Lessons of history

The Malaysian Insider - No need to bring up BN’s past mistakes, says Muhyiddin.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin said although the prime minister admitted Barisan Nasional’s (BN) mistakes, “there is no need to list out our weaknesses; that is in the past”.

“What is more important is in front, in the next 10, 20 years and as the prime minister said, we are ready to improve ourselves and improve on what we have already accomplished such as the national transformation programmes, which includes the economy, government, politics, rural issues and new measures taken by the prime minister and the government, which have an effective impact.

Sorry, my dear Tan Sri, I strongly disagree, because George Santayana advised us that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.

And that’s precisely the reason why we must remember the past, and the important lessons of history - an example on the global scale would be that of the Yanks not remembering its humongous mistake of Vietnam and repeating it in Iraq, Afghanistan and, if the Israelis have their way, Iran.

Of course we needn’t take grudge with everything unsatisfactory that we recall, but when there exists in our national politial landscape a clear picture, pattern and probability of non-repentance, continuing lack of transparency, accountability and proper governance, then we should, as far as our democratic process allows us, not permit the future to become another copy of the past.

Reminder: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” wakakaka.