The Goodman Is Always Wrong

We have a very unhealthy attitude that is blaming others for whatever reasons or excuses we could think of. We refuse to accept our mistake and refuse to admit our wrong doings.

Take for example if we were to be caught pants down doing something which we are not supposed to do, we would quickly and professionally blame it on our partners, if there is any, or our superiors for lack of guidance, or to our subordinates for the wrong advice given, or anything else that comes to our mind at that time. We give all kind of excuses to get protect our guilty and faults. No one, the blogger included, could deny that they have not blamed anyone before in their entire life just to safe their own face.

Journalists or media have always been the targets of blaming for wrong quotation or misleading facts. Even if the journalists could come up proof and recording they sometimes have to swallowed it all. Politicians, especially those who speak without thinking, would always put the blame on the reporters when what they said caused public outcry. That’s why, don’t expect too much from a controlled newspapers because what you read or what you see is not what actually happen. What you read is only what others want you to see and believe.

Readers before the IT era would almost believe everything what the newspapers reported. It is a totally different situation now days. Information, be it right or wrong, is easily available on the internet. So be careful the next time when you are trying to fool the people. You might get yourself fooled. If you are unlucky you might be caught sleeping during assembly and have your pictures or video posted in the internet.

Back to the topic of blaming others, Sabah football fans put the blame on the poor refereeing when Sabah lost to Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya during the last Malaysia Cup. The referee might have at a certain point made a mistake or two but he could not take the blame for the whole defeat. We can’t just give up the game if we find the refereeing is unfair.

Similarly, Sabahans put the blame on illegal immigrants when more and more social problems were reported. We blame them for robbing our employment opportunities. We blame them for dirtying our towns and spreading of diseases. We blame them for bringing in more social ills, prostitution, drug trafficking and crimes. The politicians on the other hand blame the foreigners for being phantom voters and resulted in their defeats in elections.

But who was the one who first allowed them into this state at the first place? We practised double standard and offering foreigner citizenship but made it difficult for locals? Don’t we forget that it was we, the Sabahans, who offered them jobs in the plantations, restaurants and construction industries. It was also we ourselves who were reluctant to work in aquaculture and agriculture sectors, which forced these sectors to look for cheaper labour forces. We created the opportunity for others in the expense of our own wealth, health and security.

It was also our own ‘ali baba’ mentality that we apply for various trading licenses and rent or sell them out to the foreigners to trade in markets and road sides. The politicians and the local government officers were the one who were involved in forging identity cards and birth certificates and made the newly imported foreigners as eligible voters during elections. For the sake of winning, some politicians could buy and sell anything, even their own country, to achieve their selfish dreams. When these foreigners with Malaysian identity cards or even Mycards, due to better offer, voted for someone else during elections, the dissatisfied losers lodged complaints. Aren’t all these are the results of our own selfishness?

We blame the government for not providing enough security for the state. The truth is we are hiring foreigners as our security guards. We spent millions in our investments but employ cheap foreign security guards. What happened in Borneo Paradise in Kunak is one good example. If we were to employ a cat to look after our fish the chances are our fish will be gone sooner or later.

Remember once a foreigner was found to be a town councillor of Tawau Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Tawau)?. He was there for years before he was found to be a foreigner. If he was involved in drafting by-laws concerning foreigners, or involved in enforcement unit going after illegal hawkers, do you think he would do a good job? Certainly not.

Who are we to blame? Blame it to ourselves.

We were talking about illegal logging, smuggling and corruption. We are angry when the guilty got their names cleaned and let free just because there was lack of evidence. Was it true that there was really lack of evident or it was because evident was purposely denied and ignored?

The present system provides no guarantee or adequate security for witness. Not many people would like to be a witness in cases involving smuggling, illegal logging, corruption, murder and drug trafficking. The reason being simple, they fear of their own safety and future more than they want to do justice to the country. The culprits are much too powerful so much so that they could determine the verdict. Heard of judges being threatened and killed? Or the witness family being threatened and harmed?

Remember many years ago when a group of Sabah footballers were banished because they were found guilty of match fixing? How could one fix the game without a bookie. But why no bookies were booked and charged? Why only victimised the players who have been threatened by the powerful people who made millions of Ringgit for every match? Simple, they could not tell the whole truth because too many prominent people were involved as bookies.

Many a times when something controversial was brought up, most people are more interested to know the identity of the person who brought the issue up instead of looking into what has been reviewed. This informer is investigated more than the culprits. If he is found to have had a bad record previously then that would be used to discredit him and weaken his credibility.

When a group of Singaporean mentioned about illegal logging activities in Maliu Basin they were bombarded for making public the issues without first quietly inform the authorities. The then Chief Minister was the once who got extremely furious on the matter. When the Singaporeans apologised, the case was closed. Strange. Aren’t we missing the main point here? The focus has been shifted. It was supposed to be the illegal logging which should be the focus but instead it was diverted. Similarly Daily Express was blamed for reviewing the illegal logging in Benta Wawasan. The general public of course are well aware of the true intention of why focus was diverted.

There are many more similar examples where we chose to nail down the informer and intentionally forget the big issue he or she brought up. Therefore we always read reports in newspapers that the ACA (Anti Corruption Agency) would not initiate any investigation before there is any former report being lodged. Who would come forward to lodge the report if he would be ridiculed and become the target of threats, humiliation and condemn?

I was just wondering, does a doctor need a patients to be brought to the hospital first before he could treat him and would not see any patients whom he happen to meet during accident or so?

If such blaming attitude was to continue, we will have the same scenario repeating one after another. The society would keep worshiping the wrong hero when thieves and gangsters are rewarded and accorded datukship. The strong and powerful will always rule either by force or money. The poor will always stay poor.

The Goodman will always be wrong and the badman will always be right.