On Alcohol Drinking
By batsman
It is said that the ruling class stamps its character on society at large. This means that even individuals who oppose the corruption and abuse of power of the ruling class are often not free from weaknesses that are stamped on society by the very people they oppose. It is the ruling class that makes alcohol legal.
Fighting sin and corruption is not a simple matter of being holier than thou. Both changes in the individual as well as in society must be taken into account. As another saying goes – no man is an island. This means that no man is perfect. Everyone must try his best while at the same time changes in society must reflect the best aspirations of people. If the individual and society are out of sync, something is wrong; no individual can be really successful on his own regardless of what is happening in society. Only the most egotistical can think they are perfect which is really oxymoronic in the first place.
Can it be that imperfect man has no place in fighting for decency?
UMNO is hypocrisy personified. In one and the same breath it is capable of accusing others of committing the sins it commits daily and arrogantly. It promises to fight a clean campaign but uses dirty tricks at one and the same time. This is typical of people who have no conscience, people who are very close to being sociopaths. These people are not simple individuals with weaknesses. These are corrupt ruling class who are stamping their character on society at large.
In exercising good judgment it is necessary to differentiate all the shades of grey not just deal in black and white only. An evil man must be differentiated from a man who has a weakness.
UMNO’s hypocrisy is plain to see when it claims Malaysia is an Islamic country. There are so many contradictions in this claim that it is a waste of time to even argue it anymore. The only reason UMNO makes such a claim is that it wants to use Islam to whack others while garnering all the credit and “holiness” for itself.
Malaysia is far from being an Islamic country. It will take a lot more hard work and sacrifice in the form of patience, education, persuasion and good deeds to make this a reality. In the meantime, it is also necessary to fight against the corruption and abuse of power that the ruling class practices on society even as it stamps its corrupt character on society.
Drinking alcohol is a bad thing. Zaid has repented and does not drink anymore. This is a step forward even if it is a small one for conditions of decency and goodwill to exist in Malaysia.
Unfortunately the hypocrisy of others who pick on other people’s weaknesses in between huge gulps of beer and whisky, raking in dirty money and using Islam to whack others for selfish motive is something much more serious when trying to bring decent changes to Malaysia.
Having a decent leader who has repented his weaknesses is much better than having leaders who are hypocritical, pick on the weaknesses of others while practicing corruption and sin without conscience. There is a world of difference in having a leader who is not perfect and a leader who is evil personified.
