Monday November 9, 2009
Teach our people good social values
SAY what you want about the British, if there is one thing we can learn from them it is good manners.
On every trip I make to Britain, I am always impressed by their good manners.
Go to any retail shop and the immediate response after paying for your purchases is a thank you.
Take a tube at any station, even during peak hours, and you would see people queuing up like school children. They will allow those on the train to disembark before entering.
Seldom can you see drivers losing their cool on the roads and highways,
Watch the TV programmes and talk shows and guests on both sides of the divide will display a mode of civility rarely seen even in the US.
The British can agree to disagree without being emotional, even with those whom they vehemently argue with.
We Malaysians have a lot of catching up to do in comparison with the British. Every time I am at the LRT or commuter station, I see nothing but rude and impatient Malaysians.
Those wanting to enter charge in before allowing the passengers on board to disembark, which very often results in a melee. They have no consideration even for senior citizens like me. A real disgrace, I should say.
I don’t have to comment further on the attitude of our drivers. The alarming statistics, especially during festive seasons, speak for themselves.
It is high time that we inculcate some values into our people. If it’s too late to change the older generation, then we should at least start with the younger ones at school through subjects like Civics. The print and and electronic media can also assume a role through advertisements.
Malaysia is fast moving to become a developed country by 2020, and our Prime Minister is passionate in his pursuit to transform Malaysia from a middle income to a high income country. Complementing these objectives should also be a society that should be instilled with good social values.
If we fail to teach our people good social values, we will only be a developed and high income society of a citizenry with contentment, but without moral and ethical standards. If this is the scenario for the future, I feel we will still be a poor nation.
JAMES GONZALES,
Kuala Lumpur.
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