Employing the 'trust but verify' policy for khat lessons

LETTER | I must admit I thoroughly enjoy watching DAP getting roasted by the anti-khat crowd that acted out of fear and hatred. DAP is having its comeuppance. Having ridden on the beast of such negative sentiments to ballot success, it now finds it risky to get off.

Indeed, DAP's recent election success was not so much due to some "big love" for DAP but was rather motivated by fear and hatred. Hatred for Umno's corruption and excesses. Fear for Umno abusing religion as a cover for its corruption (note: not hatred for the religion itself). Fear and hatred spurred newly active voters to volunteer for DAP, to become it's fanatic "Red Bean Army" for no salary (except for a few spinmasters) - something that Umno cyber-troopers failed to understand.

An example of this warped confidence is evident in Penang. DAP operatives misattributed the "supermajority" of state assembly seats (DAP 19/40; Pakatan Harapan 37/40) as a mandate for the dominant party to bulldoze development as it wishes. Partisan mercenaries trumpet this "super majority" whenever reasoning fails, often equating the DAP government to the state itself. 

They ignore critics, feel justified in making personal attacks, arrogantly telling critics to "shut up," and to wait for the next GE to "get elected yourselves."

There's a point in emphasising the above cognitive misattribution. Because it points to the solution. The solution that DAP is naturally blind to because it is only human to deny that hate and fear underpin one's own success.

But as the Chinese saying goes: The water can buoy your ship, but can also sink it. Once we get over the denial, we can then deal with the destructive sentiments of hate and fear.

The solution is to design a trusted mechanism to build trust. As the old Russian proverb goes: "Trust but verify." This was borrowed by American president Ronald Reagan to work with his "enemy" USSR to successfully reduce the weapons of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) before ending the Cold War.

The same principle applies today - but how? One possible mechanism is to elect a committee to verify every year that the Jawi writing curriculum indeed is limited to its purpose of literary enjoyment or to elaborate on the roots of the Malay language.

DAP members could elect a committee, of say 10 persons, to annually survey, verify and report on textbook status, school practices, hours used and feedbacks with regards to Jawi writing. This committee's annual report can serve as the basis for future protests or endorsement.

The important thing is to continue the other reforms, such as media freedom and abolishment of oppressive laws, so that civilians groups can function effectively as watchdogs.

Even before the committee starts to function, the first level of trust is needed regarding the composition of committee members. They must be independent grassroots members, such as small businessmen and women, professionals, and parents. Be careful not to spoil the trust by including rent-seekers tied to DAP government spendings, especially not developers, event organizers, contractors, the hustlers looking for technology contracts and professionals clambering to be appointed the head of some government agencies.

The Ministry of Education has further delegated decision authority to the Parents- Teachers Associations. The verifying committee must not pressure the PTA to not try out Jawi. How would you build trust if you don't try? The PTA should commit to a yearly renewable trial of Jawi teaching. Convince other parents to try - trust but verify.

Through whatever moral authority of such a verifying committee, DAP could perhaps rehash its power base to build sustainable trust, not just across language and culture, but also within its own rank and file.

As I remember, somehow my SJKC primary textbook for a brief period also included Jawi writing. My father took my hand to help me trace the writing. (Though he said he's forgotten about it). I don't remember how to write Jawi now. To me, it just means a serious student will graze across all topics before focusing on a few in time.

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