From FMT:
Teresa’s rage and a lesson on free speech
Recently, an international school invited the wrath of Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok over a student presentation on the environmental damage caused by the palm oil industry.
I think both the minister and the school have the best intentions. The episode offers a lesson on “freedom of expression” in the “New Malaysia”.
Instilling an interest in students on the environment is a noble attempt and fulfils the requirements of the Sustainable Development Goals.
However, it is not a one-dimensional perspective. By saying that palm oil plantations are bad because they destroy the forest and its biodiversity, we are looking at the matter from a single perspective without taking into account the severe economic impact of smallholders and Malaysians who depend on this commodity.
True learning is not by repetition. It occurs when one takes information and reinterprets it in the light of certain unique contexts.
The palm oil industry in Malaysia has suffered from the unfair perspectives of those who may have agendas other than saving our forests.
I don’t like quoting Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but I remember him questioning the West for lecturing the Third World about deforestation when they themselves had destroyed their environment.
Teachers should be more critical and sensitive to Malaysia’s plight while at the same time supporting the protection of our forests.
Our hardworking minister is trying her level best to battle the forces of “first world morality”. Her message to the school came off like a headmaster’s stern rebuke, setting off activists who criticised her for trying to stifle freedom of speech.
I think what the minister really meant was the need for responsible teaching and critical presentation.
She could have mentioned that although she agrees on the issue of deforestation, her ministry is trying its best to solve what is an inherited problem.
Twenty years from now, the palm oil industry could exist side by side with our forest conservation efforts. Right now, we are in damage control mode and the country must unite in efforts to remedy the situation until an equitable balance is achieved between forest conservation and economic income.
Those who speak of freedom of speech must understand that this concept comes with conditions.
Yes, the constitution guarantees freedom of speech, but we must apply our manners and distinguish responsible freedom from irresponsible freedom.
We have been many times disgusted by irresponsible free speech that pits communities against each other.
Until most educated citizens understand what responsible freedom of speech is, we will have to keep on conducting damage control.
The Malay saying goes, “Terlajak perahu boleh diundur, terlajak kata buruk padahnya”, which means that once something has been spoken, you cannot take it back.
Wakakakaka…
ReplyDeleteThe western morality in display - don't do what I have done!
After getting the first bite of the prime cut, anybody who dare to attempt the bite, even if it's of lesser grade, would be condemn with all encompassing self-righteousness proclamations!
my 9 years old nephew insist not to ride on the elephant, he get distressed seeing how the trainer treat the elephant, he told his dad if we dun ride the elephant, then the elephant dun hv to suffer this, the dad explained if we dun ride, then there is no income for the trainer.
ReplyDeletewho is more right? kid or dad? most kids would understand the world better when he grown up, no need a kok lady to tok kok. the war field is not a school, if she is that care, talk something abt religion study in school.
she is the Minister of Primary Industry and has been working her guts out to protect the palm oil industry against Western oil competitors (soya, canola, jagung, sunflower seed, etc) - I think all Malaysians regardless of political affiliations should support her valiant efforts
DeleteAll these farts about the impact of palm oil to environment by the western medias + some bleeding heartish locals.
DeleteWHY don't there be any LOUGH boycott about the Brazilian beef & soybeans?
The deforestation of the Amazon jungle at the rate of one football field per second to clear for beef ranches & soybean plantation IS a known fact.
Yet the noises to stop the Brazilian beef & soybean r in no way comparable with the oil palm in the western presses!
R the west playing double standard for the love of their beef barbecue & soybean export (they DONT event produce any taufu in any measurable quantity!)?
westerners love beef, but their edible oil producers fear our palm oil production, cheaper, better thus terrifying to them, wakakaka
DeleteAka Huawei's 5G tech implementations vis-a-vis other's more expensive & lower grade products!
DeleteHow dare the yellow face climbs to the top over the ego inflated gweilo?
HY - you mean it's ok to torture the elephant to feed the trainer? Pathetic. The kid is right in saying it blunt.
DeleteAt the end of the day agriculture should be Farm to Fork, not Farm to Diesel engine. (The diesel engine will die soon anyway, most car manufacturers will phase them out due to pollution and move to electric cars).
ReplyDeletePalm oil is the cheapest edible oil, many poor countries in the sub-continent, China etc depend on it. The orang putih prefer the more expensive oils from corn, canola, soyabean and even olive oil.
So let them eat cake.
But their multinationals like Unilever quietly use palm oil in the cookies because it is cheaper. Then they sell these cookies back to the poor countries and make huge profits.
The future of palm oil is as a food product, not biodiesel. 6 million hectares for Malaysia is enough. We have better use for our land. Felda smallholders must change from planting oil palm to other crops like fruit (eg durians), vegetables etc. Toonsie will announce the new initiative soon.
Best not to let Mahathir eff up palm oil - every bloody thing he touched on, it became a disaster - he's the man with The Minus Touch
DeleteTeresa and Toonsie should invite these “know-it-all-defenders-of-freedom-of-speech” and international schoolteachers to the Felda smallholders meeting and let them repeat their message.
ReplyDelete