Have healthy public discourse

Have healthy public discourse
By TEH ENG HOCK, The Star
Monday June 2, 2008

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians’ big leap towards voicing their views publicly is not a bad thing as long as they learn to be responsible and accommodative, said MCA vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat.

Ong, who is also the Transport Minister, said in voicing one’s views, one has to learn to be responsible, accommodative and agree to disagree.

“I was having a public debate with Lim Guan Eng (then DAP Socialist Youth chief). At that time, a lot of people ‘hurled stones’ and said it was just a political gimmick.

“But we did it for two consecutive nights in 1991,??? he said after launching the People’s Debate, a MCA Lifelong Learning talk programme held in conjunction with BookFest@Malaysia.

 

Dialogue session: Participants voicing their views at the People’s Debate, an MCA Lifelong Learning talk programme, held in conjunction with BookFest @Malaysia.

While saying that Malaysians have made remarkable progress on these values compared with the 1990s, he also cautioned against the judging of views of others based on their affiliations.

He said this was important in promoting and inculcating the culture of public discourse in Malaysians.

“We should not judge and scrutinise the views of others based on their affiliations, for example, partisan affiliations, but rather the rationality of their views.

“Just because you come from a certain party, your view is ignored, suppressed or distorted. I think that is not fair,??? he said.