"Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you"

I taught my students to be assertive today. To stand up and be honest and direct in expressing their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad is very assertive and I look up to him for that.

Here's an article I'd like to share.

In 2006,Lee Kuan Yew told a forum in Singapore that it was vital for Singapore, a predominantly ethnic Chinese state, to stand up to its bigger, mainly Muslim neighbours, Indonesia and Malaysia.

He made the following statement:

"Our neighbours both have problems with their Chinese. They are successful. They are hard-working and therefore they are systemically marginalised,"

Don't you think it is uncalled for? Whether the statement holds any truth is one matter, in the first place, what rights do you have to talk or criticise on other countries' matters? Heard of "jaga tepi kain orang?"

I liken this to Neighbour A telling others how her Neighbour B is mistreating one of her 3 kids, not giving that kid enough food to eat, pocket money to spend, freedom to play whereas the other 2 kids were allowed all the incentives. Each family has its own rules and how do you feel, if your neighbours were to do the same, go around making comments on how you should run your family ?

Mahathir hits back with the following reply:

"You are not that clever. In a small group, perhaps you seem clever," Mahathir said, referring to Lee.

"But when (Lee) goes to China, the Chinese there don't want to listen to him. The Chinese in China don't think much of him and it is a fact that he is marginalized by Chinese in the world," Mahathir was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama.

"We should have an independent investigation on why the Malays are left behind in Singapore," Mahathir said. "They are pressured, marginalized and oppressed. That is the kind of government founded on the views of Lee Kuan Yew."

You may want to debate if the statement holds any truth or not but that is not the essence of the argument. My personal motto: "Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you".

You may say this is freedom of speech. Why can't people make comments freely you may say. Well fine, then be willing to accept criticsm from others as well.

There's a fine line between freedom of speech and being assertive.

Speak your mind but have substance.

Sources:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/23/asia/AS_GEN_Malaysia_Singapore_Lee.php
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/060915/3/43gi5.html
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18882
Article from http://one-wheel.blogspot.com/