IDEAS President slams hypocritical patriotism

President of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) Tunku Zain Al-Abidin Tunku Mukhriz, today slammed the quarters who often pretend to be patriotic yet clueless about the crusade of the past.

"In recent years, there have been many liberal leaders coming forward and pretend to be patriotic but do not know anything about the struggle, the principles that were espoused by our forefathers in the past," he said during the opening speech of the 5th anniversary of IDEAS and a 112th memorial of the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.

Tunku Zain also expressed his disappointment towards people who refused to adhere to any decree but merely takes advantage for their own benefits.

He however applaud the efforts undertook by a group of 25 former senior officials who had penned and documented their dismay over the clarity on the place of Islam in Malaysia and the country's path of democracy.

Tunku Zain was addressing a full auditorium made up of politicians, academicians and students at the Auditorium, Memorial Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, here.

Meanwhile, he said only few members of Parliament are living up to the peoples' hopes of continuing peace and happiness in the country.

Tunku Zain quoted a saying from the late third Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail during the launching of the Parliament building in 1963 where his majesty said: “There can be no grander witness than this great structure itself of the ideals and hopes that people of Malaysia share – no finer gesture to the future of the faith and confidence they have in the continuing peace and happiness of Malaysia.”

Referring to the quote, Tunku Zain questioned whether the lawmakers are still upholding to the struggles of preserving the peoples' dreams.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen. Do we think that the current members of parliament are living up to these words? No doubt there are a few, like the ones we have co-opted into our Council, but when we ask the question “Where is the leadership?” in our event today, a diplomatic answer perhaps is not always where it ought to be,” he said.

He said that is the reason why a strong civil society such as IDEAS is an essential part of any democracy.

In another development, 20 young Malaysians have been selected as IDEAS National Unity Fellows to take part in its one-year programme called the National Unity Fellowship Programme.

IDEAS Chief Executive Officer, Wan Saiful Wan Jan said the 20 Fellows were chosen out of almost 50 applicants based on their qualities and values as future leaders.

The programme is run by IDEAS along with the National Unity and Integration Department at the Prime Minister's Department, Institute of Integrity Malaysia (IIM) and Negaraku.

The selected individuals will go through five training workshops in which they will be given exposure to topics such as ethnic and religious relations, integrity, nation building and other essential skills like strategic planning, research methodology and messaging.