Is it really any surprise that our students are turning into bullies, rapists, and murderers?
After the shocking case of a Form 2 student stabbing a Form 4 girl over 200 times at a school in Bandar Utama, former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin blamed Anwar’s government for the tragedy.
“This is not an isolated case — it is a clear sign that the education system and government have failed,” he said.
That got me thinking — has our government truly failed our younger generation?
At first glance, it seems like a stretch to connect the two. But after reflecting on it, I think the answer might actually be yes. Our government, and more precisely, our leaders, may well be responsible for the moral collapse we’re witnessing among the youth.
Just look at the track record of the people who’ve led this country:
- Najib Razak is currently serving a 12-year sentence for corruption related to 1MDB.
- Anwar Ibrahim, our current Prime Minister, has been jailed , not once but twice, on various charges.
- Muhyiddin Yassin is facing corruption and money-laundering charges.
- Mahathir Mohamad is under investigation by the MACC for alleged overseas assets.
- Ismail Sabri Yaakob was recently forced to forfeit RM170 million to the government.
Five living Prime Ministers — and not one without a taint of scandal. The only organisation whose leadership résumé could rival the head of our government is the mafia or the triad.
When thjs is record of all our Prime Ministers, is it any wonder that the students beneath them behave like gangsters in uniform?
As the saying goes: The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.
A fish rots from the head.
The chickens will always come home to roost, and we will reap what we sow.
The theory on how to raise the younger generation well is not difficult — it is following through with our conduct and example that is hard.
In theory, all that we have to do to raise the younger generation well is teach them what is right and wrong, and exemplify it through our conduct.
For example, if we teach our younger generation that they should aim to be wealthy, but not resort to bribes or theft to do so; that they should aim to win, but not by cheating; that they should aim to improve their status in life by doing things that are admirable and difficult, not by resorting to flattery or pulling others down — and if we exemplify what we teach them with our own conduct and example — then all we have to do is treat the younger generation with fairness, consideration, kindness, magnanimity, and generosity, and they will naturally admire us and follow our example.
The problem with our leaders is that they teach our younger generation not to take bribes or cheat, but instead work hard, develop their talent and character, and learn how to generate value. But then they get caught doing things like taking bribes, flattering, cheating, breaking their word, or pulling others down to win, to be rich, to gain power and authority, or to improve their status. And so what the younger generation learns from them is that it doesn’t matter how you win, become rich, or rise in status — once you have won, become rich, or earned a title like Datuk Seri or Tan Sri, everybody will forget the wrongdoings you committed to rise up in life, and admire and respect you instead.
When the older generation got to the top the wrong way, but then advises the next generation not to commit the same wrongdoing to get to the top, do you know what the younger generation is learning?
Subconsciously, they are learning that only losers follow instructions. To be a winner, they should follow the older generation’s example, not their instruction.
The recent spate of troubling incidents at schools are likely just the worst-case scenarios of what is happening to our younger generation, but I am quite sure that the damage done to our younger generation through the example of the leaders of the older generation is quite comprehensive.
The examples set by the leaders of our older generation are likely teaching the younger generation what triads and mafia organisations teach their new recruits — how to be successful, win, and rise to the top.
Considering that, I can’t help but believe that the recent spate of disturbing events in our schools - from gang rapes to severe bullying to murder - are just the teasers of what the future of the country is going to look like. When the movie hits the theatre, I think it will be a full horror show.
TheRealNehruism (nehru.sathiamoorthy@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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