’s future depends on a strong and cohesive moral foundation. Despite the many accomplishments, the social progress of our society is lagging.
It is time we addressed the country’s social capital. All Malaysians must take responsibility for declining values and social standards. High crime rates, the unresolved drug menace, corruption in the public and private sectors, indiscipline in schools, truancy, and a culture of bullying and violence all point to an urgent need to address the country’s social capital. Unless and until we succeed in doing this, no amount of economic development can strengthen our social fabric in the face of new challenges.
It is time the nation developed an effective and sustainable blueprint to address the multifarious social ills in our fast- changing national landscape through a special task force with the full participation of all stakeholders. I am pleased to note Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has also advocated a new social agenda for the nation. Counselling programmes for family institutions and the promotion of noble values are in great need today.
In line with the 1Malaysia concept of promoting unity and togetherness among Malaysians through mutual respect and trust for one another, students and youths of different races must break down the racial divide, reach out and make friends with those from other ethnic groups. Over the years, many schools in the peninsula saw that racial polarisation is still prevalent in the schools where children would only hang out according to their races.
Our National Service for school leavers programme was unlike other programmes such as in Singapore where youths are taught to handle weapons and train as soldiers. Here, it is more like summer camps. Despite of this, some parents came up and said that after their children were sent to National Service, they came back rejuvenated and became more disciplined and focused.
Having a campaign to promote courtesy and noble values is important but what is even more essential is to put into practice in our daily life courtesy and the noble values we are promoting. Leadership by example is essential for the success of the campaign. The civil service, for example, should promote courtesy among counter staff dealing with the public. Basic civilities and courtesies such as responding to calls and replying to letters from the public must be practised by all those in authority.
The younger generation are a nation’s most-valuable asset and every nation dreams about making their younger generation into responsible, amazing people. Besides giving good education, imparting moral values is extremely important. The need of the hour is to acknowledge the magnitude of imparting good values in children so that they can differentiate between right or wrong. We can teach moral values by being their role models
To make our younger generation a responsible society members, teach them moral values like honesty, loyalty, respect, self-reliance, self-discipline, patience, kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, personal responsibility and courtesy. These values help in developing a strong personality for them and that minimizes the possibility of having them go astray. It is said that from the age of 5-6 children start differentiating between right or wrong and the first lesson comes from their parents. They see their parents as role models and try to follow in their footsteps. Set an example by following examples that you want your children to follow.
CONCLUSION
Social ills are the symptom of an unhappy society. Many factors have been said to cause social ills, including the lack of parental supervision, lack of moral and civic education, urbanisation and the oft-discussed delinquent behaviour of teenagers.
In order to achieve a truly civilised nation, there must be social transformation in terms of changes in attitudes and the value systems, with youths and teenagers playing an integral part in it. Youngsters need to channel their energy into positive and constructive activities based on their individual interests.
The nation needs to go back to the basics in addressing the social and moral agenda for 1Malaysia. In this regard, going back to the basics means going back to the principle of Rukunegara. This unfortunately had been gradually forgotten because we have so many concepts now, the transformation programme, that we have lost the emphasis on the Rukunegara. The young generation, should always remember to do something in line with the Rukunegara which is our country’s philosophy. Not just memorise the five tenets of Rukunegara, but to live by it.
The success of any courtesy campaign must also start from school where courtesies and noble values must be taught. In this connection, Moral Education in school should be reinforced to emphasise the importance of learning and practising the 36 noble values. Memorising the 36 noble values for the sake of passing the subject is certainly not desirable. What we want is for these noble values to be practised in our daily life.
By imparting moral values, parents play a dominant role in molding the attitude and approach of the children in their life. Let us not forget our roots. It is the responsibility of every parent to pass on the invaluable treasure of moral values to their children so that tomorrow they will pass these on to the next generation. This continuous process will give our society honest, trustworthy, patriotic, faithful, lovable and good human beings and that day will be the realization of our dreams in a very real sense.